Today, I had very little going on, so me and my dad decided to go bowling. It was fun, and we had a good time, but one problem; I am terrible at bowling. I got like a 41, a 52, a 47, and a 56. I don't know how to do to improve, but I find myself having problems keeping the ball from drifting left or right, and sometimes I just roll a ball that goes straight to the gutter unless I roll super slow. Any suggestions?

I'm no bowling expert but try to straighten your arm when you throw the bowling ball.  I had the same problem drifting the ball left and right the last time I went bowling.

I had the same problem because i don't roll the Ball staight but i did practice and got better , maybe you should practice playing thats the only suggestion i got sorry .

Thanks for the tips. I am going bowling again not this Saturday, but next Saturday. I will try to keep my arm straightened too . Also, I have a bit of a different grip, I use the middle finger and the ring finger instead of the pointer finger and the middle finger. It gives me better stability while holding the ball, but do you think it might be causing me some problems?

magimangr : Thanks, I will try that one next time too

thenoobtester : I am also pretty bad at bowling. But one thing that always helps is when you try to get good speed, your arm will naturally turn, giving you a bad throw. So if you try to throw it slower, then you should get a better throw. And sometimes a lighter ball could help too.

patar4097 : Alright, thanks for the advice dude. Now I can't wait to try all this stuff out. I have to wait til next Saturday though

Man, I feel your pain. You aren't the only one that isn't very good at bowling... I do exactly what people tell me to do, but it never, ever works. The last day of school for me is a bowling field trip, but I don't really want to go. I usually get excited when my parents say that we're going bowling, but on my first throw, every time, I realize that I'm not going to be any better than I was last time.
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I do bowl consistently and I understand the sport pretty well. I'm not a professional, but I know enough that I should be able to help, or at the very least I can direct you to places that will help.

One of the first things to focus on when you bowl is your approach. How you walk up to the lane. Some people start from the back set of dots; I start from the front set. It should take four steps, the last ending up on the foot opposite your throwing arm. During the first couple of steps, you want to push the ball out away from your body and swing it down, arm completely straight. Around the third step, the ball should start swinging forward and by the fourth step, when you slide, the ball should be coming out of your hands. It's important to follow through, as that really gives you more power. Learning how to throw a ball that curves, I was told that sticking your hand out as if you're going to shake someone's hand really helps. And it really does, even if you're just throwing a house ball. This is because you're essentially pointing at where you're aiming. If your hand crosses your targeted arrow or board, the ball should go right across it.

The next thing is the release. You want to drop the ball while it's lower than higher. I think this is obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people mess it up. Again, follow through, extending your hand out as if you're going to shake someone's hand.

What you're aiming for is the pocket. That is, the front pin and the pin to its left or its right (the front is the 1 pin, the one on the left is the 2 pin, and the one on the right is the 3 pin) are your primary targets. Striking between these pins is called hitting the pocket. This area gives you the best chance to strike, most definitely. If you're right handed, your pocket is the 1 and the 3 pin (conversely, if you cross the middle and hit the 1 and the 2 pin, that's called a Brooklyn). If you're left handed, your pocket is the 1 and the 2 pin. Hitting the pocket with enough force will take most, if not all, of the pins out. A ball with a hook is much more effective at doing this than a straight ball (although I have a trick to curve the house ball, but I won't talk about that now).

Ideally, this is going to take practice, and a lot of it. Once you get used to it, bowling becomes really fun. I suggest going to Youtube and watching How to Bowl videos to help you out, because they really do help. I've been bowling for a long time, and sometimes I still look when my games become weak because it helps me to see what I'm messing up, or I learn a new technique to try. Definitely give it a shot.

Most importantly, though, have fun! I know this is a cliché statement, but it really is true. I've taken it way too seriously sometimes and absolutely bombed my scores, but once I lightened up, the scores got back to what I'm accustomed to. That being said, there's a difference between being serious and being focused or intense.... but that's another story, once you decide to go pro.

Anyways, you should definitely let us know how your games go. The more you do it, the better you'll get, the more you'll have fun, and the more opportunities to bowl in leagues and to make friends arises. In fact, you should join a beginner's league if there is one. A lot of times, at least where I'm at, they give you a starter bowling ball which you can have custom drilled to fit your hand. This is perfect for helping you throw the ball. I definitely recommend it. I'd also get your own bowling shoes, because the bowling alley's shoes are overpriced and they're absolutely terrible. I've had mine for 9 years now, saving me thousands of dollars over that time because I didn't have to pay the fees that it takes to get the dang shoes. But that's only if you want to. I'm more or less talking about if you decide to really learn how to bowl well.

Have fun! And don't forget to let us know how you do!

Get the right size and practice, that's all the advice I can give.

pray75 : Thanks so much . Dude, that advice is awesome, it pretty much sums all of it up for me . I'm considering joining a bowling league, but I need some practice first, and that seems like the best way to do it. It's a lot easier in Wii Sports though XD

thenoobtester : I have a few, but I need to know a few things first.

Do you play football or baseball?
Are you a side arm thrower, or over head?
How often do you actually bowl?

thing1 : I play baseball, I usually throw over the head, and I used to bowl once a month or so, but now I plan on going every other week to see how well I do, and if I want to actually do it as a sport.

thenoobtester : O.K. then... only thing I can really think of is to roll straight arm underhand when bowling, and make sure you follow all the threw with your arm, just like you follow through when playing baseball. Trust me, it will help. I used to bowl 220's, got away from doing it, bowl'ed 70's, and now I am back up to about 140's.