Well, some info sharing with you guys. These are styles/techniques that can be applied while having fun, but need lots of work and training though… B-)
The Straight
Anyone can throw a ball straight down the lane and you can get a strike, but this style of play will limit most people to a 180 average.
The Cranker
The Cranker gets 'maximum' power on the ball. Revs, lots of revs! He (and they usually are men, young men) will stand deep inside and send the ball swinging out on the "scenic route" before it comes screaming back to decimate the pins. They use 'late' timing, getting to the foul-line long before the ball, they 'plant-and-pull'; little or no slide and bend the elbow to keep the hand behind and under the ball. There is a lot of lower and upper body strength needed: notice how there is a strong push into the finish and the shoulders are still open to accommodate a high backswing.
The Stroker
This is the 'classic' style, smooth, consistent, elegant, though unspectacular. The Cranker will draw crowds and make them go 'ooh', but maybe 'ahh' too, because when the lanes get fried all those revs make the ball very hard to control. Crankers often leave spectacular splits. The stroker knows that, in the long run of a tournament, his consistency will usually win out. His sliding foot stops just before the ball gets to the line, creating moderate leverage for good, but controllable, ball reaction. He will be prone to less injury as he need not muscle the ball as much the cranker. The shoulders are more square to the target and the ball arrives more in time with the bowlers slide.
The Spinner
This style is not seen very often in the west but is popular in Asia where the Helicopter/UFO release was elevated to new levels in Taiwan, to combat brutally hard lane conditions. Breaking all the rules of conventional "heavy ball" hook bowlers (spinners use light weight 10-12lb balls) the bowler deliberately brings the fingers all the way round the top of the ball. This release means that only a small portion of the ball is in contact with the lane (less friction) and the ball travels almost straight down the lane, regardless of the oiling pattern. This is not, however, an ordinary straight ball. The high degree of axis tilt (like helicopter blades rotating) and high revolution rate create enormous amounts of "mix" on impact with the pins to carry a strike competitive with the hook bowler.
Anyway, like the entry title said, “Ini bukan melontar jamrah daaa!!”… huhuhu
