yeh, I have a blast last friday.. after sick-pressure-exam on morning, It’s good to bowl.. hee… We’ve played 3games and I beat C twice! haha and I get 3 spare in a row.. haha in your face C!:p..
Before this, I not really know how to play bowling. As long as it roll and some pins drop..I’ll be happy.. haha and I still remember my first bowl. I throw the ball very hard and I don’t how to explain but.. It really silly haha glad C’s sis make us fall in love with this game. She always plays bowling with her fiance and we’re always the one she invited. So, after me and C try to learn a REAL technique.. we love it and become addictive. well we’re not pro yet.. but one day hahaha
so, here are some bowling fundamentals:
Equipments:
Grip:
Conventional grip usually for novice like me because it gives security and confidence when holding the ball. this grip allows better control while learning the fundamentals.
Fingertip grip most used by league and professional bowler. Because fingers only inserted as far as 1st joint, it increases the distance between the thumb and fingers, thus allow the finger to give more lift.
When stepping onto the approach you will notice two rows of dots. The back row marks a distance 15 feet from the foul line while the row further up is 12 feet away. These dots are most helpful for measuring your starting position.For a good stance, place the feet together and bend slightly forward from the back. Seek a feeling of relaxed readiness, not stiffness.
The ball should be placed somewhere between waist and chest high toward the right side of the body (left side for lefthanders). The bowling hand should grip the ball from underneath and the opposite hand also should support some of the weight of the ball.
- Shoulders at right angles to the bowling target.
- Non-bowling hand helps to support ball.
- Wrist fairly firm and straight but not bent backward.
- Bowling arm elbow kept close to hip.
- Knees bent slightly.
- Feet together, pointed toward target.
Steps:
New bowlers are encouraged to use a four step approach. Later, a fifth step may be added.
Take each step straight ahead. Simple, walking-type steps in a normal heel-toe manner are the goal. Only the last step, which includes a slide, is different.Think of a metronome beating 1-2-3-4 to keep a steady tempo. For right-handers the step sequence is right, let, right, left. Left-handers follow a left, right, left, right pattern.
Swings:
If you take a rather heavy object such as a bowling ball and simulate an underhand throwing motion, you’ll notice the movement takes a momentum of its own.That is the pendulum principle. It is the essence of what makes a good, consistent swing. If bowlers did not have this “free” energy source, we could hardly get the ball down the lane at all.In terms of weight use a ball that can be swung back and forth freely and comfortably. The ball is too heavy if it makes the wrist flex back or causes the bowling shoulder to drop during the swing. It is too light if you feel you can “manhandle” the ball.
Pull in together (swing and steps):
You need to be in a stable position when releasing the ball but you also want to take advantage of the momentum of your steps. You want all the speed you picked up to be transferred to your ball when you release it onto the lane.The first three steps are taken while the ball moves to its highest point in the backswing. From there you are in position for the downswing, slide and release. The key is getting the ball started with a proper outward movement. The push-away must be simple and easy to repeat. Even accomplished bowlers often seek to fine tune their timing. When doing so they concentrate on the first movement of the ball in relation to the steps. Get the first step and the push-away working together.
Release:
The ball should be released as it is moving past the ankle of the sliding foot. Right-handers slide with their left foot while left-handers take their last step with the right foot. The ball should be two inches, or slightly closer, to the ankle as it passes by. From this position the body is ideally situated to send the ball in the desired direction. With good timing and a proper release point a bowler achieves a position of leverage - the result of an ideal combination of body position, momentum and balance.To have the ball pass near the sliding ankle requires some bending. Bending the knee with the last step permits this to happen. What first seems like an awkward physical posture can become quite natural. Besides some bend from the knee, the upper body also contributes to the - “getting low” process. Bending forward about 15-20 degrees is ideal. For best balance, the middle of the chest should finish directly above the sliding knee as the shot concludes.Throughout the approach, the head should remain steady. The eyes remain focused on an intended target. The non-bowling arm serves as a balancing aid, stretched off to the side.
Follow-through:
A full follow-through takes the bowling arm from its release point on an upswing to shoulder level or higher. The fine of the follow-through should be toward the target not left or right.
Targeting:
The arrows, or aiming spots are located 15 feet from the foul line. They serve as targeting guides. There are seven arrows. The middle one is located directly in the center of the lane in line with the headpin. The other arrows are also aligned with specific pins.In order to help position your stance, the rows of dots on the approach match up directly to the arrows. A straight path can be drawn from the middle dot on the approach through the middle arrow on the lane to the headpin. The other dots and arrows match up in a similar way.
The ball should come into the 1-3 pocket at a right-to-left angle. Left-handers 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. . A ball that hooks builds more right-to-left (for a right-hander) movement. The result is much stronger angle of entry into the 1-3 pocket.
Shooting Spare:
The first rule of spare shooting involves simple geometry. It is the cross-law 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 fine 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.The line for any back row spare shot should do 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.
The hook ball:
To make a ball hook, the thumb exits first, followed by the fingers. As the ball pulls itself off the fingers, it starts rotating. The direction of the rotation is determined by where the thumb was pointed as the ball left the hand. This is a split second process.Having the thumb come out first is natural because the thumb is shorter in length than the fingers. Nevertheless having a well fitted ball is certainly important. So is making a good approach to the foul line.To create a hook, place the thumb so it is pointed at 10 or 11 o’clock or 2 or 1 o’clock for left-handers. A straight up, or 12 o’clock release position of the thumb will create a straight ball.With the thumb in a hook position, keep the wrist relatively firm through the release. You should feel some pressure or tug on the fingers as the release occurs. Those are the ingredients for a hook. Importantly, it is just as easy to learn a modest hook release as it is to throw a predictable straight ball.
Enjoy!
If you trying to buy something far from your area, you have to take account shipment cost too!
