Most bowling tips articles tell you to "keep your arm straight" and "follow through." That's not wrong, but it's not what moves the needle for most bowlers. The tips below address the real reasons recreational and developing league bowlers leave pins on the deck — inconsistent targeting, poor spare shooting, ignoring lane transition, and the mental habits that quietly wreck otherwise solid deliveries.
Aim at the arrows, not the pins
The pins are 60 feet away. The arrows — the seven triangular targets embedded in the lane — are only 15 feet from the foul line. Aiming at something closer is more accurate. Every consistent bowler targets the arrows. When you're told to "hit the pocket," that translates to a specific arrow (usually the second arrow, board 10) at a specific angle — not a vague aim at the headpin 60 feet away.
Start from the same spot every time
Mark your starting foot position on the approach with a dot or a dot on the floor markers. Inconsistent starting position is the fastest way to be inconsistent at the arrows. Measure your position in boards from the right edge of the lane — pick one, write it down, use it every shot.
Fix your spare shooting before worrying about strikes
A bowler who strikes 4 times a game but converts every spare scores higher than one who strikes 6 times and misses 3 easy spares. Single-pin spares — especially the 10-pin (for right-handers) and 7-pin — are the difference between 140 and 170 averages. Use a straight ball or a polyester spare ball, aim at the pin directly, and don't hook your way through a spare shot.
Your push-away sets everything else
The push-away — the first move of your approach where you extend the ball forward — determines the timing of your entire swing. Too late and your swing rushes at the line. Too early and you're waiting for the ball. Most timing problems trace back to the push-away. Practice starting it simultaneously with your first step (for a 4-step approach) or just before it (for 5-step).
Let gravity swing the ball
Most beginners muscle the ball through the swing — they actively push it back and throw it forward. This creates inconsistency. The swing should be a pendulum: push away, let gravity pull the ball down and back, let momentum carry it forward. Your arm is a guide, not an engine. If your arm is tired after bowling, you're working too hard.
Slide on your final step, don't plant
The final step before the foul line should be a slide — your sliding foot glides forward a few inches and you finish balanced. Planting your foot kills momentum and throws your release off. Bowling shoes have a sliding sole on the non-dominant foot specifically for this. If you're stopping dead at the line, you're braking instead of finishing.
Watch where your ball crosses the arrows
After each delivery, note exactly which board your ball rolled over at the arrows. Not where you aimed — where it actually went. This is your feedback. If you aimed at the 10 board and crossed the 12, you know to adjust your feet 2 boards right. The adjustment formula: move your feet in the same direction as the miss.
Move your feet, not your target
When adjusting for lane conditions, move your feet while keeping your target arrow the same. This changes the angle of your ball's path without changing your target reference point. Moving both feet and target simultaneously makes it impossible to know which change had what effect.
The lane dries out as you bowl — adjust for it
Oil in the track area breaks down as you and other bowlers roll over it. After 4–6 games, the middle of the lane has less oil than when you started. Your ball will hook earlier and harder. Move your feet 1–2 boards left (right-handers) during a long session to compensate. Ignoring lane transition is why many bowlers start strong and fade in the 8th frame.
Own your ball — don't use the house balls
House balls are polyester, heavy, and drilled for an anonymous hand. They're fine for occasional bowling. But if you bowl more than twice a month, a properly fitted and drilled reactive resin ball will improve your game more than any technique change. The right ball, drilled to your hand, is the highest-ROI equipment investment in bowling.
Bowl with a consistent ball speed
Ball speed variation changes where and how much your ball hooks. Throwing harder to "get through" a dry spot, or softer when you're tired, produces inconsistent results. Work on a repeatable speed — most recreational bowlers do well at 14–16 mph. Record your speed on the lane monitor and aim for the same number every shot.
Learn the spare systems
There are two main spare-shooting systems — the 3-6-9 system and the corner pin system. The 3-6-9 system tells you how many boards to move your feet for each pin column you need to cover. Learning a system converts spare shooting from guesswork to geometry. Spend one practice session on nothing but spare shooting — it will pay off more than striking practice.
Don't change anything after a strike
After you throw a strike, the single most common error is subtly adjusting your approach for the next ball. You don't know why you struck — the right response is to do exactly the same thing. The natural urge to "improve" on a strike is one of the main turkey-killers. Commit to repeating the same shot.
Clean your ball between sessions
Lane oil saturates reactive resin coverstocks over time. A ball that hooks 8 boards when clean may only hook 4 boards after 20 games without cleaning. Two minutes with an approved cleaner after every session maintains your ball's reaction. This is maintenance, not optional.
Bowl one shot at a time
The mental game in bowling is mostly about staying present. Thinking about the strike you just threw (good or bad), the spare you need, or the score you're tracking activates exactly the wrong kind of thinking during delivery. Your conscious mind is slower and less accurate than your trained muscle memory. Your only job during delivery is to execute your pre-shot routine and hit your target.