How to Aim in Bowling: 3-Point Targeting

[@knep24]

I watched this video two days ago, had league tonight, and implemented this system. I shot my first 700. Thank you so much for this video.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

No worries, I'm happy it helped!!!

[@knep24]

@@GarrettWongBowling I was skeptical when you showed it helped revs and impact angle, but holy shit did it help. My ball was going through the pins better than ever.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

@koreyknepper5872 I found that it helps a lot with making adjustments so my overall ball motion improved a lot

[@williambrownsjr.7854]

I tried it today for the first time during my Sunday quarters league and shot my best 5 game series ever with a 763 for my first three games with three different balls. My goodness, it's amazing how this system actually works

[@GarrettWongBowling]

@@williambrownsjr.7854 I'm glad it worked so well for you!

[@tonysanta3497]

I took a lesson when Coach Slowinski was working with Kegel and somehow our conversation turned into a presentation about quiet eye. This is explained in way better detail. This is a great guide I use till this day.

[@SirJoelsuf1]

Absolutely. Along with Mo Pinel, Mark Baker, Mike Jasneau, and Mike Shady, Joe Slowinski is a certified GENIUS in this sport, without a doubt. I'd go so far to say that Slowinski is the GOAT of bowling coaches.

[@RewindCountry]

Thank you. This is a very detailed instruction of the concept of targeting. Any bowler who is willing to learn the concepts and practice them should see a marked difference in their ability to be more consistent not only striking but making a spare. To those complaining about it not being "complete" or "neglecting information", this is a general system that is based on data and science. It's not magic and it's not complete without your own decision about playing a line. As shown in the PBA example bowlers can make decisions based on their rev rate and speed to decide about angle of play. The target(s) are going to be the same down lane. How you get there can be completely different, including any line of sight target that may be off the lane instead of on a pin. The question is not why the target is out of line with the pin(s) but are you able to accurately use that target or do you need to adjust your angle of play? The targets can also change as the conditions change so you need to make decisions about your next shot with the information you have after every shot.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

You summed it up perfectly!

[@vincentamaya7983]

This video had a profound impact on my game. Most impactful was the targeting process with quiet eye. Thank you for posting this video!

[@GarrettWongBowling]

No worries! I'm happy it helped!

[@troyb9985]

After watching and doing some math I have come to a simple solution for finding your line. ((Feet position - 6 + breakpoint) / 2)) = target at arrows When I start at league I stand on 25. ((25 - 6 + 12) /2) = 16 I normally aim at 3rd arrow and adjust accordingly on ball motion and lane conditions. So after watching this it definitely checks out. This works with all other steeper angles I throw as well. This solution works in tandem with 2-1 moves after your shot. VERY COOL! I have only bowled on ths, would be interesting to see how this fairs on different patterns.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Oh that's awesome, I've never thought about doing it that way!

[@commonsensecatholics]

thank you..not one person has mentioned this to met yet. Started bowling 5 months ago

[@GarrettWongBowling]

No problem, hope it helped!

[@mattlivetv9246]

I did this for the first time yesterday and shot my first 300.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

That's sickkkk, congrats man!!!!

[@CheapButNotEasy]

The rule of 31 isn't general enough for patterns like cheetah or shark or to achieve optimal entry angles. Breakpoints which give a 6 degree entry angle start at the gutter at 45 feet, roughly moving 1 board left for every extra foot down the lane. Alignment which comes off the pattern at a corner where the oil ratio is greatest while generating optimal entry requires downlane targeting which is either closer to the foul line or to the right of the 10pin Using the reflections of the pins on the lanes helps considerably. That does require knowing your eye height and then determining the distance down the lane each part of the 3-6-10 pin reflection hits. This is obviously much more intricate than rule of 31, but is also a more accurate way to determine appropriate launch angle and translating total hook into a release point.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

That is a great point, that you for commenting that!

[@mitchellportee150]

This is what I've been missing !!!! Thank you for explaining this in a way even I could understand it ❤

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hope it helps!

[@bulneralbert6692]

I learn something today by watching this video, can't wait to go and practice...

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hope it goes well!

[@theoutlawtube]

I will try to practice this tomorrow. Never thought about trying this. Makes sense

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hope it works well for you!

[@richprince2818]

Garrett, that would be awesome to get a video on estimating the lane pattern length. BTW, thanks for the rapid response to my question. Looking forward to additional information for improving my game.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

You got it!

[@jakethehud]

This is the clearest and most understanding explanation of the 3 point targeting that I've seen. Others, I wasn't quite sure how it all came together, but you cleared it up. I also was a little confused, at first, when you talked about the slide foot on board 6 to the left of your target, when it was said that it is 7 boards from the centre of your chest to your shoulder. I am getting back to bowling, after 30 years, and I'm sure this will be a tremendous help to my game.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

If you have any questions feel free to let me know!

[@jakethehud]

@@GarrettWongBowlingWill do. Thanks.

[@nathanielfuentes5294]

This targeting system seems to seriously ignore that the angle seen at the approach is different than the angle seen at the foul line. AND, that the board exiting the pattern should not be your target at the pins unless you’re playing a VERY straight line. Moving left for a right hander will shift that angle substantially and move the focal point into the adjacent lane.

[@rickwaas8276]

I just watched this video and can't wait to try it out at Monday night's league.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hope it helps!

[@richardsimonson5164]

Sweet now it’s time to go and add this to my game thanks

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hope it helps!!

[@chasbari]

Thank you! Such a clear presentation of the concepts here.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Glad it was helpful!

[@10pinsneaker75]

The light bulb is lit! Thank you!

[@GarrettWongBowling]

No problem! Goodluck on the lanes!

[@10pinsneaker75]

Update: My average increased by 10 pins!

[@hermanecheverri9849]

Great video👏🙏

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Thank you 🙌

[@georgemadden7268]

Nice system , your release has to be the same every time for this to be effective. I’m working on that now . I use to bowl 175 -215 and my body ,knees , shoulder and hand would be on fire . 20 mph was fun while bowling but days after body just hurts . I dialed it down and this system would be a help to focusing . Bowling 17 mph feels weird but my body / knee / shoulder doesn’t hurt as bad . My ball still slides into the pins but not as bad . Scores are lower but I’ll get it back

[@teeken8850]

be nice if my lanes had range finder marks..

[@GarrettWongBowling]

That does make it a bit more tough... are there any other landmarks on the lane or sides that you can use?

[@burgettboys123]

Same.

[@marqjessie2746]

Good video, thanks for posting !

[@GarrettWongBowling]

No problem!

[@njavrg.9100]

I must say this was amazing to watch. If more of this content comes out that’ll teach me something, I’ll subscribe no problem

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Ahaha thanks man I appreciate it!

[@TheeNickyT]

I’ve learned of this practice in the past, and love the concept. I have never understood though, when shifting from the baseline, does the focal point change? I thought the point of the 3 point target was to trace a straight line from lay down, through visual target, through the end of the pattern (exit point) to focal point… but if we don’t move the focal point to the right as we shift left, then we have a fragmented/angled tracer line that will go from lay down to visual target and through exit point, then angle to the focal point we began with - this seems pointless at this point. Is there a formula for calculating the correct change in visual target, focal point, lay down? Can you shed light on this?

[@nathanielfuentes5294]

I was thinking the same thing the entire time I watched this. If I play far left, my breakpoint might be the 4 board, but my focal point would be on the adjacent lane.

[@williamsage4822]

@@nathanielfuentes5294 when I went thru a kegel training road show they said that based on angles your focal point could be on the next lane. or in the gutter.

[@nathanielfuentes5294]

@@williamsage4822 thanks for clarifying. Wish these videos would state that.

[@rudyruiz9521]

Done this for a long time and I'm still horrible. The drift information may help a lot. Can't wait to try that. I didn't ever consider the drift amount may differ.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

It helps a lot to consider drift because it significantly impacts where you are laying the ball down!

[@jonathanthomas8574]

Thank you

[@GarrettWongBowling]

You're welcome!

[@daflyinhawaiian2]

I have been bowling since 1968 and I am very coachable, I am always willing to listen and try anything. However I am at a total loss and everything went over my head when you started on the chart explanation. However I got the idea of the 3 point targeting system and will try it out in tomorrow's Travel League. I am a lefty currently a 200+ average in leagues.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Sounds good! If you have any questions let me know!

[@52weekproject]

Is there a method for finding that starting point with my feet? I am a lefty bowling on a 42ft scorpion pattern so I understand I want the break point to be around 11 and I typically look at the dots before the arrows during my approach. I feel like I have raw talent with bowling and have been bowling most of my life but in tournaments I need to learn better targeting and feel confident in where I’m standing and looking to give myself the best chance to succeed. Thank you for any info you can give!!

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Would you be able to provide a little bit more information on your game for me (i.e., rev rate, tilt, equipment, etc.)?

[@Harold-l3i]

If you want to lose weight walk for 120 minutes a day and watch what you eat, and drink water after you workout. Also, when you get tired of walking try slow running, it also works. Don't run fast it doesn't work. Put time in your workouts, but workout at a pace you can workout everyday. Takes time, but it's worth it. Lost 144 pounds at a rate of 3 pounds a week. Took 48 weeks to go to 144 pounds from 288 pounds. Good Luck. Now get to it.

[@razorbear4222]

Me when I go to a bowlero and there’s 30 feet of oil tryna hit -1

[@GarrettWongBowling]

AHAHAHAHAH ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[@SirJoelsuf1]

Ehh, just loft the left cap and aim for the right cap. works every time lol

[@ryanballard2313]

If I know where my exit point and focal point is..how do I find my release point?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

That's dependent on where you want to play the pattern in the front part of the lane. The average person lets go of the ball 6 boards away from their ankle so you need to find out how many boards you drift. Personally, I am a right handed bowler and I drift 2 boards left. What this means is that if I want to play board 10 as my laydown point I subtract 6 board plus an additional 2 boards. Therefore I would stand on board 2 to start.

[@TLane]

Does PL 31 also work for long patterns, 45 or 47 feet, for example? Thanks!

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Hi! Theoretically it should as typically on patterns that long, you do not want to give away the pocket that much so your line would almost be directly at the headpin!

[@mgoblue2]

How,do you find out what the pattern is

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Typically they will have a information sheet printed for each tournament. Otherwise ask the staff and they should have one!

[@jameskidd6875]

At 11:11 mark of video: slide point is 7 or 6 boards left of exit point? As a low to medium rev "tweener" my exit point on THS is typically the 7-board or 8-board (10 or 11 board at the arrows), and in doing so my left big toe is at the 20-board on the approach. How is that?

[@richprince2818]

Your presentation is awesome. I do have a question though. Early on in your video regarding the "PL-31". I seem to find house staff where ever I go, that do not know, so they say, what the lane pattern length is. In a fundamental level, that shunts the PL-31 formula. This formula is premised on "knowing" what the pattern lane is and there be my problem. It does not help a bowler if they are given inaccurate information or nothing at all. I do not understand why select individuals find that the "PL" is the golden nugget that only a few individual get to know and everyone else has to struggle with their bowling and scores.

[@GarrettWongBowling]

There are a few ways to get a rough estimate of the length of the oil pattern during warmups. Let me know if you would like me to make a video on that!

[@kevingreenleaf9978]

I would@@GarrettWongBowling

[@keithm1961]

how do you determine the pattern length?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Usually through the oil pattern information sheets or ask your local proprietor!

[@michaelrhoads6349]

I love the tips except when I stared at the red dot it eventually split & I seen 2 red dots & 2 black circles

[@GarrettWongBowling]

🤣

[@michaelrhoads6349]

I stared at the pins instead of the arrows last time out. It felt weird, but it wasn't hard to get used to. It did improve my location consistency & I didn't see multiple pins as I did the red dot. Looking forward at implementing this in a tournament on a 35ft Cheetah oil pattern. Any tips for this pattern besides aim for 4?

[@summpwner7837]

If I want my breakpoint at 9 , why would I want to look at the 9 at the arrows? Usually to get to 9 downlane on THS, my visual target is at 12-13 at the arrows

[@GarrettWongBowling]

You don't have to look at 9 but I see where you are coming from based on the explanation in this video! How it was explained to me is that you choose your target downlane (e.g., the 6 pin) and you align your body according to that (you can stand wherever you want). Then draw a straight line back from that pin to where you are standing. Wherever that line crosses at your visual target (e.g., if you draw the straight line back from the pin to where you are standing and it crosses over 3rd arrow) is what you should be looking at. Hope this helps!

[@rlakamine1]

How do you determine the pattern length if the alley wont tell you? Is there a rule of thumb for looking at when the ball breaks versus the pin reflections on the lane, or something?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

If you see the range finders down lane, the two closest to you start at 34 feet and end at 37 feet while the two further from you start at 40 feet and stop at 43 feet. Typically you want to throw a ball slow enough that you can see where it changes directions in respect to those markers and make an estimate based on that!

[@t.hargrove3843]

What if the lanes are older and don't have the range finders on them? Any other way to tell the pattern length?

[@electronsauce]

So in this example you're aiming at the 9th board at the arrows and at the focal point with the goal of hitting the 9th board at the point where the pattern breaks. How do you go about adjusting when moving inside? The target at the arrows has to change. How do you calculate that? Like the Tommy Jones vs Chris Barnes example

[@GarrettWongBowling]

How it was explained to me is that you choose your target downlane (e.g., the 6 pin) and you align your body according to that (you can stand wherever you want). Then draw a straight line back from that pin to where you are standing. Wherever that line crosses at your visual target (e.g., if you draw the straight line back from the pin to where you are standing and it crosses over 3rd arrow) is what you should be looking at. Hope this helps!

[@happyguycmb2883]

But how does drawing that line back from the pin to the visual target help since hitting that exact spot produces very different contacts at the pins depending on the speed of the shot and hand position? Is the focal point supposed to help you get the ball to the break point where the margin of error for a strike is greater? If that's not right, what IS the purpose of the focal point? Would be great to understand this, since apparently it's helped a lot of people commenting here.@@GarrettWongBowling

[@jdizzlef83]

​@happyguycmb2883 I think it's a general targeting method. The dynamics of the individual bowler will influence the end result (i.e. speed, rotation, tilt, etc). On a fresh shot, these techniques should work quite well. In regards to transition/changing lane conditions, that's a higher level form of bowler. Common understanding is that amateur bowlers look for hook from left to right, while pros watch for hook from front to back. In other words, non-pros target a board downlane where the ball should hook, while pros target their break point based on how far the ball travels before it makes a move. As lanes change and the breakpoint moves, it's rather incumbent on the bowler (pro or non-pro) to understand where their target has moved to and what physical changes are needed in order to maximize strike potential. Bowlers have a set routine, shot, and trajectory/motion based on how they throw. Based on your own attributes, try using this targeting method to fit your game, and as conditions change during your session, experiment with what targeting changes based on your style of play would be necessary to stay consistent at the pocket. Again, this is all just my opinion.

[@jameskidd6875]

Playing the right line, creating more room to get to the pocket is fine ... but striking with carry can be a whole different story. On most house patterns I can hit the pocket with as much as six boards of area, seemingly with my eyes closed but throwing a strike can sometimes be a never ending search via ball selection, ball speed, hand position, etc. ... soft 10, ringing 10, light pocket 7, light pocket 7-10, high flush 7 or 9, and of course everybody's favorite: the stone flush 8-pin. "Anybody can average 230 on a THS." I call BS. Not every house has the same idea of what a house is: pattern shape, pattern length, oil brand and viscosity, etc.

[@zaxophne]

Please upgrade your computer. Windows 7 has many security flaws and isn't being patched anymore.

[@claudiabarry6586]

The only problem is our center doesn’t let you know how long the pattern is. Old oil machine , it seems to change all the time

[@GarrettWongBowling]

You can try to see in warmups by throwing a few balls really slowly down the lane in the three different zones to see how far down the lane they pickup! This might give you a good enough ball park to work with as you start!

[@claudiabarry6586]

@@GarrettWongBowling I’ll try

[@wenchfisterx]

When I stare at the red dot it splits into two and the black circle splits I to two and spreads apart lol....

[@GarrettWongBowling]

That sounds rough...

[@JoeFulk56]

I would love to get spec tested. Can It happen?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Do you mean the Specto tracker?

[@tunamangelo]

according to this video I would say I’m standing way left of where I need to be

[@GarrettWongBowling]

The angle is probably a bit too steep for what you want to play!

[@pretty_flaco]

i’m just trying to be decent at birthday parties… this might be a bit too advanced for me

[@GarrettWongBowling]

Ahaha that's fair

[@baaadddmannn]

PBA bowlers have 25 second clock they don't have 20 seconds to focus.........so much for this system , what do pros use......

[@piperpipe201]

...windows 7?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

😂

[@631strongislandkid]

Im gonna stick to quantum theory

[@bigdonjr37]

None of this matter if you can't come out the ball the same way consistently

[@GarrettWongBowling]

that's a mood

[@alansabin7487]

average is subjective

[@julijonso]

How do you apply this to spares?

[@GarrettWongBowling]

It's use in the same way, you look at the target downlane (the pin) and draw a line back through the visual target to where you are standing and that is where you should throw the ball to!