Bowling Tips-that can Save Your Game!

These Bowling Tips are for fine tuning your game and catching bad habits quickly.  Many times simple Bowling Tips can save a bad game from continuing. For more help with your Bowling Game, check out our Bowling Library or our blog at www.BowlingTipsInfo.com.

Bowling Tips #1: “Why do I throw left of my mark?

1. If you drop your shoulder down or lower it, the bowling ball will go left, if you are right handed.

2. On your approach, walk toward your mark, so you don’t have to over reach, to hit it.

3.Lifting your head up to look at the pins during the bowling ball release, will pull your ball to the left. Keeping your head down and watch your bowling ball roll over your mark, to be consistent.

4. Breaking your wrist to the left, when releasing the bowling ball. Using a wrist support would stop your wrist from breaking.

Bowling Tips #2: “What is my mark?”

During practice, find an arrow, board, or dot to roll over for strikes and different spare combinations. Of course, remember where your feet are positioned, when you use your marks, to be consistent. For example, you are using the 2nd arrow from the right gutter for your strike mark, and you start your approach from the center dot of the approach lane.  So, that is where you would stand to "roll" your 1st ball for a strike. After your 1st ball, you will need to adjust for your spares. For more adjustments see Bowling Tips #8.

Bowling Tips #3: “Why do I get so many splits?”

1. A bowling ball is thrown not rolled, it will have less drive through the pocket, leaving unpredictable pin action.

2. Not hitting the 1-3 pocket if right handed, or 1-2 pocket if left handed, consistently.

3. Not enough lift on the bowling ball. Lifting your hand up, at the bowling ball release, will give revolutions, or lift which produces drive through the pocket.

Bowling Tips #4: “Why do I keep missing the 10 pin spare?”  Of course, if you are left handed, it would be the 7 pin.

1. Your bowling ball hooks too much and turns away from the 10 pin. Most bowlers use a plastic bowling ball just for 10 pin spares.

2. If using your strike ball for ten pin spares, roll a straight ball by positioning your thumb at 12 o’clock and aiming your thumb at the 10 pin through the release.

3. Even with a plastic bowling ball, the 10 pin spare is still challenging at times. So, practice, practice, practice, until you are more comfortable in a bowling game situation.

4. I almost forgot.  Relax your wrist, so the bowling ball does not hook or curve away from the 10 pin. If you stiffen your wrist and lift up, the bowling ball will probabilly curve.

 

Bowling Tips #5: “Am I throwing my bowling ball too fast?”

1. Of course we roll the ball. But if your ball is so fast that the pins blow back, and do not mix side to side, maybe too much speed and not enough lift or revolutions.

2. Getting a lot of splits on good hits, should raise a red flag that your doing something wrong.

3. If you are not consistently hitting your mark, "rushing the line" or running too fast on your approach, and not in control of your body, your probably trying to throw too hard. Slow your approach down, and concentrate on your delivery.

Bowling Tips #6: “Why doesn’t my bowling ball crush the pocket like some of the other bowlers?”

1. Bowling ball revolutions or lift, and pocket entry angle will make the difference. Even high revolution bowlers have problems, when they lose their pocket entry angle, causing wash outs and splits.

2. Bowling balls also have a life cycle. After a 60 to 90 games, bowling balls loose the ability to drive through the pocket. Reconditioning the bowling ball, resurfacing, or getting a new bowling ball could be the answer. But, many times using a bowling ball cleaner after or before bowling, can solve the problem of built up oil and grim on the bowling ball surface.

3. Change the pocket angle. Sometimes a straighter angle, rather than a curve (smooth arc) or a hook angle, will make a difference and increase the pin mix. 

4. If your ball is going long or past the pocket, try moving back on the approach with your feet, about an inch or so at a time, from your original position. The opposite is true if you are coming up on the head pin, move forward.

Bowling Tips #7: “Should I throw a straight ball, a hook, or a curve?”

1. Pro Bowlers use a straight approach with a small hook at the end or at the pocket, and a sweeping curve other times. Either straight, hook, or curve can be used depending on the lane conditions and the drive of the bowling ball. That is, what separates the good bowlers. They can recognize the maximum bowling ball drive to use during the game, and adjust it with the changing lane conditions.

Bowing Tips #8: How do I adjust for spares and strikes?

1. It is very important to find a consistent Strike Mark. Now, if you leave the Head Pin or other bowling pins on the left side, just move your feet to the right of your Strike Position on the approach lane. You can roll your ball over your Strike Mark and the bowling ball should go to the left side. Your position on the approach will very on which bowling pins are left. The same is true on the right side, you move to your left. This is the basics to bowling adjustments. Beside moving right or left, you can move forwards and backwards from your mark, too. If you move up, your bowling ball will hit the bowling pins further down the bowling alley. The reverse is true, if you back up, your bowling ball will hit the bowling pins earlier. For example, you just missed hitting the Head Pin to the right. To make your bowling ball hit earlier just back up, about an inch or so, and roll at your same mark again. Depending on the bowling style, hook, curve, or straight ball, you have the basics for future adjustments. Remember, as bowling lanes change and get drier, your Strike Mark will change too. Of course to pick up a 10 or 7 pin, you need to stand on the opposite side edge of the bowling approach, the last dot on the left or right for example. Then roll over a different mark, you only use for the 10 or 7 pin pick ups.

BOWLING TIPS #9: PICKING A BOWLING BALL.

Once you have decided on the weight, check out the videos and information about the variety of bowling balls available. Talk to your bowling friends, watch the reaction of the bowling ball from the videos, or from your friends using the bowling ball. If you think it hooks too much for you, or maybe you can't handle it right now, please don't buy it.  Wait till you can handle that type of bowling ball. Believe me, it is extremely frustrating paying good money for a bowling ball, you can't control on the bowling alley. I have been there, and I have sold bowling balls at a loss, because of it!  This is one selection to play it save on. Do your research, and pick the bowling ball that "fits your game". 

Again, practice your adustments, and watch out for changing lane conditions, because one of these Bowling Tips may save your game!

Visit our blog at www.BowlingTipsInfo.com, or E-mail me at info@stuckonbowling.com.