Bowling Basics for Beginners

Interested in bowling for leisure or sport? Afraid to go out and bowl with your friends because you have never bowled before? Looking to bowl in a league but have never picked up a ball before? If any of these cases describe you, read on to learn about some great tips for beginners!

Remember to Have Fun!

Bowling is for everyone. For professional bowlers and amateurs alike. When going to the bowling alley, remember why you are going there in the first place. You are going to have fun! Considering you are just starting out, you are probably not going to the lanes with a competitive aspect in mind. Even eventually if you do acquire that mentality, the most important thing to remember is to have fun. By having a good time, you take all unnecessary pressure off yourself. It will make for an overall, better experience.

Know What You’re Aiming For

Now for some actual tips. When approaching the lane, you will need to know what to aim for. Basic instincts say, “aim for the pins.” That is in fact what you DON’T aim for. If you look on the ground in front of the lane, there will be arrows pointing in the direction of the pins. Use these arrows to line yourself up.

• If you are a righty, you want to throw for the right side of the head pin and the left side of the second layer of pins.
• If you are a lefty, you want to aim on the opposite side. Aim for the left side of the head pin and the right of the second layer.

By doing this, your ball will travel in the pocket creating more of an impact. This will knock more pins down.

Mastering the Bowling Throw

This can be the most challenging aspect for newbies. You may have the right aim, but may not be able to roll the ball to where you want it to go.

• The best tip to throw on target is to simply take a deep breath.
• Do not think about where you are throwing.
• Pick up the ball and take a few steps toward the lane itself.
• Swing your arm back in a balanced way.
• Then bring your arm forward rolling the ball toward the pins.
• Make sure you follow through by having your arm finish straight in front of you. As if you were going to shake someone’s hand.

The follow through is by far the most important aspect of the throw. Another tip is to not throw the ball super hard and not throw the ball gently either. Find a happy medium and keep things simple.

Ball Selection

When choosing a ball, follow some simple tips. Do not grab the heaviest ball you can find because you will not be able to throw it properly. Do not use the lightest ball either because you will tend to overthrow it and it may even bounce. Also, the ball will not do as much damage to the pins as a heavier ball will. Grab a ball where your fingers slide into the holes not too loose but not to snug either. You want some room to prevent blisters, but do not want your fingers to be swimming in the ball. Stick with a ball that fits your fingers and you can throw effectively.

Scoring Strategy

The last tip is about the game of bowling itself. Each bowler gets ten frames. Each player takes their turn every frame. Each bowler gets two throws in each frame to knock down as many pins as they can to add to their score. Beginners may know what a strike or a spare is, but may not know how it affects the score. A spare, knocking down all the pins on your second attempt, gives the bowler a score of ten plus the total number of pins knocked down on their next roll added to the same frame. A strike gives the bowler a score of ten plus the total number of pins knocked down on his or her next two rolls added to the same frame. The best strategy would be to throw strikes early. If you cannot get a strike, make sure to pick up your spares. Leaving open frames, not getting a strike or a spare, will greatly impact your score. For beginners learning the game, strikes will come. Make sure as a beginner you try your best to pick up as many spares as possible. This will boost your newbie score up big time. Also, on the tenth frame, if you bowl a spare, you get an extra throw. If you bowl a strike you get an extra two throws. The best strategy is to start getting strikes or spares early on to boost your score up as high as possibly.

Hope you enjoyed these great newbie tips. Follow these to ensure a fun and satisfying bowling experience, and if you need a way to get there, Miller Toyota can provide you a vehicle to get you there in style!