Bowling form
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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 fourth style, known as helicopter, spinning, or UFO, is a style that is used to great effect in Asia.
Most of the various forms use different wrist and hand positions and rely on different timings and body positions to accommodate the differences in these styles of release.
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[edit] Stroking
A stroker is a type of player in ten-pin bowling 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 level with 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 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 money-leading bowler 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, and Parker Bohn III are strokers, which has given a stereotype in the bowling community that many left-handers are strokers.
[edit] Cranking
A cranker is a bowler who strives to generate revolutions using a cupped wrist and a bent elbow or muscled armswing. Crankers often use "late" timing, where the foot gets to the foul line before the ball. They often use a technique known as plant and pull, hardly using any slide on their final step and pulling the ball upwards for leverage. Even though this is sometimes referred as another name for a cranker, it is rather misleading because some crankers, like Robert Smith, slide more, while bowlers using other styles can also use this technique. The term, cranking, is used to describe the style of release that crankers do. Many crankers throw their shots from "coast to coast" meaning that they start from one end of the lane and aim for the other end and let the ball hook back on the dry edges of the oil pattern.
Notable crankers include Mark Roth, Amleto Monacelli, Tommy Jones (considered by some hall of fame coaches, most notably John Jowdy, to be a power stroker), Robert Smith, and Jason Couch.
[edit] "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 that 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 just simply not a "picture perfect" example of a stroker.
Notable tweeners include Brian Voss (a pure stroker, but not "picture perfect"), Doug Kent (considered by some to be a power stroker), and Chris Barnes (some consider him a normal stroker with a high backswing, but not a very big hook).
[edit] Power Stroking
A variation on tweening is used by a very successful and well-known bowler, Pete Weber, 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. A power stroker's release is both smooth and powerful, generating many revolutions via a wrist snap or flick without muscling the armswing. Some other famous power strokers include Bryan Goebel. Doug Kent is also sometimes considered a power stroker.
[edit] Spinning
Spinners use a style of release known variously as spinning, helicopter, or UFO. No matter what they choose to call it, a spinner releases a ball such that it is spinning along a vertical axis as it moves down the lane. Because of this motion, very little of the ball's surface ever touches the lane, but this is what the spinner wants. The ball will proceed until it (hopefully) 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.
Spinning is a popular style in Asia, especially Taiwan, where lanes are usually over-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.
Because spinners do not want the ball to grab onto the lane with its surface, they often use "plastic" bowling balls. Additionally, because the chances of injury are somewhat elevated with this style of bowling, the spinner will have a tendency to use lightweight balls between ten and twelve pounds.
[edit] Shovel / "No Thumb" / Two-handed
A bowler can use a technique without inserting the thumb into the thumb hole to get high revolutions on the ball. The ball is held with both hands or balanced on the forearm while the bowler executes a bent elbow backswing. The arm is never straightened and the ball is essentially pushed down the lane while the bowler rotates his hand and arm around the ball.
This technique is quite rare amongst high-level bowlers, but is commonly used to generate revolutions by casual bowlers who do not know how to use one of the more conventional techniques. It is also commonly used by young bowlers too weak to hold a bowling ball using its finger holes.
Notable bowlers with this style include Australian Jason Belmonte, Osku Palermaa, and Chaz Dennis.
