Bowling is an easy game to play if you know how to play it properly. Therefore, learning bowling techniques from the right person is essential if you want to do well in this sport. My advise to novice bowlers is always to get a proper coach, i.e, one with good knowledge of the sport - a former state player for example. Learn and listen carefully to what your coach tell you and work hard to improve any weaknesses. Once you've done that, there is no way you can't bowl averaging 200 plus. That is for sure, unless of course if you can't conquer the second aspect of the game - the mental game!
Like any other sport, acquiring knowledge is the fundamental part that you simply can't skip. If you want to be a good bowler, you simply must know the basic: how to throw the ball properly, how to get your timing right, how to do simple adjustments when taking spares, so on and so forth. Once you've done that, rest assured that you can compete with the best.
But to beat the best, you must be able to control yourself first. You must be able to fully concentrate and repeat perfectly whatever good that you've done in your previous throw. Remember - bowling is a non-contact sport. You cannot stop your opponent from playing, you can't tackle them like in football and you can't even use tactical approach like in badminton to force them into making mistakes. In fact, you can't do anything if your opponent play very well and throw strikes after strikes. You can certainly watch and enjoy the performance and try to match their score. To do that, you must win the mental game.
For me if you have already acquired good knowledge in bowling, there is no reason why you can't hit your target again and again. There's no reason not to convert any spare unless of course the almost impossible 7 - 10 spare. The guidelines are there - the dots, the arrows, the board etc. Plus, an advanced bowler should also know how the ball react in different types of lane conditions. Many even have a few bowling balls ready to choose from for their use in the best possible way. There is no guarantee you can get strikes all the time though. But, bowlers know that if they can get their throw into the right pocket, the chances of getting strikes increase tremendously.
Therefore bowlers must prepare themselves mentally and physically. The physical condition of yourself can affect your mental game, so you need to address it too. You don't want to step into the approach lane thinking about your back ache or sore thumbs, right? You need to get everything out of the picture and fully concentrate on your routine. A mere miss of a single board can turn a potential strike to a horrifying 7 - 10 split. The same problems can also occur should you mis-time your movements or when you over-power your throw. So, concentrate!
One key aspect in the mental game is to be confident of yourself and your throw. You need to have a bit of arrogance in your game, but not too much and allows your self to complacent. You cannot think about missing your target or be unsure about the angle that you chose. You must be confident that you are doing the right thing and let the ball leave your fingers naturally.
In tenpin bowling, you do the maths before you step into the lane. Get all your calculations right and choose the ball that you think best suited to the lane condition. Imagine the routine in your mind and then prepare yourself to throw the ball.
Once you are on the lane, you must already be sure of what you must do and execute it as planned. Never, ever, have second thoughts when you are already on the lane. Never try to control the speed or the spin of the ball but let it leave your fingers smoothly. If you can do that, I bet you'll never miss a target. In fact, I found that it is almost impossible to miss a target when I'm in the zone. The pin is quite big in size (4.75 inches wide at their widest point and 15 inches (380 mm) tall). You shouldn't miss it if you have the knowledge and concentrate on your game. It is quite easy, I must say.
Great bowlers like Walter Ray Jr and Norm Duke have superb mental abilities. Their concentration and focus on the target is absolutely outstanding. I once saw Walter Ray throw 24 identical shots in a row resulting in one perfect game and a 260+ game. It's not the score that impressed me but the execution and concentration. The guy is just like a good copy machine that keeps producing perfect copies of the previous good throw. That for me, is what separates the best from the rest.
- Brader Sports
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