Playing The Outside

Playing up the outside part of the lane, the area right of the first arrow, is somewhat rare in today's modern bowling game. However, especially in a more challenging setting, playing up the outside may be the best line available to striking. One of the biggest challenges with getting the ball to the outside part of the lane, is getting your body and mind to accept playing in a place that is very unusual.

Playing Up The Outside - Move Right, Then Move More Right

Many times when a coaching session involves working with a bowler that wants to learn how to play up the outside, I first ask them to line up to hit the first arrow. Naturally, the bowler moves a few boards right from where he was. Then I typically find I have to say something along the lines to move another 5 boards right. Typically I get a look of concern because this is very unfamiliar territory for the bowler. But here is why you need to move right, then move some more right.

Find your lay down point: Being able to play up the boards, no matter where you are on the lane, is dependent on where you finish at the foul line in relation to your target. Therefore, the first thing you need to understand about your game is how much you move left or right (drift) with your feet during your approach. Do you drift 5 boards left? Do you drift 10 boards left? Do you drift more or less depending on where you start on the approach? These are all questions you need to ask yourself and discover the answer to.

Determining on where you finish at the foul line will help you determine what your lay down point is. You can use that information to determine where you need to start on the approach to get the ball to go "up" the boards no matter if it is board 10 or board 2. For example, if you know your lay down point is 7 boards right of the inside of your sliding foot and you wanted to go up the 5 board (first arrow), then you need to be sliding to the outside of board 12. Next calculating your drift back to the starting position, if you drift 5 boards left, then you will need to start your feet at board 7.

Playing To The Outside - Trust is a Must

Another alternative to playing the outside breakpoint is to cross the inside boards to get to the outside part of the lane. This primarily involves being able to trust your target line and allowing the ball to be released cleanly so that it will skid through the heads enough to venture to the outside breakpoint. Often times bowlers will pick different kinds of targets, or unrealistic targets in order to achieve enough angle through the heads to get the ball outside. For example you might look an arrow further right that would gutter if you actually hit it or look at the 10 pin on the lane next to you.


Here the bowler is sliding showing 22 and laying down on 17 and allowing the ball to reach the outside part of the lane at the breakpoint.