Like drummers in a band, left handed bowlers often find themselves the punch line of many jokes.
Put this one in the win column lefties, this article is for you!
Reversing Instruction
Instruction for bowling is generally geared toward right-handed bowlers with a caveat that the left-handed bowler should just reverse what is being said.
In many ways this isn’t even possible. For example, the pocket for lefties is the one and two pin and double wood is the three and nine pin.
These are simple examples, but they speak volumes to the often overlooked left-handed bowler.
Lane Transition
Another misconception about left-handed bowling is that lefties don’t have to make adjustments like right-handed bowlers do.
Lefties hear things like, “It must be nice to have the whole side to yourself.” This implies that because there aren’t as many lefties, the shot is easier. It also implies that what right-handed bowlers are doing to the lane some how has no effect on the left handed bowler. Both are false.
Right-handed bowlers move farther and farther left on the approach in today’s game, and their laydown point on the lane is now infringing on the left-handers shot.
Difference in making adjustments
From the 10-minute practice session to the last game in your event, the bowling ball is always changing the placement of the oil on the lane. It’s imperative to make adjustments no matter what hand you bowl with.
Right-handed bowlers make bigger moves on the approach and where they are targeting down lane. Left-handed bowlers find themselves making smaller moves using hand position and ball speed to better match up with what’s going on out there.
Spare Shooting
Spare shooting is difficult for any bowler. If you shoot your spares with a hook as a left-handed bowler, the game just got a little more difficult.
Because of all of the action from the right side, the oil on the middle of the lane is wildly unpredictable.
Your best bet is to switch to a plastic ball and straighten out the shot. This takes away any variables the lane has to offer and your make percentage increases.
Equipment Choices
Fine tuning an arsenal for any bowler is a life long commitment. For lefties, it comes down to making the bowling ball have the desired backend reaction when you need it most.
This boils down to surface, pin placement and hand position upon release. Because lefties do not make big moves with their feet on the lane for their strike shot, it’s crucial to have the right ball with the right surface at the right time to score big.
Let’s face it; winning teams more often than not have a left-handed bowler or two somewhere on the roster. So right-handers, if you don’t want to get left out of the winner’s circle, maybe it’s time to ease up on your left-handed friends.
If you want to see instruction specifically geared to left-handed bowling, check out theseLeft-Handed Bowling Tips and Strategies.
Home team / road team. Just like in basketball, baseball and football, sometimes the conditions will favor one side vs the other. Sometimes the right side will have an easier shot making it more difficult for the left handed as if he was on the road.
I would love to see more instructional videos for the Left Handed Bowler. It is difficult to translate right handed bowling instruction to left handed. I am a left handed bowler that is struggling with making corner pin spares consistently. Thank you.
YES
Are any lefties, which use the (yoyo) release as BJ Moore; which I can view online?
Lefties articles
This is an awesome read :) I am always hearing how lefties got it better and easier. Would love to see more articles and videos for lefties :)
<strong> You did not unswer? Has there ever been a competition made only for lefties.
<strong> I´ve have ever seen 4 lefties on same pair of lanes. Never seen two lefties and two two hand lefties on same pair of lanes. Which ones would win, how about the results, good or bad. Never seen a competition only for lefties, are you? Any video?
I'm a southpaw
I have never seen 8 lefty players on same pare of lanes at same time, There are enough lefty players that it could happen. How about two lefty hand two lefty two hand players on the same pair of lanes. Who decides the players for the lanes? The lanes on left side would worn out very soon.