Strike!
When you are having fun bowling, there's nothing much more satisfying than the thunk-boof-wham-kerdoink! of a strike. All tens pins tumbling over, scoring the maximum 30 points. The pros make it look easy - so how do they do it?
It's Easy When You Know How
Most beginners will aim at the middle of the pins and throw the ball as hard as they can. This doesn't do that well - the effort to throw the ball hard really affects your aim, and even if you hit the front pin dead on, this can still leave pins standing behind it and off to the sides.
What The Experts Do
The experienced bowlers aim between the front pin and the one beside it - one pin to the right of the centre pin if you're right-handed and one to the left of that middle pin if you're left-handed. That way, all the energy of our throw isn't wasted on knocking over that front pin. You hit both pins and they bounce back, knocking over the ones behind in both directions.
The Really BIG Secret
With every sport, there's one thing that sets the experts apart. One secret ingredient that made Michael Jordan a basketball legend, Roger Federer the greatest tennis player in the world and our own Don Bradman the most successful batsman in the history of cricket. What's the secret? Practice. Your hand-to-eye co-ordination, your aim, your balance, your footwork, your strength and your scores all improve with practice. So come down to AMF bowling and hit those pins!
Tricky Tip: There are arrows marked on every bowling lane. They are not just for decoration! They are there to help you aim. If you're left-handed and you release the ball in line with the arrow one to the left of the centre arrow or one to the right if you are right-handed, you'll be on track for hitting that sweet spot.
So, now you know how it's done, check out the online deals, kids' activities, school holiday programs or host a work party for some company team building!
