Most bowlers look at their total score and call it a night. But your average is hiding clues — in the pins you leave, the spares you miss, and the games where fatigue kicks in. Here's why tracking the details changes everything.
You know your average. Maybe you know your high game. But can you answer these questions about your last session?
Which pin did you leave standing the most? Was it the 10-pin? The 7? A 3-6-10 split you keep seeing? Without tracking specific pin leaves, you're guessing.
What's your spare conversion rate by leave type? You might convert 80% of single-pin spares but only 30% of multi-pin leaves. That difference is worth 10+ pins per session.
Does your game drop off in the third game? Fatigue affects everyone, but most bowlers don't realise how much. If your Game 3 average is 20 pins below your Game 1, that's 20 pins of improvement hiding in plain sight.
Here's the difference between bowling blind and bowling with data.
"I averaged about 160 tonight. Game 2 was decent. I think I left a lot of 10-pins but I'm not sure."
"My average hasn't moved in months. I don't know what to work on."
"I bowled better last season... I think? Hard to remember."
"I averaged 162 tonight. Games: 178, 171, 138. My third game dropped because I left the 10-pin 4 times and converted once."
"My 10-pin conversion is 42% this season. If I get that to 60%, my average goes up ~6 pins."
"My average was 155 eight weeks ago. It's 162 now. Spare shooting improved 8%."
The bowler in both scenarios has the same physical ability. The difference is that one of them knows exactly where they're losing pins — and has a plan to fix it.
Every bowler has one. The pin heatmap shows which pins you leave most often — and how often you actually convert them. For most right-handers, it's the 10-pin. Now you'll know for sure.
Compare your Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 averages over a season. Most bowlers drop significantly in Game 3. Knowing how much helps you plan your energy and focus.
You might think you're "pretty good at spares." The data might disagree. Breaking down spare conversion by leave type reveals exactly where to practice.
What percentage of your first balls hit the pocket? How often do you throw a 9-count vs a strike? This tells you if your issue is accuracy or spare shooting.
Not just "my average is 165" but "my average was 158 six weeks ago and it's 165 now because my spare conversion improved 6%." Real progress you can see and feel.
Bow.ly makes it effortless to track every frame, every pin, every session. Join the free beta and see your game in a whole new way.
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