page_title: Bowling form
section_title: Spinning
hierarchical_section_title: Bowling form / Spinning
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a diagram to illustrate a 10-pin layout in 10-pin bowling, and how a spinner will knock the pins down.
context_page_description: In the sport of ten-pin bowling, there are many different ways in which to deliver the bowling ball in order to advance it toward the pins in an accurate and powerful manner. Generally, there are three basic forms of 10-pin bowling. 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 well-known variant of "tweening" is the power stroker.
  Power stroking is often very similar to cranking and bowlers can often fit in either category, therefore bowlers that use one of these two styles are often simply known as power players. A fourth style, known as helicopter, spinning, or UFO, is a style that is used to great effect in Asia. Finally, many modern bowlers have changed to a one- or two-handed no-thumb delivery. Most of the various forms use different wrist and hand positions and rely on different timings and body positions to accommodate the differences in each style of release.
context_section_description: Spinners use a style of release known variously as spinning, helicopter, or UFO. Regardless of what it's known as, a spinner releases a ball such that it is rotating around the vertical axis in a counter clockwise motion (right-hander, and viewed from above) as it moves down the lane. Spinning is a popular style in Asia, especially Taiwan, where lanes are usually oiled from the foul line to the pin rack, and present little to no opportunity for a ball thrown in one of the three more orthodox fashions to find friction on any part of the lane. A hook needs friction, in order to allow the ball to "grab" the lane. In spinning, very little of the ball's surface touches the lane, which is what the spinner intends. Spinning does not require friction of any kind.
  The objective in spinning is to depend more on pin deflection (pins hitting other pins) than "carry" (the ball knocking down the pins.) For a right-handed bowler, the ball proceeds down the lane, usually using a left-to-right line, and strikes the right side of the 1-pin. At this point, the ball will proceed to move down the front row of pins in the direction opposite its spin - the 1-3-6-10 pins. This type of a hit is referred to as "riding the rail" among spinners. A properly thrown spinner will hit the pocket in a way as if the ball was spinning away from the 1-pin. Conventional bowlers who watch this type of spin will actually think the bowler threw a backup ball. As the ball moves down the row, it creates a domino effect. The 1-pin hits the 2-4-7, the 3-pin hits the 5-8 the 6-pin hits the 9, and the ball eventually hits the 10-pin alone. Even when the ball hits Brooklyn, the reversal of direction allows even more ball and pin deflection (known as "mixing"), allowing a higher chance of messenger strikes.
  Because spinners do not want the ball to grab onto the lane with its surface, they often use "plastic" bowling balls - balls with the older polyester cover-stock popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and commonly used as house balls today - in comparison to the widely used polyurethane, "particle" (polyurethane with nigh-microscopic glass spheres or other hard material throughout the coverstock) and "reactive resin" balls ("reactive resin" is itself polyurethane manufactured using a process to leave microscopic pores throughout it, essentially, a hard sponge) used by bowlers who desire a ball that will grip the lane and roll strongly. Additionally, because the chances of injury are somewhat elevated with this style of bowling, as well as the advantage of ball deflection with this style, the spinner will have a tendency to use lightweight balls between ten and twelve pounds.
  Some hook bowlers can also spin and roll the ball at the same time, keeping the ball in-between the X and Y axis. This allows not only for carry of the pins, but also additional pin deflection for when the ball is off-target. Tom Baker and Ryan Shafer of the PBA Tour, and Miki Nishimura of the JPBA are known to use this technique.
  In tournaments within countries like Taiwan where they use house conditions, spinning can be an advantage over rolling. However, when tournaments use the more conventional oil patterns, where the oil is laid from the foul line to about 40 feet, and is dry up to the pin rack, spinning loses its advantage since friction exists. Carry is also a more reliable and consistent technique of knocking pins down on the first ball, as spinning is less predictable in terms of pin deflection, and at times can result in odd leaves - including the 5-pin and wash-outs when missing the 1-pin.
caption: A spinning movement of the bowling ball will actually spin away from the 1-pin (right-hander) as it hits it, and then continues the left-to-right direction by hitting the 3, 6 and 10 pins. This type of hit causes a domino effect on the entire rack.
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