Tighten Up Your Bowling Ball Delivery Angle

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 2/4/2014; Updated: 12/10/2022

If you are just noticing your ball reacting unpredictably in the mid-lane and losing energy from the break point to the pocket, you may have to tighten up your bowling ball delivery angle.
Many bowlers do have as high of a rev-rate to play a wide delivery angle from the release point on the front of the lane to their sighting target a bit further down the lane. If you are a bowler who relies on a good deal of head “belly” and if you do not have the revs necessary to get your ball to recover on the back end of the lane, try reducing your delivery angle by at least two boards.
When you “swing” or belly” your ball more than 3 or four boards to your spot near the arrows and you are playing at or near the 2nd arrow, you lose the back end speed and energy needed to maintain a good reaction from the breakpoint to the pocket.
If you are not a high rev player, check your delivery angle and avoid swinging the ball too many boards away from the pocket so your ball much lose energy just to recover in the mid-lane and on the back end.
Typically, the bottom of your bowling ball will contact the lane 5 or 6 boards away from your sliding ankle if you forward swing and your delivery path is tucked in closely to your body as recommended by every instructor.
If the instep, therefore, of your sliding bowling shoe covers the 18 board ( and your toe of your shoe is pointing straight ahead to the pocket), for example, you would then be delivering the ball onto the lane just beyond the foul line on the 13 board.
If you are a low to medium-low rev player and are targeting the 2nd arrow, then you have good alignment.
If, however, you are swinging on 18 board and releasing your ball on 13 board and you are playing the 8 board, you are likely swinging the ball more than necessary to gain consistent ball reaction in the mid-lane.
Be careful to know precisely which board you choose to spot so when you see your ball roll over the given spot, you are not really hitting another board, usually inside your sighting spot.
If you typically miss inside your mark one true board, then aim one board outside of your intended target to compensate. This is a result of a dominant eye not accurately seeing your ball roll over the board where you are aiming.

As you play the lane further inside from the 2nd arrow, your delivery angle must widen to accommodate your ball swinging away from the pocket far enough so when the ball transitions in the mid-lane, it can arrive at the breakpoint and then roll to the pocket consistently.
Tightening your delivery angle is not a bad idea for power players either when lane conditions are challenging. Sometimes it behooves you to reduce your revs slightly to gain in ball motion consistency, high rev player or not.
The name of the game is hitting the pocket and to do so, you must get a proper delivery angle to the mid-lane based on your delivery style and where you are playing the lanes.
if you have questions or concerns, we recommend consulting an experience bowling instructor.