Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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How to Score
STRIKE
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SPARE
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FOUL
SPLIT
Scoring Premiums
THE CHALLENGE
Just having the chance to roll
something fairly big and heavy at those
"sitting duck" pins is fun. But when
competition is introduced, bowling
becomes a real challenge. Getting some
pins down on most shots is the first goal.
Becoming better requires improved
physical technique and strategy. The
most obvious skill needed is accuracy.
To make a strike it is almost
always necessary to hit the headpin.
Righthanders should aim just to the right
of the headpin (the left side for
lefthanders). This area is known as the
pocket.
To hit the pocket means properly
directing the ball to hit within a two inch
area located 60 feet away That is a
pretty good test of skill. Of next
importance is the impact or "carry" the
ball has when it contacts the headpin.
One of the things that determines
impact is the weight of the ball. Another
is the speed of the ball. The angle that
the ball contacts the pocket and the way
it is rolling also are factors.
A word of caution. A powerful
ball is of no use if it is not accurate. It's
much better to use a lighter ball with a
slower speed than to throw wild shots.
Top bowlers do not try to throw the ball
perfectly straight. They intend their
strike shots to have some hook. For
righthanders a hook ball breaks right-toleft while lefthanders make the ball
travel left-to -right.
All lanes may look the same but
they do not play that way Like an auto
tire on a road, the amount of "traction"
created between the ball and lane affects
the way a ball rolls. This has an
especially pronounced effect on how
much a ball hooks. Adjusting to the lane
is part of the challenge of the sport.
Indeed, knocking down pins with
a ball does not seem complicated. But
the better you get at it the more
fascinating it becomes to improve even
more.
THE GRIP
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A Shoulders at right angles
to the bowling target.
B. Non-bowling hand
helps to support ball.
C. Wrist fairly fum and straight,
but not bent backward.
D. Bowling ann elbow kept
close to hip.
E. Knees bent slightly.
E Feet together, pointed
toward target.
The Stance
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The Swing
The Steps
2ND STEP
(Ball moves down)
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PutIi... Swi... and Steps Together
4TH STEP
(Ball moves down)
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Alignment Guides
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The ball should come into the 1-3 pocket at a right-to-Ieft
angle. Lefthanders seek to throw the ball into the 1-2 pocket with
a left-to-right angle. Angle is important on a strike shot because it
helps the ball keep moving in its path rather than deflecting off
the headpin. When that happens the chances of a strike drop
significantly. A ball that hooks builds more right-to-Ieft (for a
righthander) movement. The result is much stronger angle of
entry into the 1-3 pocket.
Even without a hook a righthander can create some side
angle by directing the ball toward the pocket from the right side
of the lane. Typically; the second arrow from the right is
suggested as a target. A good strike ball attacks from a strong
side angle.
The Spare Gam e
An old saying in bowling is, "make the spares, the strikes
will come." This is especially good advice for new bowlers. There
are 1,023 poterttial spare combinations. But don't be alarmed.
The vast majority of those spare possibilities you will never face.
While there are a couple of dozen "normal" spare combinations,
they can be solved by using a minimum of targets and angles.
The first rule of spare shooting involves simple geometry. It
is the cross-lane principle. When pins are on the left side of the
lane, the best starting position is on the right-and vice -versa.
Practice four separate spare shots or lines using the cross-lane
technique. You develop a separate spare line for each of the back
row of pins (7, 8, 9 and 10). There is only one other spare line to
choose from. That is the original line used on the first ball. Any
spare combination can be negotiated using one of those five lines.
For example, the line needed for a righthander to pick up a
1-2-4 leave mimics the line needed to convert the 8-pin. That's
because the 8-pin should be positioned directly behind the 2-pin,
if all those pins were standing. The 3-6 spare can be converted
by using the 9-pin line because the 3-pin stands right in front of
the 9-pin. Any spare leave in which the 5-pin is the key is best
made by throwing the ball as if you were going for a strike.
The line for any back row spare shot should go across the
third or fourth (middle) arrow or somewhere in between. The
stance position varies for each shot. It does not take tricky board
counting formulas to become a good spare shooter Rather; it is
the ability to mentally see a cross-lane ball path and execute the
shot the way you see it. You'll get better at executing these shots
from practice and experience.
Picking up splits presents a much greater challenge. The
margin for error to get one pin to slide into another is less than a
half inch. Yes, making splits takes a very precise shot- and luck!
Even though spare shooting may lack glamour; it should not be
overlooked. Learning to make spares is the surest way to
improve your scores.
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What Creates A Hook
The direction of the ball is
determined primarily by how and where
the armswing brought it forward. But,
the ball usually also contains some spin
or "side-rotation." Putting a side-spin on
the ball is done intentionally by better
bowlers. Beginners may do it
accidentally and unpredictably. In either
case the way the ball is rotating usually
affe~ts its movement. If the ball is
rotating in a counter-clockwise manner
it will move right-to-Ieft. Lefthanders put
a clockwise rotation on
the ball to have it
hook from left-toright. In the
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It's hard to not like bowling and
harder still not to enjoy league bowling.
League play has many features of open
bowling except that it's on a regular
schedule. It can be relaxing, stimulating,
or both. Traditionally; a team is made up
of five bowlers. Some leagues, most
frequently mixed leagues, have four per
team as a way of balancing the
male/female make-up. There are also
leagues with two or three per team.
Morning leagues often feature
housewives. Many leave their pre-school
children in the center's playroom. Other
daytime leagues fit the schedules of
senior citizens and retirees. Late
afternoon brings youngsters after schooL
Early evening attracts folks after work.
Later evening bowling is popular for
couples on dates or groups of friends
having a night out. It is also a
great time for those
already in a league to
do some practicing.
bbio
Billiard and Bowling Institute of America
200 Castlewood Drive
North Palm Beach, Florida 33408
407 / 840 - 1120