[Newbies] Be a Better Bowler!

r3nu4l

This thread is mainly for newbies who don't bowl often. IT won't turn you into the next World Champion but it might save you a few gutter balls

Tips:

Bowling is not about throwing the ball as hard and fast as you can down the lane. For experienced bowlers that can help but not much.

Bowling is about consistency.

Holding the ball
A lot of people have never been shown how to hold a bowling ball properly. You should place your middle finger and ring finger in two of the holes and your thumb in the third hole. Hold the ball with your palm facing the pins, not the other way around. This is important!

The arm swing:
When you are holding a bowling ball, imagine your arm as the pendulum on a granfather clock, swinging back and forth.

Stand at the foul line, hold your arm at your side and begin your pendulum swing.

Make sure you keep your palm parallel to the foul line. Practice a few times and concentrate on keeping your palm parallel to the foul line.

As your arm begins the downswing, hold the ball until it has just passed the side of your leg and then let go. To improve aim, read on

Aim
If you are right-handed you should be aiming to connect with but slightly right of the head pin. If you are left handed, you should hit slightly left of the head pin.

I'm not going to delve into this too much but there are arrows printed on the lane surface. Most new people are better off standing slightly to the right (right-handers) or left (lefties) of the middle arrow.

Try to aim your shot so that the ball lands a little right (left for lefties)of the centre arrow. Remember to keep your pendulum swing going and to keep your palm parallel with the foul line. This is very important.

If you practice this enough you will improve your score. There is still a lot more to learn including the approach to the lane (walking to the lane with the ball) but this is a start.

The main point here is consistency. Always keep your hand parallel to the foul line, always maintain a smooth pendulum swing. Always aim for the head pin as described. Always enjoy yourself

Post your own tips here and regular bowlers please feel free to disagree with my post and make suggestions! I am very rusty these days and won't be starting in my new league for another two months

DEmeant0r

One more tip: Do not go bowling drunk, you will end up with your face on the ground or may accidently throw your ball down the wrong lane and end up with a fist in your face

redzerdrog

i prob go bowling with mates about 6/7 times a year for the craic but i hold the ball thye wrong way to what your saying here

Hold the ball with your palm facing the pins, not the other way around. This is important!

Is it really that big a deal? (i only play for fun and the odd fiver)

BTW i played last week and scored 168 (total fluke) in a game was just wondering is that the type of score lads playing the league would be getting week in week out or would it be more?

r3nu4l

Well it all comes down to the consistency of your throw. The majority of people will find it easier to be consistent if they hold the ball in the traditional way. That said, if you take a look at one of the videos posted here you will see a guy bowling with his back to the lane (!!) and getting strikes so again, if he can make the same throw consistently doing that, then fair play to him

A 168 score with a house ball is a nice score, I bowled a 187 on Sunday with a house ball on lanes I'd never bowled on before. Regular league bowlers who have had coaching , have their own bowling ball and have been bowling a few years should easily average a 200+ game over the league season although it takes time to build to that type of score.

About five years ago a friend of mine who only bowls 2-3 times a year bowled a 230 with a house ball when we were out one night. I was amazed. Since then he hasn't hit above 120 anytime he has gone bowling. He was "in the zone" that night

bohsman

Im a leftie and have problems with my swing, I seem to be going at an angle instead of a perfect pendulum, I keep veering left, any tips or just keep practising?

r3nu4l

Hmm, I'd have to see to be sure but it could be a few things.

Firstly, when you let go of the ball make sure that the palm of your hand is parallel with the foul line. That's important.

If it's not then you are doing something wrong. What could it be?

Most often the problem occurs right at the start of the swing. Most people stand in front of the lane holding the ball in front of their chests. This will cause you to swing your arm in an outward arc in an attempt to get the ball behind your body.

As you are left-handed, start with the ball to the left of your body. Hold the ball to your left-side in your left hand. Use your right hand to support the ball. Now as you step out with your left foot push the ball forward away from your body, as you step forward on your right foot allow your arm to drop beginning the pendulum swing. It should be a natural swing and you shouldn't need to drag your body away from the ball or move your arm outwards to avoid the ball.

Now...watch this video. Ignore the cheesy dialogue and attempts at comedy...Forward to about three minutes and watch her talk through the 4-step approach.

That gives an idea of what you should be doing. However, at this stage don't turn your wrist the way she does at the end of the fourth step. Keep it straight. If you do this consistently and focus on what you are doing you will improve You tube has a load of videos of professional tournament bowlers bowling. Parker Bohn III is a good left handed bowler. Look at his matches from the Motor City Classic for some hints but again keep your wrist straight, don't turn it...you're not ready to hook the ball just yet

bohsman

Cheers for that, think you got it with that I start with the ball to my chest, that commentary really is bad...

WildFox

If you hold the ball the wrong way there is a chance you could break your fingers. That is why they recommend that you hold the ball the way r3un4l said.

califano

r3nu4l wrote:

Post your own tips here(

Im not sure yet whether having good looking girls on adjoining lanes is good or bad for your score. You want to throw good to impress them but sometimes you try so hard to the point of distraction. And when they get a strike you feel it takes away from their perception your own greatness a bit.

The mistakes i see people make is that they leave their leg beside the other one on release and this gets in the way of their arc causing them to cut across their shot on release and follow through like a table tennis shot.

Mr Magnolia

For me it's about relaxing with the ball. The pendulum swing and keeping my eye on the front pin the whole time. Seems to work for me anyway.

Kimbot

Also may I suggest trying to learn how to slightly spin the ball.

When you throw it dead straight for the first pin it will more than often result in splits! When I bowled in leagues years ago I developed many different types of spin depending on the condition of the lanes, i.e. too dry.... too wet etc and it helped alot. My score was always around the 200 mark.

I have a few links somewhere at home for tips on bowling so with mods permission I can pop them up here for others?

Mr Magnolia

Hmmm spin. I assume that's all in the wrist yeah?

r3nu4l

By all means Jonny24ie

The only thing I would say is that before trying to develop a hook (spin), bowlers should learn how to bowl with consistency. The best way to do this is to bowl straight.

Once you have consistency in the throw then you can try to develop a hook The hook really does vastly improve scores.

Jonny24ie, if you have links for hooking the ball maybe start a new thread and post them there. Other basic links can go here

Kimbot

Mr Magnolia wrote:

Hmmm spin. I assume that's all in the wrist yeah?

Yup, slight flick of the wrist and the ball will gain some spin.

Kimbot

r3nu4l wrote:

By all means Jonny24ie

The only thing I would say is that before trying to develop a hook (spin), bowlers should learn how to bowl with consistency. The best way to do this is to bowl straight.

Once you have consistency in the throw then you can try to develop a hook The hook really does vastly improve scores.

Jonny24ie, if you have links for hooking the ball maybe start a new thread and post them there. Other basic links can go here

Sound job, I'll try get them up later but I will PM you with the links first to see what threads etc will do best!!

Now I want to get back into bowling!!

Mr Magnolia

Good stuff. Look forward to a rad and some recommendations.

DubTony

jonny24ie wrote: »

Yup, slight flick of the wrist and the ball will gain some spin.

Da flickin o' da wrist is not a good idea. Really, you should be letting your fingers do the flicking. What has to be said here is that if anyone wants to enjoy and improve their bowling at anything more than a casual "once every 6 months laugh with the mates" level, they need their own ball. It should be drilled properly to fit the hand and weighted in accordance with how a player plays. It's not really that complicated. Any good pro shop will sort you out.

If you release the ball properly, it should, in a way, roll off your hand onto the lane. As the ball leaves your fingertips, the fingers should be pulled back into the palm quickly so that a spin is put on the ball. So when the ball hits the deck it's not being thrown, it's being rolled "with a little help". The ball will effectively skid down the oily section and as the lane dries out further on and the ball grips the surface, the spin on the ball and the proper weighting are what gives it direction and speed.

If anyone disagrees with this, especially those who've had coaching (I never did) please say so. I'd hate to be giving bad advice.

r3nu4l

Yep DubTony makes some very good points here.

I would never recommend people try hooking a ball unless they get coaching on how to do it but it will improve your score if you can hook the ball.

1. When you are 'hooking' a ball, your do turn your wrist at the bottom of the pendulum swing but the 'flick' action is generated by the fingers as they come out of the ball.

2. The point about the ball rolling off your fingers and onto the lane is important. Your body should be low enough at the end of the swing so that the ball is almost touching the lane before you let go. If the ball hits the lane with a "thud" then you are not getting low enough. Have a look at this video to see a demonstration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylmjGHNdPhA

The guy gets really low before releasing the ball so that it almost glides from his hand, directly onto the lane. This guy is using a 5-step approach whereas most coaches teach a 4-step approach.

bbability

And always remember less is more. So many times I see people trying to throw the ball like its a bomb ready to explode. Just relax the swing.

Another point to note is your targer area and feet position. working on this area will vastly improve your game. Do not use the pins as a target. Use the arrows or dots nearsest the foul line.