The Five Cs to Better Bowling

Getting five Cs on your high school report card says that you are a pretty average student. Mastering the five Cs of bowling, however, puts you at the top of the class! Please note that the five Cs are related, and their order is important. Mastering #1 makes mastering #2 easier, etc.

Concentration

Regardless of your personal bowling ability, it is all for naught if you cannot or will not learn to concentrate. The minimum amount of concentration period required for you to bowl your best starts about thirty seconds before you actually step up on the approach to throw your shot. At that point, you need to decide where you are going to stand and where you are going to target.

If you are a higher average bowler, before you pick your ball up off of the ball return you need to examine the rack to determine if there are any pins off spot. While the USBC allows unlimited re-racks, it is very unusual to see league bowlers take advantage of this rule. Consider this: if you have the consistency to put the ball into the pocket, why wouldn’t you take the time to re-rack if there is a pin off spot that will keep you from striking, even on your best shot?

Once you are on the approach and feel comfortable and focused, you throw your shot and post your finish, making sure that you keep watching the ball until it has exited the pin deck. Watching the ball helps you to determine if your line is holding up or if it’s time to make an adjustment. For your spare conversion, everything should be the same, including an assessment of the pins left standing to see if any of the remaining pins have moved enough as a result of your strike ball to warrant an adjustment to your line for conversion.

More spares are missed for no other reason than lack of concentration than for any physical reason. This includes the dreaded corner pins!

The single greatest threat to your concentration is a lack of routine. Your ...

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