Bowling form
Encyclopedia
In the sport of ten-pin bowling
there are many different ways in which to deliver (known as a "throw" or "roll") the bowling ball
in order to advance it toward the pins in an accurate and powerful manner. Generally, there are three basic forms and several variants. The most basic form is known as stroking, which is the most classic form. The most powerful form is known as cranking, which imparts great leverage and maximum rotation on the ball, but sacrifices accuracy. In between the two is the domain of the tweener, who has characteristics of both, but does not truly fit into either category. A well-known variant of "tweening" is the power stroker. Power stroking is often very similar to cranking and bowlers can often fit in either category, therefore bowlers that use one of these two styles are often simply known as power players. A fourth style, known as helicopter, spinning, or UFO, is a style that is used to great effect in Asia. Finally, many modern bowlers have changed to a one- or two-handed no-thumb delivery.
Most of the various forms use different wrist and hand positions and rely on different timings and body positions to accommodate the differences in each style of release.
who releases his or her bowling ball
in a smooth manner. Strokers often keep their shoulders square to the foul line and their backswing generally does not go much above parallel to the ground. This type of release reduces the ball's rate of revolution, thus decreasing its hook potential and hitting power. Strokers rely on finesse and accuracy, as opposed to crankers, who use speed and power. However, today's modern reactive resin bowling balls now allow strokers to hit the "pocket" at a relatively high angle. Stroking is considered the most classic of all the bowling forms and is still the most popular style of bowling in the PBA.
Although crankers are often considered to be more impressive to watch, strokers are often considered to have more repeatable and accurate shots. Strokers rely on smooth ball placement more than kinetic energy to fell pins. The all-time leader in titles and bowling earnings in the United States, Walter Ray Williams, Jr., is a stroker (though some consider his style unique and not easily classifiable). Other famous strokers include Norm Duke
, David Ozio
, and Dick Weber
.
Several high-profile left-handed bowlers, such as Earl Anthony
, Mike Aulby
, Parker Bohn III
and Mike Scroggins
, are or were strokers, which has led to a stereotype in the bowling community that most left-handers are strokers who can only play the outside part of the lane.
Crankers often stand to the extreme opposite side of the approach (relative to their target), and roll the ball over the middle lane boards out toward the gutter, using high revolutions to hook the ball back toward the pocket. Depending on the bowling ball, lane condition and bowler, the ball may exhibit either a rounded hook pattern or a later, more severe hook pattern known as skid-snap.
Some crankers use a low backswing but have a cupped wrist in order to generate high revolutions; this was the "old-fashioned" way of cranking. Notable bowlers with such a style include Jim Godman, Bob Learn, Jr.
, Ryan Shafer, Kelly Coffman, and Bob Vespi. Mark Roth
was among the first bowlers to crank the ball using a high backswing and excessive wrist action. Other bowlers who followed this style include Amleto Monacelli
and Jason Couch
. Robert Smith
, Michael Fagan, and Tommy Jones are often considered crankers due to their high RPM rates, but each has a smooth slide-step so they can also be classified as power strokers.
The myth that crankers are not good spare shooters is not always supported. Roth, for example, was one of the best spare shooters on tour in his day, and was the first person to convert the nearly-impossible 7-10 split on national television. Robert Smith and Jason Couch both post very high spare-conversion percentages.
Notable tweeners include Brian Voss
(primarily a stroker, but not "picture perfect"), Mika Koivuniemi
(primarily a stroker, but with a high backswing), and Doug Kent
(considered by some to be a power stroker).
, who is considered a power stroker. This term refers to a bowler who relies on a high backswing and open shoulders to generate potential ball speed and a big hook, but uses the timing of a stroker. It can also be used to describe a stroker with a high rev rate, or a cranker with an unusually smooth release. A power stroker's release is both smooth and powerful, generating many revolutions via a wrist snap or flick of the fingers, without muscling the armswing. Some other famous power strokers include Bryan Goebel
, Wes Malott
, Doug Kent
(often considered a tweener), and Chris Barnes (often considered a stroker).
Spinning is a popular style in Asia, especially Taiwan, where lanes are usually more oiled and present little opportunity for a ball thrown in one of the three more orthodox fashions to "grab" any non-conditioned part of the lane. It is also a common mistake made by beginner bowlers trying to hook the bowling ball, but turn their wrist and release the thumb hole and fingers at the same time. However, some hook bowlers, such as Pete Weber, Tom Baker and Ryan Shafer, have some rotation along the x-axis in order to have some ball deflection.
Because spinners do not want the ball to grab onto the lane with its surface, they often use "plastic" bowling ball
s - balls with the older polyester
cover-stock popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and commonly used as house balls today - in comparison to the widely used polyurethane
, "particle" (polyurethane with nigh-microscopic glass spheres or other hard material throughout the coverstock) and "reactive resin" balls ("reactive resin" is itself polyurethane manufactured using a process to leave microscopic pores throughout it, essentially, a hard sponge) used by bowlers who desire a ball that will grip the lane and roll strongly. Additionally, because the chances of injury are somewhat elevated with this style of bowling, as well as the advantage of ball deflection with this style, the spinner will have a tendency to use lightweight balls between ten and twelve pounds.
This technique is quite rare among high-level bowlers, but is commonly used to generate revolutions by casual bowlers who do not know how to hook the ball using one of the more conventional techniques.
Traditionally, in two handed bowling, two fingers are inserted and the thumb is left out. The dominant hand is then used to cradle the ball and creates extra spin on the release. Then, the opposite hand is used to guide the ball through the throwing motion. Two handed bowlers are forced to flex forward farther and rotate more than a single handed bowler. These bowlers are placing more torque through the spine in order to increase the ball speed and revolution rate. This form of bowling, if done correctly, increases force, revolutions and pin carry. A two handed bowler's revolution rate can reach up to 600 revolutions per minute, which is up to 17% more rotation than the nearest elite single handed bowler and twice what some top professional bowlers generate.
Notable bowlers with this style include Mike Miller (one-handed), Australian Jason Belmonte
; Finn Osku Palermaa
; and American pre-teen Chaz Dennis
, the youngest person ever to bowl a 300 game. The latter three are two-handed bowlers. The bowling team of Bolivia
is also noted for changing their bowlers to using the two-handed style.
, the surprise winner of the 2009 PBA World Championship
, and involves putting the thumb in the ball only up to the first knuckle. Thus, the ball is thrown almost entirely with the fingers as a "no thumb" bowler would throw it, with the thumb only providing some control during the backswing. Smallwood also keeps two hands on the bowling ball until roughly midway through his backswing.
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
there are many different ways in which to deliver (known as a "throw" or "roll") the bowling ball
Bowling ball
A bowling ball is a spherical ball made from plastic, reactive resin, urethane or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb;...
in order to advance it toward the pins in an accurate and powerful manner. Generally, there are three basic forms and several variants. The most basic form is known as stroking, which is the most classic form. The most powerful form is known as cranking, which imparts great leverage and maximum rotation on the ball, but sacrifices accuracy. In between the two is the domain of the tweener, who has characteristics of both, but does not truly fit into either category. A well-known variant of "tweening" is the power stroker. Power stroking is often very similar to cranking and bowlers can often fit in either category, therefore bowlers that use one of these two styles are often simply known as power players. A fourth style, known as helicopter, spinning, or UFO, is a style that is used to great effect in Asia. Finally, many modern bowlers have changed to a one- or two-handed no-thumb delivery.
Most of the various forms use different wrist and hand positions and rely on different timings and body positions to accommodate the differences in each style of release.
Stroking
A stroker is a type of player in ten-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
who releases his or her bowling ball
Bowling ball
A bowling ball is a spherical ball made from plastic, reactive resin, urethane or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb;...
in a smooth manner. Strokers often keep their shoulders square to the foul line and their backswing generally does not go much above parallel to the ground. This type of release reduces the ball's rate of revolution, thus decreasing its hook potential and hitting power. Strokers rely on finesse and accuracy, as opposed to crankers, who use speed and power. However, today's modern reactive resin bowling balls now allow strokers to hit the "pocket" at a relatively high angle. Stroking is considered the most classic of all the bowling forms and is still the most popular style of bowling in the PBA.
Although crankers are often considered to be more impressive to watch, strokers are often considered to have more repeatable and accurate shots. Strokers rely on smooth ball placement more than kinetic energy to fell pins. The all-time leader in titles and bowling earnings in the United States, Walter Ray Williams, Jr., is a stroker (though some consider his style unique and not easily classifiable). Other famous strokers include Norm Duke
Norm Duke
Norm Duke is an American professional bowler currently on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He has bowled 58 perfect 300 games in PBA competition, including the 15th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history on January 5, 2003....
, David Ozio
David Ozio
David Ozio of Beaumont, TX is a right-handed ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association . He won 11 titles on the PBA Tour. He was the 2004 Senior PBA Rookie of the Year, winning the 2004 Senior U.S. Open. Through 2008, he has won five titles on the Senior and Generations...
, and Dick Weber
Dick Weber
Dick Weber was a famous bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association...
.
Several high-profile left-handed bowlers, such as Earl Anthony
Earl Anthony
Earl Roderick Anthony was a left-handed American professional bowler who amassed records of 41 titles and six bowler of the year awards on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. His title count was amended to 43 in 2008, when the PBA chose to include ABC Masters titles earned by a PBA member...
, Mike Aulby
Mike Aulby
Mike Aulby is a left-handed bowler and former member of the Professional Bowlers Association . He is one of only three PBA bowlers to win both a Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year award...
, Parker Bohn III
Parker Bohn III
Parker Morse Bohn III is a left-handed American professional bowler and has been a member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1984. He currently ranks sixth all-time with 32 career PBA titles, and has earned over $2.7 million in PBA events—good for fourth on the all-time list...
and Mike Scroggins
Mike Scroggins
Mike Scroggins is a left-handed professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association , having joined in 1989. He resides in Amarillo, TX.Profile at www.pba.com He has won eight PBA Tour titles in his career, including two majors. He won the USBC Masters in 2005 and the...
, are or were strokers, which has led to a stereotype in the bowling community that most left-handers are strokers who can only play the outside part of the lane.
Cranking
A cranker is a bowler who strives to generate revolutions using a cupped wrist or excessive wrist action. Crankers who rely on wrist action may have a high backswing and open their shoulders to generate ball speed. These bowlers often cup the wrist, but open the wrist at the top of the swing. Crankers may also muscle the ball with a bent elbow because their wrist is not strong enough to be cupped at the release. Crankers often use "late" timing, where the foot gets to the foul line before the ball; a technique known as plant and pull, hardly using any slide on their final step and pulling the ball upwards for leverage. The timing between the feet and the ball being delivered is only a fraction of a second. Even though the plant and pull bowler is sometimes used as another name for a cranker, it is rather misleading because some crankers slide more, while bowlers with other styles can also use this technique. The term "cranking" is used to describe the style of release and heavy wrist action that typifies crankers. Because of the high rev rate and power crankers have, they can throw powerful strikes even on less-than-perfect hits, but are more prone to splits rarely left by strokers or otherwise. Because many bowlers have a style that can be described as a cranker or a power stroker, the term power player is used for any bowler who can generate high revolutions or ball speed.Crankers often stand to the extreme opposite side of the approach (relative to their target), and roll the ball over the middle lane boards out toward the gutter, using high revolutions to hook the ball back toward the pocket. Depending on the bowling ball, lane condition and bowler, the ball may exhibit either a rounded hook pattern or a later, more severe hook pattern known as skid-snap.
Some crankers use a low backswing but have a cupped wrist in order to generate high revolutions; this was the "old-fashioned" way of cranking. Notable bowlers with such a style include Jim Godman, Bob Learn, Jr.
Bob Learn, Jr.
Robert Learn, Jr. was a professional ten-pin bowler on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He is nicknamed, "Mr. 300." He won 5 titles during his PBA career, including a major at the 1999 U.S. Open, but is most noted for:...
, Ryan Shafer, Kelly Coffman, and Bob Vespi. Mark Roth
Mark Roth
Mark Roth is a former professional bowler. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. As a youth he resided in Meiers Corners, Staten Island, New York City, New York.-Bowling career:...
was among the first bowlers to crank the ball using a high backswing and excessive wrist action. Other bowlers who followed this style include Amleto Monacelli
Amleto Monacelli
Amleto Monacelli of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, is a renowned ten-pin bowler and winner of 19 titles on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.-PBA career:...
and Jason Couch
Jason Couch
Jason Couch is one of the top bowlers on the Professional Bowlers Association tour. A left-handed cranker, he currently resides in Clermont, Florida.-PBA career:...
. Robert Smith
Robert Smith (bowler)
Robert Smith , is an American professional bowler currently on the Professional Bowlers Association tour. A native of Simi Valley, California, Smith has previously held residence in Captain Cook, Hawaii and Columbus, Ohio though now he resides and works in Hong Kong.An eight-time titleist , he is...
, Michael Fagan, and Tommy Jones are often considered crankers due to their high RPM rates, but each has a smooth slide-step so they can also be classified as power strokers.
The myth that crankers are not good spare shooters is not always supported. Roth, for example, was one of the best spare shooters on tour in his day, and was the first person to convert the nearly-impossible 7-10 split on national television. Robert Smith and Jason Couch both post very high spare-conversion percentages.
"Tweening"
A tweener (a term derived from "in-between") is a bowler that delivers the ball in a manner that falls somewhere in between stroking and cranking. This modified delivery could use a higher backswing than is normally employed by a pure stroker or a less powerful wrist position than a pure cranker. Some use the term to refer to a bowler who is simply not a "picture perfect" example of either a stroker or a cranker.Notable tweeners include Brian Voss
Brian Voss
Brian Voss of Kennesaw, GA, is a professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1982. The right-hander currently owns 25 PBA titles...
(primarily a stroker, but not "picture perfect"), Mika Koivuniemi
Mika Koivuniemi
Mika Juhani Koivuniemi is a Finnish ten-pin bowler, currently on the Professional Bowlers Association tour in the United States, who has won bowling titles in 12 different countries in his career....
(primarily a stroker, but with a high backswing), and Doug Kent
Doug Kent
Doug Kent is a right-handed American professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association . In the 2006-07 season, Kent became just the sixth bowler in PBA history to win two major championships in one tour year as he captured titles in the USBC Masters and Denny's PBA...
(considered by some to be a power stroker).
Power Stroking
A variation on tweening is used by a very successful and well-known bowler, Pete WeberPete Weber
Peter David "Pete" Weber, nicknamed “PDW”, , is a famous bowling professional on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Weber is one of the sport's most popular active players and is well known for his maverick, rebellious personality...
, who is considered a power stroker. This term refers to a bowler who relies on a high backswing and open shoulders to generate potential ball speed and a big hook, but uses the timing of a stroker. It can also be used to describe a stroker with a high rev rate, or a cranker with an unusually smooth release. A power stroker's release is both smooth and powerful, generating many revolutions via a wrist snap or flick of the fingers, without muscling the armswing. Some other famous power strokers include Bryan Goebel
Bryan Goebel
Bryan Goebel is a professional bowler who currently resides in Shawnee, Kansas.At the PBA Medford Open, held January 8–12, 2003, Goebel won his tenth PBA title, defeating Danny Wiseman 257-212...
, Wes Malott
Wes Malott
Wesley Clint "Big Nasty" Malott is an American professional ten-pin bowler who resides in Pflugerville, Texas. He has six titles in eight full seasons on the PBA tour, having won at least one title in four straight seasons . He also won the 2006–07 Showplace Lanes Megabucks Shootout, which is not...
, Doug Kent
Doug Kent
Doug Kent is a right-handed American professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association . In the 2006-07 season, Kent became just the sixth bowler in PBA history to win two major championships in one tour year as he captured titles in the USBC Masters and Denny's PBA...
(often considered a tweener), and Chris Barnes (often considered a stroker).
Spinning
Spinners use a style of release known variously as spinning, helicopter, or UFO. Regardless of what it's known as, a spinner releases a ball such that it is rotating along a vertical axis (the z-axis) as it moves down the lane. Because of this motion, very little of the ball's surface touches the lane, which is what the spinner intends. The aim is for the ball to proceed until it strikes the head pin, at which time it will proceed to move down the front row of pins in the direction opposite its spin. As it moves down the row, its spin and mass deflect the pins into one another in an attempt to make them fall. Even when the ball hits brooklyn, the reversal of direction allows even more ball and pin deflection (known as "mixing"), allowing a higher chance of messenger strikes.Spinning is a popular style in Asia, especially Taiwan, where lanes are usually more oiled and present little opportunity for a ball thrown in one of the three more orthodox fashions to "grab" any non-conditioned part of the lane. It is also a common mistake made by beginner bowlers trying to hook the bowling ball, but turn their wrist and release the thumb hole and fingers at the same time. However, some hook bowlers, such as Pete Weber, Tom Baker and Ryan Shafer, have some rotation along the x-axis in order to have some ball deflection.
Because spinners do not want the ball to grab onto the lane with its surface, they often use "plastic" bowling ball
Bowling ball
A bowling ball is a spherical ball made from plastic, reactive resin, urethane or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb;...
s - balls with the older polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
cover-stock popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and commonly used as house balls today - in comparison to the widely used polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
, "particle" (polyurethane with nigh-microscopic glass spheres or other hard material throughout the coverstock) and "reactive resin" balls ("reactive resin" is itself polyurethane manufactured using a process to leave microscopic pores throughout it, essentially, a hard sponge) used by bowlers who desire a ball that will grip the lane and roll strongly. Additionally, because the chances of injury are somewhat elevated with this style of bowling, as well as the advantage of ball deflection with this style, the spinner will have a tendency to use lightweight balls between ten and twelve pounds.
Shoveling
Shoveling (also called no-thumb or often two-handed) is a bowling technique whereupon the thumb is not inserted into the thumb hole. The technique produces high revolutions on the ball. The ball is often held with both hands or balanced on the forearm while the bowler executes a bent elbow backswing. The arm is never straightened; the ball is essentially pushed down the lane while the bowler rotates his arm and fingers around the ball. Due to similar ball roll and revolutions to the cranker style, it is sometimes considered a variation of cranking.This technique is quite rare among high-level bowlers, but is commonly used to generate revolutions by casual bowlers who do not know how to hook the ball using one of the more conventional techniques.
Traditionally, in two handed bowling, two fingers are inserted and the thumb is left out. The dominant hand is then used to cradle the ball and creates extra spin on the release. Then, the opposite hand is used to guide the ball through the throwing motion. Two handed bowlers are forced to flex forward farther and rotate more than a single handed bowler. These bowlers are placing more torque through the spine in order to increase the ball speed and revolution rate. This form of bowling, if done correctly, increases force, revolutions and pin carry. A two handed bowler's revolution rate can reach up to 600 revolutions per minute, which is up to 17% more rotation than the nearest elite single handed bowler and twice what some top professional bowlers generate.
Notable bowlers with this style include Mike Miller (one-handed), Australian Jason Belmonte
Jason Belmonte
Jason Belmonte is one of Australia's and the world's leading ten-pin bowlers. He is known for using the rare two handed "shovel" style to deliver his shot.- Early life :...
; Finn Osku Palermaa
Osku Palermaa
Osku Palermaa in Espoo, Finland is a Finnish Ten-pin bowler.-Today:Palermaa has 8 EBT titles to his name, and was the EBT ranking champion for three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009. Palermaa was also joint runner up in the 2005 EBT rankings, and runner up in the 2006 EBT rankings.Osku won his...
; and American pre-teen Chaz Dennis
Chaz Dennis
Christian Gurney is an American youth bowler from Columbus, Ohio. He is the youngest person to ever shoot a perfect game of bowling....
, the youngest person ever to bowl a 300 game. The latter three are two-handed bowlers. The bowling team of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
is also noted for changing their bowlers to using the two-handed style.
Half-thumb variation
The half-thumb variation is a technique employed by Tom SmallwoodTom Smallwood
Thomas Smallwood is a ten-pin bowler currently competing on the PBA Tour. On December 13, 2009, the right-hander won his first PBA Tour title and first major in the PBA World Championship, defeating 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott in the final match, 244-228...
, the surprise winner of the 2009 PBA World Championship
PBA World Championship
The PBA World Championship is one of the four major PBA bowling events. Prior to 2002, the tournament was called the PBA National Championship. The PBA National Championship was first contested in 1960, then called the First Annual National Championship...
, and involves putting the thumb in the ball only up to the first knuckle. Thus, the ball is thrown almost entirely with the fingers as a "no thumb" bowler would throw it, with the thumb only providing some control during the backswing. Smallwood also keeps two hands on the bowling ball until roughly midway through his backswing.