Are you trying to improve your bowling game? As with any sport or skill, the more you practice, the faster you’ll improve. However, if you (like most people) have a job, household, family, and other responsibilities, you probably can’t make it to the bowling alley every day, no matter how much you’d like to. Not to worry! You can improve your bowling even when you’re away from the lane with these tips. 

How to practice bowling at home (or anywhere)

• Practice your swing in front of a mirror. This one is great because it’s something you wouldn’t really want to do at the bowling alley anyway! Instead of awkwardly swinging your arm around in public, stand in front of a full-length mirror and practice your arm movement. By refining your swing in private, you’ll have the muscle memory you need to pull it off next time you’re at Rab’s. 
• Stay limber. Bowling uses many different muscles, so it’s important to keep yourself in good shape for optimal performance. Stretch every day and keep your body fit with weight training and cardio. 
• Devote some time to bowling every day – even if you can’t play. When you can’t make it to the lanes, you can still improve your game by keeping bowling at the forefront of your mind. Practice your visualization techniques, talk about bowling with a friend, read about bowling, or watch YouTube videos about bowling! Thanks to the internet, there are tons of resources to help you improve your bowling skills. 

Whether you just bowl for fun or want to compete in a bowling league, Rab’s Country Lanes is the place to bowl in Staten Island! We hope you’ll join us soon to hone your skills and have a blast.

Women’s league player, Julie Agosta, rolls the ball at Rab’s Country Lanes, a family-run bowling alley operating for decades on Staten Island. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo)

Bowling is a game of skill, but hand-eye coordination, aim, and strength are not the only skills needed to excel. If you’re wondering how to become a better bowler, don’t forget about the mental game! 

At Rab’s Country Lanes, we host a wide range of bowling leagues for adults, teens, and kids, as well as open bowling. Lace up your bowling shoes and join us for the best bowling in Staten Island – and keep these tips in mind. 

• Develop a routine – Approaching your turn the same way each time can help get you in your bowling mindset and keep you on track. By re-setting to the same routine each time, you can focus your mental energy on planning your shot. Take a deep breath through your nose and out through your mouth as your final action before taking your shot. 
• Visualize your goal – Visualization is a powerful mental tool that can be useful in bowling and many other activities. Imagine the shot you want to make. How fast will the ball roll? Where will it hook? See yourself throwing the ball and hitting the sweet spot for a strike. 
• Regulate your emotions – Whether you roll a dud or a strike, one of the most important parts of bowling is to stay calm and steady. This is where your routine comes in! Going through your routine can help you re-set to a state of calm and focus necessary to throw a strike. The panic of a poor shot or excitement of a good shot can destroy your focus, but with a deep breath, a routine, and visualization, you can return to a state of calm. 

Of course, practice makes perfect, so be sure to visit Rab’s Country Lanes for open bowling – or consider joining a bowling league to be part of a team and enjoy some friendly competition! 

With kids out of school, people taking vacations, and warm weather, summer is a season to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. If you’re looking for social activities in Staten Island, consider joining one of our summer youth programs.

There’s something for everyone.

Whether your kids love competitive, casual bowling, or something in between, we have programs to fit the bill! From the Have-a-Ball Club that awards kids with their own bowling ball to Bowling 101 classes for kids 7 and younger, we’re here to share our love of the game with your youngsters. We also encourage family bowling outings for parents to introduce their kids to bowling in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Play with friends or make new ones

Spending time with friends is one of the most important parts of a fulfilling life. In fact, there’s even evidence that making time to socialize is good for your health! Whether you sign up siblings or a single child, joining a youth program ensures that your kids will learn new skills and strike up some new friendships.

Beat the heat and have fun indoors

On those hot summer days where you can’t imagine leaving the air conditioning, bowling is a great way to get out of the house and add some activity to your schedule. At Rab’s, you can enjoy bowling in a comfortable atmosphere rain or shine, hot or cold.

Are you ready to sign up? Fill out our online form or check out our summer bowling youth programs to get started! For questions or more information, contact Nazareth Laursen at (718) 979-1600.

The modern bowling ball has had a long and interesting history. Learn a little more about it with some interesting bowling ball trivia.

Ancient Bowling

Both “lawn bowling” (games in which a ball is rolled at another) and pin bowling have been played for thousands of years. Archeologist have even found early “bowling pins” in the grave of an Egyptian child buried 5,200 years ago. Early lawn balls where asymmetrical and holeless– very unlike the bowling balls of today!

Bowling Ball Materials

Most bowling balls were historically made of a very hardwood called Lignum vitae. The first rubber ball was produced in 1905, called the Evertrue. Hard rubber bowling balls quickly became the norm until the introduction of polyester balls in the 1970s. From there, the bowling would start to change at a radical rate.

The following decade in 1980, urethane bowling balls were introduced to the market. Then around 1990, bowling ball would change again with the introduction of new core shapes. It was about this time that reactive urethane coverstocks where also introduced.

American Bowling Congress

In 1984, when the American Bowling Congress (now known as the United States Bowling Congress, or USBC) was founded, they sought to standardize the sport of bowling. Part of this effort included the standardization of bowling equipment, including the bowling ball. The USBC’s regulation and standards have absolutely helped shape the evolution of the bowling ball, and continue to do so today.

As fun as these bowling history facts are, playing the game is much more fun! So check out our upcoming Staten Island events and make your plans to visit our Staten Island bowling today!

Once you have purchased the perfect bowling ball for you, you have to learn how to properly care for it. There are a lot of different opinions about how to clean a bowling ball, including some truly bizarre ones, so we have put together a few tips and tricks for cleaning a bowling ball:

Lane Oil

In order to properly maintain a bowling alley, the lanes must be regularly oiled. This is why you should never step past the foul line. And if left unchecked, this lane oils is also one of the biggest threats to your bowling ball.

After each shot, you may see a ring of oil on your ball, also called an “oil track.” This oil build up can affect the way your ball moves down the lane and make it harder to properly hook. But even worse is that your bowling ball can also absorb the oil causing damage to the ball. This is why you should wipe your ball down during play with a microfiber cloth. Make sure your cloth is microfiber so that you’re not adding scratches to your ball surface.

How to Clean a Bowling Ball

Different types of bowling ball materials are affected differently by oil. Hard plastic balls are most resistance to oil as they are not very absorbent, but higher end materials such as reactive resin or pearl overstock are actually quite absorbent and require much more frequently cleanings. Generally it is recommended that these high end balls be cleaned every 6 or so games. We recommend commercial ball cleaning supplies, but some people prefer to soak their ball in water and dish soap. If you do decide to soak your ball, make sure not to get any water in the finger holes as water can greatly damage your ball’s core.

To extend the life of your bowling ball, we recommend professional cleanings. Visit our pro shop for cleaning tips, cleaning schedules, and professional cleaning services.

Ready to bowl? Check out our Staten Island bowling league and upcoming bowling tournaments, then make your plans to visit our Staten Island bowling alley.

Bowling is a fun activity for the whole family, including little ones! If you’re interested in teaching your child to bowl, here are our best tips to teach children to bowl to get you started.

• Bowl early, bowl often. Kids can learn to bowl as young as 3 years old, but all kids are different and you should take your child’s motor skills and development into consideration. Your child will need to be able to lift a 6 lb bowling ball. Our bowling shoe rentals range from a toddler size 5 all the way to a men’s 20!
• Gear up. Here at Rab’s, we love sharing the fun of bowling with local families, and we make it easy and fun to bowl with your kids. Bumpers are available on all 48 of our bowling lanes for kids 12 and under. They go up for the kids and down for the adults, so the whole family can enjoy an age-appropriate challenge. We also offer dragon bowling ramps, which are great for kids up to 5 years old. These sturdy plastic ramps allow little bowlers to get the thrill of knocking down pins without lifting a heavy ball.
• Start with the basics. First up, safety! Make sure they know NOT to step onto the lane, which is slippery and can result in a tumble. For little kids, start them off holding the ball with two hands. Once they have two-handed bowling down, teach them how to hold the ball one-handed. It can be helpful to hold their hands on the ball and guide them in releasing, until they have learned the proper motion well enough to do it on their own.

Want more tips for teaching your kids to bowl? Check out this great Fatherly article featuring expertise from a Hall of Fame bowler!

Quit putting off taking your child bowling and get them to the lanes! Check out our upcoming Staten Island events and make plans to bring your kids out for a little Staten Island bowling.

If you want to be a great bowler, then you have to talk the talk! Do you know the meaning of all of these common bowling terms? Check out our list and sound like a pro next time you bowl!

• Picket Fence – These are spares consisting of the 1-2-4-7 or the 1-3-6-10 pins.
• Punch Out – A punch out is when a bowler finishes a game with any number of consecutive strikes.
• Scratch – In tournaments, scratch is the actual score a bowler earns before the handicap is tallied.
• Six Pack – As the name implies, this is simply 6 strikes in a row.
• Sleeper – Sleeper pins sit behind other pins, making them hard to see. For example, look at the 2-8 and 1-5 pins.
• Span – This is the distance between the finger and thumb holes on a bowling ball.
• Spot Bowling – This is a bowling method which utilizes the dots and arrows on the lane rather than the pins. In spot bowling, you keep your eye on the spots instead of the pins during a throw.
• Tap – Have you ever thrown a “perfect throw” but one pin was still standing for seemingly no reason? That’s a tap.
• Turkey – 3 strikes in a row is a turkey.
• Vacancy – This is often used in league play. This is a standard score used when one team has fewer bowlers than the other. Essentially, it’s the “score” of the “missing” bowler.

Now that you know the lingo, come practice it at our amazing Staten Island bowling alley! Check out our upcoming Staten Island events and Staten Island bowling tournaments and make your plans to visit today.