Who looks at what on approach to aim?

[LOUVIT]

I have a mental block at looking at anything but the foul line or just plain down. I really don't know what I look at. I know I should be looking at arrows. pins etc. Am I the only only one that aims by where I'm standing and thinking I know where to throw the ball. Anytime I try to look at arrows or pins I feel very disorientated like I'm going to fall or something..

[1VegasBowler]

I have a mental block at looking at anything but the foul line or just plain down. I really don't know what I look at. I know I should be looking at arrows. pins etc. Am I the only only one that aims by where I'm standing and thinking I know where to throw the ball. Anytime I try to look at arrows or pins I feel very disorientated like I'm going to fall or something..

Personally, I focus on the dots and arrows closest to the foul line.

On a fresh THS, I focus at the 2nd dot (10 board). When the transition starts or they get squirrely, I move left a bit and go 15 or 20 to 10. OR I might go to a less aggressive ball and stay on my spots.

[panbanger]

I'm great at looking at my spot. World class. Actually hitting my spot, another story!

Perhaps you're looking with your head instead of your eyes? I try to keep my head facing forward, just use my eyes to look at my spot. Then I keep looking at my spot as my ball sails by, seven boards to the left of it lol

[NewToBowling]

I focus on the 40 boards directly in front of me. Helps me keep the ball out of the other lanes

[collinwho]

I stare intently at the arrows. When I rush, my eyes start to wander and I miss my spot.

[vdubtx]

On fresh conditions, I start with the arrows. Once lanes begin to transition, I move my focus down lane to my intended break point.

When picking up spares, I stare directly at the pin.

[classygranny]

I tend to look at the board I want to hit about 1-3 feet beyond the arrows, depending on how far onto the lane I want to get the ball. I started looking beyond the arrows because I had a tendency to look at the arrows rather than the individual boards because the arrows are darker and draw your eye towards them. I am still attempting to focus on break-point but haven't accomplished that as of yet.

[Aslan]

On fresh conditions, I start with the arrows. Once lanes begin to transition, I move my focus down lane to my intended break point.

When picking up spares, I stare directly at the pin.

I do the same thing as vDubtx. On single-pin spares I've been attempted to try to stare at the pin rather than a spot at the arrows...haven't tried it yet...but alot of my spare misses seem to be alignment issues...and I think the allignment might auto-correct itself if I'm looking at the pin rather than a spot. <----Theory

[Sche3067]

On strikes I aim at the arrows spares I tend to line up my shot with the pin and arrows

[fokai73]

i spot bowl down lane and pin bowl for spares. I adjust from house to house and/or pattern to pattern. but rarely do I use the dots or arrows. I started this around the time I started bowling travel leagues. Visually spot bowling kept things simple.

I've tried many methods over the years, and spot bowling is "less thinking" for me. I've tried the dots/arrows method to the "quite eye" - whatever coach Joe S. teaches. those didn't work for me. Looking at the arrows or dots, I'm pretty accurate. But, I didn't always hit the right spot down lane. The worst part is not knowing where I missed down lane which is closest to the pocket. Many bowlers can hit the dots just past the foul line, or the arrows, and be accurate at doing it, but many don't know where their ball crossed at the end of the pattern. (This is now joke, the year I started spot bowling I gained 19 pins in my average from 199. Since then I stuck with spot bowling.)

But I kept an open mind and tried Coach Joe S. method, where you pick three spots, draw a line and all that, I don't remember exactly. I've tried this about 4 or 5 years ago, and it was too busy. During league this method was doable, but during high pressure situation, this method just clouded my mind and I ditched this method and went back to my old ways. It made my mind too busy to focus. and the moment I drift mentally, I had to start all over.

Don't be afraid to try different methods, also don't give up on it too quickly. Like I said, I've tried many methods over the years since my return to bowling 17 years ago, and spot bowling works for me on THS and Sport. Most importantly, know which eye is your dominant eye. Leading with your dominant eye helps with improving your accuracy.

[got_a_300]

I usually pick out which board or boards I want to hit
at the arrows and then throw at it and then just hope
for the best.

[AlexNC]

I have a mental block at looking at anything but the foul line or just plain down. I really don't know what I look at. I know I should be looking at arrows. pins etc. Am I the only only one that aims by where I'm standing and thinking I know where to throw the ball. Anytime I try to look at arrows or pins I feel very disorientated like I'm going to fall or something..

Similar to others, I tend to target based on conditions/ball reaction. I usually begin at the arrows. But if I need to get the ball farther down the lane moving my eyes further down the lane helps me project the ball further too (without any adjustment to the line I am playing). At times I feel like I lose a little accuracy at the arrows when I look down lane, but it is more important to hit the same breakpoint area than board at the arrows.

[2handedsniper]

I begin looknig at the middle arrows and then I slowly put my hand down more looking at the foul line the second of release

[Wherearemyballs]

I play the markings on the approach and the lane. Sometimes a 1/2 Board adjustment on the approach hitting the same arrow can greatly improve your series.

Bowling is a mental sport like archery.

Get a location on where you start , to make proper adjustments throwing over the same arrow on the lane.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I find my break point down lane prior to staring and as I continue in my approach I follow a line back to the foul line. At the time of release in looking about 2-3 inches past the foul line

[LOUVIT]

I am trying to at least to get my eye's on the arrows and I am still not comfortable. i am shooting a lot better my last 9 games were all 180's and a 215. but with the way I aim sometimes I am praying for the ball to come back or set. I have a major issue with my right eye and that may have something to do with it...

[billf]

I am trying to at least to get my eye's on the arrows and I am still not comfortable. i am shooting a lot better my last 9 games were all 180's and a 215. but with the way I aim sometimes I am praying for the ball to come back or set. I have a major issue with my right eye and that may have something to do with it...

So you're left eye dominant and bowl right handed? If so, tell Bob and he can help you with your stance. Basically getting your head far enough over the ball using spoine and cervical tilt so your dominant eye is above the middle of the ball.

Every bowler targets a little differently. Some based off science, some from myths generated years ago and some from trial and error. Being able to target different distances is a great tool to have but does take time to get use to. Moving your focal point during the approach usually makes the head move. Again, this is percentage based and there are exceptions. Changing the focal point during approach also opens the bowler up to more visual distractions.

I bowl right handed but am totally blind in my left eye. Right eye injury left that eye 20/50 with glasses. I struggle mightily with left side spares. I know stand one ten and hit ten for a seven pin but it just doesn't LOOK like enough angle to I pull it and hit twelve. Ball goes in left channel. My eye dominance is so strong I see angles to my left differently than angles to my right. I've worked hard to be able to target anywhere on the lanes and use that to adjust when my ball hits the roll phase. The closer to the foul line you look the sooner the ball hits the roll phase and further away the longer to hit the roll phase. I don't know the science behind it as I didn't question the person who suggested it to me. I do know it works for myself and all my tournament bowling clients.