Activities Sports & Athletics Common Bowling Techniques and Styles Print Simon McComb Photography / Getty Images Sports & Athletics Bowling Technique Basics Baseball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Extreme Sports Football Golf Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Jef Goodger Jef Goodger Jef Goodger is a bowling enthusiast who works as a writer, commentator, and producer for Xtra Frames, the Professional Bowlers Association streaming service. His writings feature on various websites, such as Pinterest. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 02/24/19 If you've ever watched even a few minutes of bowling at any level, you know there are no two bowlers who throw the ball exactly alike. The best in the world share a few common traits, but just because one bowler looks smooth and another looks like he could collapse at any moment doesn't mean they both can't succeed. There are several different categories of bowling styles, into which we can try to place a bowler. This matters for anyone trying to improve his or her game, as identifying one's style is helpful in figuring out which aspects of one's game can most help foster improvement. Here are some of the most common bowling styles and a professional bowler who represents them. 01 of 05 Power Strokers Getty Images for PBA / Getty Images The power of a cranker and the smooth release of a stroker combine to define a power stroker. PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber has used this style for years, throughout all the equipment revolutions, to maintain his spot near the top of the sport. 02 of 05 Strokers WireImage / Getty Images Bowlers with a smooth, precise delivery are referred to as strokers. Like Weber, Norm Duke is a Hall of Famer who's been able to keep up with the many changes in the game by mastering his style. 03 of 05 Crankers Jesse Grant / Getty Images Bowlers who use a lot of wrist action to put a high number of revolutions and power into their shots are referred to as crankers. 2012-2013 PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash is one of the most successful crankers on the PBA Tour. 04 of 05 Spinners Bowlers who rotate the ball on a vertical axis are called spinners. There aren't many strict spinners on the PBA Tour, although some bowlers have the ability to spin the ball when the lane conditions call for it. PBA Hall of Famer and PBA50 star Tom Baker is one of the best. 05 of 05 Tweeners Doha Stadium Plus Qatar from Doha, Qatar/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0 Bowlers who combine elements of cranking and stroking are known as tweeners. Mika Koivuniemi, for example, approaches the lane much like a stroker, but puts a lot of rotation on the ball, resembling a cranker.