Bowling Tips

BOWLING SAFELY

Here are a few tips (which we recommend adults tell children) to help you play safely.

Don’t place your hand inside the ball return at any time. Wait until the ball has returned fully onto the rack. If a ball doesn’t return fully then please ask a member of our team to assist you.
Please don’t touch the balls that are on the rack while you’re waiting to bowl, as your fingers could become trapped when the ball returns.
Don’t step over the black line at the start of the lane surface. Our lanes are coated with a special oil varnish to protect them and the surface is really slippery.
Never go near the bowling machine at the end of the lane. If your ball gets stuck please call a member of our team.
Should you notice any slippery surface or spill a drink yourself, please call over one of our team members who will be happy to help.
Pick up the balls carefully and hold with both hands.
Children should use the lightweight balls. If a heavy ball falls on your toes, it’s going to hurt!

EQUIPMENT

Bowling Shoes

Whilst adults are able to bowl in their own flat soled shoes, our bowling centres all offer a wide range of sizes, from the tiniest children's Velcro fastening ones, to large big-footed adult ones (approx. size 12/13*). Bowling shoes are specially designed to protect the floors, while also allowing you to slide smoothly on the lanes when bowling. Shoes are all cleaned daily, although you may like to bring a spare pair of socks if you prefer.

Bowling Ball

From our lightest 6lb to our heaviest 14lb, with grip sizes XXS right through to XXL, there’s a ball to fit every bowler. The balls are colour coded by weight, with an engraved letter showing the grip size. Your perfect ball should be comfortable to hold and not too tight on the grip, allowing your two middle fingers to be inserted down to the second joint.
Be picky: Choose your ball carefully - if it's too light it'll be hard to control, and a heavy ball will lack the momentum it needs to knock the pins down! Make sure your grip is comfortable and you can release the ball easily.

Dress Comfortably

It’s important that you’re able to move freely when bowling, so make sure you wear something comfy. Sorry ladies, that means short skirts probably aren’t the best choice!
* All bowling measurements are imperial i.e. pounds & ounces, feet & inches.

THE APPROACH

This is the name given to the runway area before the start of the lane, and also describes the action you go through just before releasing the ball.
Before you start bowling you need to find your starting position. Most bowlers use a four-step approach, which means starting just over four steps away from the foul line.
Begin by stepping onto the same leg as the arm you bowl with. So step right first if you’re right-handed and vice versa.
On your first step, the ball should be pushed out in front of you at arm's length (known as the push-away). This will help to gain momentum, which is needed, as opposed to strength.
The ball will now go into a natural swing as you continue your approach. On your second step, put your opposite arm out to the side to help you balance. Your second and third steps should increase (very slightly) in length and speed.
Your final step should finish in a slide, bringing you to a controlled stop. You should arrive at (just before) the foul line at the same time as letting go (the release) of the ball.
Think of your approach to be a smooth, controlled walk, swing and roll. Accuracy will always win over brute strength, but you’ll need to know how to aim properly first!
- Slide into it: Make sure you slide on the opposite foot to the hand you're bowling with. Sliding helps the momentum of the ball and gives it extra power to really knock those pins down.
- Extend Arm: When bowling, don't stop when your arm reaches the side of your body. Keep it going all the way forward and you'll be more precise and powerful.
Practice your steps before taking your turn to check your distance and make sure you are happy with your technique
Paying attention?: Look straight ahead and keep those pins in your sight. Don't step over the black foul line - if you do, any pins you knock down won't count towards your score. So keep your eyes open!

AIMING

The better your aim, the more pins you’ll knock down!
So to start, the ball should be in line with your shoulder (rear sight), before approaching in a straight line. Then, when you release the ball, you need to aim for the third arrow on the lane from the right-hand side. Let the momentum extend your arm after the release (follow through) and finish with your thumb pointing at the pocket (gap between the 1st and 3rd pin) = bullseye!
If you line up correctly, aim straight, and your ball rolls over the third arrow on the lane, then you should get yourself a very good score.
If you want to improve your aim further, then check out our advanced section.

Where to Look When You Bowl

Ideally, depending on how low you want to release the ball, you will look either at:

The arrows. A third of the way down the lane there are seven arrows in the shape of an arrow pointing towards the pins. Most people are going to lean towards looking at the arrows, just from what I've seen.
The dots. Halfway between the arrows and the foul line are a set of dots that are also intended to help you line up your shot and mark board numbers.
The foul line. The closer to the foul line you look, the lower you will (probably) release the ball. This means the ball will come off of your hand at say, three inches above the lane, instead of ten, if you look at the dots instead of the arrows. That's assuming that everything else is constant, which it usually isn't. The foul line is probably not going to be a factor. I have aimed at it per instruction, but it was an instruction intended for training rather than permanent use.

Where you look when you bowl will make you bowl better. You can see amazing improvements in score (from 50 to 100 in one game) from just changing where you look. You'll be more accurate and . . . there's a little-known bowling secret, too. Don't tell anyone but . . . you'll actually enjoy bowling more!

How to Make The Ball "Hook" in Bowling

How do you make the ball hook in bowling? For starters, you really can't make the ball hook with any kind of consistency without buying a quality ball.

The only way to hook a house or plastic ball (most house balls are plastic, but you will occasionally find a low-level urethane ball if the house recycles old balls) with any power is to use fewer fingers, exaggerate a cupped hand, and jerk your arm up as fast as you can when you throw the ball. Even then, few people can hook a plastic ball in the way described and score half-decently, and they are by far the exception to the rule.
Regardless of whether you can manage to get a board or two of movement out of the alley-supplied balls, a quality bowling ball from a pro-shop will hook way harder, have way more power, and make it far more possible for you to throw strikes. To clarify: two-handed bowlers may be able to hook a plastic ball without changing their form much. However, if they throw at their normal speed, a ball like that isn't going to move anywhere but straight.

So with that said . . . read on to learn how to buy a quality bowling ball.

Buying a Bowling Ball ?

Visit your local pro shop. These are located at most bowling alleys. Get some information, tell them what you aspire to, and have them watch you bowl as well.
Purchase a quality ball. Follow their recommendations as to what kind they think you should buy. Any normally-priced, decent ball will run you at least $100. Luckily, there are usually packages and deals. You don't need a $200 ball to get started, but the cheapest won't be any better than using one off the racks
Get a finger tip grip drilling! If they try to tell you that you need a conventional grip, simply explain that you would like to improve your bowling and would like a finger tip grip drilling. Trust me, this will make a different.
Bowl! Have fun!