Never understood the "clock" references when talking about hand position

[NewToBowling]

Referring to the 12, 3, 4, 6 etc O'Clock hand positions. I get the positions on a clock but not sure if referring to when looking from back or looking down at your hand. Some people use the former, others the latter and gets real confusing.

[J Anderson]

I agree. Most of the time the reference is to looking at the back of the hand at the bottom of the swing. The other reference would be looking down at your hand in your set up position.

[bowl1820]

Referring to the 12, 3, 4, 6 etc O'Clock hand positions. I get the positions on a clock but not sure if referring to when looking from back or looking down at your hand. Some people use the former, others the latter and gets real confusing.

IMO most are usually referring to the view from when looking from the back.

But Whether your looking down or from the back the clock positions are basically the same.

Coach Merrill explains this way.

When explaining positioning of the hand (fingers) to students, I refer to the clock as if it were lying on the approach directly under the ball. Personally, I don’t get too hung up on the position of the thumb, if the fingers are in the right place, physiology will take care of the thumb.

In my three examples the yellow line represents the clock lying on the approach under the ball.

In example A, the fingers are positioned at 4 & 4:30 (represented by the red dots on the clock face)

In example B1, the fingers are positioned at 6 & 5:30 (represented by the red dots on the clock face)

In example B2, the fingers have moved to 4:30 & 5 (represented by the red dots on the clock face)

[LOUVIT]

It was explained to me as thumb position through swing until release. My thumb is now at 1 or 2 o'clock and on release after the thumb cones out you turn the fingers.....