How to Make Adjustments on the Lanes

If you are trying to learn how to make adjustments on the lanes, then kindly consider the following keys to guide you in hitting the pocket consistently:

1. Ball Change
2. Angle Change
3. Release Change
4. Speed Change

After your initial alignment, learning how to make adjustments on the lanes so you are able to consistently hit the pocket will help you improve your bowling scores. The lane oiling conditions are always the essential element in determining how to line up initially. Since lane conditions can vary from extremely dry conditions to very oily conditions or somewhere between and can vary during any given session on the lanes, making adjustments while you are bowling are necessary if you wish to bowl effectively and achieve good scores.

Making a ball change to match the lanes conditions is probably your first best consideration. If you have more than one bowling ball ready to use, then please do not fear making a ball change to adapt to the lane conditions. As example, if the lanes are very oily and your ball slides too far, switch to a ball which has a solid coverstock and a low RG and matte finish as to adhere to the lane surface thereby creating high surface friction to fight the excessive oil. If the lanes, as example, are fairly dry and your ball rolls too soon or hooks sooner than you wish, then switch to a ball with a pearl or stiff coverstock and a high RG which will slide easily down the lane and conserve energy until reaching the back end of the lane. Choosing a ball with the best matching RG and flare potential rating are also important factors when making ball changes.

Once you feel you have the best of your available bowling balls in hand, then making adjustments by changing your angle to the pocket is the next best consideration. Generally speaking, if your ball does not roll or hook soon enough and slides too far missing the pocket to the right (right handed bowlers - opposite for left handers), then adjust the positioning of your feet on the approach and your target on the lane to the right. A good technique is to move your feet two boards on the lane and your target with your eyes one board to the right, a 2:1 ratio, so you automatically make an angle change to increase your chances of hitting the pocket. Be sure to move both your feet and your target on the lane together and in the same direction. There are always exceptions to the rule of thumb, but this angle change technique is effective and very useful for nearly all lane conditions.

Of course, the opposite is true for dry lanes. Move your feet two boards from your initial alignment positioning on the approach to the left (right handed bowlers) and your eyes one board left. This adjustment will increase your angle away from the pocket to compensate for the early hook you have encountered which has required the angle change. Don't be afraid to make multiple adjustments in 2:1 ratios with your feet and eyes at the target area until you achieve a desired result.

Making a release change or a speed change are the trickiest of any adjustments. Making a release change requires precise and acute hand action at the moment of release in an attempt to change the tilt of the rotating ball axis to enhance a bowling ball hooking motion or to decrease hooking motion depending on the lane oil conditions. Your release action can either increase ball hook or decrease ball hook depending on technique.

A quick and increased finger rotation at the moment of release will typically increase the sharpness of the bowling ball hooking motion. A slow release action with less finger rotation will usually result in a less sharp bowling ball hooking motion. If you are not versed in making release changes, then it is probably a good idea to focus on a ball change or an angle change until you receiving proper coaching for release changes.

Speed control is essential to bowling well. Not only is using the optimum ball speed vital in getting consistent results hitting the pocket, regulating your speed each delivery is also very important. Using more ball speed than the norm, perhaps two mph more, will generally produce less bowling ball hooking motion and matches best to dry lane conditions. For oily conditions, using less ball speed, perhaps two mph less speed, will prevent the ball from sliding too far on the back end of the lane before rolling effectively to the pocket.

Unless you are versed on changing ball speeds effectively and making the necessary physical game corrections to adjust to lane conditions, then it is advised to use your best speed range which allows you to control your speed consistently and rely on making a ball change or an angle change adjustment in an effort to hit the pocket with greater consistency.

We hope these tips help you learn how to make adjustments on the lanes.

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