I need bowling advice?

Question

Am I supposed to look at the pins or the marks on the floor when I throw the ball? I am not good at bowling and this is my first year on a league.

Answer 1

Using the marks is a lot easier...the lane is 60" in width and 60 foot long.....you need an inch of skill and 60 foot of luck!!.....pick out 2-3 boards right in front of the foul line......you should also see some dots....maybe there also.....roll the ball over those boards every time (about 5-8 boards from the gutter and inward).....now about 15 ft out are the arrows in from of there.....pretend that those are actually the pins and bowl as if they are with some medium and natural speed......pickout the spot I told you too and then move to the foul line with your shoulders square to the foul line and then roll the ball and pretend to shake hands with the #1 pin(the head pin) to create a good folow thru......most important when you slide your sliding foot must finish perpendicular to the foul line....if you don't your stroke with be off and not consistent for you to make adjustments.....depending on where the ball finishes from the headpin....move yourself left or right.....but stroke or use the same speed and finish with you foot perpendicular and your shoulders square to the fould line.....and keep adjusting..........watch some of the better scorers (notice that I did not say better bowlers).....look for the better scores....there is a good chance that they have blocked or fixed lanes and these cheaters know where the oil was laid.....these are the ones that average 215 + but can't score anywhere else......but they will tell you where the block is....do and learn what I told you and you will be able to score anywhere under any conditions......good luck on the tour and I will be expecting my 1%!!

Answer 2

Just use the dots and arrows, not to mention also looking at the boards. If you are delivering a straight ball, it helps to use the arrows. With a hooking ball, we use a combination of the dots, arrows plus boards. It's just a matter of what type of bowler you are currently. Pin or spot bowling is what I started out teaching myself with, then graduated to more technical learning in order to fine tune my game. Also, don't dwell too much on concentration as a beginner. Try to take your time when learning and not to flood your mind with too much information. It will eventually click in your mind and you'll be bowling consistently before long. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Let's consider ALL possibilities. #1) Bowling balls are not meant for constant fill and redrills. Doing this once or twice is okay. But after a while, it has very negative affects on the ball. #2) With an average of 180+, you have OBVIOUSLY mastered the basics. But even seasoned professionals (in any sport) have bad weeks. Perhaps you need to get back to the basics. Ask yourself questions like, "Does my approach seem different?", "Have I been REALLY concentrating on my mark?", "Am I even hitting my mark?". Sometimes "back to the basics" is the only real concern. 3) Are the lanes using more or less oil then usual? Sometimes, bowling alleys will oil their lanes more than usual or less than usual for various reasons. Keep a close eye on how your ball reacts at medium speeds. (Medium speeds are most affected by oils). 4) Is your ball clean? Cleaning bowling balls on regular occasions can lengthen the it's life.

Answer 4

Alot of people will say to look at the dots/arrows on the lanes. Others will say look at the pins. But some say they look at their feet when they bowl.

in my personal opinion, it's whatever is most comfortable for you and whatever works. My work mate bowls looking at his feet and my boss closes his eyes just before he releases his ball. They both bowl with a 220-230 average. As for me on the otherhand, i bowl looking at the lane where the oil stops and i bowl an average of 175. Ive only been bowling for about 18 months and i started out looking at the arrows on the lane. Then i tried looking at the pins. In the last 6 months, my average has gone from 130 upto 175.

So in my belief, it's trial and error, and also a bit of luck with the carry of the pins. When you work out which works better for you, stick to it and just minorly adjust your approach and you should be shooting 200+ in no time.

Answer 5

Its always best when first starting to use the arrows.It depends on where you stand.You must remember to follow all the way through when letting the ball go.Your hand and arm should end up above your head.almost like this / the line you see should be your body when letting the ball go.Hope this helps.I was a bowling instructor for the youth leagues years back.

Answer 6

throw at the marks. always stand in the same place when you start your approach. hit the third arrow. If the ball hit left of the pocket, move a board or two left. vice versa for right. You need to praactise until your actual delivery is consistant for this to help much however. There's no way to adjust if you throw it differently every time. Get to where you throw it the same way every time. Then you'll see your average improve.

Answer 7

Most moderate to advanced bowlers use the arrows or dots on the lane as their targets. There's nothing wrong with using the pins as your target when you're starting out, as long as that's comfortable for you. You're still working on your approach and getting used to throwing the ball.

As you improve over time, you might then consider using the arrows or dots as your target. You'll find that this gives you a great deal more accuracy because you'll be able to determine that you're hitting the same spots on the lane each time you release the ball, and it makes it far simpler to make very small adjustments when you need to because your target is so much closer to you.

Answer 8

Zen and the art of Bowling.
Relax
Use the marks on the floor to adjust your stance and to position yourself to where you want the ball to go.
Hold the ball in front of your eyes and focus on the target pin. Try and aim for the center pin.
Don't drop your eyes to the floor as you release the ball. The ball ball will go where ever your looking. So if you shift your gaze the right it will go right instead of where you want it to.
When you release the ball make sure it doesn't glance off your leg.
Take your time. Don't rush things.
And watch other as they bowl.
And Relax & hove Fun.

Answer 9

It is alot easier to look at the marks. The same goes for your starting position as well. Start from the same place and aim for a particular mark and watch where the ball goes. Adjust the mark you aim for accordingly.
Good luck!

Answer 10

Bowling Tips To Improve Your Game And Scores!
Keep Your Arm Swing Loose - Out of all the bowling tips I consider this very important. The key to a loose arm swing is keeping your grip relaxed in the ball. Don't squeeze fingers or thumb, keep them relaxed, especially the thumb. To have a relaxed thumb in the ball your ball has to be fitted and drilled correctly. If your thumb hole feels loose it will cause you to squeeze the ball and then muscle your swing. Inserts in the thumb and finger holes can help give you a more secure fit. If you have a large webbing at the base of your thumb adding extra bevel around the top of the thumb hole will give you a deeper secure fit.

Use Your Lower Body Leverage - On the last step bend your knee to get down lower to the lane and slide your foot straight towards the foul line making sure it does not turn. Think of it as sliding into a deep knee bend. Counter balance your body by moving your non-sliding leg sideways to the opposite side of your bowling arm. Make sure you keep your upper body fairly erect as you get down low to the lane.

Finish Up Close To The Foul Line - You should be about six inches from the foul line at the end of the delivery to have an optimal release. In an optimal release the ball is lofted a small distance over the foul line before it makes contact with the lane. This gets the ball further down the lane conserving energy when it hits the pins. If you're finishing up too far from the foul line move closer to it when you start out in the stance.

Relax Thumb, Come Through Ball - Don't try to over lift or turn the bowling ball during the release. It will only cause muscling and misdirection of your arm swing. Instead just relax your thumb and come cleanly through the ball as you release it and follow through, keeping your eyes focused on your target. For a strong release you need good lower body leverage (legs) and you also need to finish up close to the foul line (read above bowling tips).

Bowling Is A Mental Game - Analyze your delivery and think about what you are doing when you practice. Feel your good shots as you make them and imprint it into your mind so you can repeat them. Use visualization to practice off the lanes in your mind making perfect shots.

Try The Drop Away Method - The drop away replaces the push away. In the drop away method hold the ball high up in the stance at shoulder height and take a small first step but don't move the ball (no push away). Instead just let the ball drop down into the swing on the second step. If this feels awkward to you try sliding your foot out on the first step until you get used to it.

Shoe Sliding Problems (Sticking) - If you have trouble sliding buy a Dexter red slide sole and some velcro self sticking fastener. Cut red slide sole and velcro self sticking fastener the same size as rubber heel on slide shoe. Paste velcro fastener on rubber heal and fasten red slide sole.

Develop Your Own Bowling Style - There is no set way that bowlers bowl and anything can work when a bowler repeats the same movements often enough. Do what works best for your game and scores.

Watch Professional Bowlers On TV - Watch the professional bowlers bowling in a tournament on TV and record them with your VCR or DVR. Play back the tape and watch in slow motion. Study their basic techniques to improve your own game. Women pros are great to watch because they rely on finesse over power. The PBA also gives bowling tips of the week during their televised tournament broadcasts.