Bowling Ball Speed: How to Find and Control Yours

Why bowling ball speed matters

Bowling ball speed decides how much time your ball has to hook. The faster the ball travels, the less time it spends on the lane and the less it hooks. The slower it travels, the earlier and stronger it hooks. That is why controlling your ball speed is as important as choosing the right ball: the same ball reacts very differently at different speeds.

The goal is not to throw as hard as possible. It is a speed you can repeat on every shot, so that your ball reacts the same way every time.

What is a good bowling ball speed?

A frequently cited reference comes from a ball motion study by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC): about 21 mph (roughly 34 km/h) at release, which corresponds to about 17 mph (roughly 27 km/h) at the pins. Speeds in this range are typical for professional bowlers. Many recreational bowlers throw the ball more slowly.

When you compare numbers, check where they were measured. A bowling ball loses speed on its way down the lane, so the speed at release is clearly higher than the speed at the pins. Some scoring systems show a speed measured further down the lane rather than at the foul line. Compare your values only with numbers measured the same way.

How speed affects hook

• More speed: the ball has less time to hook. It skids further and turns later, and the entry angle into the pins becomes shallower.
• Less speed: the ball has more time to hook. It turns earlier, and the entry angle becomes steeper.

Too much speed for your rotation lets the ball reach the pins while it is still hooking. It enters at a shallow angle and deflects more, and corner pins such as the 10-pin (for right-handers) are left standing more often. Too little speed lets the ball roll out before it reaches the pins and lose energy on the way.

Matching speed and rev rate

Speed and rev rate (the number of revolutions per minute) belong together. Speed and revs are considered matched when the ball changes from hooking into a forward roll just before it reaches the pins. This transfers the most energy to the pins.

• Speed-dominant: a lot of speed and comparatively few revs. The ball reacts late and tends to enter the pocket too shallow.
• Rev-dominant: a lot of revs and comparatively little speed. The ball reacts early and can hook too much or lose energy before the pins.

Speed-dominant bowlers often choose stronger balls and duller surfaces that react sooner. Rev-dominant bowlers often prefer smoother balls that react less aggressively. How to build more rotation is explained in our guide Increasing your rev rate.

Adjusting ball speed to lane conditions

Oil on the lane reduces friction, dry areas increase it. The oil pattern therefore changes when and how strongly your ball hooks. Our guide to bowling lane oil patterns explains the different patterns in detail.

• Dry lanes, ball hooks too early: a little more speed gives the ball less time to hook.
• More oil, ball hooks too late or too little: a little less speed gives the ball more time to hook.

Lanes also change during a session. Where many balls roll, oil is removed and the ball hooks earlier. Where balls carry oil into the dry back end, the ball hooks later. Speed is one way to respond to this; a new starting position or a different ball are others. Change one thing at a time so you can see what it does.

Speed and release

Your release determines the axis of rotation and therefore how the ball uses friction. Speed and release have to fit together. Before you change your speed, make sure your release is repeatable. The different styles are explained in Bowling release techniques.

How to increase your ball speed

• Hold the ball a little higher in your stance. A higher starting position gives a longer pendulum swing and more speed.
• Let the arm swing freely. Your arm swings like a pendulum. A longer, smoother backswing produces more speed without forcing it.
• Keep your arm relaxed. Tension in the arm and grip disturbs the swing.
• Use your legs. A controlled, powerful approach creates momentum that transfers into the release.

How to reduce your ball speed

• Hold the ball a little lower in your stance. A lower starting point shortens the pendulum swing.
• Keep the backswing more compact. A shorter swing produces less speed, as long as it stays relaxed.
• Slow down your tempo. A calmer approach leads to a calmer swing.

Whichever way you adjust, tempo and timing matter more than force. Our guide to the bowling approach in 4 steps shows how steps and swing work together.

Measuring your speed

Many bowling centers show ball speed on the scoring monitor. If yours does not, you can use a stopwatch: a partner starts the watch when the ball leaves your hand and stops it when the ball hits the pins. A speed chart converts the time into a speed.

What matters is consistency. Watch how much your speed varies over a game. If it changes a lot from shot to shot, your ball reaction will change with it, and adjustments to your line will be hard to judge.

Consistent speed starts with a consistent approach

A repeatable speed needs a repeatable approach, including the last step. If your slide foot stops at a different point on every shot, your timing and speed change with it. Your own shoes help here, because they slide the same way every time. BOWLIO bowling shoes have a leather slide sole under both shoes and suit left- and right-handed bowlers, from beginner to pro.

Summary

Ball speed controls how much time your ball has to hook. Find a speed that matches your rev rate, keep it consistent, and use small changes in speed as one of several tools when lane conditions change.