Admit it— noting is more satisfying than seeing yourself scoring a strike. Now imagine that happening throughout the game consecutively. Yes, I’m talking about a perfect game in bowling. Indeed, it’s extremely rare. But there’s nothing wrong with being highly ambitious. With lots of practice you can increase your strikes frequency, and then you can fully learn how to get a strike every time in bowling. Besides having better bowling average and scores, having back to back strikes will actually make you a master in this sports. So without further ado, let’s learn some tips and tricks that will help you in this matter.
How to Get a Strike Every Time in Bowling?
Are you an aspiring pro bowler? Or a casual/seasonal hobbyist? Despite your current rank and skill, you can and at least try to strike every time you want. But of course, it is not an easy job. So what can increase your chances of getting more strikes than your usual? Well, it’s not an easy job. Besides being sharply concentrated, you have to keep a lot of factors in mind when you’re playing. Let me elaborate.
Get yourself the right bowling ball
Bowling ball in the key equipment of bowling. Whether you are going to strike or not, your bowling ball decides that. Hence, choosing the right bowling ball is paramount. How you are going to bowl a strike depends on the kind of ball you will use, so in a way, the game starts even before you throw your first ball. Picking the right ball doesn’t mean you have to go for the heaviest bowling ball and throw it with minimal power. Realistically, you need to throw a ball that best suits your bowling style. Are you a power dominant or speed dominant player? Either way, you should get a ball that is comparatively lighter because a less heavy ball tends to deliver more strikes. Moreover, you will be more comfortable controlling the ball like that. A right bowling ball will hit the pins right on spot instead of flying up into the air.
Other bowling gears
If you want to strike every time you throw the ball, you need consistency. You may have the skill, but your hand and arm can get tired and may not perform the same way it was doing before. That’s why you need to take proper precautions and protection to stay comfortable throughout the game. Make sure you’re wearing the right breathable bowling shoes that fit nicely. Wear wrist support on your bowling hand if needed. This will keep your wrist from getting tired. And to keep the performance of your ball intact, pack in some ball cleaning microfiber towel in your bowling ball. You can also carry a ball polishing agent in your bag to maintain consistency in hooking ability and ball speed.
Right Positioning
Once you’re all prepped up and ready to go, time to get into the right position. Your stance and positioning— these two are extremely important elements of a perfect game. It’s not just how you will throw the ball, your approach also depends on your strikes. So what is the most desirable method by bowlers? First and foremost, keep your stance straight and upright. At the same time, leave some space between your feet and bend your knees a little, not too much. Don’t forget to hold your bowling ball on your bowling hand’s side. Before you swing your ball naturally, make sure your arm is relaxed. Remember, your arm has to stay close to you and straight on the back-swing, and when you walk the approach area and finally release the ball, make sure you finish the arm swing with follow-through after you let go of the ball.
Proper Approach
Pros that have a record of a perfect game love to take four steps during their approach. So, just start with the foot opposite from your bowling hand (for leftie- it’s the right leg, and for righty- it’s the left leg). Don’t move your eyes from your target arrow/board, and walk straight to the foul line. Don’t forget to keep yourself outside the foul line. If you’re right-handed, the second arrow from the right should be your best target, and if you’re left-handed, the second arrow from the left would be a perfect aim. Keep your walk during the approach slow. Make your body steady without any deliberate movement.
Right Timing
Timing is everything! Literally! Just a few microseconds can change your entire shot and disrupt the ball motion. So you have to do everything on time. So when do you have to be so sharply punctual? Exactly when you release the bowling ball on the lane. When is the accurate time to release the ball? Get the ball out of your grip when your arm swing comes to its lowest point, which is by your feet. This method will help you stop dropping the bowling ball onto the lane. Your ball needs to roll smoothly, not fall on the lane all of a sudden. This drooping often happens if you let go of the ball too early. Lofting can also take place. This happens when you release the ball a bit too late. So, please, be on time.
Hitting the pocket with accuracy
Aiming is the major key element of bowling. How you set your target tells everything how likely are you to get a strike. Do you see the space between the two bowling balls? That’s your pocket. To decide how you’d aim, first think, which pocket you would like to hit. The simple rule of thumb is— the three-pin pocket for a right-handed bowler and the two-pin pocket for a left-handed bowler. Since straight shooters are less likely to strike by hitting the headpin, you will have to hook your bowling ball. And what should you do about that? Having a ball that has controllable hooking capacity. So right before you let go of the ball, don’t forget to rotate your thumb to a 10 o’clock position, if you’re a righty. Similarly, the rotation will be to a 2 o’clock position, if you’re a leftie.
Conclusion
It will take months or years of practice till you can score a perfect game. But for now, focus on how you can increase the number of your strikes in a single game. If you try to get a strike in every single shot, you will eventually play better because your target is high. So play with confidence and maintain consistency as much as you can while you’re on a roll. Good luck and keep on bowling!
