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.
Ten Pin Corner
Targeting for Intermediate Bowlers
Bowlers who have already developed a solid base of fundamentals are most likely looking at either the dots or the arrows. These are by far the two most effective areas to target. If you look at the foul line, it is likely causing some problems with your delivery of the bowling ball, and should be changed.
Targeting for Beginners
On a bowling lane, there are lots of things to ‘look at’. There are dots at the foul line, a different set of dots 8’ past the foul line, a set of arrows 15’ away, and sometimes a set of 4 dark boards well down the lane. There are also the pins. Most beginners tend to look at the pins because they’re the most obvious visual cue. They’re also the thing you’re trying to knock down so it makes sense. Unfortunately, an object that is 60’ from you is not the easiest to hit.