The Bowling Eyes Have It

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 7/1/2014; Updated: 10/16/2022

Watching your spot on the lane requires a keen focus.

Sighting at your chosen target may be a more of a surprise than you may think.

Many people are right or left eye dominant. Being eye dominant means of of your eyes takes control of a focal point more so than the other eye. If you are, as example, right eye-dominant, then you may have to sight a board or two further to the right of your chosen target in order to actually see your bowling ball travel over your intended spot on the lane. Right eye dominant, you likely miss left of the target where you see the ball pass over. In this case, aiming right of the sighting target might be what is needed to hit the real intended target.

If you are left eye dominant, then you may have to sight slightly left of your intended target to actually hit your spot.

Players who do not have dominant eyes can aim directly at a chosen sighting target and trust that their bowling ball passes over the exact board they see. Some experimentation is needed to develop your own system for playing various locations on the lane.

Each location or zone on the lane requires changes in the delivery path your ball must follow as it travels down the lane to the breakpoint about ⅔ distance down the lane. As example, your dominant eye may not require sighting away as far from your intended spot on the lane if you are playing an angle near the edge of the lane or where your delivery path is fairly straight up-the-boards to your spot. A spot well located near the center arrow requires a wide delivery path to the breakpoint and could also require aiming slightly away from your intended spot on the lane, depending on your given eye dominance.

For most bowlers who sight at the arrows, a dominant eye will require no more than two boards in sighting away from the intended spot on the lane.



You may need to ask a friend to help you double check which board the bottom of your ball crosses in real time as opposed to what you see and think the bottom of the ball is hitting.
It may surprise you that you are missing more than you think?




A friend can help you evaluate a series of deliveries so you can make be certain where you need to aim in order to actually hit your intended spot. Ask your friend to also watch you deliver a series of shot playing various angles on the lane so you know where to aim in respect to your intended spot regardless of how and where you play the lanes. Sighting is an important part of becoming an accurate player. Knowing precisely where to sight is on given lane conditions is as important as being able to make good shots. If you hit your spot but miss the pocket, your job is incomplete. It is in the details which will help you become an accurate player.

So, what are you - right eye or left eye dominant? Your success lining up to the pocket counts on knowing.