Building Skills

This month’s article is in response to a reader’s request to create skill challenges to foster improvement in lane play skills and accuracy. With this in mind, I present a number of games, challenges, and practice methods to help you become a better bowler.

I have focused on single lane or single pair challenges for the sole purpose that most people can’t practice on multiple patterns and multiple pairs.

Brooklyn and out game

Brooklyn and out is a game designed to improve one’s awareness of how to move off the strike line and be able to hit a) Brooklyn; b) the 2-4-7 and c) the 3-6-10. This is useful to provide alternative spare shooting methods for commonly left spare combinations.

The goal of this game is to hit the pocket then make a specific move and hit Brooklyn.

Learning: What is the relationship between the pocket and the Brooklyn pocket? What is the relationship between the pocket and the 3-6? Both of these moves off the strike line provide information on spare conversion alternatives. Specifically, this will provide insight into making the 3-6-9-10 or the 1-2-4-10 off the strike line.

Scoring: Give yourself a strike for every successful “POCKET” hit in that frame. Take the actual score when you miss it. If you happen to carry a lucky strike, change the score to six + spare.

7-10-X

The goal of 7-10-X is to develop skill in precision spare shooting on the corner pins as well as moving from throwing straight to executing an accurate strike shot.

Scoring: This is a low ball challenge. Missing into the gutter on the first ball is worth a strike while missing into the gutter on the second shot is a spare. On the strike shot, you get one for the 1st shot and zero for the 2nd shot for striking. If you don’t strike, multiply the number of remaining pins by one. This is your first shot. For example, a seven count is worth three in the first frame. If you make the spare, give yourself a zero for the second shot. ...