[Beginner] Help with targeting

[Linsolv]

I'm a beginner, started a month or two ago now. I've got to the point where I can throw the ball pretty consistently on the same line, but only if I'm throwing from my usual position and my usual line. This can really get me into trouble, as you can imagine, as it makes picking up spares hit-or-miss at best. However, even bigger is the problem that I can recognize what the ball is doing and where things are going wrong but I can't make adjustments without my ball going wildly off-target.

I was at my bi-weekly bowling engagement this evening, getting rather frustrated: I was hitting the pocket VERY light and consistently leaving 1s, 2s, and sometimes 4s. My ball was just not hooking like I wanted. I adjusted my feet to little effect, and I think it has to do with the way I aim.

I'm sure it's very bad, but I look at the dots on the foul line and target with those rather than the targeting arrows, because I know I can target the 2nd dot but the 2nd arrow is just essentially hoping that it'll go to the spot I wanted. In my 3rd game, I tried (essentially by accident) stepping a bit left on my 5th step so that instead of the 16th board my toe was around the 21st (guessing, I didn't look so I have to estimate by feel) and that had my ball going right to the pocket.

So the two-part question is this:

1) Is there some sort of drill I can do to work on targeting properly, and adjusting, other than just keeping my nose to the grindstone?

2) What about my ball's roll would be changed by letting my foot drift left on the last step of my approach, since I'm still going essentially straight at the 10th board (at least, straight between the foul line and the target arrow)?

[striker12]

ok linsolv i have th esame problem as your but when u adjust your body or anything your line will change at the same time soo you want to bring that line over with you cause if your hitting the pocket light move your line closer to the pins and ik of one drill that works and another that im still testing out go up to the foul line far enoph away to do a side you want to do a 1 step throw 1 step throws are much harder then anything cause u can also at this time focus on your foot placement cause where your toes are pointing is where your ball will go soo go to the bowling allie practice that and u will imrove im still doing that but also another thing that im still testing is in your house find somewhere in your house you can do your normal aproach and slid and put something up and do your arm motion pretend theres a ball in your hand and your swing should hit that target you put up every time and your toe has to point to it thats 2 drills that work...



ok for your 2nd question i use to do what u are doing going up 10 but tell your this its harders to aim for the arrows then it is for a board soo if u want to stick to the 10 look a foot behind the arrows or move ot the 9 or 11 board i do pull the ball once and awhile but thats mainly from it sticking in my thumb but the worst thing to do is hope for something never do that you syke yourself right out and u will mess up every time u go to the line when u are reayd to approach jsut thing it your head smooth for a smooth throw and it will work and u will always hit your target but remember this if you do pull it left have some behind you watching you too see if it your thumb or if it is your throw and the best thing to do is have your thumb pointed to the right gutter for rightys and left gutter for leftys...



hope this helps you out this is what i did and i have improved alot my revs have gone down abit but i did that just soo i can work on my accuacey better but oce i get perfect accurecy i will bring the revs back up cause once and awhile i will go a few quick rev shots when ever i go and practice soo i dont lose it

[J Anderson]

With enough practice your body eventually learns how to roll the ball over the target that you're looking at. I would suggest that you target a little farther down lane.
Joe Slowinski has a good article on a three point targeting system as well as the virtue of a "quiet eye".
On Youtube you can find instructional videos by Dick Ritger with very clear explanations of how to play lines and angles.

[bowlerdawg]

your eyes are not your friends, i have found out. your eyes are centered, your arms are off to your side.

[Linsolv]

So in short, I should try to keep at it looking around the targeting arrows?

Like I said, I can do it, and I can usually get pretty close to my target, but I don't understand why and it bothers me somewhat that I don't understand. :X Should be going out this evening, to try out a new wrist brace (dogs ate my Robby's Original, so I picked up a Revs that I believe they will not eat) before I'm at my class where I feel like actually trying to get a good score, rather than trying out new things.

EDIT: I feel good because I hit all my targets, but I feel crappy because I didn't strike much. Playing around with your game will do that I suppose, but it makes me mad. :\ Oh, well, I was more-or-less around my average with only one strike out of three games, so... :\

So now, in short, I need to work on what exactly my line IS, and where I should be standing and so on, since I can't just keep doing what I was doing. Darn dogs.

[striker12]

ok linsov bowling not all about strikes its good to get strikes yes but the game is manly about spares too if you can get lots of spares then u can get some high games like take this take a entire gme of spares but every first shot is a 9 u will finish off this a 190 but if you think in that game you will get 1 strike which makes u hit thats 200 just rememner dont get mad at the game just memories what u did wrong soo if it comes up aain u can fix it i did that and i have learned how to hit my spares ont he right side easly and im a righty but the left side is still a problem for me im not trying to hook to them cause i need to get use to throwing the ball streght soo just practice and u will find it and remember u cant always shoot the same line the lanes will be different you just need to find the right line to throw for that day during practice in the leauge

[Linsolv]

I know it's not, but it's nice to make strikes. A strike, to me, suggests I've done something good. Picking up a 3-pin leave is nice, and with my poor history with spares it's very nice, but it suggests I made a mistake. So not hitting strikes basically, in my mind which I'm sure is wrong, means I didn't ever do QUITE what I wanted. But that's just my impression, and I'm very new.

[striker12]

yeah im a 4th year bowler and im still new im still working on getting my spares but tell you this if you only think of getting strikes and u messup then the rest of your game will be messed up cause your distrated from that last shot soo dont ever think of getting a strike just let it come to youon where to throw and where to stand this year my most strikes in a row has only been 5 and after that i have messe dup cause i have thought of it try not thinking of anything jsut baout having fun and finding your line

[Linsolv]

Bowled a 201 on Thursday, eeeeeee

I don't know why, but I've noticed that my pins carry much better when I'm shooting 6th board than when I'm shooting 11th, and I'm not really sure why. The only problem is that if my form goes off, I tend to miss way worse, lol. Either a gutter or it hits like, 3 pins. :X

So now my question is, why would the pin carry be better from 6th arrow, if anyone knows? Probably a stupid question and definitely off the original topic.

[J Anderson]

Bowled a 201 on Thursday, eeeeeee

I don't know why, but I've noticed that my pins carry much better when I'm shooting 6th board than when I'm shooting 11th, and I'm not really sure why. The only problem is that if my form goes off, I tend to miss way worse, lol. Either a gutter or it hits like, 3 pins. :X

So now my question is, why would the pin carry be better from 6th arrow, if anyone knows? Probably a stupid question and definitely off the original topic.

As I recall from some of your earlier posts, your ball doesn't hook very much. By moving 5 boards out you have increased the angle into the pocket and are getting less deflection. You should be leaving fewer 5 pins, 8 pins, and soft tens

[Linsolv]

As I recall from some of your earlier posts, your ball doesn't hook very much. By moving 5 boards out you have increased the angle into the pocket and are getting less deflection. You should be leaving fewer 5 pins, 8 pins, and soft tens

Thanks! I assumed it had something to do with that, but I thought I'd ask why. Science of sports is always more fun when it's relevant to me.

Does that make me selfish? :rolleyes:

[J Anderson]

No, just human.

[striker12]

ok with shooting the 11board and the 6 board the 11 board is closer to the head pin soo manily when it hits that pocket its hitting it ith strong force and hitting abit more head pin but when u move out the the 6 board u are getting a bigger angle more (right for rightys and left for leftys) on that head pin soo thing is you are getting that head pin to move more and its also making the other pins move abit more too tell u this i only ever play the 10 board when the oil are dryer cause then i pick up the speed on my ball when i throw it down the lane and i get alittle move with the ball and it just hits that pocket perfect enoph with the revs to get me pin carry

[americantrotter]

If you are not bowling often you'll find it hard to remain consistent. Every lane is different and every lane breaks down differently depending who you're playing with.

I've changed my style with major and minor tweaks. Sometimes a new ball corrects or creates a problem for me.

The thing that changed my game from hoping to hit 100 and averaging 125 to hoping to hit 150 and avergaing 160 was being open to change. I found my motion and my starting point, but had floundered enough in making adjustments that I could trust what would work for me.

That and practice. Practice, practice, practice. On different nights. On a burned lane, at a tournament, on league night, with friends, just repetition. if your attentive to results good or bad, they will highlight what you do well and what you can avoid.

[JerseyJim]

A couple of things will help with your targeting. The first is to determine if you're missing your target consistently. If your target is the 10 board, and you're hitting the 12 board consistently, then you can correct for that. The problem is that your head isn't in line with your ball and shoulder. Your eyes are looking at one thing, but your arm and shoulder are lined up slightly different. Move your feet over 2 boards, and aim for the 8 board. You will find yourself hitting the 10 board. There was a small book published years about about targeting, and how to adjust for perspective errors. The second method is to move your head into line with your bowling shoulder and ball. It takes a bit of practice, but you wouldn't have to correct for perspective.

[striker12]

also i know a drill that helps with targeting take a rope or something circle and set it a certine distance you pick the distance it could be 10 feeet it could even be 30 feet its up too you but take like a marbel or a coin and just look at the circle u made and swing your arm and get that coin to hit your target it hard but u can also learn to adjust but put some tape down to remember where your feet where and mvoe the tape if you have too too mind the perfect spot then messure how far from your target is to your left or right then u can figure out how many boards at the lanes u would have to move

[billf]

Try this link from the Kegel training center on 3 point targeting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62JZe_rBmk

[Gordon325]

something I found useful if my ball is rolling a little high is moving three boards left and moving my mark three boards left same line just picking up a little more oil.