Bowling Tips to Improve Your Score

Bowling tips to help with your backswing and follow though will never go astray. The backswing that is higher than shoulder level invites trouble for the bowler and the follow-through should be completely comfortable and natural. Don’t pose as if awaiting the photographers

You simply can’t release the ball until you’ve gone through the backswing, and it doesn’t hurt one little bit to know what you’re doing when it comes to follow-through after you’ve released it.

Lots of times, you’ve probably strolled into your neighborhood lanes to bowl and noticed some guy or gal with a backswing so high you wondered who’d get killed if they lost control of the ball. What if their fingers were wet and slippery?

The danger of bloodshed isn’t the primary reason a high backswing is no good, however. The real reason is that the higher the backswing, the more room you have for making a mistake that costs you control. There has been a trend recently among many of the better bowlers to cut down on their backswing for just that reason-control.

The backswing starts immediately after your pushaway, and the ball should be swung straight back. Don’t swing the ball around your hips-keep the pendulum straight.

Some bowlers have practically no back-swing. Actually, it would seem that they execute a pushaway, let the ball drop to their side, increase their speed a little bit, then slide, stop and let the ball keep going.

The general opinion has it that the back-swing should never go any higher than your shoulders, which naturally are lowered as you make your approach.

You should always have complete control of the backswing and-right!-the ball should never go higher than your shoulders.

Some bowlers think the backswing should be as short as possible. Some have even found after shortening it that this has given them less hook and more roll on the ball. With conditions as they are now one needs a ball which hooks gradually but keeps going into the pocket, and the shorter backswing has often helped this.

The follow-through

Some of the more important bowling tips involve the all-important follow-through. I am inclined to go along with the theory that you should try to be as natural as possible on your follow-through. I certainly make no effort to stop my arm. In fact, it usually stops right in front or to the right of my eyes.

I try to achieve a direct pull-up after releasing the ball. I find that this type of follow-through keeps me from crossing my body with the ball, or pulling it. It also helps me a great deal in getting the ball out on the lane in front of me and that’s important.

Other bowlers don’t use too much of a follow-through, but don’t purposely stop their arm from going any higher. It’s natural for them and feels comfortable. They use a pretty good kick with the right leg and carry their left arms pretty well out to maintain balance.

There have been a lot of unusual follow-throughs on the lanes in recent years. Some bowlers seem to make a point of crossing their body. Some even finish with their right arm so close to their left ear they seem to be grabbing for it. A couple of our star bowlers today release the ball and then finish with their right arm far out to their right. Some bowlers throw their arm way up over their head and stand at the foul line looking as though they were waiting for a photographer.

In the case where experts had unusual styles they always knew what they were doing.

One further thing might help. As a bowler releases the ball and has his or her eyes on a definite target, it will help if the eyes are not lifted too quickly. Keep looking at your spot until you’ve completed your follow-through. You won’t be so prone to cross your body with your arm.

Follow these bowling tips in order to master the backswing and follow-through.