Two inches is more then enough...........

[Hammer]

When some folks try to hook a ball some feel that they have to spin the ball with their hand. When you do this chances are your whole arm will be turning from your hand to your shoulder. The reality is that the only thing that turns is your hand. Your hand only needs to turn about two to three inches. Two actually is enough to get a good hook. Depending on what kind of ball you are using you can get a nice controlled hook or an aggressive hook with that two inches. To make that two inches work for you you have to make sure that you stay behind the ball until you reach the release position. Then when you reach it your thumb will quickly come out and that is when you give the two inch turn. It doesn't take a lot of effort. Make sure at release your wrist stays straight or a little cupped because if your wrist breaks backwards your hand will move towards the top of the ball and you will lose power and revs. So remember guys and gals two inches are enough to get the job done.

[ArtVandelay]

That's not what she said...

Had to do it!

Good advice, though. The proper method will help tons more than an exaggerated motion.

I think people see others bowl a curve and feel like they put more effort into it than they actually do. One important thing to remember is your hand is going to move after you release a 15 pound ball with force. It LOOKS like a violent reaction, but it really isn't half of what some people think it is. All of a sudden, 15 pounds is gone... The hand reacts accordingly.

[Hammer]

I agree with you. There is very little movement of the hand from when the thumb comes out to the rotation of the fingers, about two inches, then the hand flies up to the finish because of the momentum of the swing. In this case looks are deceiving. This makes some folks think that you are really putting some good effort into making the ball hook. Actually you do little work and the ball does the rest thanks to the modern ball.

[Greenday]

Actually you do little work and the ball does the rest thanks to the modern ball.

That's what I tell people who try to do too much to make their ball hook. The way the ball is made, all you have to do is roll the ball and it'll hook. I have a harder time not hooking the ball on dried up lanes than I do hooking the ball on flooded lanes.

[sprocket]

Your right. Watch the first guy in this video. His release is just SICK. The only thing that causes his fingers to rotate at all is the uncocking and uncupping of his wrist right at the release point. He's not actually turning his hand at all as far as I can see and he's hooking the whole lane.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wla9JprypLc

[Hammer]

Some of those guys have to be careful that their slide foot doesn't go into the gutter.