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.
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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