modern release cuz of reactive resin

[fortheloveofbowling]

Cheater arrows cracks me up. Down lane those are on the 15 board and 10 board. The middle of the 3 pins sits on 14 1/2 and the middle of the 6 pin sits on 9. If you ballpark the distances of those markers which is 34-37 feet and 40-43 feet or your break point you can see a spot down lane without the markers. That is why you here guys talk about throwing towards or being a 6 pin or 3 pin shot or what ever.

[Aslan]

Using the reflections of the pins is a variation on breakpoint bowling. The idea of the "target" in bowling is nothing more than an intended direction for the armswing.

Again, I think we're talking about old versus new a bit here.

People used to target arrows and teach and preach targeting arrows. Many bowlers, even PBA, still do. Some target even closer. As technology has evolved into balls that break more sharply…one of the newer concepts is "break point". Now many modern bowlers are being taught to subtract the oil pattern length from whatever to get you a general break point and to target that "area". Thumbless bowlers and 2-handed bowlers almost HAVE to do this by nature of their technique.

I still believe you aim closer if you throw straighter. Less room for error. Easier to hit you mark.

BUT…if you're a bowler that uses a lot of revs or stronger equipment…then using a break point type of targeting might be the way to go…because the closer the target you hit…there's still a lot of things that can impact your ball movement as the lane surface reacts with the ball.

I'm sure there are examples of strokers with break point success and crankers with success targeting arrows…and everything in between.

I actually need to evolve my own targeting from strictly targeting arrows because as I move inside…the simple 3 to 1 movement tends to create too much angle. Not to mention, I become more reliant on said "break point" since my ball is spending much of it's time in the heavier oil in the center. Rob is more of "inside" bowler with a modern release so I'd expect him to use break points and pin reflections. I throw much straighter and play the outside…so I'd expect a bowler like me to target closer. And if we're talking youth and beginners…it's a no-brainer…they are taught NOT to aim for the pocket or the pins…or the "break point"…but to aim for a target close to them.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Rob hit the nail on the head when he stated the target is nothing more than the intended direction for the arm swing. It does not matter what you target, it can be the foul line, dots, arrows, breakpoint, or a certain pin down lane. The point is to direct your arm swing towards that target. There was much less break point targeting in the past when we were oiling the lanes to 24 or 28 feet. You tended to target closer to where the ball was going to pick up its roll. I target the dots but i always try to envision a line between my desired break point and a lay down point that i can get the reaction i'm looking for from that break point. I do that same thing whether i am playing 5 or 25 at my target spot with my eyes.

[Aslan]

I dabbled with 3-point and 2-point targeting for a bit.

My thought was, I could easily hit the dots…because they're the closest. So if I drew a line from my target at the arrows to the dot (or lay down)…I could aim for a closer target and still hit my intended target.

It worked "okay"…in theory. The downside was I lost the projection down lane. Since I was targeting dots quite close to me I had a tendency to "drop" the ball at my target rather than project it. Still a work in progress. I'd like to develop a more inside game where I could do 3-point targeting of the break point. Just gotta work on approach, timing, and release first.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Just like everyone else, always a work in progress. I think in targeting though you always have to consider more than 1 spot in the balls migration towards the pins. There is usually some point in a set where you can hit a certain arrow or a break point from several different angles and not find the reaction your looking for.

[RobLV1]

Aslan: Once you lose the concept of "target," and get the concept of intended direction, then it really doesn't matter if you hit your "target" or not. Does it?

[larry mc]

grip it n rip it

[Aslan]

Aslan: Once you lose the concept of "target," and get the concept of intended direction, then it really doesn't matter if you hit your "target" or not. Does it?

That makes no sense. My intended direction…is the pocket at an optimum angle. To GET to that intended direction…the ball needs to go to a spot, make a little turn, and hit the target. Depending on lane conditions, ball, and style…HOW that happens will vary.

But the common theme no matter HOW you deliver that ball down the lane..is you MUST make a repeatable shot. You MUST.

How do you do that? Well, there's timing and speed and consistent release, etc… But the bottom line is…whatever you are aiming at (or for), you must hit it with the minimal amount of variation.

Through about 60 years of bowling (and 400,000 years of projectile weaponry)…the closer the target, the easier is to hit. And the smaller the target, the less the variation...

THEREFORE…consistency in approach/release/speed…over a target that is small and close to you…results in the most repeatability.

Where I "sort of" agree with you is that while yes, a target closer to you should be used (versus further away)…it assumes that when that target is hit…nothing will happen to the ball to inhibit it from actually getting to the break point and into the pocket. If you are a high rev player and/or someone that plays deep inside…and you aim for the dots or arrows…there "may" be an adjustment you need to make if the lanes (from target to break point) are causing the ball not to stay on line.

But the bottom line is…if you can hit a target at the arrows with less than 1 board of variation…you're a pro. If you can't, you're not. Theres no other criteria…that will differentiate between a bad bowler and elite bowler as much as that. Am I wrong?

[RobLV1]

Bowling a strike requires several factors, and accuracy is certainly one of them. My point is that, as has long been said, there are no pins at the arrows. Let me give you an example. In the Challenge Shot League that I'm bowling this summer, there quite a few high school bowlers who are using the league for practice during their summer break from team bowling. I happened to be practicing near one young man from the league who was bowling with a couple of his friends on the house condition. He was striking at will. He was just letting the ball go. Two days later on the challenge shot he really struggled, as he often does. His ability to just let it go was obviously hampered by his knowledge that he didn't have the miss room that he has on a house shot. Because of this knowledge, and fear, he was so concerned with his accuracy that he started to aim the ball rather than just let it go. The flow of his swing was gone, as was his ability to throw strikes.

My point was not that you don't have to be accurate. You do. However, consistency often means consistently missing your target by the same distance on each shot. I have known many, many excellent bowlers over the years who will tell you that they never hit their mark, but they miss it by the same distance on every shot. When you are obsessed with hitting a spot at the dots or the arrows, you don't let the other elements play their parts: a free armswing and a great release. You can't fit the ball into the pocket. You have to roll the ball into the pocket.

[Amyers]

I will also say control of your angle as you cross the arrow is just as important as hitting the correct board. If you told me tomorrow the best my accuracy will ever be is +- 2 or 3 boards but I could have perfect control of my angle of entry or I could hit my board every time but with little control over the angle. I would take the first option every time.

It is easy to stand at 20 and aim for the second arrow and throw the ball in the gutter while having hit your mark. This gets more and more true the farther inside you move. It's really not that important where the ball is at the arrows what matters is where the ball ends up as it makes it's turn.