Increasing target size and strike percentage in tenpin bowling: An analysis of the 2017 Weber Cup

The ability to strike regularly in the sport of tenpin bowling is of paramount importance for bowlers should they wish to obtain high scores and compete at an elite level. Therefore, bowlers and their coaches are often looking to maximise the size of the contact area on pin number one (the head pin) that can be hit such that the chance of getting a strike is high. This effectively increases the margin of error that the bowler has, which could result in them having an advantage over the opposition. To help gain insight into the features of a shot that can potentially increase this area whilst maintaining a high strike percentage, ball tracking data from the 2025 Weber Cup is analysed. The position of the ball as it hits the pins is found to be important. If the ball travels through the pins without much deflection, and the position of the ball towards the last row of pins is close to the centre of the lane, then the target area around the head pin increases significantly. The entry angle and entry speed of the ball are found to be less important.