Staying Square to Your Target When Bowling
For most of us who arm mostly straight bowlers with a little hook or ball action, here is a diagram that represents how to stay square to your bowling target. This gives you maximum accuracy since your focus, your direction of walk and execution is toward that target. the dark black line represents your shoulders. The light black line represents the center of your body. The light red line represents your arm swing which translates into the direction of the ball once you release it toward the target. The dotted red line is a continuation of the ball path until the ball reaches the break point, the spot on the lane where the direction of the ball begins to take effect:
As you can see in this diagram, when the bowler takes the stance before his delivery, he is focusing on the target which in this case is the arrows out on the lane. In this diagram, the bowler is looking at the 2nd arrow from the right. He or she is squaring the shoulders toward that target and drawing an imaginary line from the center of the shoulder out to that target. The bowler is making sure the feet are also comfortably facing that direction as well so when the approach begins he/she is going to approach toward that target. When you start walking you are focusing your attention on that target as you approach and slide at the foul line. You then simply release and follow through the ball and sought of reach out and up toward that target.
Remember the arm swing is perpendicular to the shoulders and this can cause the whole momentum toward that target. If you are lined up correctly for the 1-3 pocket, all you really need to do is focus on executing the shot properly and the pay attention to the ball reaction out on the lane. The balls path should follow that line all the way out to the break point before turning toward the pins.
Now some bowlers who throw a lot of hook on the ball have an inside-out approach which allows for more ball hook but may cause a little less accuracy as far as hitting your target.
Please see this associated diagram for an inside-out approach in order to achieve this different style of approach. Again, most bowlers who have a lot of revolution (or turn on the ball) find it better to use this approach and rely on
creating area from their release.
Here is an article about
10 simple bowling tips!
