Bowling Technique Tips

Bowling has evolved over the years and forms of it have been around for centuries. In the U.S. today, the most popular form of bowling is ten pin bowl...


Bowling has evolved over the years and forms of it have been around for centuries. In the U.S. today, the most popular form of bowling is ten pin bowling, which involves trying to knock down ten bowling pins at once with a roll of a big, heavy ball for a strike, or at least, if some are still standing, knocking down the remaining pins with another roll. The split is the thing in bowling that most players fear most, in which the first throw of the ball leaves pins standing in two groups separated by a wide gap, which makes it very difficult for most bowlers to salvage a spare by knocking then all down with the second throw. For amateurs, another dreaded thing is the gutter ball when the ball is thrown so far off line that it ends up in one of the gutters on either side of a bowling lane, and fails to knock down any of the pins. If you learn the proper bowling technique you can practically eliminate gutter balls and greatly cut down on the number of splits you face.

The correct bowling technique involves how you hold the ball, how you approach the lane before your throw, how you release the ball, speed of throw, and what you aim for. For a first throw, the ball should be aimed not at the center pin, but rather, slightly to the right of it if your are right handed, or to the left if left handed. If you aim at the center you are much more likely to get a split. To hold the ball properly, have it in your palm with your thumb where the 10 would be on a clock face, and don’t change that angle until you let go of it.  The proper technique for releasing the ball is to throw with your arm extended forward fully at the end of the fourth step of your approach.

For right handers, the starting position for the approach should be with your left foot slightly forward, knees bent, and with the ball in front and a little to the right side. Left handers should have the right leg forward with the ball to the left. The approach and the throw should all flow together, with the approach involving four steps and the ball being down at the second step, swinging back with the third, and swinging forward with the fourth step. Right handers start with the right foot, while left handers start with the left one. Throw as fast as you comfortably can, and practice, practice, practice.

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