Pre-shot routines

   Let's say you're on a bowling team, you care about winning, and it's a close match.  You have to at least spare to give your team a shot to win.  Don't you feel the pressure?  This is why a pre-shot routine is so vital.

• Almost every person's pre-shot routine is different.
  • Very rarely will you come across two or more people with the same routine.  It's certainly not something to be copied; everyone has their own idiosyncrasies before each shot, their own way of staying focused.  Find out what works for you.  Even if it has to include stretching, taking deep breaths, or a quick prayer, if it works for you, stick with it.
     
• Do NOT change your routine!
  • Under NO circumstances should you change your pre-shot routine.  Why would you want to?  Since we've established that a pre-shot routine must be subconscious, if you break this routine, you would be changing something natural to you, putting you in a new, uneasy situation.  This is the last thing you need in those pressure-packed situations.  But even when not under pressure, stick with the pre-shot routine to stay comfortable.

   Generating hook spin

   "Aaron, how you get that ball to hook?"  You wouldn't believe how many of my non-bowling friends ask me that.  It's real simple to hook a ball.  The hard part is controlling it.

• Fingers first, then thumb.  Pinky close, index finger far
  • What does this mean?  When inserting your fingers into the ball, the fingers should go first, followed by the thumb.  Position your pinky finger close to the finger holes (occupied by the middle and ring fingers), but keep the index finger a distance away.  This will put position the ball more towards the index-finger side of your hand, the side that will give you the most hooking leverage.
     
• Consider fingertip grips for extra hook
  • Virtually all bowlers with massive amounts of hook have fingertip grips on their bowling balls.  On these balls, you can only insert your fingers up until the first notch on your finger (the line closest to your fingernails).  Of course, your fingers will need to be stronger than if you had conventional grips (where you can put your fingers all the way in), but you now have more hook leverage.  How?
     
    • If your fingers are too far inside, the ball is naturally harder to spin because your fingers need to release the ball at a certain angle to generate proper spin.  In layman's terms, if your fingers are too far inside, hooking the ball is harder.  Try it at your local bowling alley next time, and you'll see the difference between a fingertip-grip ball and a conventional-grip ball when you try to hook it.
       
• For a little draw, shake hands with the target
  • What do I mean, you ask?  How do you shake hands?  The arm is extended and the palm is facing sideways (facing left with your right hand and facing right with your left hand).  Now remember that every time you release the bowling ball.  Just as you let go, start bringing up the hand in a natural motion where it appears you want to "shake hands with the target."  The ball should have a bit of spin on it now and should draw slightly.
     
• Strengthening your wrists and fingers to generate more spin
  • Consider lifting dumbbells and focus on wrist and finger exercises.  Try to do a few sets of 10-20 every week.  After a few weeks, you should start seeing the difference on your shots.
     
• For maximum spin, cup your wrists
  • Pick up your ball.  Throw your shot trying to generate spin with a flat wrist (no bending of the wrist).  Now try to throw a shot while "cupping," or fully bending your wrist so part of the ball is resting on your wrist itself.  Now try to generate spin.  Isn't it much easier?  Why is that so?
     
    • With the cupped wrist, you now have more leverage to spin the ball.  More tendons and ligaments are helping your purpose, as opposed to the flat wrist (where some tendons and ligaments are not working in your favor).
       
• How do you control your newfound hook?  Adjust by moving left or right on the approach and consider throwing the ball out - so it flirts with the channel.  If your ball hooks immensely, it should come back.  If you have moved all the way left or right and it's still a problem, consider a new ball with less hook or get your existing ball re-drilled so it doesn't react as much.

   It's all about the mental game sometimes

   "Mind over matter" ... ever hear of that old saying?  It's true; the brain is the most powerful part of our body.  If we can't focus on a shot - or don't care - then rolling a good game can be very difficult.  Here are some tips to help you along with your mental preparation:

• Have a "Just do the best you can" attitude
  • Seriously, is there any more you can ask for?  We all dream of bowling 300 games and 900 series, but, in the end, all we can say is "I tried my best."  So stick with that.  There is really no need to put any added pressure on yourself to do well.  Improvements come with time and practice.
     
• TWO FEET OF SPACE TO GET A SPARE?!
  • We all know what a bowling pin looks like.  It seems to shrink to the size of a pin when we do bad and the size of a canyon when we do well.  Pins are 4.75 inches at their widest point, which doesn't seem like much.  However, what if I told you that you now have two FEET of space - 24 inches - to work with to get one pin?  Doesn't it sound that much easier to get?  I would hope so.
  • But you're wondering, "Aaron, you know that pin is not two feet wide.  Are you nuts?"  Well, I am not crazy, and here's why.
     
    • What is the point of bowling?  To knock pins down.  Does it matter how you knock them down?  Most times, no.  You can hit a pin on the right side, the left side, or down the middle.  As long as you HIT it, you get it, right?  Think about it: if you hit a pin on the extreme left side with your bowling ball (diameter 8.5 inches), you have approximately 8.5 inches of space there.
    • Doing more math, you have the 8.5 inches or so on the other side, plus the 4.75 inches of actual pin.  This amounts to 21.75 inches.  Now do you think you can get the pin?  The target will surely look a lot bigger now.
       
• Your teammates will not kill you if you lose the game for them ... seriously.
  • Most times, you will be bowling on a team of equal sides, and the object is to get a higher team score than your opponent.  There will be games where the game is extremely close, and it will come down to the last bowler, termed the "anchor."  There will be times where you, as the anchor, will pull out the win, and it will feel quite good.
  • However, there will be times where you will miss a crucial spare or not get that much-needed strike, and thus, your team will lose.  Seriously, assuming your teammates didn't bet their life's savings or their lives, they shouldn't get mad at you.  If your teammates are extremely competitive, they will let you know about it for a while, but eventually, things will settle.
     
• Don't be hard on yourself if you lose a match.  Why dwell on the past when you can look towards the future?

   The three-board rule

   Let's say, for argument's sake, that in order for you to get a strike, you stand in the middle of the approach and throw the ball down the middle.  Using what I term "The Three-Board Rule," you can easily pick up your spares on both sides.

• Left-side spare?  Move right.  Right-side spare?  Move left.
  • Logically, you should give yourself the best angle to knock down the pin.  What's the best angle, you ask?  The side opposite of where your target pin is gives you the best angle because you have more room to pick up your spare.  Here's the proof:
     
    • You want to keep the ball on the lane.  Let's say you want to get the 4-pin (on the left side).  Why wouldn't you stand on the left side?  Look to the left of the 4-pin.  You have next to nothing for room for error.  If you pull the shot, the ball's in the gutter.  But what if you moved to the right side?  You now have more lane to keep the ball on, and, mentally, the shot looks easier.  Moving to the opposite side to get the best angle is more mental help as opposed to a physical aid.  There are bowlers who will just shoot at the 4-pin from the left side, but they are likely very experienced and well in command of their shot.  If you're just starting out, you're not at their level yet, so don't try it.
       
  • Now, you are ready for the three-board rule.
     
    • Assuming you stand around the middle, move three boards (about 1.5 inches, a baby step) to the right or left for each left-side or right-side spare, respectively.  So, move three boards to the right of your original position to get the 2-pin and the 8-pin.  Move another three boards to the right of that to get the 4-pin, and so on.  So, if you want to get the 10-pin, move nine boards to the left of your original spot.
       
  • IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: What if your first-ball shot does NOT go down the middle of the lane?  What if you are right-handed and, say, your shot starts at the second arrow instead and hooks into the pocket?  The rule still applies for left-side spares.  However, extreme right-side spares would need an adjustment, because you won't have the room to get the ball all the way down the right side before it goes in the gutter.  So, assuming you are right-handed and don't normally play the middle arrow as your target, use the middle arrow anyway.  You will find you will be getting more spares and, thus, shooting higher scores.

   The Basics!

   Everyone has to start somewhere.  We're not all "born" to bowl or are naturals in everything we do.  As with every other sport, it takes time to become a better bowler.  In this tip, I will give you a bunch of basics that everyone should try to follow.

• Ball weight
  • Find a weight that's comfortable for you.  Remember, you will be swinging this ball for ten frames a game, so make sure you have a weight that won't be too heavy.
  • However, I have also seen junior bowlers who have no problem throwing the ball out there.  The bowling alley I go to has a built-in radar gun that shows everyone how fast the ball went down the lane.  A bowler really does not need to be throwing any more than 13-14 mph to be effective; accuracy is a much more valuable quality to have.  I have seen bowlers who throw a 14-pound ball at 12-13 mph shoot 200+ games, so ball speed is not a major factor.
  • Aaron's Rule of Ball Speed: If you are capable of throwing a straight shot 16 mph or faster, you can move up one pound in weight.  If more than 18 mph, you can even move up two pounds.  Of course, this is all given that you aren't at the max ball weight of 16 pounds.
     
• Hook or not to hook?
  • Personally, I feel a bowler does not need any more than 15 boards of hook (one board = about a half inch).  "Boards" are defined as each little long "plank" on the lane.  Every five boards, you will find an arrow about a fourth of the way down the lane, and this is what every good bowler aims for.
  • One of the main reasons bowlers generate hook on their ball is to maximize the velocity into the 1-3 pocket (for righties; the 1-2 pocket for lefties) so a strike is more likely to occur.  A reason for generating hook should NEVER be, "It looks real cool," or something similar to that statement.  That's the wrong way to look at it.
     
• Number of steps
  • First of all, if you're right-handed, finish on your left foot.  Left-handed?  Finish on your right foot.
  • The number of steps a bowler should take is strictly up to you.  When I first started out, I took four steps, but my dad convinced me to switch to five because you can use that extra step to help get a rhythm for your shot.  A bunch of professional bowlers use four or five steps on their shots, but there are many that will take more than five or fewer than four.  Stick with however many steps feels right for you.
     
• Follow-through
  • A tendency for beginners is to stop their arm motion immediately after releasing the ball.  However, when you do that, you restrict natural momentum, and your shot can either go off line, slower, or both.  Finish through by keeping your arm going even after your release. A good rule is to stop when the hand is near your ear.
     
• Practice
  • There is NO substitute for practice.  Practice often, and practice seriously if you want to get better!