I’ve been a straight bowler for years. Finally decided to get a new ball for a good hook and this video looks very helpful and easy to understand.

in the middle of bowling all i needed was one second of this video thanks a lot!

Best hook explanation video Ive ever seen. Very simple and direct. Thank you!

"Shake hands with the lane." That's how I was taught 30 years ago.

Nice vid. The "football" and "shaking someone's hand" examples are of course teached for many decades, but the most KEY thing that the modern release has, is the bending of both wrist AND elbow, which you didn't mention. This 2 joint un-coiling is what creates the high RPMs of today's bowling.

Great channel! I am a 24y/o male and have been bowling only for fun.....until now. I bowl with a game average of 150 and have finally listened to friends, family, and the strangers around me when they told me to start signing up for a competitive league near me. So glad people like you dedicate time and energy into making these videos and showing others just how interesting and intricate bowling can be for those unaware.

I played bowling 22 years ago, actually I'm 40 years old. I'm came back to the tracks, this video is great for me, thanks a lot. Best regards from Spain!

Oh, and loving your instructions .. you need to more of those .. great stuff!!! .. and so helpful for crappy bowlers like me. You have such a nice smooth style. Definitely something to emulate.

I love the "Shaking Hand" analogy, helped me understand how, thank you!

Thank you so much!!! You have no idea how clear and easy your explanation was. Explained exactly what I was doing wrong and how I should be bowling.

I've begun answering questions for newcomers on a few FB bowling sites. So far nobody close to home but this video I just sent to a guy who wants to throw a hook, getting his first fingertip ball. It shows exactly what I was telling him although I stressed to only do the basic release and not the loaded for a while...walk before you run. So much I can teach as I'm a past student of the great Don Johnson and his "Urethane Release", but this newcomer has a while before he can even attempt that one 😂. You're doing a good thing here Sir. My lower back is gone and with 7 years of physical therapy I'm still not to the point of being worth the pain for a league night but I'm dying to try the new oil and patterns (held PBA regional card but terrible luck) as I keep seeing clips of suitcase release grandma with her 3rd 300 game, not to mention 20 years ago a 2 handed no thumbs release hit the left gutter at 40 feet! I averaged 230's with a Columbia Blue Dot, 300s with a Pink Hammer... you get the idea. Anyway, keep up the good work

Nice straight forward video. Thank You Forrest!

Thanks for this. Finally got a ball (vibe) and I was literally bowling better with a house ball. Others that I watched were saying release at _oclock. This was so much easier to visualize. I’m going to try again tonight.

Thanks Forrest! This video will definitely help beginners.

Great teaching vlog! Simple and to the point!!

I’ve gotta send this to my son. He’s 17 and still rollin straight at the headpin 🤦🏻‍♂️😂 hopefully your coaching technique helps him more than mine!

Thank you, this 1 video made my game go from embarrassing mess to alot of fun. For the past 4 weeks on my Tues night league I had 600 series. I know for pros it's nothing but for a heavy equipment mechanic I think it's fantastic. Thank you very much

That football too was just what I need lol. I only use my pinky and ring finger to bowl no thumb. I was never taught properly but I love the way I bowl. I’m going to play a few games when I get off work in the morning to see how this works.

Watched plenty of videos for beginners hooking the ball. This was easily the best. Great examples of football and shaking hand. Hadn’t heard football before. Great job of keeping it simple.

Thank you so much for the tutorial. I just raised my game to a new level!

glad for the comparisons to other sports. makes it much easier to understand

Ok just wanted to share this with you, Ive balled for about 15 years but stop before the pandemic. I really just havent gotten my game back... until I watched this vid. Shot 299 yesterday in Sunday morning trios league. Shaking hands was KEY!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Awesome video! Been playing straight ball for years and felt that it was time for me to learn to hook/curve. Greetings from Malaysia

Just starting to bowl , glad this was my first video of instruction

Shaking hands definitely correct. I remember the telephone first though. I'm 67 and am still learning. Yr videos are very helpful. Also helps to stay up with the game. I stuck with old ball for to many years. 12 to be exact. Not good. Lanes, oil, and bowling balls chance so often. I held a 185-190 avg with an old Ebonite Game Plan ball for so many years. The ball tracked out and react anymore. I now have Brunswick Knockout, black and blue. Not the most reactive but does the job. I carry a 206 avg now on house shots. My best is 779, so far. Not a pro by any standard but do love the increase. So many people at lanes will help you. Just ask and observe. An old dog can learn new tricks. Lol Keep the tutorials coming Forrest.

Forrest you're the best ....... Thank you for this!

This video was huge help, imma driver for Knight Refrigerated, we have a two lane bowling alley at the Phoenix, Arizona terminal; ill definitely keep practice on this when im here.

Great simple analogy. Thank you. Just converted to finger tip release and I’m relearning how to bowl all over. In a good way.

Thanks! This really helped me . When you made the football analogy I instantly understood coming from a guy who used to be a quarterback, so thank you again for the great tutorial

Good stuff Forrest I always look to your videos to see how I can improve my game.

Who tryna get a score above 150 like me?

I was bowling with my 20 year old son a while back. We had the lanes for a couple of hours so eventually we started experimenting with our throws. We were trying to figure out how to hook the ball but no matter what we did, we would end up with the top spin like you were showing. We never did figure it out and get the ball to hook. I don’t get to go bowling that often, but I might be referring back to this next time I get to bowl! Thanks for the tips!

I've been releasing the ball like this for a while now, but I haven't been loading the wrist like you demonstrated, which is probably why I haven't been getting much control over the hook. Gonna try it next time I play, Thanks 👍🏽

great video - can you do a video from your perspective on the differences between solid pearl and hybrid and when you use them

Thank you for that great trick .... that's very help me for improved my games!!!!

Instant “like” for comparing it to underhand throwing a football. After watching tons of videos, that comparison gave me something to instantly recognize how it should feel. Thanks!

That ball came out beautifully 😁 I actually bowl like that without trying to put that overhand twist on it. Nowhere near as great as this guy, but nice to know I am actually doing something right lol. After a few years of bowling it just kind of came to me. Great tips here.

this is very helpful! simple methods to understand

Very informative thank you 😃 I'm wanting to Improve my game hitting the 10 pin is my Achilles heel

The best bowling lesson ever.

Thanks for the tips. I will try them.

More videos like this please. Footwork, arm swing etc. Thanks

This video is soo helpful and clear 🙏🏽❤️.

I love the way you show Thanks

Thank u sooooo much u really helped me with the football analogy😊

Helps a lot thanks so much 😊

This is a great video!

Thank you. Verry helpfull. Nice technique! Keep it up

That was a pretty good way to explain how to bowl shorter and longer oil patterns.

Great video!

Starting in a more bush league but still league tomorrow and haven’t played in years haha! Safe to say I’ll play straight tomorrow but I really want to practice this technique

New subscriber always watching your videos very helpful❤

thank you. great demo. great instructions.

Thanks for the tips. They were helpful.

Excellent!!

Great tutorial!

Definitely gonna comments again after I try iy. Thank for the tip

Thanks, you have a nice form

The first explanation I've heard that didn't use more jargon than even quantum mechanics, thumbs up (no pun intended)

The fact of the matter is that you can not easily do that with a "house-ball." Because the finger holes are not optimal for the kind of grip you need to do the "hand shake" thing. Yes...., you can hook a house-ball. But it takes much more effort that is not needed when bowling with properly sized ball. With house-balls, your two front finger are going into the hole "two knuckles" deep - and the thumb hole is centered between the two holes - yet not far enough away from each other. With a proper sized ball, your two front fingers will only need to go "one-knuckle" deep - and the thumb hole is in a much more natural "off-center" position - with far enough space that it feels like you are "palming" the ball (like palming a basket ball). House-balls don't have those hole positions. And in order to find the holes spaced out far enough for the proper grip, you would end up with a much too heavy ball. Because the weight of the ball would be more typical of bigger stronger player (hands/wrist size). So now you may have a ball with better hole positions, but its too heavy for you (as a beginner). But with a proper sized ball, it is so much more efficient (and lighter ball). Thus taking much less effort to hook, and not kill your arm out after 5-6 frames. But otherwise.... nice video.

First I’m hearing the underhand football idea. Might have to use this to coach up some of my teammates!

Really helpful. Thanks.

thanks i did football analogy was perfect!

Bro insane ❤

Thank you sir for your sharing how to start bowling

Great teaching style

55 years old and have bowling leagues for 41 years. I think the innovations in ball designs have helped a lot in getting a ball to hook. Got my first two 300's last year. Original idol ball. I can't get past keeping my hand behind the ball. I end up on the side of it. I bowl with an ex pro and president of the PBA but i Don't think it can be fixed this late in my life

I will try this at league! Thanks Dorris Krigger!

Some other things I point out to new bowlers is finger tip drilled balls, and how they encourage a release to hook, and also how to unload the wrist at the bottom to help the thumb come out of the ball before the fingers.

My name is Forrest also! Subscribed 👍🏾 Thanks for the bowling tips. I was getting around the ball too much. Instead of behind the ball!!!

Wow..I will start my own video's!!

Thank you so much !

Ty bro you saved my ass you are the greatest

Thanks for sharing, subscribed

I appreciate this break down. Im try this tonight when I bowl tonight in my bowling league.. Whats a good position on the floor to be when you rolling hooks so that way you get in that pocket to secure a strike? Thanks for all your insights in advance.

It’s very helpful 😊😊😊

I try to give my elbow/wrist a little more outward rotation on the backswing to where my palm is facing towards the wall and the back of my hand is facing my body and then come up into a handshake to give me a little more rev rotation

Looks amazing! Please clarify how to combine both of those hand movements (throwing a football and yo yo). Thx

I wish the UK had a culture of bowling. I love bowling so much but when I went alone to enjoy and practice I felt like a freak cos it was just a tonne of families with kids

underrated trick

Thank you for the tips

Der schönste Sport für mich😍❤

Nice!

Good explain thanks alot bro

I am new to trying to bowl with a hook. One area I am struggling with is how hard to grip the ball and grip technique. I’ve had a few attempted releases where the ball stayed on my thumb but perhaps that was because I wasn’t aiming my thumb towards the sky… not quite sure yet. Thank you for the video!

The bowling god, see you on the next one.

Thank for sharing

Good job on hand positions. Show bowlers how to create momentum on the armswing. What happens is new bowlers don’t know how to start the swing and cannot get their hand in those positions because they will most likely force it. Maybe swing momentum like Britney’s brother Chris 😉

Thanks for the video Forrest. Long time bowler still with this problem! So, it’s a matter of both the timing of the turn as well as the degree ? Most of us rank amateurs turn too early as well as too much.

😊Great Tips

Amazing

Thank you for the tutorial :-)

I did this minimally on accident, previously bowling wasnt my thing due to bowling being a mental game, so i drank some alcohol and saw much improvement and scoring my first and second strike

Great video, Can you show a closer look at your hand position, and wrist when trying to hook more? Thank you

you make that look easy! sadly its not but with tons of practice...right! thx!!

Cool tech bowling Forrest

very helpful

I’m literally watching this a week before a competition at work lmao

Just as numerous people have suggested, the bowler could think of trying to shake hands with someone whos facing you out on the lane. You extend the thumb out with the fingers to grip the facing someones hand. I would like to interject a certain thought of getting yourself to picture of feeding the ball onto the lane like feeding tree branches into a chopper, or placing paper into a paper shredder. Just move the hand forward with the ball and get to extend the ball and hand to reach out out onto the lane FEEDING to roll the ball into the lane surface. The tendency might be to do something such as roll the hand such as topping or give the wrist some frisbee motion. That has bad results as can be an imitation of high average bowlers rotation action. The best thought of you releasing ball onto the lane is a certain giving a push action to the ball so that the thumb will exit the thumb hole and then the fingers while still in ball, generate a leverage or finish coming out of fingerholes.

Ever since I began bowling, I have only ever used my two hands. When I first learned two hands, two handers seemed so easy to hook. I found that it was very challenging to hook with one hand as soon as I switched to using just one. I can perform the two-hand handshake position as demonstrated in the video, but I am unable to perform it with just one hand for some reason.