Game version
Follow-through freeze: after each roll, hold your finish for a slow count while a partner checks that your hand points at the target. Swap.
Middle of the Lane Game
Roll the ball so it stays near the middle and reaches the pins.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Pick the middle arrow.
Core: Usual. Beat your own best out of 10.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Gym or court
- Bring
- Bowling ball, lane
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Release
The steps
How it works
- Pick the middle arrow.
- Roll with a smooth swing.
- Count balls that reach the pins without touching the gutter or bumper.
- Roll 10 and try to beat your own number.
Coaching point
Smooth and straight.
Safety: Use the lightest house ball that fits your fingers; if it is hard to hold with one hand, it is too heavy. Children under 7 use a light ball, and a grown-up lifts it from the return for them. Pick it up with both hands from the sides of the return, never the front, and keep fingers clear of other balls.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (slow roll), Core (usual), More (hold the finish and name your target). Beat your own best out of 10.
Story
You are an archer who holds the pose until the arrow lands.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free bowling week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.