Bowling Tips: Strikes, Spares and a Better Average

Strikes: hit the pocket

A ball straight into the middle of the head pin tends to leave pins standing, often a split. The strike ball comes in at an angle and hits the pocket: just to one side of the head pin, between the 1 and the 3 pin (for a right-hander).

On kawu, a good starting line for a right-hander:

• Stance about 10 right, aim a little right of centre (2 to 3), hook about 40% left, speed around 80%.

If the ball keeps hitting the head pin full on, move the aim a little right. If it misses the pocket to the right and leaves the head pin, move it left. Change one thing at a time.

Spares: throw straight, cross the lane

Most points come from spares, not strikes: a bowler who makes every spare and never strikes scores about 190. For spares:

• Throw straight (no hook): a straight ball goes exactly where you aim.
• Cross the lane: for pins on the right (the 6 and the 10), stand left and aim right; for pins on the left (the 4 and the 7), stand right and aim left. The angle gives you more room.
• Corner pins first: the 7 and 10 are the hardest; the 10 is about 18 inches right of centre.

Speed

Faster balls hook less and carry more pins; slow balls hook more and lose energy. For strikes, a firm 70–85% works well; for spares, a fast straight ball is the most accurate.

Read the pin diagram

The small diagram next to the controls shows which pins are still standing. Before your second ball, look at where they are and choose your line: a pin on the far right means a ball across from the left.

Against the computer

The computer throws the pocket shot at a full rack and works out a straight line at any spare. On easy it misses its line a lot; on hard it's like a league bowler, so you'll need a game of 180 or better to beat it.

Last updated 2026-10-18