Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – May 2024

In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question!

I’m comfortable bowling in the track area and inside of it, but I really struggle when I have to get closer to the gutter. Do you have any tips on improving my scores from there?

For bowlers who like to hook the ball a little (or a lot), moving outside to play the gutter can be a daunting task. This one has mental, technical, and equipment considerations. We’ll start with the mental side, which is often the most important.

Getting comfortable

The mental component of playing near the gutter is about gaining comfort. The two main pieces to getting comfortable at the gutter are overcoming your fear of getting zero and changing your perspective on the lane.

Face your fears

For many bowlers, the main issue with getting closer to the gutter is the fear of dropping one in there. Here’s the shortcut to overcoming that fear: in your first few practices out there, try to throw the ball in the gutter.

By this, I don’t mean just dumping it off your hand straight into the gutter. Take your normal approach, but target the gutter. Let it fall in on the way to the breakpoint. After this, throw a normal shot and try ...