Why is my bowling ball spinning like a top?

Bowling balls require friction to hook. A spinner release (what you're doing) provides the least amount of friction, therefore those shots do not hook (or hook very little if lanes are dry). read more

it is spinning like a top simply because of what you are doing when you throw the ball. For a ball to properly rotate, your hand must be under the ball then rotate around the outside of the ball. If your ball is spinning like a top, then your hand is probably on top of the ball as you release with your wrist twisting. read more

Putting spin on a bowling ball must be done in a relatively precise manner in order to improve your game. First, the "spin" term people use to describe a bowling ball motion refers specifically to the amount of axis tilt caused by a rotating axis of a bowling ball after being delivered down the lane. read more

When bowlers like myself release a bowling ball, we apply the torque in a particular direction by releasing the thumbhole first, then the ring/middle finger hole. The ring and middle finger will apply a force on the ball to create a torque, thus causing the ball to gain angular momentum (and therefore, spin). read more