How To Bowl

Ever wondered what bowling is? Ground archery at its weirdest best! The game requires you to shoot pins with a ball which is one-fourth the weight of you. Though this might sound an extremely simple job, it can be immensely frustrating to watch the ball slide through the alley into the gutter, without putting even one pin down! And if you thought that bowling is fluke, contrary to what you may like to believe, it doesn’t depend upon luck. In case you are a novice bowler and wish to turn tables and become a pro, here is a little help. Before you hit the bowling alley next time, it would be wise to pick up some tricks of the trade to ensure that winning ‘strike’ for as long as you can. You may be well versed with the art of sliding the balls, but there’s still more to know and learn about the weighty balls, which elegantly run down the alley and strike off those mysterious white pins, than just the fundamentals. With the following lines, gets some tips and techniques to bowl better.

Bowling Tips & Techniques

Right Equipment

These are weighty issues. You cannot go bowling with a wrong ball. While a feather-light ball may not even boo the pins, a heavier one might just carry your hand along with it. Choose the best ball that can strike the pins, but most importantly, allow easy movement during your swing.
Have a shoe sight. Get a pair of shoes that fits you well and doesn’t slip on the alley. Preferably, buy a pair that is about ½ a size more than your regular shoe-size.

Before The Action

Your posture has a lot to do with good bowling. Try to stand nearly one and a half meters away from the foul line. This run-up is a sure shot recipe for bowling success.
Face the pins directly and in a straight line.
Hold the ball at waist height.
Lastly, never ever aim for the central pin. It’ll just give you the undesirable split. Right-handed bowlers must aim for the right arrow, while left-handers can take charge of the left one.

Jet, Set, Go!

A set of instructions for right-handed bowlers, left-handers kindly adapt!

Step with your right foot first. At the end of the run-up, release the ball with your left foot out at the lane-end.
Extend your left hand outwards for balancing.
Aim your hand at the floor-arrows while making stride. This will ensure that the ball goes exactly where you want.
While in mid-stride, pull the ball-arm backwards but no more than your shoulder height, while keeping the elbow straight.
With the left knee bent, slide forward using the left foot. The ball must naturally roll off the hand.
Bend your knees as much as you can, without touching the ground, while releasing the ball.
Maintain a straight wrist posture unless you want to create a hook. A straight wrist strikes the pin you aim for, while a twisted one creates a hook and follows the wrist-movement rather than the arm-movement.
Point your thumb downwards at 6 o’ clock position, while keeping other fingers straight to make a straight throw. For a curve or hook, position the thumb at the 10 o'clock position

Action-Reaction

Once the ball is released, the swing of the arm must continue to point towards the aimed pin.
Make sure that the left arm remains extended, with the hips as well as shoulders staying parallel to the pins. This would give the body the required balance.
Your fingers must be in a grip position and not in an opened one, while the ball is being released.
Never forget to follow the bowling ball with your eye balls. Watching repeated gutters maybe sad, but nothing teaches like experience. You’ll only learn from your mistakes.

Remember: We all want strikes, but they are treacherous aspects of the game. Aim the first arrow and the one to its immediate left for a higher strike ratio. Nothing’s guaranteed, but it’s well worth repeated shots.

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