Under normal circumstances, bowling doesn’t provide much in the way of excitement. The sport’s critics find little fascinating in rolling a ball down a wooden alley toward 10 stationary pins. Yet truly skilled bowlers possess an array of trick shots to liven up any night at the lanes. These bowling tricks may be divided into categories, with each containing countless variations.
Called Leave
Perhaps the most basic of all bowling tricks, called leaves require the bowler to announce before he rolls the ball which pins he intends to leave standing. Bowlers need expert precision to be able to control pin movement. The most common called leave is the 10 pin, although any pin or combination of pins may be chosen.
Agility
Some bowling tricks call for nifty agility, with bowlers displaying nimble feet and overall physical dexterity. A few such tricks call for bowlers to throw from their opposite foot or to bowl wrong-handed. Another variation of an agility trick sees the bowler take a normal approach only to spin around and roll the ball between his legs.
Props
Creative bowlers often incorporate props into their trick shots. For instance, bowlers will place chairs at different spots along the lane, then roll the ball between the chair legs en route to the pins. Spectators may also get involved, either sitting on the chairs or standing in the lane. Professional bowler Norm Duke is famous for performing a trick shot with a towel, wrapping the ball in the towel and bowling without ever touching the ball.
Slow Spin Split
A trick shot no matter the occasion, the 7-10 split tests any bowler’s skill, yet adding a second ball to the mix only adds to the potential trickery. One variation begins with the bowler spinning a ball slowly down the lane. After waiting for the first ball to travel about 3/4 of the way, the bowler rolls the second ball to collide with the first, sending the first ball into the 10 pin while the second ball takes out the 7 pin.
Two Lane Split
This trick needs two lanes. On the first lane, the bowler sets up the 7 pin, which stands in the back left corner of the lane, and the 3 pin, which should be positioned a few feet up the lane. On the second lane, to the right of the first, the bowler sets up only the 10 pin in the back right corner. The bowler then rolls a perfect ball into the inside of the 3 pin, kicking it across into the second lane to eliminate the 10 pin, while the ball caroms into the waiting 7 pin to complete the shot.
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