Bowling Today; Any Tips For Improving?

[J Daisy]

I am a straight bowler. My starting position is one dot to the right of the center, and I aim just shy of one arrow to the right of the center. I'm currently working on perfecting my aim as a straight bowler before I learn how to really hook it. I will be bowling with my Galexie 300, a vintage plastic ball.

Does anybody have any tips for me? I'm improving every time, but slowly, and I can use all the help I can get.

[RobLV1]

Does anybody have any tips for me? I'm improving every time, but slowly, and I can use all the help I can get.

As I beginning bowler on this site you have a tremendous advantage. Before you develop all kinds of bad habits, find a certified coach in your area and take two or three lessons to get you on the right path. Go to the USBC website (bowl.com) and look under the "Find a..." tab. Keep in mind that anyone on the planet who is a decent bowler may consider themselves to be a qualified coach, but in most cases, they will do you more harm than good. Look for a Coach that is USBC Certified. This means that they have actually been trained to coach. Good luck!

[J Anderson]

I am a straight bowler. My starting position is one dot to the right of the center, and I aim just shy of one arrow to the right of the center. I'm currently working on perfecting my aim as a straight bowler before I learn how to really hook it. I will be bowling with my Galexie 300, a vintage plastic ball.

Does anybody have any tips for me? I'm improving every time, but slowly, and I can use all the help I can get.

First let me second RobM’s suggestion of finding a qualified coach to get you started on the correct foot, both literally and figuratively. A lot of how well you aim is affected by how you walk up to the foul line, how your arm swings, the timing of your swing in relation to your footsteps, even how you set up for your approach. Youtube is great for getting ideas of how to do things, but trained set of eyes to see what you’re doing is even better.

One of the main reasons newbies don’t improve as fast as they might want to is that they think throwing a lot of games, trying to get a lot of strikes, is the same as practice. Set a goal or two for each practice session. You might for example, try to hit the pocket using different arrows as your target.

Lastly, there are things that you can work on without having to be at a bowling alley.

[boatman37]

I agree with the coach suggestion but I don't agree with working on your straight game before trying to hook. If you want to throw a hook learn it now. Might be hard with a plastic ball but I think getting good with one thing will make it harder to switch when you decide to.

[J Anderson]

I agree with the coach suggestion but I don't agree with working on your straight game before trying to hook. If you want to throw a hook learn it now. Might be hard with a plastic ball but I think getting good with one thing will make it harder to switch when you decide to.

I have never seen a young person who started with a straight ball who wasn’t able to learn to throw a hook. Most of the time kids switch from straight to hook and then can’t make a ten pin because even their plastic ball hooks.

[RobLV1]

I agree with the coach suggestion but I don't agree with working on your straight game before trying to hook. If you want to throw a hook learn it now. Might be hard with a plastic ball but I think getting good with one thing will make it harder to switch when you decide to.

Your post speaks volumes about long-time bowlers in the modern era. You don't "try" to hook a bowling ball, you let it hook.

[boatman37]

Your post speaks volumes about long-time bowlers in the modern era. You don't "try" to hook a bowling ball, you let it hook.

yeah. didn't necessarily mean 'try' to hook, i meant attempting to learn how to...lol. but yeah, it is different than todays game.

[MajorPhoenix]

Once my players understand the basics of form and have a good feel for their approach, then I recommend moving up to a straight ball.

[J Daisy]

As I beginning bowler on this site you have a tremendous advantage. Before you develop all kinds of bad habits, find a certified coach in your area and take two or three lessons to get you on the right path. Go to the USBC website (bowl.com) and look under the "Find a..." tab. Keep in mind that anyone on the planet who is a decent bowler may consider themselves to be a qualified coach, but in most cases, they will do you more harm than good. Look for a Coach that is USBC Certified. This means that they have actually been trained to coach. Good luck!

I, for several reasons, can't get a certified coach at this time. Thank you for your suggestion, though. That just wouldn't work for me. That was why I am asking you guys for tips on how I can better myself.

However, I have had help from four of the best bowlers at my bowling alley, each of whom taught me something different.

Number one taught me form and how I should stand. This, I mastered to the point that other skilled high-score-holding bowlers have told me my form was “perfect”.

Number two taught me where to stand and how to walk. This was hard at first because I kept wanting to end on the wrong foot, but now I have it mastered to the point that I don't even need to think about my footwork.

Number three taught me how to throw the ball. I had a nasty habit of releasing early. “Get it out there,” he would tell me. “Follow through with the swing.”

Number four taught me what it should feel like to keep my wrist straight. He lent me his Wrist Master. I would use it for a while, and get used to the position my wrist should be in, and then I would take it off and try to duplicate what I did. I have to work on this some more, because I still have a problem with my wrist twisting, but I am seeing improvement.

Each of these skilled bowlers tried to teach me a lot more than just those few things I listed, but they each had a unique way of teaching, and certain things helped more when taught by one person than another. Not everybody learns everything the same way, and because not everybody teaches the same way, I seem to do better when having multiple people coaching me, not just one.

[J Daisy]

First let me second RobM’s suggestion of finding a qualified coach to get you started on the correct foot, both literally and figuratively. A lot of how well you aim is affected by how you walk up to the foul line, how your arm swings, the timing of your swing in relation to your footsteps, even how you set up for your approach. Youtube is great for getting ideas of how to do things, but trained set of eyes to see what you’re doing is even better.

One of the main reasons newbies don’t improve as fast as they might want to is that they think throwing a lot of games, trying to get a lot of strikes, is the same as practice. Set a goal or two for each practice session. You might for example, try to hit the pocket using different arrows as your target.

Lastly, there are things that you can work on without having to be at a bowling alley.

I am unable to get a certified coach at this time, but I certainly agree that it is good to learn what you can from those who know what they are doing.

Better than watching YouTube videos, I like to go on a league night and just watch people bowl. I find the best bowlers, and study their walk, their swing, and their style. I may even ask them questions when they are done, trying to determine why they did something a certain way and if I can apply it myself.

Thank you very much for the tips!

What are some of the things you mentioned that you do not need to be at a bowling alley for?