List Of Bowling Tips

Bowling is a classic pastime that anyone can enjoy, whether you’re bowling strikes for a perfect game or just keeping the bumpers up and having a good time. However serious it is, you might still want to improve your skills. Here are some tips on how to practice your bowling.

Bowling Tips

• Remember to Have Fun
• Get the Right Ball Size
• Find the Right Shoes
• Bowling Etiquette
• Grip the Ball Correctly
• Take an Upright Stance
• Approaching the Lane
• Find the Pocket
• Learn the Markings
• Don’t Focus on the Pins
• Figure Out the Approach Step Count
• Master the Swing
• Keep your Arms Straight
• Release the Ball at the Bottom of your Swing
• Control your Speed
• Throw with Curve on the Ball

Remember to Have Fun

This is first because it’s the most important thing to remember: bowling is supposed to be fun! Don’t worry about going pro or anything else your first time out. Bowling can be an entirely recreational sport. Just enjoy yourself.

Get the Right Ball Size

Make sure that the ball you are using is right for you. A ball that is too light is hard to control and remove your fingers from, and a ball that is too heavy is harder to roll and could result in injury. Buying your own bowling ball will make this easier. If that’s not an option, a tip for finding the right ball is to stick your fingers in the appropriate holes and see if they come out without sticking. Your fingers should feel snug enough that your thumb releases smoothly but doesn’t easily pop out.

Find the Right Shoes

Wearing the right pair of shoes is crucial when bowling. The wrong bowling shoes, or no bowling shoes at all, can cause you to fall and slip, lose your balance, or get hurt. Buying shoes is the best way to ensure your shoes fit, but when renting shoes, a pair that’s a half size bigger than your regular shoes should fit fine.

Bowling Etiquette

There are several things you can do to make sure that you are being as respectful as possible to other bowlers. Familiarize yourself with some bowling etiquette, and you should have no problem with that. Don’t yell when it’s other people’s turn, wait for the person in the neighboring lane to throw before you do, and don’t use balls that aren’t yours. All these things and more will make you a pleasant bowling buddy.

Grip the Ball Correctly

A good grip is crucial to having a good release. To get the ideal grip, put your two middle fingers and your thumb in the appropriate holes, inserting down to about the second knuckle. This grip is most common, but the fingers can be inserted down to only the first knuckle for a fingertip grip. Also, always hold the ball with your non-dominant hand when not throwing.

Take an Upright Stance

Your stance is one of the most important things to emphasize before making an approach. Serious bowlers suggest standing straight in an upright, athletic position. Bend your knees slightly, put the ball at about your side supported by your off hand, and relax your shoulders.

Approaching the Lane

Begin the approach with your dominant foot slightly behind the other one. To find the proper point to begin, take four-and-a-half steps back from the foul line. Position your non-dominant foot behind the central dot on the lane. Use a four-step approach and finish with your non-dominant (slide) foot planted just before the foul line.

Find the Pocket

A lot of bowling comes down to not how hard you hit the pins but where you hit the pins. For bowlers, the key is to find the pocket. The pocket is the spot where the angle is best for getting a strike. For right-handed bowlers, it is between the top pin (the one-pin) and the next pin to its right when directly looking at them (the three-pin). For left-handed bowlers, it’s the one-pin and the pin directly to the left (the two-pin). Always aim for those pockets on your first throw.

Learn the Markings

You may have noticed some black markings in the lane when you’re approaching the shot. It is important to learn and memorize what those markings mean. They’re there to help you do several things. The dots at the line are there to help you figure out where to stand. The arrows are for aiming the ball when you throw it. Find the right arrow to throw at before approaching.

Don’t Focus on the Pins

This might seem strange, but the pins aren’t what you should focus on in bowling. Most serious bowlers focus on those because they’re a closer target and are easier to aim at. They usually aim for the middle arrows, focusing on finding the pocket mentioned earlier. Those arrows are where the most lane oil is, with the outside arrows having less oil and more traction.

Figure Out the Approach Step Count

While it truly is up to the bowler to find what works best, most bowlers prefer the four-step approach. Start with the same leg as your dominant hand, so you end your approach on your opposite leg. It’s also helpful to do a power step on your second-to-last step, giving you a little more momentum as you begin your swing. Make sure to kick your starter leg after the power step to ensure you have full freedom to swing.

Keep Your Throwing Arm Straight

Focus on keeping your arm straight during the swing, and your ball should go straighter. If you’re wondering why your ball keeps veering off to one side or another, the answer might be in your swing. Balls can go off to the side for many reasons, including over-gripping the ball, swinging behind the back, and more.

Release the Ball at the Bottom of your Swing

Most expert bowlers suggest releasing the ball as close to the ground as possible. Releasing too early can hurt ball speed, while releasing too late can cause it to bounce. You can even cause damage to the lane if you release the ball too high. Bend your knees slightly to release at the perfect spot and get optimal speed.

Control Your Speed

The optimal bowling ball speed on a throw is usually around 17 mph. That’s not always something that you can calculate on every throw, but it’s something to keep in mind when throwing the ball. More speed generally means a less accurate ball but a greater impact. The fastball isn’t always the best ball in bowling, though, as it can lead to more splits.

Throw With Curve on the Ball

Throwing with a curve will take some time to develop, but it can help elevate your game. Most pros prefer this strategy, also known as hook bowling, because it allows you to control your swing more and helps direct the ball to pockets. In order to get that spin, you have to rotate your thumb counterclockwise (if you’re right-handed) or clockwise (if you’re left-handed) at the point of release. The more you rotate, the more spin you’ll get.

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