This is what you will gain from step 1, some of you may think it is a bit too basic for you but in thinking that you would be wrong. These first fundamentals are really important they are the foundation of becoming a really successfully bowler. I will break this down and take the step part by part;

• Ball selection. When you first come to bowl chances are you will be using a house ball, these are drilled for anyone to walk in off the street and use. Therefore you can not get a proper fit the finger and thumb holes will almost certainly be too large. What you may be able to do is find a ball where the span (the distance between the thumb and finger holes) is nearly right. First place your thumb into the thumb hole and lay your fingers over the finger holes, if your first finger joints down from your knuckles line up with the closest edge of the holes to your thumb the span is correct for conventional grip bowling. Make sure the ball is the right weight not too heavy or too light, first try giving it a little swing in a "buff a ball bag" or similar so if it is too heavy you will not drop it on someone's foot. If it feels OK try it with your thumb and middle two fingers, have some space around you in case it gets away from you. If it feels good chances are it will be OK but remember heavier balls knock down more pins so don't go too light, take the heaviest you can comfortably keep under control. Eventually you will have your own ball or balls, find a ball driller with a good reputation and trust them to fit you out not fit you up. You will have some idea what works for you from the house balls you have been using, often when you have a properly drilled ball of your own you can go a little heavier. A last tip for juniors your feet grow at roughly the same pace as your hands, if you need bigger shoes you should have your ball drilling checked.
• Safety. I could really go on about this the bowl can be a dangerous environment, bowling balls are heavy, approaches are slippy, lanes are very slippy. Don't under any circumstances go past the foul line and remember it runs around the entire building. Be careful to maintain your balance on the approach, this will not only help you not too fall and hurt yourself but will do wonders for the quality of your bowling. Be careful when you take your ball from the ball return, don't put your fingers and thumb into it to pick it up you could end up breaking them. Pick it up with both hands on the sides of the ball not in line with other balls arriving on the return. It is difficult to bowl with fingers that look like sausages. Remain alert in the approach area sometimes balls arrive going in the wrong direction and don't leave your equipment all over the place for people to trip over.
• Lane etiquette. If there is a bowler on the approach ball in hand looking steely eyed bead of sweat on the brow they are ready to bowl. If they are on a lane next to yours wait well back from the wood of the approach until they go. If you have nobody like that on an the lane either side of you and your pins are set up ready then go ahead and knock them into the pit.
• Foul Line. Already mentioned this stay the correct side of it and no problem, put your toe over and you get no score for that ball. Go further over and you could have a nasty fall.
• Dress. Bowling is a smart sport clean comfortable loose clothing is the way to go. jeans are no good and usually not allowed a smart bowling shirt is the thing, and trousers that let you move easily. Tailored shorts are OK in the summer and some girls like to wear skorts or skirts.
• Shoes. Most of us start in house shoes which are alright disadvantages are that they may well be pretty worn after been used by a lot of people before you. When you have your own they are only been used by you and there is of course a lot of choice available. You can get neutral shoes that slide on either foot, like house shoes but your own. Later you may move onto pro shoes where one is a pusher (rubber sole) and the other slides. There are loads of different types of these with all sorts of features where soles and heels can be changed depending on how far you want to slide.
• Equipment. Most people start of using the equipment in the bowl, then perhaps they get their own ball then shoes. Some really serious bowlers end up dragging around enough kit to fill a small lorry. There is lots of stuff you can buy that may improve your performance, towels are important at least two one for you and one for the ball. You don't want to be wiping lane oil off the ball then putting onto your hands. There are lots of other items like puff balls to help keep your bowling hand dry. You may find a wrist support helpful but don't wear one just for show.
• The Kneel Down Drill. This is pure magic whoever thought it up was a genius. It will help you to have a pure free swing with a proper follow through and more important than that you can concentrate on getting a good release. If you want to see what a good release will do for your bowling click on this link and have a look at the bowling ball axis precision video;