Many people enjoy the occasional bowling but don’t see it as more than a pastime. If you’re not ready to invest too much time into becoming great at it, you can learn a few tricks to ensure you always beat your family and friends. Below are a few bowling tips for beginners.
Proper Ball selection
Bowling balls vary in weight and center of mass. The lighter ones weigh around 11—12 pounds and are better suited for women. At 14—15 pounds, the male-type bowling ball comes slightly heavier. More important than weight is finding a bowling ball that fits snuggly around your fingers but with a bit of breathing room. This way, you can grip the ball better without the fear of feeling pain.
Stay relaxed
The goal is to swing the bowling ball, not throw it. You do not need to put too much power into the swinging action. Lower your hips, find a good balance, and send the ball down the lane. While staying relaxed, ensure to put some force behind the ball, so it doesn’t swerve. If you are too rigid, more balls will end up in the gutters than on the pins.
Wear the Right Shoes
Most bowling alleys offer bowling shoes to all players for safety reasons. A casual outfit would suffice, but bowling shoes are a must. They protect your leg from potential injury in the bowling alley. Because the bowling lanes are usually oiled, regular shoes might slip, but bowling shoes are designed to grip and help you balance while you swing. You don’t need to buy your pair unless you bowl frequently.
Aim
Because of the physics, it is difficult to knock over all of the pins if you hit the closest pin head-on. For a better shot at knocking all ten pins in one go, you should aim for the side of the pins in the second row. This way, the hit would send a ripple effect across the entire formation and increase your strike chances. It is okay to aim down the middle until you’re comfortable. When you are about to let go of the ball around your ankle, ensure you follow through with your arm in the direction you want to send the ball going.
Put a spin on it
The hook is one of the more straightforward bowling tricks to learn. When you have bowled enough balls, you realize that bowling balls come with unbalanced weighted cores to encourage a spin. Take this spin to your advantage and send the ball from the lane edge towards the center pins. The lanes are oiled in different patterns that encourage different kinds of spins and hooks. Professional bowlers have a mastery of all of these patterns and can adapt on-demand as the oiling of the lane wears off with playing.
You don’t become a master of bowling overnight. Try to adopt these tips to whatever situation you find yourself in and remember, safety first. These tips, along with consistency, are sure to make you a better bowler in no time.