Score on Tough Shots

If you want to how how to score on tough shots, this tip will get you started. First, you need to find ways to keep the ball in play, hit the pocket, and make spares.  You need to catch a double here and there. The term I use for keeping the ball around the pocket is controlling the pocket.

So, what does it really mean to control the pocket? It means that you consistently find a way to keep the ball in the 1-3 pocket (or the 1-2). This means that you don’t “give away” the pocket by keeping your ball motion predictable. To accomplish this, you usually need to sacrifice some carry in order to get more
control of the ball motion.

Adjustments to Score on Tough Shots

What types of adjustments allow you to maintain the pocket when the lanes are tough? First, you need to look at your ball motion from the front of the lane to the back. If you move the breakpoint a little closer to you it decreases the pocket angle at the pins and evens out the break point. When the break point is smoother and the ball enters the pocket at a smaller angle, it is easier to stay in the pocket. This is how players like Walter Ray Williams, Jr can maintain the pocket when others can not. These players understand that a late, sharp break point is not the best way to control the pocket.

Decrease Axis Rotation to Score on Tough Shots

You can use more forward roll to make the break point earlier and the pocket angle smaller. Forward roll will always make this combination happen. Staying behind the ball longer and using less motion with your wrist around the ball will give you more forward roll.

This tip will give you a little more specific information about bowling on sport conditions.

Straighter is Greater

Use straighter target lines when the lanes are tough. The saying that “straighter is greater” is often heard at the major championships. All you have to do is look at the players who have the most major titles and tour victories, and you will find that many of them are masters at playing the lanes very straight when they are tough. This is because when you cross fewer boards on the lane on a tough pattern you will see less transition from crossing different parts of the pattern. This makes playing the lanes much easier because there will be less variation from pair to pair.

For more information on target line strategies, see this video from Brad & Kyle.

Equipment

Use predictable equipment, either by the ball itself, the layout of the ball, or both. If you use the ball that goes long and hooks hard, you’re going to leave difficult splits. These balls look great on a house shot, but when you attempt to use them on a flat pattern they’re not so good. Layouts with the pin close to the grip, either below the fingers for earlier, smoother roll or a little above the fingers for slightly later, stronger back end motion (but not extremely strong, high pin layouts) will give you’re the types of combinations that will give you very predictable ball motion.

Use sanded and not polished equipment on tough patterns to smooth out the transition from the oil to the dry. Sanded does not mean that the ball will hook more, only that the ball will not over-react to the dry part of the lane. Sanded can be sanded with a 4000 grit pad, which can look slightly polished. Sometimes you will need to take some roll off the ball to get control of the pocket. This should not be your first option, but one that you should keep in the back of your mind just in case they get really ugly or you just can’t find another option.

Make Spares to Score on Tough Shots

Finally, use a spare ball or a very straight spare release on very tough conditions. It doesn’t do any good to control the pocket if you don’t make your spares.

Try these techniques on tough patterns, and I think your scores will go up!