Dear USBC Coaching,

The ball never goes where I want. Sometimes I do things exactly the same way but the ball goes somewhere different. I feel like it is a whole different place each time I bowl. How do I strike the pins all down?

Answer:

It can be frustrating to feel like you are standing in different places. Sometimes the ball rolls differently because of where you stand and other times it is where you aim. The dots on the approach help you line up your feet in the right place and the arrows help you to aim.  (See illustration at right.)

For most beginning youth bowlers, we recommend that you stand with your foot at about the 15 board and aim at the second arrow. You may have to move your feet one or two boards either left or right to get the ball to hit the pins in the pocket. If you are right handed, the pocket is right between the 1 and 3 pins. If you are left handed, the pocket is between the 1 and 2 pins. The picture below might help. 

If you need to move your feet slightly, move in the direction that you missed. If you missed to the right, move your feet one or two boards to the right. If you missed to the left, move your feet one or two boards to the left. The key is to keep aiming at the second arrow. Be sure to only move those few boards and not move that many dots. Small adjustments can make a big difference.

Dear USBC Coaching,

My child wants to use a fingertip ball like some teammates. I’ve heard that it can be bad to use a fingertip ball when you are still growing. What is your opinion on when a bowler is ready for a fingertip ball?

Answer:

Each bowler must assess whether he or she is ready for a fingertip ball. Parents need to understand a few things about a fingertip ball:

1. A fingertip ball will make the ball hook/curve more. Know that a curve ball is by nature less accurate than a straight ball and is more subject to changes in lane conditions. Until a bowler knows how to read and recognize ball reaction, this is going to create a greater variance in scores – including some much lower scores.

2.  A more consistent delivery is required, even if not dealing with changing lane conditions, or lower scores will result. While an average is an indication of consistency, it may not be an accurate assessment. As a suggestion, have a target on the lane with height that allows about a two- to three-board margin of error. See how many times out of 10 he or she can hit the target. Do this two or three times to get an average. If it is 7-8, then he or she may have the consistency required. (Remind bowlers that they have to maintain the same concentration when the target is not there or the inconsistency will return.) 

3. In most cases youth without sufficient grip strength will create stress and sprains in their fingers and joints when going to a fingertip grip. This will result in loss of endurance (meaning they will not have much strength left for the third game or beyond). It also will lead to strains that can cause long term permanent damage and/or increased doctor visits to address the issues. 

4. An exact proper fit is required for a fingertip ball to have a consistently good release. With a growing hand, this will result in extra expense for the parents as they must almost continually fix the grip to match the bowler’s hand size. As a rule of thumb, anytime a child needs a new size shoe, the child also needs to have his or her bowling ball's hole size and span inspected to ensure the correct fit.

Although the bowler may experience a short-term strike increase, a fingertip grip may be counterproductive if the bowler has not actually obtained the proper skill level. There is also the potential risk of long-term damage. Parents must decide whether the risk is worth the small reward. In addition, parents should be willing to accept the increased expense to have the fit adjusted as the bowler's hand grows.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I think my average should be higher. I try very hard but I just cannot get my average to go up. What should my average be? I have bowled for two years and I’m 9 years old.

Answer:

It’s very difficult to say that you should be at a certain average after a certain number of years. Some people have a high average after just one year while others who have been bowling for more than 20 years have an average around 100.

Ask the most important question. Are you having fun and enjoying bowling? If you are – wonderful! If you are not having fun, try not concentrating so much on the score and have fun. 

Also know that average increases sometimes occur in waves. You may not see any increase for a bit then all of a sudden something clicks and you start scoring very well.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I want the ball to go faster. If it goes too slow I mess up. How do I throw the ball faster?

Answer:

Rolling the ball faster is a good thing as long as you can do it consistently. The reason why you may not have as much control when you throw it harder is because of balance. When most people try to “throw” the ball, they end up using too much arm muscle and pushing the ball with their arm and shoulder. The key is to let the forward momentum of the approach along with a relaxed arm swing match up with good balance to generate power.

Let’s focus first on your arm swing: after you push it out, let the ball swing loosely. You do not need to use your arm strength. In fact, when you tense your arm muscles, you actually slow down your arm. Keep this loose swing all the way back and all the way forward.

Staying balanced, especially at the foul line, is critical to having the leverage you need to generate more power and be consistent. Try keeping your trail leg on the floor and bending the knee on your sliding leg a bit more. Your finish position should look something like the picture to the right.

Let your loose swing and balance generate the power you want instead of your arm muscles and you will find you get both the speed and consistency that you want.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I’m afraid of messing up. Especially at the end of the game, I get very nervous and can never get the pins I want. I don’t want my team to be mad at me.

Answer:

Being nervous happens to lots of people in bowling. When you get nervous, it can make your muscles get tight. That makes it even more difficult to do well. It is helpful to have both relaxed muscles and a relaxed mind. 

One trick that might help is when you get into your stance on the approach, go through a mental checklist of what you need to do. As you use the checklist, it will help you focus on what you need to do to get the scores rather than thinking about the score directly.

1. Decide where you want to stand and set your feet accordingly.
2. Decide how you want your stance to look and get into position.
3. Pick your target on the lane and focus your eyes on that spot.
4. Take a deep breath, let it out and roll the ball to your target. 

Another suggestion is to imagine your favorite song in your mind when you are bowling. You can even hum it as you take your approach. Focusing on a fun and happy song can help you relax. 

Dear USBC Coaching,

My ball always goes straight but I don’t want it to. How do I make the ball curve?

Answer:

The easiest way to learn a hook or curve ball is to set your hand in a handshake position. Keep your hand in this position throughout your approach and release. Because your thumb will release first (it just does – you don’t have to try for it) the fingers will put a bit of side rotation on the ball, making it curve.

Another way to view the hand position is to imagine a clock face. If you are right handed, you will turn your hand slightly so that your thumb points towards the 11:00 position. If you are left handed, turn your hand so that your thumb points towards the 1:00 position. 

Keep your hand in the same position during your back swing and release. In your finish position, it will look like you are shaking hands with your target.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I get strikes sometimes but when I leave pins, I don’t get spares. How do you make the ball hit the pins that are left?

Answer:

The secret to becoming a good spare shooter is to have a plan. Many people “guess” each time they face a spare and they are not as successful as people who have a plan. The 3-6-9 is one plan that works very well for people who roll the ball straight or with a slight curve. 

The 3-6-9 system of spare shooting is a basic system that involves moving your feet left or right 3, 6, or 9 boards depending on which pins remain. Use the same target on the lane as you did with your strike ball. Take note of two things:
1. Exactly which board you stood on for your strike shot 
2. Which pin is the key pin for the spares. The key pin usually is the one that is the closest to you and the pin with the lowest number. 

In order to have a wider area to be successful at the spare, you will want to roll “cross lane” at the spare. That means if the spare is on the left side of the lane, you move your feet to the right. If the spare is on the right, you move your feet to the left. You will move three boards for each position away from the head pin as I’ve put in the custom chart for you.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I don’t know where I should stand or aim. My coach tells me one thing but my teammates are standing somewhere else. They do better than me and I want to be as good as them or better! Thank you.

Answer:

There are several important skills that are needed to improve. First, it is important to stand in the exact same place on the approach each strike shot. You can use the dots and narrow boards on the approach to help make sure that you are in the same place. You must also know exactly which target arrow you want to roll the ball over.  Most people use the second arrow as their target on the lane. The diagram to the right can help you understand the board and arrow numbers. 

To roll the ball over the second arrow and get the ball into the pocket, you will probably have to put your foot on about the 15 board. If you are right handed, put your left foot on the 15 board. If you are left handed, put your right foot on the 15 board.

Besides knowing where to stand and aim consistently, a good arm swing is important. In your push away, aim the ball at your target on the lane, then let the ball swing loose in your backswing. The forward swing also should be loose; then you release and reach out towards your target. 

This will help keep your arm swing straight just like the pictures below. Sometimes the shoulders like to turn while the ball is the swing. It is better to keep them straight and not let them turn.

Dear USBC Coaching,

Some of my teammates use a wrist brace but my dad and coach both say I don’t need one. I’ve read online that a wrist brace is okay, but what do the pros do? I’m a pretty high-average bowler but want to score even more.

Answer:

I’m guessing you are confused about using a wrist brace. Can they be an unnecessary crutch? Yes. Can they be an effective tool? Yes. You need to ask yourself why you want the wrist brace. Below are some reasons when and when not to use one – some will not apply to you but may to others who read this tip.

Before we get into specific reasons, if you do use a wrist brace, make sure it is properly fitted. If it doesn't fit, it is useless to help your shot. When fitted properly, you should not be able to bend your wrist backwards.

Situations to use a wrist brace:

When your wrist does not have the strength required. (This is the No. 1 reason for using a brace.) Use the brace only until you have developed the strength needed. Don't sit around and wait for the strength to suddenly appear. When you are watching TV or just sitting around, get a firm stress ball or tennis ball and gently squeeze the ball (release, squeeze again, etc.). This will build up the wrist and forearm muscles required. Be sure to exercise both hands, not just your bowling hand.

2. Injury. If you have had an injury where the tendons or other parts of the hand have been damaged, it may take longer to recover for bowling purposes than your doctor realizes. Take your time in this recovery. (See exercise in No. 1 above and talk to your doctor about it.) With some injuries, the wrist never regains full strength and a brace becomes as necessary as bowling shoes.

3. Training. Even if you have the physical strength, your wrist may not be used to staying in the position you desire. It is an “old habits die hard” kind of thing. Use the wrist brace to help develop the “feel” required. In practice, try one game with the brace and one without until you develop the habit of the correct position. Alternate frame by frame or ball by ball if that helps as well.

4. Being tired. There are times when I go to bowl after a busy, tiring day and I just don't have the strength to be consistent. When you are getting tired, you may use the brace when you begin to lose control.

5. Money. Some pros receive money from sponsors for using certain products like wrist braces. Most pros do not need the support that a brace provides. By locking the wrist into a position, they lose the ability to make last-second adjustments. When you do see a pro with a brace on, sometimes he or she has actually taken out the metal support so it provides no restriction for them.

6. Psychological, also peer pressure. Often seen in youth leagues – “If everyone else has one, I want one too.” Especially with youth, lack of strength is the only real reason to use a brace. However, if wearing a brace helps a bowler to enjoy the sport more, go for it. But coaches: you can use the opportunity to help develop the strength and wrist position necessary. Some people have more of a psychological reason to use the brace. It is sometimes a self-confidence issue. Forcing off the brace right away can do more harm than good. Coaches can work on convincing bowlers that the brace is not needed, and help them understand why and give them the confidence they need to put the brace in the bag and leave it there.

Dear USBC Coaching:

Hey! I bowled a 220. I beat my previous high score of 196 but for some reason my ball hooks harder on some lanes than others. If I hit the pocket of the pins perfectly the tenpin stays up. Can you tell me why that happens?

Answer:

I’m glad to hear about your GREAT game – congratulations!

The key to understanding why you leave the 10 pin is to understand what is supposed to knock it down. In a “perfect” strike, the ball splits the 1-3 pocket, sending the 3 pin into the 6. The 6 is then sent into the 10. So if the 10 is standing, the 6 didn’t do what it should, and that means that the 3 didn’t do what it should have done. This is hard to understand but the diagram below should help.

If you are light in the pocket (hitting more of the 3), the 3 is driven straight back, hitting the 6 on the left side and making it go more to the right (to the channel) instead of hitting the 10. If you are high in the pocket (hitting more of the head pin), the 3 gets hit on the left side and makes it hit the 6 right in front, making the 6 go straight back and missing the 10 to the left. 

If you leave a 10 pin, try and watch where the 6 went. This will tell you if you were just a bit high or light.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I have always been a good bowler while bowling a curve ball. Once when I was messing around I tried throwing a back-up ball and I got 168 -- over my average. I told my dad and he told me I should not throw a back-up ball and I should stick with the curve ball. Why would he tell me that if I got 15 pins over my average? Is there anything wrong with a back-up ball?

Thanks a lot.

Answer:

Sometimes just messing around and having fun is a great way to learn new techniques and to try new things. But I have to agree with your dad on this one. Stick with the curve ball because even though a back-up ball may have success from time to time, in the long run you will have more success with the curve. 

For people who already use a back-up ball, I coach them to be the best that they can, but they also realize that this is not going to give them the highest average and scores that are possible. However, you have already developed a curve, so keep working on it to make your game the best it can be. 

Another way to look at it is like this: professional bowlers (both men and women) need to knock down as many pins as possible or they don’t make any money. If they don’t make money, they don’t have good food to eat or a nice place to stay. So they try to do everything possible to knock down pins. If a back-up ball is the best way to win, they will use it. However, I do not know of any successful pro bowlers who use a back-up ball to win tournaments. 

Again, there is nothing wrong with playing around and sometimes using a back-up release or other releases when you are having fun. It’s a great way to learn new things. But stick with the curve when it counts so you can develop your game to the max!

Dear USBC Coaching,

Can I go from a 10-pound to a 12-pound ball if the 10-pound is a little bit too light?

Answer:

You certainly can go to a 12-pound ball when you are ready. Knowing that the 10-pound ball is too light is a good signal that it’s time to go up in weight. 

To figure out if you are ready to use a 12-pound ball, try using a 12-pound house ball. Find one that fits your hand the best and see how it feels when you bowl. Since a ball that is drilled to fit your hand will feel less heavy than the house ball that does not fit exactly right, the house ball may be a bit heavy (but that is a good sign).

Dear USBC Coaching,

I roll the ball into the gutter a lot and it makes me mad. How do I get the ball to go where I want?

Answer:

You need several skills to control your ball. First is to know exactly where you stand on the approach each shot. This way you can make an adjustment if necessary. Second, use a consistent target on the lane for your aiming point. For most bowlers we recommend the second arrow. The arrows are counted from the outside near the channel. If you are right handed, count the arrows from the right-side channel. If you are left handed, count the arrows from the left-side channel. The arrow in the middle of the lane is the fourth arrow. The diagram to the right may help you understand board and arrow numbers.

The ball may be going into the channel because your shoulder is turning during your approach. As the ball swings back during your approach, be sure that your shoulder does not turn. The shoulder should stay straight during your stance, approach and delivery. Starting in the stance, you want to have the ball by your side and not in front of your body. Like the picture to the right shows, a person standing directly behind your shoulder should see just a bit of the ball. Your forearm should point like an arrow to your target. 

As you take your approach, keep your shoulder steady and be careful to not let it turn or twist. It may help to imagine a track that the ball has to stay in during your swing. A good track will look like the picture below.

Dear USBC Coaching,

I have been bowling for about 13 years and my average is 190. I bowl on a league Saturday mornings. The place I bowl has really dry lane conditions and when I travel to a place that has heavy lane conditions, I struggle. I can't seem to adjust. Do you have any suggestions on how I can adjust to heavy lane conditions?

Answer:

Oily lane conditions can be tricky – not only because of the initial condition, but the oil moves during the session, so a bowler must make adjustments more frequently than when bowling on dry lanes.

Often people try too hard to make the ball hook on oil like it does on dry. All things being equal, you are going to have to play a straighter line to the pocket on oil. The break point on the lane also will tend to be later and the break point is the key to success, not how much the ball curves. Depending on your equipment, you may want to alter your release to get the ball further down the lane before it makes a transition.

To explain that last point a bit more, in ball dynamics there is going to be a time when the weight block is going to want to flip towards the pins. If this flip occurs too early, when the ball is still in heavy oil, the ball slips and doesn't have much hook energy left for the back part of the lane. If you delay that flip until the ball is on a dryer part of the lane, the ball will get more friction and hook more. In the modern game of bowling, it is more about when the ball hooks than how much the ball hooks.

Since you are used to bowling on very dry conditions, you may be overpowering the ball. On dry lanes, you need to throw a bit harder to keep the ball from over-reacting. On oil, you need to have a softer hand and give the ball an opportunity to work for you.

I hope these ideas are helpful…good luck and have fun!