How to Be More Consistent in Throwing Your Bowling Ball

Consistency tests even Professional Bowlers Association tour players. Throwing the ball to knock down a strike every time takes practice and precision. Working on your stance, developing a routine with your release and follow-through and racking up lots of practice time are the keys to developing consistency in throwing your bowling ball.

Instructions

    • 1

      Work on your footwork. Determine whether a three-step or five-step approach works best for you and stick with it. Practice your footwork without the ball. Learn all of the nuances of your steps from where you plant your foot to how much you slide to how close you come to the foul line. Practice with the ball to match the same consistency that you worked on without it,

    • 2

      Develop a good stance. Maintain an upright posture as you throw the ball while keeping your center of gravity as close to the floor as possible. Bend your knees as you release the ball to retain a low center of gravity.

    • 3

      Grip the ball properly in while you are in setup mode. Hold the ball close to your body with the top of the bowling ball across from your neck with your non-throwing hand holding the ball from the side. Place your index finger and middle finger pointing toward the pins and your thumb pointing toward your face as it sits in the thumb hole.

    • 4

      Practice your arm movement and release point. Keep your arm loose and hand relaxed in all points of your swing: the backswing, the release and the follow-through. Work on creating symmetry with your arm and hand so that your follow-through is the same every time.

    • 5

      Practice your release point and the actions of your fingers so that they develop consistency in conjunction with your arm swing. Release your thumb on the down stroke just prior to reaching the foul line. Push the ball down the line with your fingers for your style of bowling. For example, rotate your fingers approximately 2 inches, ending up with a handshake-type motion with your thumb pointing straight up after the follow-through on the throw if you are a hook bowler. Release the thumb so that it comes up at a slight angle as your ring finger, middle finger and index finger create a "W" effect that points directly at the pins for straight bowlers.

    • 6

      Practice as often as possible. Contact your local bowling center to find out if they offer open bowling, where you pay for a certain amount of time, such as an hour, rather than per game. Ignore scoring and use that time to work on all aspects of your game. Practice your shot-making skills on both strikes and spares.