Bowling tips

[fustercluck]

Since I'm too lazy to find/register with some bowling message board...

Been have some trouble getting strikes lately. I can't get in the 1-3 pocket. Been trying to get used to my new bowling ball (Hammer Raw Anger) it hooks more than my old crappy $10 ball, but I did have the same problems with my old ball. Here's a graph I made of what usually happens when I bowl: crappygraph - It's not too accurate but that's usually about how things go. If I bowl my usual speed It'll hit a bit left of the 2 pin. If I bowl a little faster it will either hit the very left of the 1 pin or hit the 2 pin dead on. If I try and speed up my throw a lot the ball will start off looking perfect but end up just going pretty much straight at the end, and it'll hit the 3 pin, or right of it. Anyone got some good advice for me? I tried bowling from the middle last game but it didn't seem to help any, maybe I need to keep trying to bowl from the middle, instead of the left side which I usually bowl from. I just can't get into the pocket no matter what I do. I mean, I get a few in there every game, but no where near being consistent. Most of my strikes were brooklyn last game. I am getting a lot of practice on spares though

I tried polishing the ball recently, using ebonite factory finish, but it had no affect sadly. Might try to polish it some more though.

Hmm, that's a lot of words for a thread no one will probably reply to

In related news, bowling kicks ass. Go out and bowl!

 

[hiromizu]

I just go straight, medium pace between the first and second pin but then again I've never scored about 177.

 

[marvdmartian]

Any way you can get someone to videotape you throwing your old ball, then your new one, from behind? It's always possible that, for whatever reason, you're delivering the ball differently with your new ball. Possibly it's not drilled exactly the same, or you're holding your hand differently when you deliver it......whatever it is, that's what's likely throwing off your delivery. I had similar problems, way back in the day when I bowled as a kid, before my folks got me my own ball. Throwing a different ball than you're used to will affect your throw. It's possible you won't notice any difference, but it might be worth a try.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Inconsistent release. The one that goes wide and overhooks is thrown too slow with too much rotation. The one that's flatter and fails to get up to the pocket is too firm and likely dropped or released with very little "lift". You need to work on getting the ball off your hand with a consistent speed and rotation. From there it's easy to find an angle to the pocket. Without it you're going to have the same problem forever.

 

[Jawo]

Do you know how the lane is oiled? I know theres many different types of oil that can change the balls momentum, and thereby its direction.

 

[Pacfanweb]

What your description and that illustration tells me is this: You lose accuracy when you speed it up, as everyone does. The red line on your pic shows that you missed your target at the arrows by about 4 boards....which got the ball way outside, where there's probably some more oil and it won't come back.

Based solely on that chart, I'd recommend you start by standing on the approach about 2-3 boards to the left. Change your target about 1 board left...from the place you're hitting on the black line of the picture. Your arc should be about the same as the black one, but you'll be throwing the ball at a slightly more direct angle towards the gutter....but it'll never hit the gutter as it'll come back and hopefully be in the pocket.

Rule of thumb....if you are missing to the left, you move yourself to the left. Miss right, move right. You don't want to change whatever speed you feel is "natural" to you much, or you'll lose accuracy. Another slight adjustment you can make when you get the ball around the pocket is to stand slightly in front or slightly in back of where you usually stand. This is an advanced technique, and I don't know how good you are, but let's say the ball isn't quite getting solid enough in the pocket, but you feel comfortable with that line. You move back on the approach about 1/2 a foot length...the ball hits the lane sooner, and has a bit more time to turn over and hit the pocket more flush. Opposite if you are hitting it a bit high.

I can go on all night, but the most basic adjustment, as I already wrote, is the old "miss left, move left/miss right, move right".

 

[akshatp]

Wow I was fully expecting to see some condescending replies to the OP... Glad to see there are some other bowlers out there with good advice for a change!!!

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Inconsistent release. The one that goes wide and overhooks is thrown too slow with too much rotation. The one that's flatter and fails to get up to the pocket is too firm and likely dropped or released with very little "lift". You need to work on getting the ball off your hand with a consistent speed and rotation. From there it's easy to find an angle to the pocket. Without it you're going to have the same problem forever.

This is also a possibility. When you throw it harder, you probably are losing some revs on the ball, so it doesn't come back as hard.

Using a high-performance ball does take some adjusting, and it seems complicated for awhile until you feel comfortable with how the ball will react when you make changes.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Damn, this bowling talk is getting me a little pumped up to go bowl myself....and here I thought I was retired from the sport.

Maybe someone needs a sub a couple of nights during the holiday..............

 

[Epic Fail]

I swing my Wii wand straight and release B button at 60 degree, I get them strikes.

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: yamadakun
I swing my Wii wand straight and release B button at 60 degree, I get them strikes.

Hey, I'm getting my Wii bowling score up to my real life average .

Speaking of which, I average 150. I'd have to do pretty good with my old ball (which I bought at a general used sports shop, it was already drilled, for someone else.) to keep my average at 140, but even if I feel like I bowl badly (which I usually do) with my new ball I usually end up with around 150.

I don't have a camcorder and if I wouldn't record my bowling anyways - I know it'd probably help a lot, but I'd rather just hire an instructor for a half an hour as opposed to uploading video of me bowling for internet folk to judge. Not that there's anything wrong with internet folk (I am one myself).

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep trying different things until I find something that works well for me. I definitely don't like chucking the ball down as fast as I can, it's uncomfortable and obviously I lose a lot of control doing so.

 

[Pacfanweb]

At that average level, you're still learning.

You have to work on moving around on the approach and changing your target on the lane to get the ball in the pocket.

You need to watch the ball as it goes down the lane...not just to see where it hits, but to see when and where it reacts.

There are three parts to the ball's travel on the lane...slide, hook, roll. At first when you put it on the lane, it's going to slide for awhile. Then the several things make it grab the lane and start hooking: Revs you put on it, the friction of the ball's surface, the balance of the ball, and how much oil is on the lane.
The ball has some energy stored in the form of the revs your fingers and wrist put on it. When it gets some traction, it will bite the lane and hook in the direction of the revs. There's only so much energy there, though, so it will hook until it's used up, then just roll.
Ideally, you don't want it to be just rolling when it hits the pocket, but you don't want it to still be hooking a lot, either.
Sort of a fine line.

But watch the ball...if you can't see this with yours, see it with other people's.

There's a lot more to the game than just throwing the ball down the lane while aiming for an arrow.

The info in this post, and my other one seems like a lot to digest just reading it, but once you know what to look for these are things you'll just see in an instant.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Agh. My bowling ball hasn't seen action for 3 months. It's time to get out there next week.

 

[fustercluck]

I always look forward to going bowling, especially now since I have a nice ball that was actually drilled for me. Bowling's been a lot funner lately, even though I can't hit the pocket , I can actually bowl like 5 or 6 games now as opposed to only being able to bowl 3 games with my old ball, sometime 4. Having a ball that's drilled for you makes a lot of difference.

As long as we're talking about bowling, how are the prices where you guys bowl? Best you can do is $2 a game here, and they double prices on the weekends, or past 7 pm.

 

[Tiamat]

I bowled for the first time the other day. I didn't do so well the first game (70 lol). Second game I had 3 strikes in a row, I was so happy, but in the end only scored 120 lol. Its pretty fun.... Good luck OP!


There were times I wished I could do what the guy in this video did.
Conversion of 7-10 split

4-6-7-10 split

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I bowled for the first time the other day. I didn't do so well the first game (70 lol). Second game I had 3 strikes in a row, I was so happy, but in the end only scored 120 lol. Its pretty fun.... Good luck OP!


There were times I wished I could do what the guy in this video did.
Conversion of 7-10 split

4-6-7-10 split

My 7 year old is really good at picking up spares in Wii bowling - he measures out the angles in his head and how much spin he'll need. One time he had to pick up a 7-10 split. I told him I'd give him $5 if he did it - needless to say I had to cough up a fin.

 

[Alistar7]

Text

 

[troytime]

move your feet 2 boards to the right, move your mark one board to the right

don't change your speed (ever, unless its the only way you can pick up the 10 pin spare)

aim for consistency
if you can consistently hit your mark and get the same results every time, its easy to move your mark and roll some high scores



some other tips that my bowling coach always drilled me on:
- don't look at the pins, look only at your mark
don't take your eyes off the mark until AFTER your ball has rolled over it (or missed) - take note when you miss.
- when your ball has passed your mark, don't look up - look down. take note of where your feet are (which boards, how far from the line). when you're convinced that your feet end up in the same place everytime, start focusing on your right hand and your arms.
- if you lose your balance in your slide/release - it means your timing is off (likely due to raising the ball behind your back or swinging your arm too fast)
- high backswings are bad - just cuz the pros do it doesn't mean you should. They bowl 20 or more games a day and train much harder than 'league' bowlers.

 

[Chryso]

Is it possible to be a good bowler without having a hook?

 

[Joemonkey]

man, this was a cool thread to read, we're having a bowling "team building" event next wednesday, but all i do is bowl straight balls... maybe i'll try to get some curve ball practice in this weekend...

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Is it possible to be a good bowler without having a hook?

I average between 175 and 200, and I haven't any hook whatsoever. Of course, maybe a 175-200 isn't a "good bowler."

 

[Chryso]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: Chryso
Is it possible to be a good bowler without having a hook?

I average between 175 and 200, and I haven't any hook whatsoever. Of course, maybe a 175-200 isn't a "good bowler."

I usually bowl between 160 - 190 and I have a sort of natural curve. I am wondering if I am pretty much capped out on what I can do without changing my style.

 

[Pugnax]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Is it possible to be a good bowler without having a hook?

I've been in the 200s and up just throwing it straight. I don't throw it very hard though, seems to work usually. Although the people I play with get annoyed that I don't have a hook and still get strikes. Go with whatever works for you I'd say. Although, in Wii bowling, I needed a curve to get a 300

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I bowled for the first time the other day. I didn't do so well the first game (70 lol). Second game I had 3 strikes in a row, I was so happy, but in the end only scored 120 lol. Its pretty fun.... Good luck OP!


There were times I wished I could do what the guy in this video did.
Conversion of 7-10 split

4-6-7-10 split

Nobody can convert the 7-10 other than by pure luck. Every single time in the history of the sport that split has been converted, it's been pure luck.
There is no mathematical/geometrical/whatever way to make it. All you can do it throw the hell out of the ball at one of the pins and hope it bounces back on to the lane and gets the other one. The 4-6-7-10, now that's possible....I've done that a couple of times.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Is it possible to be a good bowler without having a hook?

Sure, there will just be a limit on how good you can be. A hook bowler who's "on" will always beat a straight bowler who's "on". A good hook ball simply will have more room for error in the pocket. You can be slightly high or slightly light and still have a chance of getting 10.

You'd have to be very accurate to throw a straight ball and carry a high average.
Note that by "high", I mean 210+.
Really good amateur bowlers will average 210-230+ on league oil patterns.

If they held a PBA tournament on a regular league oil pattern, they'd set the all-time mark for scoring....someone, or several someones would shoot 300 every game. Those guys are really good.

Many hot-shot league bowlers have found this out the hard way by entering a PBA regional tournament. It takes a lot of practice to get that good.