Overcome A Shaky Bowling Start

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 11/10/2014; Updated: 8/9/2022

It is not possible to begin each game or series of games with positive results. Everyone encounters open frames or a lack of strikes early on in competition from time to time.

It is important, however, to realize you can overcome a shaky bowling start and end up with good scores and respectable performances.

One key to allowing yourself to not panic when you start the first game in your league competition with a poor result is to know that you are bowling 36 frames, 12 frames per game.

Avoid placing all your emphasis on the first game or the first part of the first game but rather think long term.

Before you begin your series, you do not know how many strikes, spares, or open frames you will have in the series so you begin by focusing on making one good shot at a time and allow things evolve.

Scoring in bowling can be tricky. Getting strikes in bunches helps produce high scores and helps overcome open frames.

Since you do not know when you will encounter an open frame during your series and since you do not know which exact frames will be strikes, you can settle into a tempo or pace of bowling which allows you to take each frame as it comes and not panic if the open frames come early on in your set of games.


With the knowledge that you will get your share of strikes, doubles, three baggers, or more during your series, you can be confident that things will turn out well if you simply allow yourself to believe that if you make good shots, good results will follow.

If your series involves 36 frames as suggested, then there is plenty of time to get strings of strikes even if you fail to strike in the early frames.

The strategy, therefore, is to look at your series of games in league competition as one long game of 36 frames where each frame matters.

Avoid placing undue pressure on yourself by thinking that you must start fast in order to end up with a good series score.

It is common to overcome a shaky bowling start with good results later during your series if you are patient and do not force the action if you start slowly in competition.