How To Make One Good Bowling Shot At A Time

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 12/16/2010; Updated: 9/26/2023

Let's discuss how to make one good bowling shot at a time.  You may have heard this phrase before, but it is worth repeating.  Learning how to make one good bowling shot at a time is a strategy all accomplished bowlers use and is a time-tested and proven one.
It is important to understand this simple yet effective strategy of thinking only about your next delivery of the bowling ball and not getting ahead of yourself.  Although it sounds easy or simple enough that it would be automatic, quite the opposite is true unless you develop an awareness to think only about the next shot at hand.

When you are in a competitive session and are bowling well, like having the first 6 strikes in a row in a given game of league or tournament play as example, it is normal to think about a perfect game with only six more consecutive strikes.  Expectations create anxiety.  Avoid thinking too far ahead in the game or in the competition.  The strategy is to only think about what you must physically do to make one more good delivery in your next frame of bowling.
If you are in the seventh frame, you cannot do anything about what you might have done in earlier frames.  You certainly cannot do anything about the 8th frame, ninth frame, and beyond until you complete your next frame, the seventh frame, in this example. Remain focused on the next delivery and do not get ahead of yourself.
It is also quite easy to pay too much attention to what others are doing and not on what your next task requires.  Avoid reacting to results of your competitors and instead, only think about what you must do to succeed in your next delivery.
In fact, if you are in competition and your opponent is bowling well, a proven strategy is to expect your opponent(s) to strike the game out and finish strongly.  If you expect a strong finish and it does indeed occur, then you will not experience any sudden surge of excitement or anxiety before making your next delivery.   If your opponent does not finish strong, then you must still follow your self-contained strategy and focus only on the next delivery you must make.  Focus on the next delivery, and then the next, and so on.  Stay in the moment and avoid thinking too far in the future. Simple but very sound advice.
You cannot win a tournament in the first frame.  Try only to make a good shot on each delivery and let the good results come your way.  In competition, patience can be a key strategy for success.
Here are some good physical game keys to focus on to help you make one good shot at a time:
1. Focus your eyes on your target throughout the approach and delivery with full commitment and with laser-like precision.
2. Maintain an athletic posture and good balance during your approach.
2. Maintain consistent pace or tempo of footsteps.  Try and avoid accelerating your steps excessively, particularly the final two steps of your approach which are the most critical.  Fast steps will cause hurried and inaccurate releases.
3. Swing your bowling ball freely and smoothly without arm tension. Try to maintain a consistent swing tempo on the back swing and forward swing on each delivery.
4. Hold your form at the foul line until your ball passes your target. Balance during and after the critical release of the ball is vital to accuracy and good results.

5. Make a good start to your approach, a good finish, and between, focus on releasing your ball over your target on the lane.
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