Bowling Tips You Can Practice - By: Sean Lannin

If you are like me, you love to practice bowling as much as playing. Not only does practice improve our skills for when we play a real game, but there is something to be said for being able to focus on what it is we want to improve… and loose ourselves in the act of perfecting our skills.

The Christmas tree pattern is not something many bowlers know about, certainly your average recreational bowler will not concern themselves, and shows there is a lot more to the game than meets the eye of the casual observer. To the untrained observer, bowling itself is merely a game where players use a heavy ball to knock down a number of obstacles that are placed on the other end of a long, flat corridor. However, there is a little more to the game than that, and as it stands, bowling is an international pastime with a large number of aficionados who all have their own tips and tricks to score higher and win over the other competitors. When listening in to the conversations between seasoned bowlers, you will soon learn that there is so much more to this game than meets the eye.

One such item that rarely factors into the mainstream perception of the game is the oil pattern. The bowling lane will need to be cleaned and the wood or synthetic material preserved. To this end, many proprietors use a specific kind of oil that not only protects the floor material, but also adds the glossy shine that is so pleasing to the eye. Experienced bowlers know that there are different kinds of patterns that emerge when the oil is applied, and during tournaments bowlers work long and hard to find out the patterns that have been laid down; one such pattern is referred to as the Christmas tree pattern.

I am always looking for ways to improve my game, and I learned about this bowling tip some years ago that has increased my scoring. The name comes from the shape of the pattern and it's resemblance to a Christmas tree if you were to look at it from above, and reflects the fact that the oil is laid down in a Christmas tree shape pattern, leaving certain areas of the lane dry. The new machines used by bowling alleys make it easy to repeat this pattern from one day to the next and is making this pattern more popular.

These bowling tips will help with your Christmas tree pattern practice:

1. For right hander's, it is important to move the ball closer to the right side than you might ordinarily do. The goal is to take advantage of the fact that there is not much oil laid down to help your ball to project to the pins. If you are a left hander, obviously you are aiming for the other side.

2. Experiment with your desired breakpoint. You may need to move your stand point more than you might need to move your target. Before changing your aim by three boards, decide instead to move your feet, and adjust your aim by only one board.

3. Do not be afraid to waste a ball or two in trying to find out how far the oil pattern reaches. Novices wrongly believe that the oil pattern will reach all the way to the pins, whereas in reality it may only go as far back as 35 feet. This is the reason that practice play is so important before you decide to keep score!

4. If the oil is very heavily applied, be sure to use a ball with a dull finish. A shiny ball will make adjustments to the Christmas tree pattern harder since the ball will be more inclined to roll the direct line.

It is important that you practice being able to recognize this patter, and devote practice time to this pursuit. The most important aspects of playing this pattern are - for the intermediate bowler - to fist of all recognize the pattern in the first place, and then gain a feel for the length to which it is applied. Experiment with different approaches and find something that works for you, so when you see the pattern in league play you are able to easily make your adjustments and improve your scores.

About the Author

Not Just Cool Shoes: A Guide to Bowling in the 21st century provides real world advice for improving your bowling game. http://www.bowlinghook.com/index.html

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Sean-Lannin/33961

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