7 Useful Bowling Tips
One of the wonderful aspects of bowling is that almost anyone can play, and it is never too late to work on your skills! In this simple game, there are many ways to tweak and improve on your gameplay, whether you’ve been playing your whole life or you are a beginner. Even if bowling is little more than a social outlet for you, it is still fun to try and better your score over time, competition or not. Bowling tips from experienced bowlers can come in handy when you want to improve your game.
While there are many places to go to learn additional bowling tips, we have provided seven good bowling tips here to make your score that much better!
1. The Ball and Grip
The first basic step toward bettering your gameplay is to grip the ball properly.
Place your thumb in the thumb hole first, as deeply as it will go without your having to force it. It should feel comfortable. Rest your fingers naturally on the ball. As they cross the finger holes, the first joints of the middle and third fingers should extend about¼ inch past the edge of the holes. Now, without raising your thumb, place your fingers in the holes.
Your thumb should be relaxed, not gripping. The ball should have contact with the upper parts of your hand, and you should not be palming it. Keep your fingers spread out as far as you can for better control
It is important that the holes of the ball compliment your fingers. Too loose or too tight of a fit can and will affect your release, and as a result, your score. If you’re buying a ball, you can add finger grip inserts for both comfort and a snug fit.
An added bowling tip that can help some people is to is to crook your pinky finger. This acts as a cushion for the ball, relieving strain on the fingers. More important, it increases accuracy.
2. The Stance
To have the best end result during your turn, you must have a good start.
The exact location of your stance can vary from person to person, so make sure to find your “sweet spot” and take note of exactly where that is. There should be arrows and dots on the ground that you can use as markers to replicate your stance. Or, you can line yourself up with the pins.
A good bowling tip about aim is that if you’re right handed, you are aiming for the “pocket” between the front pin and the pin directly behind and to the right. Lefties are going for the same thing on the other side. Knowing how you bowl is key to figuring out how to line up. By the end of the game, as the lanes dry up, you may need to adjust your line up a few boards over.
Your stance is important because you can mechanically bowl the same every turn with the same hand and arm motions, but if you start at different places each time, then you will get different results.
3. Develop Good Timing
Every step in your approach should correlate with where your arm is relative to your swing, and where the ball is upon release. Take the same number of steps every time and focus on where the ball is in relation to those steps.
Consistency and repetition is important for this step. If you can get used to a routine, this will create a muscle memory. Every time you repeat it, you are reminding your body what you are about to do.
After doing this a number of times, you will surely start to get into the “swing” of things!
4. Hand and Wrist Action
Throwing a straight ball is one of the first goals for any bowler. If you haven’t mastered at least this yet, this is a good place to start when it comes to game improvement. Keeping your wrist and arm straight through your whole motion helps with this, and will help to avoid violent hooking. A common mistake that beginners frequently make is allowing their elbows to swing side-to-side during their approach. This is good way to end up with a dreaded gutter ball!
Extra bowling tip: There are a few different types of throwers when it comes to bowling. They can be referred to as “crankers”, “tweeners”, and “strokers”. “Crankers” are hard power throwers, with a big hook. “Strokers” bowl slow and straight. “Tweeners” are somewhere in between, with a medium speed and a gradual hook. There is also a new trend in bowling, using two hands, where the ball spins like a top.
Figure out your style, and then line up accordingly!
5. The Release
Maintain a straight position with your arm and wrist and release the ball as it passes your foot. It’s a good idea to allow your throwing hand to finish at shoulder level or higher. Enough practice and you’ll be able to finish in a balanced position.
6. Spares/Leftover Pins
Usually a powerful throw is what you want because the harder the throw, the more pins will fall. When trying to clean up the lanes with a spare/leftover pins, power down your hook by adjusting your wrist position and follow through, for more accuracy. You are still going to throw hard, just differently. Adjust your positioning according to pin placement.
7. Practice Makes Perfect
As with many other things in life, you will find that bowling gets easier the more you do it. Inevitably, if you bowl enough times with the goal of improvement, you will improve! It can be easier to get consistent bowling practice if you join a league at your local bowling alley!
Focus on using these bowling tips in addition to your regular gameplay. While your score may not improve dramatically overnight — you should begin to see improvement in time!
Achieve Your “A” Game at SpareZ
If you live anywhere around Davie FL, SpareZ is the place for you! Click here to fill out our online form, or call 954-434-9663 to find out more information about our bowling options, joining a league, how to book events, or additional bowling tips! Enjoy yourself to the fullest and accelerate your game play at your best local bowling alley, SpareZ!
