Every year, over 1.2 million players step into bowling alleys across the United States to compete in professional tournaments. But it’s not just a professional sport; it goes beyond the casual games you might play with your friends.
Together, you’re part of the whopping 67 million people who enjoy bowling every year in the US, whether for competition or fun.
Bowling is on the rise, not just as a sport but as a favorite way for friends and family to spend time together.
So, the next time you plan a hangout, consider hitting the bowling alley. To spice things up, here are five tips to make your bowling experience both fun and competitive.
5 Bowling Techniques to Score Well in Bowling
Bowling rules are different all over the world.
In Europe, Africa, and Asia, it’s a nine-pin sport.
In the Americas, it’s a ten-pin sport. Both have different rules, meaning an African professional or leisure bowler will need to relearn the rules to play in the Americas.
Other variations of bowling include five-pin bowling, duckpin, and candlepin bowling.
However, the only rule that’s the same is how the game is won, and that’s the number of pins a bowler knocks down.
While you train your aim and arm (bowling requires arm strength), consider the following techniques.
1. Find the Perfect Position to Throw the Ball
Because bowling is a sport that requires precision, the player’s position is key to getting high scores.
Precision, by character, is a result of perfect positioning.
First, work on your bowling approach. The bowling approach is a series of steps that the bowler takes that leads into the swing that releases the ball.
Next, work on your swing. The difference between a good bowl and a bad one is how you release the ball from your swing.
When this is done, learn how to count your steps in order to maximize your approach and increase your swing efficiency.
2. Hold the Bowling Ball in the Correct Position
In bowling, how one holds the ball is just as important as the swing to release it. This is why you see experienced leisure bowlers and professionals fussing over how they hold the ball before they even take a position.
Consider how you approach the bowling lane. Then, consider how powerful your swing is. After you do this, examine the ball to see how you can best hold it and release it in a way that can get you that score of 100, 200, or 300.
Timing your ball release is also key, but this takes a lot of serious practice.
3. Proper Gripping to Release the Ball Accurately
Many rookie bowlers often send their bowling balls into another lane, throw weak bowls, or even throw heavy balls into stuff.
These mistakes are not particular to rookie bowlers because experienced bowlers also make them and end up releasing the ball badly.
To improve your bowling grip, place both hands on the ball to help you fix your fingers (thumb, middle, and ring fingers) into the holes. This will help you steady the ball in your bowling hand.
Next, loosen your grip as you approach your lane, then release the ball with a push motion, not a throw.
4. Aiming Accurately Helps You Knock Down More Pins
Precise aim, as I’ve said earlier, gets you the scores that win you the bowling game.
Your approach, positioning, grip, and release all help improve your aim. But that’s not all there is to improving your aim.
There are arrows on bowling lanes that experienced bowlers look out for. These lane arrows help them target the pins they know will lead to a strike, which is a perfect score.
Rookies can follow this tried and tested method to improve their aims. The more accurately you aim, the more pins you knock down in bowling.
5. Pick The Bowling Center that Works Best For Your Practice
This is basically like the home-ground phenomenon in many other sports.
In soccer, teams tend to perform much better when facing opponents at their home. Practice is also seamless and, most especially, private.
As a rookie or a pro bowler, there should be one center you call home.
It could be for many reasons, such as size, number of lanes, number of bowling variations offered (nine-pin, ten-pin, etc.), or even proximity to your home.
Once you have a center like this, practice becomes easy. You can even challenge people to games at that center to build confidence.
FAQs
Should I Look at the Dots or Arrows When Bowling?
The dots guide your positioning, which is key to scoring those points. This also means you must know where they are and how shooting from certain dots could affect your final score.
The arrows are your best bet when bowling. They provide a clear path to the pins you need to hit for your score.
The pins usually look up in sync with the arrows. These are your targets. The arrows help you find a path to the pin with the most chance of causing other pins to fall.
How Do You Throw a Bowling Ball With More Power?
Speed up your approach. Take quicker, brisker steps toward the release. This will do much more for your bowl power than releasing the ball with force. You may need to move your starting point a little further back to get the most from this tip.
Hold the ball higher: Simply raise it as high as possible before bringing it down in your swing. This will help you push the ball towards the pins for your strike or spare.
Train your arms: You release the ball with your arms. Stronger arms help for a stronger push.
Final Thoughts
The best bowling technique is not practice, regardless of how many tips I have just shared. Rather, it’s competing against friends, family, and even strangers.
In these friendly competitions, you get to test out all you are learning or have learned and hone your skills to the point where you can choose to go pro if you want.
And like any other sport, the physical fitness part should always be considered, or the ball may feel too heavy for you.