The First Bowling Double Is The Hardest

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 1/4/2014; Updated: 12/28/2022

Have you ever thought that you would never get that first double when you were bowling in competition. Has it ever seemed as though you either cannot carry no matter how well you bowl or how many times you hit the pocket?
Worse yet, you miss the pocket when you are working on a strike. That certainly does not make you feel very confident.
No question that getting that first double is the hardest of any. What adds to your grief in waiting before getting a double is watching others on your pair of lanes striking almost at will.
Your brain can play strange tricks on you if you allow negative thoughts to enter your conscious mind. In this case of waiting for that first double is the challenge of not thinking about getting strikes but rather about hitting the pocket.
Every bowler knows that when you hit the pocket enough, your share of strike will come. We never know, however, when strikes will come but we do know that hitting the pocket repeatedly must be our priority.
It can seem like an eternity if you get to the 8th frame in your first game and have yet to record your first double. The thing to remember is that every bowler experiences the same challenges at one time or another so you must keep working, keep on delivering your ball into the pocket, and let the carry percentage take care of itself.
If you are not hitting the pocket, then you likely do not deserve strikes or a double to get you going.
Once you learn to align yourself properly to hit the pocket based on your delivery style, then you can gradually turn the “confidence corner” knowing that the first double is near.
Bowling good scores are a matter of hitting the pocket often enough and converting any remaining spares when you do not record a strike.
If you are getting frustrated when you are hitting the pocket and you are not carrying, then don’t be bashful to make minor and/or subtle adjustments as to not let the pocket get away from you but rather tweak your delivery technique just enough to change the angle of entry or ball speed or axis tilt to give yourself a chance at carrying strikes.
Do not adjust so much that you cost yourself by missing the pocket. The pocket, is now and always shall be, your friend.

Stay calm, don’t panic, keep delivering your bowling ball into the pocket, and sooner than later your carry will change and you will grab that first double. After the first double, it can be surprising how often your next ones comes along.
The game of bowling presents many challenges and carrying strikes on good pocket hits is one of them. If the pro bowlers only carry 6 in 10 strikes on pocket hits when bowling in competitive lane conditions, likely you may not either.
Remain composed in competition and continue making good deliveries. Fortune favors those bowlers who are patient.