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Have you ever been completely lost while your opponent is lined up? A form of defense does exist in bowling. This defense is starting to become more widely used on the pro tour. This is how it works. First you have to watch your opponent line up during practice. As long as you are not going to play the same area on the lane, take a heavily sanded ball with a low track flare and throw it right down where your opponent will be playing. What this does is it basically annihilates your opponents shot.

This strategy can be seen in many bowling centers and even on the tour. In the Tournament of Champions Chris Barnes' opponents left the practice session a little early to sit back and watch him line up. They came back shortly after in time to completely destroyed the right side of the lane where Barnes was going to be playing. Not to mention this pair was to be nationally televised much to Barnes' despair. In the end when Barnes got up to bowl Healy he was lost and Healy eliminated him 210-192. Several pros on tour claim that they would only use this strategy to build their own shot, never to destroy an opponent's shot.

On the other side of this strategy you can use it as an offensive method, which is actually referred to as "building a shot." If the lane conditions are oily you will want to take a heavily sanded ball with low flare and point it straight down the lane about 2 boards outside of your line. For instance, if your break point is going to be the 8 board, you will throw the ball straight down the 6 and 7 boards. What this will accomplish is it will give you a bounce and create larger area on the lane for you to work with. If the lane conditions are a little light on oil what you will need to do is take a plastic ball and throw it straight down the lane 2 boards inside of your intended line. For example with heavy oil if you are intending on playing the 8 board you will need to throw your plastic ball down the 9 and 10 boards. This will create hold and give you more area of your intended line.

This strategy might be fun to try sometime or play as a team with a "team shot," but remember to enjoy yourself and play hard.