Despite the frequent pocket 1-3, I am still left with either the 10 or 7 and even the 5. What must I do to get all the ten pins down?!!!

Well everyone leaves a few 10 pins. If you leave a 5 pin, it means that you are not coming into the pocket with enough angle. Try to get more angle by getting the ball farther outside and bringing it back.

Hi!! There are many reasons why pins are left standing after your first ball attempt. (according to my coach) The most common reasons are of course, angle, amount of lifting applied, release, and your ball weight. Whatever the reason, you should try to find out the actual reason from someone who is experienced. Trust me, there are many good bowlers in Penang to ask. This is important because stringing strikes together is very crucial for a good score. Sometimes, we can't afford to leave any pins standing. I certainly hope that you will improve and I look forward to seeing you succeed someday =)

Even the best bowlers occasionally leave a 10 pin on what appears to be a perfect shot, so don't get too discouraged.

It helps to understand the interaction between the ball and the pins on a "perfect" shot. Assuming you are right-handed, the ball strikes both the head pin and the 3 pin, while travelling at an angle from right to left.

The ball knocks the head pin into the 2 pin, which hits the 4 pin, which then hits the 7 pin.

The ball also propels the 3 pin into the 6 pin, which (hopefully) knocks over the 10 pin.

The resistance of the head pin causes the ball to deflect slightly (not too much) to the right, causing the ball to strike the 5 pin just to the right of center. The 5 pin hits the 8 pin, and the ball hits the 9 pin.

This is what happens in the perfect strike. With this information, you can begin to understand why you leave certain pins.

For example, when you leave the 5 pin, it is almost always because the ball was deflected too much to the right, so that the ball did not hit the 5 pin.

When you leave the 10 pin, it is because the ball hit the 3 pin too close to the center of the pin, rather than on the left side, so the 3 pin was pushed to the right far enough to hit the 6 pin, but too far to the left of the 6 pin's center, so that the 6 pin slid in front of the 10 pin, rather than into it.

The reason the ball hit the 3 pin too far to the right could be too much deflection off the head pin (your ball was "flat"), or simply a light pocket hit.

Here's one more, which is the opposite of the leaves described above. When you see a right-hander who throws a powerful hook leave a solid 9 pin, it is because the ball was deflected *too little*, thereby striking the 5 pin flush in the center, and chopping it off the 9, rather than being deflected off the 5 pin, into the 9 pin.

In general, even though you hit the pocket, you must hit it with sufficient force to cause the ball and the pins to take the paths necessary to knock down all the pins. You create this "force" in several ways: the weight of the ball, the speed at which you throw it, and the angle at which it enters the pocket.

All of these factors, and more, determine the path the ball will take as it rolls from the front of the pin deck to the pit, and the likelihood of getting a strike.

Hope this helps...

[ 05-05-2001: Edited: seadrive ]

[ 05-05-2001: Edited: seadrive ]