What Experienced Bowlers Wished They Knew

Even the most experienced and accomplished bowlers had to start somewhere. Growing pains take place in every sport as your skill level increases, and bowlers often find out the hard way that they weren’t as prepared as they could have been when a certain situation arrives.

Here are a few pieces of advice the more experienced bowler may have appreciated earlier in his or her bowling career, and something you can begin to work on as your game progresses to the next level.

STRIKE FOR SHOW, SPARE FOR DOUGH

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Although it may seem like a broken record to some, spare shooting will make the difference between reaching an average goal, making a cut in a tournament or even hoisting a championship trophy.

Many less experienced players spend their practice time working on striking more, but don’t take the steps to continually sharpen their spare-shooting skills when they happen to leave a pin or two still standing.

Use your practice time wisely, and get familiar with shooting at every spare possible. If you’re feeling particularly rusty, spend a game or two just shooting at corner pins. Continually working on your routine and process for shooting spares will pay dividends down the road.

PRACTICE WITH PURPOSE

Speaking of practice, going into a session with a game plan and idea of what you need or want to improve on will help you make it to the next level.

Going to practice for score may be fun, but spending that time working on your timing, spare shooting (see above) or playing different parts of the lane and repeating shots will benefit your game in the long run. If possible, see if your center will turn off the scoring so you can just focus on the task at hand – improving your game!

THE TOUGHER, THE BETTER

Don’t be afraid to bowl on the tough stuff and see how your skills match up when shot making is at a premium. Bowling in leagues and tournaments on USBC Sport Bowling-certified conditions may prove to be challenging at first, but the payoff is priceless.

Bowling on tougher conditions will show the strengths and weaknesses in your game, and will let you know what you may need to work on in the future (remember, practice with a purpose). As you gain experience competing on a variety of patterns, you will become more versatile on the lanes and be able to move up to that next level.