Jose's
Corner

Hitting Your Mark
Part One 

    Every bowler knows that consistently hitting your target will lead to higher, more consistent scores.  The following are some of the things that can help you consistently hit your target.

1.     Narrow your target.  Each board on the lane is one inch wide. 
When asked about their target, many bowlers tell me “Between the 2^nd and 3^rd arrow,” or “Between the 1^st and 2^nd arrow.”  This is much too wide of a target.  Aim at a particular board, arrow, or dot on the lane.  Once you are lined up correctly, you will still have a three board (3 inch) area.  By narrowing your focus, it will help you to not “spray” the ball over a large area on the lane.

2.     Pay attention to where you stand on the approach.  If you stand on the approach in a different spot every time, it will not matter if you hit the same board every time, because the ball will do different things.  You must stand in the same spot on the approach to be consistent with hitting your target.  I tell my students to use the inside of their left foot to mark the board they are standing on.  It really doesn’t matter what you use to mark your spot on the approach, as long as you stand in the same place every time. 

3.     Pay attention to where your feet end up at the foul line.  This will tell you how much you drift.  A small drift is ok, as long as it is consistent.  The main key is ending up on the same place at the foul line every time. Walking straight is the best way to end up on the same place consistently, but as long as your drift is a small one, and is consistent, it is ok.

  I hope that these three things will help you hit your target more consistently.  There are other things that help you hit your target consistently that I will bring up in the next few discussions.  For any questions or pro shop needs, please email Jose at .

Jose