Hook Bowling
Well hook bowling is a very hard way of bowling. There are generally two main styles of hook bowlers: crankers and strokers, both follow the same ideology.
At the point of release, the bowlers hand comes from behind the ball to round the side which causes the ball to rotate sideways rather than end over end like a straight bowler. This sideways rotation is what makes the ball hook left for a right-hander and right for a left-hander (people who bowl for fun ignore this factor in hook bowling).
Over all a hook bowler has to get the rotation of the ball, or ‘revs‘ with the speed of the ball exactly right for what the lane is doing, and what ‘oil pattern’ is being used. Generally a league match would consist of three games of bowling (on 2 separate lanes), while bowling the oil on the lane is ‘carried down’, which makes the ball react different as the league match progresses. In my view this is what makes it the sport it is, it’s a challenge to see what your ball is doing and controlling it gives it that competitive edge, as apposed to throwing the ball straight in a ‘conventional grip’ way.
The Stroker:
| A stroker bowler will start from the right side (if a right handed bowler) and bowl their ball down the edge of the lane, and place enough hook on the ball in order for the ball to hook at the end to hit the pocket. This style of bowling is very common among hook bowlers (I personally don’t like throwing the ball like this, but have to at my local alley because the lane is always oiled right down – due to the oiling machine being broken). |  |
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The Cranker:
| A Cranker bowler will start his footing to the left hand side and throw the ball out with a lot of ‘revs‘ and power (more than any other type of bowler). This is the hardest way to bowl but is very rewarding when mastered as the angle the ball hits is far more likely to create the best pin fall. |  |
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