Bowlers who are throwing the ball with a hook need to worry about more than just the front part of the lane. Targeting for these bowlers used to be called ‘area’ bowling, but now it could be called ‘window’ bowling. Every lane condition has a ‘window’ that you want to get to down-lane in order to hit the pocket consistently. Depending on the condition, this window is usually a few boards wide, and a couple feet long on the lane, anywhere between 35’ and 45’ down the lane. You can still look at arrows, but the goal is to base your targeting on getting the ball to pass over the arrow and through the window. Finding that window is the goal of every bowler that wants to strike.

The advantage of looking for this little area in the mid-lane is that it tends to be quite stable. Even as lane conditions change and force you to move your target at the arrows, the window is often very close to the same place as when you started. When we talk about lane conditions, we’ll see where you can start looking for this window based on the condition you’re bowling on.

Team Canada Head Coach TYREL ROSE of Montreal provides top tips for all levels of bowler in Coaches Corner.  Check back regularly for more.  In the meantime…ENJOY YOUR GAME!