Bowling Tips

Bowling Tips

Bowling an indoor sport also called tenpins, played by rolling a ball down an alley at ten Bowling

pins. Bowling is one of the most popular participatory sports in the United States, where there are thousands of recreational leagues.

Check out these Bowling Tips which will definitely help you improve your Game and Scores.

Last Updated - 13th October 2005

Bowling Tips

Keep Your Arm Swing Loose - The key to a loose arm swing is keeping your grip relaxed in the ball. Don't squeeze fingers or thumb, keep them relaxed, especially the thumb. To have a relaxed thumb in the ball your ball has to be fitted and drilled correctly. If your thumb hole feels loose it will cause you to squeeze the ball and then muscle your swing. Inserts in the thumb and finger holes can help give you a more secure fit. If you have a large webbing at the base of your thumb adding extra bevel around the top of the thumb hole will give you a deeper more secure fit.

Use Your Lower Body Leverage - On the last step bend your knee to get down lower to the lane and slide your foot straight towards the foul line making sure it does not turn. Think of it as sliding into a deep knee bend. Counter balance your body by moving your non-sliding leg sideways to the opposite side of your bowling arm. Make sure you keep your upper body fairly erect as you get down low to the lane.

Finish Up Close To The Foul Line - You should be about six inches from the foul line at the end of the delivery to have an optimal release. In an optimal release the ball is lofted a small distance over the foul line before it makes contact with the lane. This gets the ball further down the lane conserving energy when it hits the pins. If you are finishing up too far from the foul line move closer to it when you start out in the stance.

Relax Thumb, Come Through Ball - Don't try to over lift or turn the ball during the release. It will only cause muscling and misdirection of your arm swing. Instead just relax your thumb and come cleanly through the ball as you release it and follow through, keeping your eyes focused on your target. For a strong release you need good lower body leverage (legs) and you also need to finish up close to the foul line (see above tips).

Bowling Is A Mental Game - Analyze your delivery and think about what you are doing when you practice. Feel your good shots as you make them and imprint it into your mind so you can repeat them. Use visualization to practice off the lanes in your mind making perfect shots.

Try The Drop Away Method - The drop away replaces the push away. In the drop away method hold the ball high up in the stance at shoulder height and take a small first step but don't move the ball (no push away). Instead just let the ball drop down into the swing on the second step. If this feels awkward to you try sliding your foot out on the first step until you get used to it.

Shoe Sliding Problems (Sticking) - If you have trouble sliding buy a Dexter red slide sole and some velcro self sticking fastener. Cut red slide sole and velcro self sticking fastener the same size as rubber heel on slide shoe. Paste velcro fastener on rubber heal and fasten red slide sole.

Develop Your Own Bowling Style - There's no good or bad way that bowlers bowl and anything can work when a bowler repeats same movements often enough. Do what works best for your game and gives you highest scores.

Watch Professional Bowlers On TV - Watch the professional bowlers on TV and record them with your VCR. Play back the tape and watch in slow motion. Study how they do the basics to improve your own game. The women pros are great to watch because they rely on finesse over power.

Bowling Terminology

Strike: All 10 pins are knocked down on the first delivery. You get 10 points for those pins, plus bonus points equal to the number of pins your next two balls knock down.
Spare: All 10 pins are knocked down with two deliveries. You get 10 points for those pins, plus bonus points equal to the number of pins your next ball knocks down.
Frame: One tenth of a game and also one of the 10 score boxes in which the running total of the game is recorded.
Game: Consists of 10 frames.
Approach: The name given to the area between the bowlers starting position and the foul line.
Foul line: Is the starting line at the beginning of the lane.
Foul: Touching or going beyond the foul line as you deliver the ball.
Average: Total score of your games divided by the number of games you played.
A Double: Two strikes in a row.
A Turkey: Three strikes in a row.
Gutter: The runaway on each side of the lane where balls end up if they leave the lane or miss.

Bowling the Ball

The normal starting position is four and a half walking steps back from the foul line. After your starting position stand relaxed, holding the ball in the palm of both hands, waist high. Your non-bowling hand should be taking most of the weight of the ball.

Walk forward (right handed players start with your right foot) holding the bowling ball out in front of your body in line with your shoulder.

Move your non bowling hand away from your body at right angles to help balance, and swing the ball down and back past your leg.

When the ball is as far back as it can go, allow it to swing forward past your ankle at which point the ball will roll off your thumb and fingers.

Your arm then continues to swing up to eye level, (follow through). The whole process should be short, relaxed and smooth, timing the swing of your arm with walking forward so that the ball leaves your hand as your left foot arrives at the foul line (for right handers).

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