Sport

Tips for tenpin Bowling

There are few pastime activities more inclusive and enjoyable than tenpin bowling. Whether you play solely for fun or like to get competitive with your friends at the alley it is advisable to take a little time to work on your game. The best way to do this is to get a league together of friends, book a Gloucester Minibus Hire company once a month from sites like www.johndixtravel.co.uk and play a few games for fun first.  Look around at the other players to see what techniques they have. Not only does using the correct techniques help against the development of strain injuries but bowling gets much more interesting once you have gained a basic level of competence.

Image Credit

Choosing the right ball and shoes

Get the right equipment

Before fretting over which type of wrist supports and bowling gloves to buy it is advisable to get the basics right: shoes that fit and a ball that is the correct size and weight. Bowling ball review website https://www.ballreviews.com/ explains some of the considerations intermediate bowlers should make when choosing a custom ball.

Beginners should make use of the balls already at the bowling alley, known as house balls, which come in a wide range of weights and sizes. Using a ball that is 10% of your body weight is a good guideline, and the finger holes should feel relatively snug without any tightness or pinching. Experimenting with a range of house balls is a good idea, as you can find out what works for you and rule out what doesn’t.

Getting your technique right

Perfect your bowling action

As you will be repeating your action over and over in quick succession it is essential that you feel comfortable and are not straining your body while bowling. In general terms a right-handed bowler should begin their approach with their left foot forwards, before stepping with their right foot. This is usually followed by three more steps, ending with their left foot just before the foul line from where the ball is released, smoothly and with the thumb followed by the two fingers, down the alley.

It is important to allow the knees to bend at the end of the approach and to avoid springing up quickly from this position. With experience this action starts to feel more natural and there is then scope to tweak the style of the approach and the release. Also a bowler may feel the need to add comfort aids such as bowling gloves or a new set of shoes to help them get that coveted perfect game.

How to aim for a strike

Aim for a strike

As highlighted by Tenpin Bowling Australia the best angle from which to hit the collection of pins, or pocket, is between six and seven degrees. Though this seems a pretty big ask for beginners it is important to get into the groove of aiming for consistent strikes early in your development.

Below this angle offers too much deflection off the pins while a greater angle offers too little. A right-hander wants the ball to impact just to the right of the headpin and, if your aim is just out either way, instead of tearing up your action why not slightly alter the starting position of your feet to compensate for the discrepancy?

Summary

This article gives tips for improving at tenpin bowling. It recommends getting properly fitted shoes and a ball around 10% of your body weight, using house balls as a beginner, keeping a comfortable, repeatable action with bent knees at the end of the approach, and aiming to hit the pocket at an angle of six to seven degrees for the best chance of a strike.

Questions this article raises

  • How much does a properly fitted personal bowling ball typically cost?
  • How long does it usually take a beginner to develop a consistent technique?
  • Does the six to seven degree angle change for left-handed bowlers?

Laura Williams

Laura is a lifestyle writer covering family life, weddings, entertainment, sport and a wide range of everyday interests. She enjoys finding useful ideas, interesting stories and accessible advice for a broad audience.

Life, places, ideas and everything worth talking about.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.