You may have heard the phrase "work the inside of the ball", especially if you watch the PBA Telecast. Many professional bowlers work the inside of the ball during the approach and release, while recreational bowlers tend to work the outside of the bowling ball. So what does this really mean? Below is the same bowler showing two different approaches, one working the outside of the ball and the other working the inside part of the ball. Notice the difference in where the finger position is and the direction the thumb is pointing. The position of the hand working the outside of the ball is directed more towards the 7 pin while the hand position of working the inside is directed towards the 10 pin. This will be the case for the remaining photos below.

Why is working the inside generally better? Generally the hand being on the inside of the ball creates more opportunity for changing the release, less grip pressure, more rpms, and improved accuracy. A very common technique to work on getting your hand to the inside is to lead the swing with the ring finger rather than the middle finger. When the hand is on the inside of the ball, the ring finger will closer to the pins while if the hand is on the outside of the ball, the middle finger will be closer to the pins.

Compare Start of Back Swing The two images above show the hand position of the swing after the push away while entering the backswing. Compare Top of Back Swing The two images above show the hand positions at the top of the back swing. Compare Release The two images above show the hand positions at the release point.

Video Comparisons Working the Outside       |       Working the Inside