Tips For Senior Bowling Practice

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 8/13/2012; Updated: 7/3/2023

If you are a senior bowler and are finding it more and more difficult to compete, there are a few tips for senior bowling practice to sharpen your skills. Although "Father Time" is catching up quickly as evidenced by noticeable losses in certain reflexes and flexibility, there are a few simple practice tips you can develop a routine working on to help things move in the right direction.
Some of the obvious reductions in physical skills are ball speed, flexibility in the legs and knees while taking an approach, the arm swing radius, and hand action while releasing the bowling ball.
As a senior player, what can you do? We at bowlingball.com recommend you try these tips for senior bowling practice to maximize your present skills and prepare for future competition:

1. Footwork - if a loss in muscle flexibility has shortened your steps, you undoubtedly have experienced a loss in leverage and ball speed. Short steps do not allow for effective use of the big muscles in your legs and will cause a breakdown in power. When preparing for a tournament or some meaningful competition, practice taking a longer stride, perhaps a couple of inches longer, with the steps leading into and including the slide step. Slightly longer steps and perhaps just a bit faster tempo, so long as you do not lose balance, will restore some loss of leverage and ball speed.
2. Knee Action - Aging usually results in not bending or flexing the knees deeply enough throughout the steps to the foul line. When the knees are flexed, perhaps one or two inches flexed, the big muscles of the legs are more in use. Try using more knee flex with a longer stride and you will find increased power generated from your legs.
3. Swing - If the height of your back swing is becoming short and thereby slowing the speed of the forward swing, try to make a swifter, free, and loose back swing motion so your swing momentum will lengthen your swing arc and create more natural bowling ball speed. It is important to keep your arm muscles loose and relaxed during your swing motion. Relaxed muscles move more quickly than tense or controlled muscles.
4. Follow Through - loss of ball speed is related to a reduction in forward swing speed and a less than full, follow-through position. Develop an aggressive follow through swing motion on each delivery without losing balance. Remain stable at the foul line and smoothly follow through with a completed and high swing finishing motion. Allow your swing to complete its full cycle back and through to a full-follow through position where the bottom of your bowling elbow attains shoulder height at the minimum.
5. Loft - loss of ball velocity and power comes decelerating the forward swing, rotating the bowling ball before your hand reaches release zone, and from losing the ball into the approach floor. Try releasing the ball using enough loft and speed to propel the ball perhaps 12-24 inches while working at staying behind the ball as long as possible. Practice getting the ball over the foul line with maximum ball speed until you have gained control and confidence in doing so on a consistent basis. Experiment using a wrist support device to help you gain an effective release and avoid dropping the ball behind the foul line.
6. Exercise - use of proven stretching exercises recommended by fitness professionals or by medical doctors is highly recommended. Strengthening and stretching your arm, shoulder, and legs muscles is what every successful athlete does before competition. Develop an exercise regimen for both your leg, arm, and upper body and train yourself to be a more aggressive bowler. The effort will most certainly pay dividends in your bowling scores.
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