Bowling Ball Speed Calculator

1. Start a stopwatch, or film the shot, as the ball crosses the foul line.
2. Stop it when the ball hits the head pin and enter the time in seconds.
3. Leave the distance at 60 feet for a full lane, or enter the distance you timed.
4. Optionally enter a target speed to see the time you would need.

Bowling ball speed is how fast the ball travels down the lane, usually quoted in miles per hour. It is one of the three key delivery numbers alongside rev rate and axis rotation, and it controls how far the ball skids, when it starts to hook and how hard it drives into the pins.

The speed on this page is an average over the whole distance. A ball leaves the hand fastest and loses speed through friction as it travels, so the release speed is a little higher than the average, and the speed at the pins a little lower. Many centre speed displays show one of those point speeds, which is why their figure can differ from a timed average.

Speed has to match the lane. On heavy oil a faster ball can skid too far and miss the pocket, while on dry lanes a slower ball can hook too early. Learning your natural speed is the first step to adjusting it on purpose.

1. Divide the distance by the time to get feet per second.
2. Multiply by 3,600 to get feet per hour.
3. Divide by 5,280 feet per mile to get miles per hour.
4. Multiply mph by 1.609344 for km/h, or use metres over seconds for m/s.

Over the standard 60 feet the formula simplifies to 40.91 divided by the time in seconds. The target time runs the same formula backwards: 40.91 divided by the target speed. The same unit conversion is available on its own in the mph to km/h converter.

A bowler films a shot and counts 2.5 seconds from the foul line to the head pin. Sixty feet divided by 2.5 seconds is 24 feet per second, which is 16.36 mph, 26.33 km/h or 7.32 metres per second. That sits comfortably inside the range many coaches suggest for a hook ball.

To reach 17 mph the same bowler would need the ball to arrive in 40.91 divided by 17, or 2.41 seconds, about a tenth of a second quicker. That small difference shows why speed changes are made in fine steps, often by moving the starting position on the approach or adjusting the height of the backswing.

Backswing Height

A higher backswing adds energy and increases speed.

Approach Pace

A quicker, longer approach carries more momentum into the release.

Ball Weight

A lighter ball is easier to throw faster, but it deflects more at the pins.

Lane Friction

Dry lanes slow the ball sooner than heavily oiled ones, lowering the average.

Average speed over a regulation 60-foot lane for common times.

Each tenth of a second around 2.5 seconds changes the average by roughly two thirds of a mile per hour.

Checking Your Natural Speed

Time several shots and average them to find your baseline.

Matching Lane Conditions

Compare speeds on fresh and broken-down oil to see how you adjust.

Checking a Speed Display

Compare your timed average with the centre display to understand what it measures. Runners and swimmers track pace the same way with the pace calculator.

1. Timing from the Hand

Start the clock at the foul line, not when the ball leaves the hand.

2. Stopping at the Pin Deck

Stop at the head pin impact, which is where the 60 feet ends.

3. Trusting One Shot

Stopwatch reaction time adds error; average three to five shots.

4. Comparing Different Speeds

Release, average and pin speeds are all different figures.

The arithmetic is exact; the accuracy of the result depends on how precisely the time is measured. A hand-held stopwatch can be out by a tenth of a second, which moves the answer by about 0.6 mph.

Divide the distance by the time and convert to mph. Over 60 feet, mph is 40.91 divided by the seconds, so 2.5 seconds is 16.4 mph.

Many coaches suggest roughly 16 to 18 mph average for a hook ball, but the right speed depends on your rev rate and the lane.

A regulation lane is 60 feet from the foul line to the head pin.

Displays often show release speed or speed near the pins, while a timed figure is the average over the lane.

Most professionals average around 17 to 21 mph, with power players at the top of that range.

Raise your backswing slightly or start a little further back on the approach; small changes are enough.

Reaction time can add about a tenth of a second, so average several shots or count frames on a slow-motion video.

Yes. Enter the distance you timed instead of 60 feet and the calculator uses that distance.

No. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• Ten-pin bowling (Wikipedia).
• Bowling ball (Wikipedia).
• Bowling alley (Wikipedia).
• Speed (Wikipedia).