How To Hook A Bowling Ball The CORRECT Way

[@FreeSpeechWarrior]

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful Elise ❤

[@Bridget2483]

Very helpful information thank you both. I’m a beginner bowler still trying to learn and understand hooking the ball. Great stuff!❤

[@NateandElise]

Happy to help! Thank you for watching! ❤️

[@justinparker2354]

Can confirm that is not why I clicked on the video

[@TheGrooveMaster10]

I second that notion 😂

[@elty69]

😂😂😂😂

[@problem417]

😂😅me too

[@Bigg_Bruh]

Guilty🙋🏾‍♂️

[@problem417]

@@Bigg_Bruh 😆😆🤣we all seen the same thing

[@chrisarrant2099]

She can bowl. She can curve. She has curves. Its all perfect. Thanks for making my day. You are the best

[@chrisarrant2099]

Oh yeah Nate you are ok too. Need more curves. Lol love you guys

[@thomasmason5997]

Appreciate you sharing your professional knowledge on how today's elite players properly roll the ball to be successful on tour. Most people won't even try to understand that they are doing it all wrong because they bowl on a house shot that's designed to mask all flaws and allow anyone to score high.

[@LarryDexter-nj9zn]

To me it looks like the a typical line drill (at the 9:15 mark) that Nebraska coaches use as a tool to evaluate players when they were recruiting them out of high school back in the day when Coach Straub was the coach. Every Nebraska bowler back then from their approach to when they released the ball was exactly the same, until Cassandra Leuthold bowled there. She was to good so they let her be. Straub softened his stance on this somewhat when other great players came through the system and didn’t want to change up. My daughter went on a recruiting trip there back then as a high school recruit (did the line drill) they wanted to change the way she bowled and she didn’t feel comfortable doing it so she went elsewhere. Erin McCarthy did the same after her sophomore season at Nebraska. Having said that I have the highest respect for Coach Straub, Coach Klempa and for the Nebraska program. Nicest people you want to meet and obviously their way is highly successful you can’t argue that, but it’s not for everybody. You can always tell if someone has bowled at Nebraska when watching them bowl.

[@lindasuire3221]

Thank you for sharing 😍 I have been wanting a video like this for some time❤❤

[@NateandElise]

You’re welcome 😊

[@arcadesunday4592]

Awesome advise here. Subbed.

[@NateandElise]

Thanks for the sub!

[@BrianMccaulley-b1y]

Nate can’t actually believe that people watch for him , right , lol like you both , you guys do a great job

[@joshuasveum8347]

Oh my God. I just found her. I would literally watch bowling every weekend all the time if she and her sisters were on the TV. Uh forget watching dudes!

[@giovonnipistiola5140]

I hope my head is never under the ball Nate😏

[@EKTORIOUSPRIME]

Locker room talk with the boys would have been crazy

[@Charmander009]

My proshop worker is a fool . Made the holes too far away . I can’t get my thumb in all the way and still reach the finger holes

[@jaybird8192]

Some people run a pro shop yet don't know what they're doing! You definitely need to find another pro ball driller. There are good ones out there. Good luck!

[@remipuppy]

You should be inserting your fingers in the ball first before your thumb

[@rr2418]

I kept replaying the video at 9:35 over and over again for some reason!

[@jamiedoyle449]

I feel bad for Nate.

[@NateandElise]

I don’t.

[@onlyayota4me]

$ shot @ 9:34. YW

[@chax2004]

Thank you for that fellow man of culture.

[@MarioSolis-iv7ou]

Jesus Christ 😫😈

[@AV8R_1]

2:11 I think you meant to say your Grips lay in the middle of your fingers. Not your "fingers lay in the middle of your grips"... already this video has become confusing and useless to new bowlers.

[@1985supramk2]

Does anyone else practice throwing their ball into a couch or recliner at home when you can't bowl as often as you want..

[@tomlevell4318]

I throw mine in the trash

[@r.loganburns3894]

Yup

[@nikkiblack91]

I do

[@jameskinchen2148]

Yes, if you want to destroy your furniture.

[@salvasaur]

Bean bag chair

[@BallastResistor99]

Sure beats watching Bo Burton do the Rolaids Tip of the week back in day.

[@BK12SANMAN]

Lol looks like u smuggled in 2 bowling balls

[@mannysioson56]

To much talk, show it , how to throw and hook the ball

[@AV8R_1]

Sad that is 2024 and some people still just can't help themselves from sexually harassing someone

[@SirJoelsuf1]

10:45 I agree with Nate here. You don't need to do a drill like that if all you want to do is build muscle memory. Additionally, those drills are for bowlers who have been competing for a bit and understand how muscle memory works to take things to THAT next level. Truth is, you can be a total spin biscuit, throw the ball horrible at a full rack, and STILL average 200+ if you are so good at spare shooting that you can reliably run only 1-2 opens a game even though you only strike about 4-5 times a game at most. I should know, before I switched to 2handed I had a really bad spin biscuit release and had a 200+ average for a decade straight. From the 2011-2012 season until the 2021-2022 season. Why? Cuz for every 100 single pins I left, I'd only whiff maybe five. Every 100 multiple pin spare I left? INCLUDING splits/washouts? I'd cover at least 60. Spares matter if you can't buy a strike. Even in today's game. The majority of league bowlers out there who average 175 and run 4-5 strikes, 3 opens a game, and whiff at least two single pin spares per three game set? These drills will set them back. Cuz they aren't technically sound yet. Throw these drills into their practice routine and they're making things WAY more complicated. If they put a spare ball in their bag, limited their arsenal to four balls at most (INCLUDING spare ball) and bowled ONE game of low ball for every three they put in league, their average would rise to 200 the very next season. Learn the basics first. Get fitted properly. Learn to hit a freakin' target. Know where you need to slide. Know how to post a shot. Get a goddam spare ball (or AT LEAST learn to throw your resin/thane/particle stuff super hard and straight). Learn to shoot straight at every spare you leave. One game of low ball for every three game set you bowl. All that "boring" stuff. Fundamentals before science.

[@Sofbit]

Thx for this video, I actually requested this a few videos back, and you guys did it.

[@RoxanneSnyder-ll7hu]

This , I'm hoping, should really help me. I'm pretty good at picking up the 7 and 7-4 as a righty, but the 10 and 6 and dreaded 10 Pin, GULP!! I'm going to practice this for sure. THANK YOU !!

[@NateandElise]

You got this! Thank you for watching!

[@rebelins2282]

I agree with most of the information you put out in your video, but it may be a stretch when you said that you can not hook a ball with your thumb not fully seated in the hole. I am one who has never been comfortable with my whole thumb seated, so I do cheat and have half of it in the hole, and I'm a high-rev player.

[@bigmattj32]

Thanks! I watched this video and now my balls are hooked!

[@matthomas6575]

I don’t have a problem hooking a ball controlling it is the problem

[@Juan-ll6sf]

A finger tip 14 pound bowling ball ripped my right hand ring finger flexor tendon. Bye bye right handed ten pin bowling. I can try candle pin or duck pin bowling (2-3 pounds small ball, no holes) with the left hand. Plan B: two hand left handed ten pin bowling with a light ball (8-10 pounds)..

[@procrastinator6902]

How does that even happen? I've bowled with a 15lb ball since I was a teenager and the worst I've ever done to any fingers was rub some calluses on the tips from pushing a ball off of them repeatedly. Were you trying some weird or improper technique?

[@PetePerez-p4z]

More camera views from the back of her. We need to see her throw with back of her angles

[@Jonas-kr3on]

Being able to hold 3 bowling balls at once must be a new record or sth

[@juanmanrrubia3021]

Traductor ingles 😔 español

[@averyy5429]

I've got depressed cause i didnt know how to hook 😂😂😂😢

[@jiristanek5692]

Hello, I am from Czech Republic and thank you very much for this nice explanation, appreciated😀

[@NateandElise]

Glad it was helpful!

[@darrenthedude1]

I've been taking videos of players with high scores on my league, and an amazing number of them do NOT stay behind the ball. I look forward to the day when I can even say I have a "Rev-Rate"! But I will continue to watch videos like this and practice until I get a God's Honest hook! Thanks for the efforts!

[@Miami_trey]

You know why you’re here. I know why I’m here. 😉

[@LEGUESSCY]

Exactly why I clicked 👀

[@mixme8655]

New subscriber always watching your videos very helpful❤

[@NateandElise]

Thanks for subbing!

[@CarlChandler-x9n]

Great video keep up the good work

[@grownbabygolf1676]

Comment section is wildin'

[@jamestaylor5215]

Ahhh. Now i get the load and unload terms. Also, I have a very bad habit of chicken winging my ball. I see why now. When I get more money in my piggy bank, I will have to get online lessons from you two. Thanks!

[@NateandElise]

It’s all a process but it can be done properly over time… putting all the puzzle pieces together! We look forward to working with you!

[@spgspg6503]

Very informative thank you!

[@NateandElise]

Glad it was helpful!

[@phillipvazquez284]

Excellent tips and video watching you guys have definitely improved my game . Over several months coming back after about 19yrs .

[@NateandElise]

Great to hear! This makes us extremely happy!!!

[@phillipvazquez284]

@@NateandElise absolutely guys . One day I was talking to a coach trying to get tips because my knee was giving out from improper formation. So I rewatch a few months ago a video Elise made and everything helped.

[@FrederickCanada-c7w]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@TOPSYKRETTSHERE]

wait ... bowing?

[@harveywarne9030]

Don't know where you get people have to put there thumb completely in a ball. Drill thousands of balls for pros and amateurs, some of them use a half inserted thumb and they hook it just fine.

[@NateandElise]

I can guarantee no pros only put half their thumb in the ball.

[@therealbillrice8161]

You don’t have to do anything. Nobody does. This video is titled how to hook a bowling ball the correct way not “how to hook it just fine” I hope to Christ you aren’t saying that you personally drill thousands of balls for pros and amateurs because encouraging half thumbs is absolutely nuts. Do you drill at Dicks Sporting Goods?

[@Atochabsh]

THank you for a great video. Very demonstrative and illustrates the value of Lessons, Training and Practice. Having a observing trained eye is invaluable. You can be as "self taught" as you want, but these tips have beenn proven time after time to be the most efficient want to release a bowling ball. Good job and again.....great video.

[@NateandElise]

Thank you!!!!

[@peterthebowler]

Great stuff, once again. Really appreciate you both.

[@NateandElise]

Our pleasure! Thank you for the support!

[@TheAnbaricuda]

So. Is redrilling. Having them change standard to finger tip going to mess ball up? I have to wonder why man didn't talk to me and mention this. I told him I wanted to be able to learn to hook ball. I was assured I would be able to. N of course it just barely curves. I guess I am going to switch to different shop and try again. Thank you for making very clear/understandable videos

[@icecold927]

I'm confused can you help me clear this up, the downswing ball path is suppose to go under the chin, you just said it[not just you] on other hand when it comes to balance, I listen to others and they say chin should be over slide foot. the question. how can chin be over slide foot and the ball path be under your chin? please help me with this.

[@G-BONE]

Look, dont over think what you are doing.as long as yoy feel comfortable in your slide and release point and adjust from there in your speed and loft you'll be fine...like anything it takes time

[@HippieP629]

Your visual of keeping the elbow in so to not lose power really clicked in my head. Thanks a lot

[@NateandElise]

Great to hear!

[@WhitneySchmidbauer]

Is this in Lakeland.... I feel like I just bowled here but its now a little different. Those lanes, ball return and those yellow pillars look so familiar.

[@stevekeller3643]

Enjoyed the comprehensive video, Nate & Elise ! A question- When dropping the ball into the backswing my thump tends to drop & rotate facing my body. So I’m already going to be around the ball even if everything else is perfect. As a left hander, I try to keep my thumb pointed left or my elbow pointed in but neither seems to help. Advice ? Thank you

[@bradlaskos1106]

So how much should be holding on to the ball when you take it back? On a scale of 1-10, how much grip pressure do you need?

[@NateandElise]

It’s personal preference because the pros even fluctuate in grip pressure. Speaking for myself, I like to feel a 3-5 range

[@bradlaskos1106]

@@NateandElise so like enough to still hold on to the ball but not a death grip? Is gravity the only force that will deliver the ball toward the pins, or do you need to add and strength? I'm imagining most of the arm strength on the downswing is added to attempt to rotate the ball, no?

[@SirJoelsuf1]

Ideally, 0. You should be able to not hold the ball like Elise is doing at the 9:20 mark without squeezing AT ALL. Even WITH your thumb in it. Realistically, probably 2 or so. Most bowlers aren't fitted properly so they're usually around 5-7. If your ball is drilled conventional it's AT LEAST 7 because you're using your entire hand.

[@corrieabels2986]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@bobbybearbowling]

You make a great point. We can’t always do what we see others do to hook a ball. I spent a week watching this video on sr pro ball release. The night before practice I ran across this video. Following their instructions and doing what my body allowed gave good scores.

[@AV8R_1]

If we only relied on gravity for the ball to come forward, we would all throw the same speed. Everyone "pulls" the ball to some degree. Even one individual bowler may adjust the speed of the roll, and I doubt all those speed adjustments are entirely made in the speed of the approach.

[@davidaronson9475]

False. With no pulling, the speed at the bottom depends on the length of your arm and the height of your backswing. See pendulum physics for details.

[@intense6]

I clicked because of cakes.

[@ImBlaze30]

She knows that too. That's why she made the pic that thumbnail lol

[@matkins4268]

Best way to hook a ball is get your thumb out before the fingers. Period

[@jamiemclean9121]

I trained with the local league team when I was a teenager and still love playing to this day. However, when hooking the ball I found the skin on my thumb was tearing quite a lot 😢 made it quite painful to do so nowadays when I play I don’t hook the ball, definitely going to try learning again to do it properly

[@whitehead51]

I have arthritis in my finger joints so I find it hard to have a good grip

[@waterjabbers1159]

I'm getting older and I'm getting back into bowling after years away. The last couple of sessions left me with a sore right knee and I couldn't figure out why. After watching your video, I figured out the issue. I'm not stepping over with my second step. So on my down swing, I'm having to move my right side out of the way, which is putting pressure on the joint. Thank you!

[@NateandElise]

Great to hear!

[@billylusk3515]

No matter how hard i try i cant force my right foot to step in front of the left one

[@SHADOWMAN_24]

Very helpful....Thank you. Only question is how do you focus on coming down in your swing with elbow on the inside and wrist firm while letting the gravity bring the ball down with out muscling it??

[@NateandElise]

Best advice I can give you is to try out the foul line drill and the swing and slide drill and just let gravity take over the swing while focusing on keeping the elbow inside. Everything else will take care of itself.

[@armondtodd6969]

As a bowler of 30 yrs, definitely helps to learn how curves make the difference.

[@edb3877]

When I was in my mid-teens, I rolled a straight ball and averaged in the 140-150 range. Shortly after that, I started hooking the ball by watching the pros on TV and some of the slow-motion video that was included about the swing and release. At first, I used a suitcase grip but later moved to the under the ball grip with the ball naturally hooking as the thumb came out of the ball, and the two fingers lifted up and through the ball to achieve hook. I loved Norm Duke's comment about why he doesn't come around the ball when hooking it. He said, "I can do this consistently (with his hand under the ball) but not this (his hand coming around the ball). That really resonated with me because Duke was one of my favorite PBA bowlers and I had the chance to watch him bowl on TV many times. I modeled my own swing and release on his bowling style but added some slight variances from other bowlers too, like Parker Bohn III, Dave Davis, Earl Anthony, Johnny Petraglia, and Walter Ray Williams. Most of these bowlers are left handed but the mechanics of bowling are very much the same whether one is left or right handed. Both hands are trying to achieve the same smooth swing and accurate ball delivery. One quibble I have for this video is the idea of "just using gravity to swing the ball". IMO, no one who bowled in tournaments or on the college or pro circuits ever did this. One cannot achieve an 18-20 mph or greater bowling ball speed with just gravity. That just doesn't happen, even with a high backswing. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I had a high backswing, like Pete Weber. I had a ball speed of about 16+ mph by doing that. But my accuracy suffered, so I lowed the back swing and became a MUCH better spare shooter and that led to higher scores around 180-185. Currently, my ball speed is in the 12.8-13.5 mph area. Even this low a speed, coupled with good accuracy is deadly on high flush pocket hits with a 15-lb. bowling ball. This is also a comfortable speed for me and at age 75, I can use some extra comfort, especially when bowling. 😀

[@mrobb90]

THIS! is the tutorial i was looking for! my attention span sucks, this definitely helped!

[@NateandElise]

Glad it did !

[@robertspicer3716]

I left a "dudesplaining" bowling video to come here.

[@NateandElise]

I hope you feel you made the right choice

[@KBATN1]

All great tips, but one tip that is missing here that should be in your video is, having the right bowling ball in your hand. I've been bowling since 1967 and I seen it all. I have to laugh when I see a bowler that I'm bowling against hit the pocket and said he got tapped. But I saw his ball hit the pocket and it didn't even came close of going off the backend in the right position to carry a strike. His release was good, but he didn't carry because he had the wrong ball in his hand to hit the pocket with power to carry all the pins. I don't understand why bowlers don't watch their ball hit the pins. Myself, I look for the hit at the back end and if I don't like the look, I change my bowling ball to get the look I want to see. One bowling center I was at when I was on vacation in a senior event, I started out shooting a 211. Most bowlers would stay with that ball, but I didn't like the look at the back end and I did get some cheap strikes. So, I moved my line in and grabbed one of my hooking bowling balls and my next two games were 279 and 268. It's all about knowing how to hit the pocket and having the right ball in you hand to carry the sides (7 or 10) One more thing you should know, the older you get, the more you have to change your game. Your revs and speed will go out the window, but there's still hope in you change the way you throw you ball. I'm now 75, but I still do very well against the young pups on the bowling lanes. I might be one of the best 75 year bowlers in my area and I still have a game to back my talk up, lol. It's all about having fun and when you can bowl great, it's a bonus. I like your videos and both of you are great bowlers. But some of us old dogs still can bark a lot and so, WATCH OUT, because this old dog can still bit, LOL. Have fun and I hope the best for you guys.

[@jimsalabim9203]

Literally one of the first things she says is have the right ball in you hand lol

[@russellgilbert3453]

Man, you kids is alright!👍

[@gusk]

Excellent break down video, i can use this is my coaching sessions

[@pn300zrcr]

Never seen orange bowl so empty

[@davidbadyrka823]

I only use the tip of my thumb and I can hook my spare ball...a full thumb is not needed

[@elty69]

A thumb is not needed at all

[@TV-Tony]

Good tips. You guys seem pretty cool.

[@nordattack]

There are pros that use conventional grip and hook the ball well.

[@NateandElise]

I promise you there are no professionals that use conventional

[@nordattack]

@@NateandElise Jakob Butturff and Chris Warren to name two off the top of my head.

[@ScottBierman-bi9wy]

I didn't hear a word see said.

[@stevecreager8109]

I like your teaching videos very informative and goes along with what others teach.

[@NateandElise]

I appreciate that!

[@Doublej68]

The way your ball is going to unload. Indeed🤔

[@jameskinchen2148]

Just did

[@carlosidd]

❤❤

[@zedsodead]

Bbbrrritzski!

[@Thekingpin01]

👏🎳

[@christopherjonathynbrooks]

Hey nate and Elise

[@adamfield4119]

Love this

[@emerald3331]

That’s some very good info. I would emphasize being relaxed so you can repeat shots.

[@2020tgun]

Thanks!

[@NateandElise]

Thank you! I hope it helped!

[@larrylacroix3944]

Enjoyed this video. Thanks

[@NateandElise]

Thank you for watching!

[@crazywhitedude69]

I tried this and I lose control in the gutter

[@NateandElise]

What part?

[@crazywhitedude69]

@@NateandElise on my release

[@cherylsmith7401]

Good information!

[@NateandElise]

Glad you think so!

[@lsvlogs_]

I didn't click for curling a bowling ball

[@ricardohamc]

Thiiiiick

[@davidbadyrka823]

You don't "curl" a bowling ball

[@lsvlogs_]

@@davidbadyrka823 see proves I wasn't lying

[@brianfernandez3981]

Damn straight

[@theol64]

Ya think she knows? 9:33 cameraman does.

[@twinquist]

I bet she's flexible and can do great things with her grip

[@willflemons2487]

You know why we clicked the video👀

[@michael2244]

Elise is alright looking =)

[@BK12SANMAN]

WTF AT 4:10 YOU'LL KNOW WHEN U SEE IT

[@SlickDick73]

Excellent