Bowling like the Pros!

Do you want to learn how to bowl like the professionals? The first step to learn in bowling is how to bowl the ball as well as using correct footwork. This diagram will show you how to throw a stroking form, which relies on smooth ball placement on the lane instead of relying on kinetic energy for the pins to fall over. When stepping up onto the lane, make sure your feet are together and pointing ahead. Focus on breathing to calm yourself down before bowling the ball, this really helps in pressure must strike situations. When throwing the ball, footwork and hand movement must be consistent or you will not be able to repeat shots.

When throwing the bowling ball, (this chart will be looking at this from a right handed perspective) take a one foot step forward with the right foot, and at the same time, push the ball out in front to put the ball in a smoother swing. A lot of bowlers just drop the ball and this creates bad form. Make sure the arm and hand are parallel with your leg then take a large step with the left foot and make sure it is about one foot in front of the right foot. Swing the right arm all the way back and laws of physics will prevent the ball from falling because it’s being swung back.

Now the last step is to follow through. While the right arm is all the way swung back. Push forward with the right arm and make the right leg form a 45 degree angle behind the left leg, at the same time, start to bend over with your back so the ball will glide down the bowling lane. Release the ball where you are aiming it to and the left hand should finish being swung back naturally.

Perfecting your bowling swing!

This week’s lesson will teach you about the mechanics of the bowling swing! Everyone has a unique swing that is their own, but there is a lot of fundamentals that can help for any style. As I mentioned in previous weeks, remembering where you place your feet and looking at targets down the lane with go hand in hand with helping obtain better form.

First, most people take a 4-5 step approach, and this starts when the bowling ball is on its downward assent, into the back swing and all the way to the release of the ball. It is good practice to stand at a comfortable distance away from the foul line, depending on height and how long your strides are. All of this will be able to help your swing be smooth and comfortable. If you are too close and hurry your steps, it will in turn rush your swing and have a good chance of pulling the ball, which is missing the target to the left for right handed people and right for left handed people. Standing too far away from the foul line can create abnormal steps and hurt your swing and your approach.

Another big mistake some bowlers make is they do not push the ball out in front of them when they take their first step. This will put the bowling ball in a comfortable motion into your swing, instead of dropping the ball straight down and having to muscle it. It is always a great idea when pushing the bowling ball out on the first step, to aim the push to the target on the lanes that you are aiming at. Then, upon release of the bowling ball, have your follow through also aim at that spot. All of this will help bowlers hit the same target on the lane more consistently, and the biggest factor in bowling is consistency!

One final thought, is when releasing the ball off of you hand, make sure to not grip the bowling ball to hard. You can tell if that is the case, by your hand position upon release. If you hand is more closed, then it was most likely gripped to firmly and will miss the target. A perfect release is an open hand, palm facing east or west like you are going in for a hand shake!

There is a lot more to know about the perfect bowling swing, but this is a start. Be sure to visit our page next week to hear more! Also, there are some videos on here to help visualize the swing you want! The videos are from the USBC (United States Bowling Congress.)

One of the easiest ways to become a better bowler is to learn the lanes. There are thirty nine boards and seven arrows on a bowling lane. The boards and arrows are intended to help with accuracy. They give a target to shoot at, to help all bowlers hit their mark and become more consistent! Below is a diagram of a bowling lane.

The biggest mistakes we see bowlers make is they just walk up and throw the ball, without planting their feet in the same spot every time or even really aiming down the lanes by using the arrows or boards. It has been shown that making sure you stand in the same spot and using the arrows and boards to help guide the ball, can add ten to fifteen pins to a bowler’s average, and anyone can do that!

The first steps to take are to, use the boards to place your feet in the same starting position every time, this will help to keep from throwing the ball at different angles. Once you have your feet positioned in the correct spot, you will then use the arrows and boards to help throw your bowling ball to the same spot on the lanes each time. Once you become better and better, you will be able to consistently hit the same mark on the lanes each time, giving you a better chance of throwing a strike on the first ball! 

I have also added a bowling video for extra tips on using the arrows and boards. Credit of video goes to Expert Village.

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