You don’t want to wait until you have impressive aiming skills before you start thinking about where you want to put the bowling ball in relation to the pins. In fact, having a specific spot can help you diagnose issues with your swing and delivery. The big question is this: Where should you be trying to put that bowling ball? The answer is pretty simple.
Aim for Between the 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 Pins
The pins are numbered from one to ten. The first three pins are 1, 2, and 3, with the 1 pin being the first one closest to you, the 2 being the one behind it to the left, and the 3 being the one behind the 1 to the right. Aiming for the spot between either the 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 gives you a few different advantages.
Each pin the bowling ball hits reduces the amount of momentum the ball has. That momentum is transferred to the pins it hits, and they are, in turn, sent into the other pins. The more momentum your bowling ball has as it goes into the rest of the pins, the better. The 1 pin can be a great tool in knocking down other pins, but only if it’s struck nearly perfectly, right down the middle. Otherwise, it will serve to slow down the ball and also ricochet it out of the way of the other pins.
Hitting the pins between the 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 allows the bowling ball to carry more momentum into the rest of the pins while still sending the pins it strikes initially into the others with enough speed. This area is also more forgiving if not struck absolutely perfectly. This increased margin for error makes it the perfect sweet spot to aim for.