Captain’s Quarters Bowling: Tips for A First Timer

Many of the guests staying at Captain’s Quarters will decide to spend some time in the Level 6 Bowling Center. But before you head to level 6 there are a few tips you should be familiar with, especially if you’ve never bowled before.

There is no specific dress code for the bowling alley with the sole exception of shoes. If you don’t have your own bowling shoes you can hire a pair from the booth at the bowling center. Using non-bowling shoes can leave marks on the approach to the lane, and can actually cause you to have an accident.

If you don’t have your own bowling ball, choose one from the racks in the concourse behind the playing area. If you’re not sure about what weight of ball to choose or whether the drilled holes are correct for your hand size, get one of the bowling staff to assist you – that’s one of the reasons for them being there, and they will be only too happy to help you.

Read this blog entry for some more detailed bowling etiquette tips.

Now that you’re ready to bowl you need to know what exactly you’re supposed to do.

Start with your stance. You’ll want to bend your knees slightly while facing towards the lane. Hold the ball up by your chest as you walk down the lane. When you get about two to three steps away, begin your release motion by swinging the ball down slowly to just past your back leg. Then you’ll release the ball right about when it gets in front of your back leg.  You’ll want to practice this motion a bit before it feels natural, but make sure not to do it anywhere where you might injure someone (like the concourse area).

Once you’ve got your swing and stance, you’ll want to figure out how to aim.

When you’re lining up your shot, try to aim for where you’d like the ball to go with your thumb and try to release the ball as straight as you can, with no twisting of your wrist or arm. More experienced bowlers purposely give their release a twist, but if you’re just starting out its probably best to just go for the most straight forward approach.

If you’ve got young kids in the group, don’t forget to ask for bumpers on their lanes so they can enjoy knocking down some pins too.

So keep these simple tips in mind when you’re on the lanes at Captain’s Quarters and you should be bowled over by how great of a time you’ve had.