| Win
This Ball |
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| Straight
balls and hook Balls |
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Why there
are Straight and Hook balls and how to use them.
A straight ball is valuable for a beginner to learn accuracy and
for any bowler who finds the hook ball unreliable on a difficult
lane condition. In such a case, the straight ball may be significantly
easier to control for strikes and spares than a hook.
A hook ball is the best strike ball because it knocks down, or carries,
10 pins more effectively; therefore, it is preferred by professional
bowlers. Although the hook ball is more sensitive to variations
in lane conditions than the straight ball, the greater power of
the hook ball compensates for such a disadvantage, particularly
on less difficult lane conditions.
The hook ball carries pins better because it has a steeper angle
of attack into the pocket. The angle of attack is formed by two
imaginary lines: one drawn straight down the 17th board (1-3 pocket
for right-handed bowlers; 1-2 pocket for left-handed bowlers) and
the other drawn in line with the direction in which the ball is
rolling when it hits the pocket. The straight ball's angle of attack
can be no greater than that formed by a line drawn down the 17th
board and one from the outer edge of the lane at the foul line to
the strike pocket. The hook affords a steeper angle because it rolls
into the pocket from the point it begins to hook—the break
point.
Another reason the hook ball has greater carrying power than the
straight ball is that it makes pins tilt and spin more. Although
a straight ball rolling through a rack of pins imparts some rotation
to the pins which it contacts, greater pin action results from a
hook ball with a tilted axis of rotation. This axis is a line passing
through the center of the ball and through the center of a plane
formed by the ball track. The axis tilt of a bowler's ball depends
on the angle of his or her hand to the lane at the release.
A ball with a tilted axis with respect to the lane actually makes
the pins tilt and spin when it contacts them, sending them careening
through the air. The pin's own axis gyrates; a pin flying in this
manner sweeps through a larger area of a plane parallel with the
lane, which increases its chance of hitting other pins.
Choosing between straight and hook
balls.
Use a hook ball for strikes whenever possible, and use the more
reliable straight ball for most spares. On a completely uniform
lane condition—a rare situation with equal friction over the
entire lane surface—you can make spares with equal efficiency
using the hook ball. To understand the reason for this choice, you
should understand a little something about lane conditions. A wooden
lane is usually covered with a urethane coating (lane finish), which
is protected from ball abrasion by a daily application of oil. Ball
reaction is remarkably dependent on the amount and location of the
dressing on the lane and the state of repair of the lane finish.
If a lane condition is hooking (slow, high-friction), stick (fast,
low-friction) or spotty (a mixture of high and low-friction areas),
a hook ball may act unpredictably, with strikes occurring less frequently
and splits and multiple-pin spare leaves (pins left standing) increasing
in frequency. In such a case, switching to a straight ball—playing
it safe—would allow better control and consistency. In summary,
the hook ball is preferred on well-maintained lane conditions, whereas
the straight ball is more reliable on difficult lane conditions.
There are two major reasons why a straight ball may be more reliable
on difficult lane conditions. First, in a properly rolled straight
ball, lift is applied by the fingers in line with the desired ball
path; this action tends to dynamically stabilize the ball in the
direction it is rolling. Second, because the straight-ball delivery
requires the hand to stay behind the ball (therefore closer to the
body), more of the body's momentum can be transferred to the ball
at the release. This gives the ball more forward speed and makes
it more resistant to deviation by lane surface irregularities. However,
to maximize pin carry, a straight ball must begin to roll soon after
touchdown on the lane surface; it should not be skidding, a dynamic
that makes the ball easier to deflect upon impact with a pin.
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