AIMING AIDS YOUR GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE TARGETING
What are you looking at when you shoot the ball? Is it the pins? That would
be a natural target to shoot at since it’s those pesky pins that you’re looking to knock down. The problem with locking into the pins and aiming for them is that they’re 60 feet away. That’s an awful long distance to go to hit your target. Luckily the lanes come with a few other built-in marks that are closer but just as effective in helping you hit your mark.
Starting Off For average bowlers, the rule of thumb is to stand to the right of the big dot in the middle of the approach and try to use the second arrow from the right as a targeting point. If you're left-handed, stand just left of center and shoot toward the second arrow from the left. If you consistently find
yourself missing the head pin to the gutter side, sim- ply move both feet a few boards closer to the gutter after each shot until you're lined up properly. This process will get you
lined up and have you hit- ting the head pin with much greater consistency.
Pick Your Poison There is no one perfect tar- get to shoot for and every bowler is different. Some find success aiming at an arrow or using the dots. Others target the break point or the pins or even just a point in space down the
By Bryan O’Keefe Team USA assistant coach
READY, AIM, FIRE!: Click on the play button (above left) to watch special video cov- erage of top women's bowler and Team USA member Kelly Kulick discuss effective targeting and how it impacts your game.
lane. Whichever you use, it must be comfortable to you. Once you've locked
onto your target, draw an imaginary line in your mind's eye from there back to your release point near the foul line. Freeze that line in your mind and watch where your ball travels after your release. Did it stay true to your
line? Did you hit your intend- ed target? As you get better at tar-
geting and need to make adjustments, you'll want to extend that imaginary line all the way back to your position on the approach. Position your bowling shoul- der and your ball directly
over this extended target line with your forearm in line with your target.
Get Rhythm The number of steps you take during a shot doesn’t factor much into your target- ing, but if your rhythm is off, your aim will be, too. With a four-step
approach, it's easier to keep your rhythm because you'll start your steps and swing at the same time. If you use a five-step approach, it's better to wait until your sec- ond step to start your swing. All that has to do with
your timing, and it's very easy to miss your target if your timing is off.
Target and Re-Target Practice is key to effective targeting. You will want to be confident in your shots and know when you're hitting your target or not. If you're not, then it's time to con- sider an adjustment. All too often bowlers
make adjustments off of bad shots. You are not going to be able to tell if you are lined up if the shot itself wasn’t properly executed.
If
you’ve successful executed the shot, and then find your- self still missing the pocket, then it would be time to make an adjustment. (Check out p. 26 for more on adjustments.)
FALL 2010 USBOWLER 17
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