Improving your bowling scores
October 12, 2009 – 8:24 pmI have had this post sitting around for a while and just never posted it. Here are 4 tips that could help every new bowler
For those who don’t know I am a pretty avid bowler. I used to suck pretty bad, but I can hold my own now. I hold an average that is right around 185, but when I was in more competitive leagues I have held 200+ averages. I mainly bowl for fun now, even the leagues I have been in recently have had a significantly more fun-based focus. Still I sympathize with folks who are newer to bowling and with that I have these tips for any newer bowler looking to add a few more points to their score.
1. Shoes – Buy your own pair! There are really decent shoes available at the sub $30 starter level. Plus if you bowl with any frequency your investment will usually pay off in no time (versus renting). One of the key things to being a good bowler is to develop consistency and wearing the same thing on your feet every time you bowl is a good starting point. Here are a few good options for shoes:
2. Starting Position - Consistency is key when you are just beginning. You should be standing in the exact same position on your first ball every time. Try to make this a habit early. Additionally you should pick out your line when you bowl. You may notice that there are a bunch of dots and arrows all over the place. The reason they are there is so that you can establish a line and “read” how your ball is rolling as it relates to those lines. The more consistent your throw the more those dots and arrows will help you improve your score.
3. Control Your Wrist - So I am sure you have seen those wrist guards that like half the people in any league seem to be wearing. They wear those so that they can keep their wrists straight. It is very common for bowlers to cock their wrist into a 90 degree angle when holding a ball, this will result in an inconsistent throw because you’ll have less control over your release points. I have always been told you should throw as if you are going to shake someones hand (thumb up and wrist straight).
4. 10-pin Spares – Alright every right handed bowler I know hates this pin (same goes for the 7-pin for left handed bowlers) at one point in their bowling career. The only pointer I want to share here is the best way to attack this pin is by establishing a starting point on the opposite side of the lane (i.e. the left side for a 10-pin or right side for 7-pin). This will give you the best possible angle at the 10 pin and also gives the least chance to end up in the gutter.
*Disclaimer* I am not a pro, I don’t provide lessons, the above tips are purely based on information I wish I would have had when I first started bowling in a league.
