Ahem, speaking simply - old school style. Not standing left, chicken winging out to 10 and jumping out of your shoes. My own personal definition of a cranker.
It's more of a controlled release with less hand, less revs and more than not speed dominant. More pressure on fingers to roll off - also more direct at pocket.
Here's a short explanation of each style:
The Stroker
This is the old classic style of hook bowler sometimes referred to as old school. The Stroker's sliding foot stops just before the ball gets to the bottom of the swing, creating moderate leverage for a good, controllable ball reaction.
The shoulders are very square at the point of release. The Stroker generally plays straighter up the outside of the lane allowing the ball to gently hook up into the pocket. Generally around 300 RPM's I would say.
The Cranker
The Cranker gets maximum revolutions on the ball, producing more power than any other type of bowler.
Generally the Cranker will stand with their feet to the left hand side of the approach, and swing their ball out to the edge of the lane.
In order to create this, the Cranker uses "late" timing (getting to the foul line before the ball). They plant their foot and pull their arm through, bending the elbow to keep the hand behind and under the ball and leaving the shoulders open for maximum leverage.
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This is where I had difficulty)
A Cranker is prone to injury due to the amount of "muscle" they put into each shot. Generally 500 RPM's with this release.
The Spinner/Helicopter
This style of bowling is not seen very often, but is very popular in Asia. It was developed in Taiwan to combat brutally hard lane conditions.
Spinners use lightweight balls (usually 10-12lb). The technique is one that leaves people asking the question "How?". The bowler deliberately brings the fingers all the way round the top of the ball, as opposed to the hook bowler who brings the fingers round the side.
The ball travels straight down the lane (regardless of the oiling pattern) but is rotating in a similar way to helicopter blades, hence the name "helicopter bowling.
On impact with the pins, this technique mixes the pins like no other style of bowling. Very effective if you can master it.
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