Aiming-Is my technique odd?

[Dice]

So I'm an avid golfer and pretty decent. When I aim in golf I pick a spot within a foot of the ball that becomes my line to play on. The ball and this little line are the focus through my swing.


So in bowling, I "aim" at a specific point just beyond the foul line. I use the dots and the boards as my guide and never look up until I've released the ball and follow it with my eyes.

Do most people aim at the arrows and throw at those? It feels odd to me, like trying to hit a ball while looking at the flag.

[bowl1820]

So I'm an avid golfer and pretty decent. When I aim in golf I pick a spot within a foot of the ball that becomes my line to play on. The ball and this little line are the focus through my swing.


So in bowling, I "aim" at a specific point just beyond the foul line. I use the dots and the boards as my guide and never look up until I've released the ball and follow it with my eyes.

Do most people aim at the arrows and throw at those? It feels odd to me, like trying to hit a ball while looking at the flag.

There are multiple aiming/targeting systems used,Aiming at the dots, the arrows, the breakpoint, the 3-point system, There's area bowling.

targeting at the arrows is probably still the most used by the casual or the general league bowlers. As you progress, a lot bowlers use multiple targets and visualize target lines.

Here Team USA assistant coach Bryan O'Keefe shares some tips for targeting. Such as how close or far away from the foul line you target affects your ball motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA2VsheCejc

[mx1alex]

I prefer the dots as well. A lot of the instructional videos I've watched seems to focus or assume you're using the arrows. Example; you'll hear "move two boards left with your feet and one board left with your target". Unless you're playing straight up the lane one board left at the dots is a completely different line than one board left at the arrows.

[J Anderson]

So I'm an avid golfer and pretty decent. When I aim in golf I pick a spot within a foot of the ball that becomes my line to play on. The ball and this little line are the focus through my swing.


So in bowling, I "aim" at a specific point just beyond the foul line. I use the dots and the boards as my guide and never look up until I've released the ball and follow it with my eyes.

Do most people aim at the arrows and throw at those? It feels odd to me, like trying to hit a ball while looking at the flag.

Back when bowling balls did not hook very much, many if not most recreational bowlers aimed directly at the pins. The more your ball hooked, the more likely you were to use the arrows as a target.

The only “fault” that I find with your method is that the closer your lay down point, (or the point where your ball crosses the foul line) is to your target, the more consistent you have to be in hitting both spots. A very slight miss will result in a very big miss down lane.

[boatman37]

I always use the arrows. Have since I was about 10

[Dice]

The only “fault” that I find with your method is that the closer your lay down point, (or the point where your ball crosses the foul line) is to your target, the more consistent you have to be in hitting both spots. A very slight miss will result in a very big miss down lane.

I see what you're saying. I AM having a tough time hitting a consistent path right now.

[RobLV1]

I use the reflections of the pins on the lane; a variation of breakpoint bowling.

[djp1080]

Many years ago I would use the distance around the arrows for targeting in bowling because that's what many of the better bowlers used in the leagues I was in at the time. Stayed with that for a long, long time.
After a long layoff I finally decided to see what was more effective for me and much of the time I use the dots about 7 feet from the foul line to target for both first ball shots and for spares. I even went so far as to convert my targets at the arrows to targets at the dots using a spreadsheet. :)
I've even gone so far as to convert my first ball shots using 2 and 1 moves to the dots instead. It's worked quite well. I'm often targeting half boards at a time on many of my shots and it hasn't caused any problem. With the shorter distance to the target I'm getting the ball into a decent roll a bit more quickly and it makes me feel like I'm hitting my target more often which I suppose is a confidence builder, too. :)
Having a system that works for you is better than no system. Especially having a spare shot system is very important. It's nice to get up there and have confidence that you're going to get that ugly 1-2-10 spare or 2-7 or 3-10 baby split. Even getting the 4-9 as a righty or a 6-8 as a lefty is exciting to pick up.
Have fun and good luck...

[bdpeters]

I have always just used the arrows, however all of these comments plus the video has given me a new perspective on the subject.

[TCJ]

I tried the arrows for about three months and found I could no longer bowl so I went back to my system. I visualize what I want the ball to do, trace it back to the foul line and pick a spot about three feet out. I look at that most of the way through my approach, and then I switch focus to my arm and watch that to make sure it goes through my target line. Using this method, I am much more consistent hitting the arrows than I am if I actually aim at the arrows.

[vdubtx]

My aiming method changes depending an the pattern being bowled on. Shorter patterns , light volume or higher friction surfaces I look further down lane as ball is going to hook more. Longer patterns or heavier volumes I target at or closer to the arrows. I never target any closer to the line than the arrows.

[Dice]

I tried some arrow bowling this weekend but it's just not for me. I put the ball down all over the place and felt unsure on my walk up to the foul line.

Went back to my front line dots and bowled a 220 game which is the highest 200 game I've bowled since we've (my son and I) gotten back into it.

[Phonetek]

This is actually a very difficult and challenging question. It has so many variables and is very complicated to explain. It starts with the physical, how my body feels that day, am I loose, tense or in pain? How does the grip on the ball feel? Then comes the mental, what is my mood? Am I stressed and annoyed or am I happy and confident? Am I focused or loosing concentration? All of which can help or hurt accuracy and not unlike the lanes which are always different. I tend to switch targets due to the circumstances. Sometimes the dots, sometimes the arrows and even in between the two perhaps a wood grain, knot, smudge or scuff as long as it's distinctive. Either way it's always changing. Other variables are on the shot conditions and what I need to do at the time.

It's just so many micro adjustments. If I need loft I look farther, if I need speed I look closer. I "generally" start at the dots and look farther if I need to. If I notice I'm off more than a board or two of accuracy I'll look farther to the arrows to improve it. From there I'll then start adjusting my feet. Sometimes closer to take smaller steps, sometimes farther to take bigger steps and of course left and right.

On cross alley shots it's always the arrows, thus far that hasn't changed. I have tried looking farther down the lane at the range finders and even looking at that pin reflection but it doesn't work for me. Perhaps it's my crappy vision but it's very unnerving and dizzying for me to do that, especially the pins or reflection. I get better focus on the closer stuff.

As you can see my targeting system depends on a great many things other than what line I'm playing. I'm sure not too many people choose their target based on mental status or physical well being. Perhaps it's way too over complicated but I have a weird way of thinking if you hadn't noticed long before now. You may think it's ridiculous but it works for me. Suffice it to say, after 3 or 4 warm up shots I can generally figure out where I'll be targeting until adjustments are needed.

[Eddy]

I tried some arrow bowling this weekend but it's just not for me. I put the ball down all over the place and felt unsure on my walk up to the foul line.

Went back to my front line dots and bowled a 220 game which is the highest 200 game I've bowled since we've (my son and I) gotten back into it.

That's one example that shows there's more than one way to bowl. I personally like to aim about a foot past the arrows. Any closer than that feels weird to me. I've actually moved my target closer recently, as before I was aiming almost halfway down the lane. Once I get totally used to were I'm aiming right now, I might bring it in even more.