Bowl Intelligently

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 2/1/2014; Updated: 12/21/2022

If your are steadily improving your game but recently feel you have capped in your performances, it may be that you are trying to do more than your game allows.
It can also be that you may not be using your skills and techniques to your full advantage during competition.
Whichever is the case, you must utilize your resources and bowl intelligently.
Using a few technique tips to help organize your practice can lead you to trusting your decisions in competition.
It is surprising how many bowlers, really good bowlers, bowl with no plan and with no faith in their own skills.
Use your practice time wisely to learn which adjustments work best in given situations. Then when you face the situation in competition, you will know what to do and which adjustment to your techniques give you the best chance at success.
For example, if you are bowling in league and cannot get lined up on one of the lanes, make a decision which of your adjustments will produce your best chance at hitting the pocket.
Unless you practice each of your adjustment techniques and compare them to one another on given lane conditions, you will continue to struggle hitting the pocket.
It is in practice that you build your game. In competition, you must trust your game.
Not every adjustment is a physical game technique. Some adjustments are alignment changes or equipment changes.
To understand the differences between each of the adjustments you have developed through the years is the best way to make improvements in your game.
When using an adjustment is not getting you the ball reaction you seek, it might be unwise to continue trying the same adjustment over and over if you continue getting a poor result.
Being stubborn and telling yourself you can throw the ball better and keep making the same mistake over and over is not a smart strategy, albeit one which many bowlers demonstrate.

It is next to impossible with today’s high technology bowling balls to “out-bowl” a bad ball reaction. If you are not getting your ball to react right and are missing the pocket continually, do something else. Avoid stubbornness by trying the same thing again.
If you do nothing other than change bowling balls, you will at least “press the adjustment re-set button.” Giving yourself a chance to make new, fine-tuning adjustments to hit the pocket again.
Avoid working on too many things at one time. Work on what you know needs to be addressed in competition when you are bowling in practice sessions.
Practice with a purpose. An organized practice routine will maximize your skills development.
Bowling intelligently means to trust in your skills and use them wisely when it really counts.