Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling Tips

Nintendo Switch Sports bowling is one of three sports returning from previous entries in the Wii Sports series. As a result, it’s a sport that Nintendo Switch Sports players will undoubtedly want to try out in order to get a rush of nostalgia. Here are five tips for how you can up your game and aim to be the best in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling.

Fancy some tips for other games in Switch Sports? Check out these guides:

• Nintendo Switch Sports tennis tips
• Nintendo Switch Sports volleyball tips
• Nintendo Switch Sports chambara tips
• Nintendo Switch Sports badminton tips
• Nintendo Switch Sports soccer tips

Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling Tips: How To Bowl A Hook

Just like in real bowling, it’s often beneficial for players to put a little spin on their ball in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling. Using a technique called a hook, players can curve the ball in order to make it more likely that the ball will knock other pins into each other. 

To bowl a hook in Nintendo Switch Sports, the player simply needs to take advantage of the game’s motion controls. Right as they are about to reach the peak of their swinging motion and throw the ball, the player should twist their hand in whatever direction they want the ball to curve.

To achieve the greatest possible control over the curve, it is best to twist your hand toward your body. How far the ball curves after it is thrown depends on how far the player twisted their hand at the peak of the throw. By mastering the different trajectories of a hook throw, players can gain greater control of the ball and reliably knock down more and more pins.

Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling Tips: How To Consistently Get Strikes

Of course, the key to earning as many points as possible in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling is to score strikes by knocking down every single pin with a single throw. Although getting a strike is generally the hardest technique to pull off in bowling, there are a couple of tricks that will make it easier to perform consistently in Nintendo Switch Sports.

The first method, and the one that requires the least precision, involves aiming toward the center. Using the game’s zoom-in feature, players should make sure the red dotted line that indicates the angle of their throw lines up perfectly with the black arrow in the center of the lane.

By quickly throwing the ball at maximum speed, players will be able to pick up strikes with a good deal of consistency if they carefully aim toward the middle. For this strategy to work, it is important that the player keeps their Joy-Con completely straight to avoid putting any spin on the ball.

Conversely, players can take advantage of the hook mechanic in Nintendo Switch Sports and intentionally aim away from the center of the lane. To set up this kind of strike, it is best for the player to move their control stick to position themselves just next to the gutter on the side of their dominant hand. 

Once they are positioned to the far side, players simply need to throw the ball and twist toward their body just before they throw. With perfect execution, the ball will ride along the side for a bit before curving inward toward the center. Crucially, the curved approach of the ball makes it more likely that the center pins will crash into other pins, allowing players to even more consistently secure strikes.

Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling: How To Clear Splits

If the player fails to properly execute a strike in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling, it is possible they will be left with two pins that are not next to each other. In this position, called a split, it can be very difficult to knock them both down and secure a spare on the second throw.

Nevertheless, it is possible to pull off a split conversion, and players will even receive bonus points if they can successfully do so. The best way to clear a split is to aim the ball such that it hits the outside edge of one of the pins. If the ball is aimed correctly, the pin that is hit will fly into the other one, allowing the player to clear them both and secure a spare.

Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling: Special Lanes

Nintendo Switch Sports bowling has a unique feature known as Special Lanes, which introduce static obstacles, moving hazards, slopes, missing lane space, and more into the mix. Special Lanes can start appearing in the Nintendo Switch Sports Pro League once the player has reached D rank or above.

There are at least 64 Special Lanes with varying types of obstacles. They are split into three separate categories: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. For many Beginner lanes, players simply need to wait out moving obstacles and time their throws such that the ball avoids the obstacles.

In many Intermediate lanes, players will have to adjust their starting angles if they want to throw a straight shot or start incorporating hooks into their gameplay. Once players reach the Advanced lanes, it is effectively required that they utilize hooks in order to curve around obstacles and hit the pins. Depending on the positioning of the obstacles, players may also need to get used to throwing hooks from different starting points besides the far edges of the lane.

Nintendo Switch Sports Bowling: How To Bowl A Perfect Game

The highest number of points a player can possibly score in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling is 300 points. As mentioned earlier, the key to racking up as many points as possible is to master knocking down every pin with one throw to secure strikes.

If the player can land a strike in all 10 regular rounds, they will gain access to two bonus bowling balls. Naturally, scoring a perfect game requires landing strikes with these extra balls as well. By clearing every pin in one try with all 12 balls, players can hit the 300 point maximum.

So, to climb to the top of the ranks in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling, players will have to nail down their strike setups, whether they opt for a straight shot down the middle or a hook from the side. Players can practice their bowling throws and even earn points toward Nintendo Switch Sports unlockables in the offline Trial Mode.