What are the Effective Two-Handed Bowling Techniques?

Have you ever seen Jason Belmonte play? Professionals like Kyle Troupe, Jesper Svensson, and so others have one thing in common. And what is that? They all bowl two-handed! I love how these two-handed bowlers make bowling so interesting than it already is. Every bowler has their own significant bowling style. In the past few decades, two-handed bowling became the talk of the town! This is why a great number of new bowlers are getting interested in this particular bowling style and practicing to master it. But for that, you need to learn the ins and outs of the two-handed bowling technique. This article has all the information you need.

How to Bowl Two-Handed?

Does two-handed bowling have different techniques? Yes, it does. The detailed techniques are a lot different than one-handed traditional bowling. Let me break it down for you—

Two-handed Bowling Stance

When you see that a bowler is two-handed, don’t just assume that they are ambidextrous. Bowlers who use both of their hands to bowl still have a dominant hand that they use to cradle the ball. If you’re planning to do two-handed bowling, first know which is your dominant hand and take your stance by cradling the front part of your bowling ball. By doing that you add support and stability to your backswing.

Before you make your first move with your bowling ball, make sure you are in the correct form at the stance. Keep your feet aligned with the board you’re aiming for and relax your knees by bending them slightly. No need to keep your shoulder straight. It’s alright to keep your spine bent about 5° while the ball is still in your hands.

When you start to move forward with the ball, your non-dominant hand will give the support you need which is the best part of bowling two-handed. Just make sure you are following two handed bowling rules. Additionally, this bowling method lets you control your ball better which you will definitely appreciate.

Two-handed Bowling Approach

A good pace is what will ensure a friendly approach. To conquer two-handed bowling, you need to perform your approach properly. The ideal 4-5 steps approach will do you good. Do keep in mind that your last step is going to be different. On your very last step of the two-handed bowling approach, you have to use the skipping method instead of pushing off your feet. So it’s basically a combination of slide and skip. Doing this actually prevents you from face-planting on the floor with the ball in your hands. Moreover, it creates a lot more spin and power. You’re gonna need that when you’re bowling with both of your hands.

Compared to a one-handed bowler, a two-handed bowler slide less. Although some bowlers don’t slide at all which is completely fine, you will see that most double-handed pro bowlers have normal-looking slides. I would recommend you do what you’re comfortable with.

Like traditional one-handed bowling, here you also need to cooperate with the footwork and timing. New bowlers always struggle with their precision with time during the approach. Don’t forget to shift your ball’s weight on your dominant hand and let the non-dominant hand add support and control.

Two-handed Bowling Grip

Well, gripping is very versatile in two-handed bowling. There are so many grip styles that you can adapt to. I have seen some pro bowlers using their thumbs for their bowling grip while others don’t. A common and special grip two-handed bowlers use is where the bowler envelops the bowling ball in their dominant hand. Don’t worry, they still use their non-dominant hand for extra support. Just so we are clear, you should always calculate the consequences even before you release the ball on the lane to see the best ball reaction.

Two-handed Bowling Armswing

In typical one-hand bowling, bowlers use their dominant hand during armswing to create momentum in a pendulum-like motion. The backswing in two-handed bowling is one of the most important moments. For two-handed bowling, what you have to do is keep your non-dominant hand in contact with your bowling ball as long as it is in your hand. Don’t remove your hand from the ball till it is released. A lot will go on during this phase. Your dominant hand is also going to be uncorked a bit before you let the bowling ball get out of your hand. This gives the ball a kick for the speed and revolutions which you’re gonna need as your ball goes down the lane.

Two-handed Bowling Ball Release

Your ball release in two-handed bowling is also going to be different than in one-handed bowling. The ball release in two-handed bowling is supposed to happen just next to your ankle (dominant side). This generates leverage and consequently, you end up with more power in your bowling ball. This is the perk of two-handed bowling. Try not to create too much spin with your non-dominant hand here. In fact, stop your hand from pushing the ball too aggressively. Yes, this will jeopardize your shot. So do it properly. The spin will come naturally if your stance, armswing, follow-through, and ball release are flawless.

Conclusion

Two-handed bowling has nothing to do with extra power generation. You need to let that go out of your head. You do not score better when you use both of your hands to roll down the ball because at the end the ball rolls down the lane itself and hits the pins. However, if you can make the best of this method, you will impress yourself. Your current skillset is a big factor here. If you are happy with your one-handed bowling score, it would be smart not to change your bowling style to tow-handed bowling. A sudden switch will actually make things worse. So be a smart fella and have fun bowling. Adios amigos!