Bowling Styles: Cranker

There are multiple different styles to bowling; some players stay true to one style, and others mix it up a bit. Whether you are new to the game or not, it’s likely you will settle into your own groove. Throughout bowling history though, a couple styles have come to stand out as great methods for anyone looking to hone in on a tried and true style.

Today we take a look at the “Cranker":

The Cranker

A cranker just sounds like a powerful bowler, doesn’t it? Someone that cranks an object out fast repeatedly—that’s pretty close to how this style of bowling works. I’m sure we’ve seen, or heard, that loud crack as all ten pins hit the floor.

Cranking means there is a strong rate of revolutions by use of a quick and decisive release. Bowlers who use this style typically have a high backswing and open their shoulders more to give the ball more power and a greater speed. Crankers typically have late timing, where their foot reaches the foul line before the ball. The powerful moving ball has a higher chance of getting strikes, but because of the power it is prone to splits as well.

Crankers often use the “plant and pull” technique. This technique offers little slide at the foul line while they pull the ball upward for leverage. Within each style, bowlers still vary; not every cranker uses this specific technique. Crankers are an extreme style, as they stand at the opposite side of their target and create a very large hook. The ball moves across the line, close to the gutter, and hooks back to its intended target. This is often called “hooking the whole lane” or “deep inside.”

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