How the Ball Goes Through the Pins

Last time we talked about several of the things you can do to get lined up more quickly and stay lined up, using lots of the free stuff that is available to those who stay awake.

You just can’t be unconscious. I wish it were that we could nonchalantly observe our shots and then just glide along on the thermals – but we can’t. The lane transitions constantly and you can’t be asleep and score well. No matter who you are or who you are watching – a coast-to-coaster or power player or tweener – you need to watch their ball reaction and your own, not just on the lane but until the ball falls off the deck.

In his January Bowling This Month article, Tyrel Rose explained how ball motion on the lane will have an influence on how the ball goes through the pins. Where the ball is coming from and what rotation and speed it has will dictate how it is able to wend its way through the pins. There are other factors, of course, like topography, lane surface, and oil type/volume but this is just a discussion on stuff you can control.

This article won’t be the first time in this magazine you have heard about entry angle, exit angle, and deflection from me. In fact, that’s what the ball going through the pins means.

You’ve heard the phrase “how the ball goes through the pins” a lot on recent telecasts. In fact, at this ...