Bowling is an ever-learning sport. Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate player, an advanced or a professional bowler, there is always a thing or two that you can learn about bowling better and more effectively.
You might be wondering, what are some great bowling tips that I can use to get better at bowling? If that is what you are wondering, then you are in the right place because that is precisely what I am here to tell you.
In this article, I am going to tell you everything that you need to know to be good at bowling. From the basics to the techniques, approaches, strategies, and everything in between, here you are going to learn all the best bowling tips you need to know. So, make sure you read this article till the end.
Basics of Bowling
If you are a complete beginner and you are looking for a bit of guidance on the incredible sport that bowling is, do not worry because, in the bowling community, we do not judge anyone.
If we talk about the basics of bowling that every beginner must know, the most important is the structure of the game and the scoring. Let us take about the structure first.
A game of bowling between two or more players consists of 10 frames per player. Each frame consists of two individual shots. The score of the bowler will be equal to the total score of all the shots in all the frames.
If you knock all the pins in the first shot of a frame, it is called a strike. If you are not able to knock all the pins in the first shot and you do it in the second shot, it is called a spare. However, if you are unable to knock all the pins in either shot, the score of that particular frame is equal to the number of pins knocked. Added scores of all the frames equal the total score of a bowler in a game.
Learning how to Bowl
If you are new to bowling, learning how to bowl would be the best way to start your bowling journey. Taking you through different phases of the bowling process, here are all the elements you are going to have to learn to be able to bowl effectively.
Choosing Your Bowling Ball
The first and foremost thing you are going to want to do when you are in the bowling alley is choosing the right bowling ball for yourself. This could be tricky but here is what you need to care about while picking a ball off of the bowling ball rack.
Make sure you pick up a bowling ball and check its weight. If it is too light, it will not be effective since a little force might make it go out of control. Also, make sure it is not too heavy either because in that case, it will become too heavy to maneuver. You must pick a ball that perfectly fits in your hand and you can easily control it without facing any difficulty.
Holding the Ball
Now comes the step of holding the ball. If you have chosen the right weighted bowling ball, you will not face any problem while holding it, but if it is too heavy, you will not be able to calmly hold it with a single hand which can hinder your bowling performance.
Choose your throwing hand. The hand you are more comfortable with throwing the bowling ball with. Now, you are going to use the non-throwing hand and put the bowling ball’s weight in that hand. Using the throwing hand, you are going to loosen yourself up, put the fingers inside the finger holes of the ball and relax your wrist and arm muscles while getting into your approach element.
Making the Right Approach
Ready to make the walk to the foul line for the throw? Well, you still have a few critical elements that you need to take care of before you can throw your ball and get amazing strikes and spares.
It is time for you to take the approach. Keep your bowling ball in the non-throwing hand, while you pace your way to the foul line. Make sure you take even steps while going to the foul line for your throw. Another especially important thing to do is to keep all the muscles of your body completely relaxed while you are taking the approach.
Grab the ball tightly with the fingers of the throwing hand, let go from the other hand, take the ball far back for the backswing, and bring it forward while bending to get the ball past the ankle before you swing it forward.
Choosing Your Throwing Angle
Now it is time for you to take a throwing angle. You can either choose to throw the bowling ball in a straight angle or a curved angle depending upon your throwing hand i.e., whether you are a leftie or a right-hander when it comes to bowling.
Hooking will require you to twist the ball by twisting your fingers while in a straight-forward motion, you are not going to need to bend or twist your fingers which can at times be more difficult than you would expect.
Throwing the Bowling Ball
It is now time to throw the ball once you have figured out your throwing angle and brought the ball to the front with a swing. What you are going to do is use your fingers to make the final motion.
If you are hooking the ball, push the ball using your thumb and that will allow you to take the fingers out at the right time when you throw the ball. Otherwise, in a straight-forward throw, you are going to use all the fingers to push the ball forward in a straight manner. And that is what you will need to do to get your strikes and spares and bowl perfectly.
Best Bowling Tips and Tricks
Tips and tricks are for everyone, no matter your skill level. Bowling is a sport where even professionals feel as if they’ve yet to master everything in the art of the sport. So, here are some of the best bowling tips and tricks you need to know about if you want to stand out from the lot.
Bowling Tip for Beginners
One common mistake beginners and even intermediate players who have had experience with the game make is that they focus on the bowling pins when they are thinking of throwing the ball towards the pin deck.
Instead, the right thing to do would be to look at the aiming arrows that are printed on the bowling lane. They are in a straight line pointing towards the pin deck and are the most accurate way of making the right shot. Focus on the arrows and you will always get your shot right where you want it to go.
Bowling Tips for Intermediate
While you are approaching it is particularly important that you keep your speed in check. Sometimes over-speeding when it comes to taking your bowling approach can be detrimental if you are thinking a faster approach might help you knock more pins.
A slower and more focused approach is the way to go. Putting extra force or speed is not necessary. What is necessary is moving the right way, taking the right angle, and keeping your speed and motion calm and collected while you are making the throw.
Bowling Tips for Advanced Bowlers
Taking the right shot for the right situation is crucial to score better in casual and professional games. This means that you need to choose between a straight throw and a hook at the right time.
If you want to score a spare, then pin deflection is a better way to go. And to get a spare, you are going to want to go for a straight throw while if you want to get a strike, you would be much better off going with a hook or curved throwing motion for the ball.
Bowling Tips for Seniors
Whether you are a beginner or a professional senior bowling player, practicing your bowling sessions is incredibly important. Like every other sport, no practice can make your game rusty.
And if you are thinking, what will I do if I do not have any bowling partner to practice with; There’s no problem with that. Bowling is a sport that requires love for it to be enjoyed, not players.
You can practice on your own and have the most incredible time without facing any difficulty. Just simply go to the bowling alley and throw the ball on your own because you are your own biggest critic and coach too.
Bowling Tips for Lefties
If you are a leftie, another exceptionally good tip that you will want to use the next time you are in the bowling alley is making sure you go for a Brooklyn strike when you hook the ball.
Using this technique, you are going to want to go for the 1, 2 pocket which will be much more effective for you if you want to get a great strike with a curved ball.
How do I get better at bowling?
When it comes to bowling, the score that everyone aims to get is a strike. Well, you might be wondering, what is the best way to bowl a strike? To get strikes every time you bowl, here are some tactics and bowling strategies you can follow.
Choosing the Right Pocket
Make sure you are aiming for the right pocket when you are throwing the ball. The most ideal way of getting a strike is through the strategy of getting the perfect strike.
In the perfect strike, you go for a straight throwing motion, aiming for the 1, 3, 5, and 9 pin pockets because these pins then deflect and hit all the other pins causing a chain reaction and causing them to fall which is how you get the famous perfect strike.
Hooking the bowling ball
Now, the throwing hand matters a lot if you are thinking of hooking the bowling ball. If you are a leftie, you are going to hook the ball towards the opposite end which is the right end whereas if you are a righty, you are going to want to curve the ball towards the other end.
Using this technique, to get the strike, you are going to want to choose either the 1, 2 pin pocket or the 1, 3 pin pocket whichever will be the easiest choice for your throw.
Choosing a Lighter Ball
Bowling is not a competition over who can pick up the heaviest ball. What matters is who can use their bowling ball to score the most. And if you are someone who wants to score consistent strikes, then you are going to want to choose a lighter ball. It needs to be light enough to be easily handled but not so light that you cannot even control it well.
Aiming for the Right Type of Strike
There are different types of strikes in the game of bowling. One of them is the perfect strike that I mentioned before. There are others as well like the Brooklyn strike which requires you to go into the opposing pocket from the hand, you are throwing the ball with, among many others as well.
Releasing the Ball at the right time
Do not bring the ball too high on your forward swing if you want to get a strike. If you want to get the best out of your throw and make sure your throw gets you a strike, make sure you release your bowling ball at your ankle height on the forward swing, that is where the ball will have the most momentum and optimal speed.
A 300 game
Have you ever wondered how rare a 300 game in bowling is?
It is said that the odds of an adult bowler to bowl a 300 game are 10.000 to one (or more), but the odds of a professional PBA bowler rolling a perfect game are 500 to 1, so i depends on “how good” you are.
Here you can read more about why 300 is a Perfect Score in Bowling.
Conclusion
Bowling is an art that requires amazing skill and technique to master. That is why learning new tips and tricks to bowl effectively is always helpful no matter the skill of a bowler. Here we have discussed some tips and tricks to improve your game effortlessly.
Make sure you take the advice and guidance you got from these incredible tips and tricks and utilize them in your practice bowling sessions. I hope you have an incredible time in the bowling alley when you are there the next time!
