What's the next step?

[trekbowl300]

I need some advice on the next step to take to become the over 200 average bowler. I am one of those who have read many articles on this and other forums for bowling. Use this ball, buy this spinner, take these lessons, use this or that layout for a ball, and follow these steps to become a top bowler. Well, I’ve been through that since the early seventies when I joined a league. Most of the books, directions and balls helped improve my game. The big average bowlers where I bowl could only tell you how they bowl and much of that was OK but did nothing for my game. BTM showed me how much I don’t know about bowling and how much I still have to learn. The constant review of procedure is great and helps remind me what to watch for but what’s the next step?

After 30 years of bowling the last 15 averaging 180 to 186, I decided to take off for two years. I bowled as a sub during that time and noticed how much easier it was to score. Average went up to 193 and 196 for 66 games in different houses wood and synthetic. I thought I was a better sub then league bowler. So I came back to a full time league last year to find out. I had the best year of my bowling career. Two 300’s, a 290, all spare game, 2–700’s and a 195 average. Now, I know that doesn’t compare to most of you reading this but my goal is less then yours. However, since I am now 54 years old and ready to give it my best shot at averaging 200 for a season. I have to look for that extra bit of information so I understand what it takes to make the move up. Regardless of the so-called easy shot, this is because for me it’s the same as years ago. I have to hit my mark and make the shot the lane does not help me do that. Yes, I’ve been told make one more strike or spare per game and that’s it (easier said then done).

However, how do you get that extra strike or spare? Is it more practice, bowling clinics, bowling lessons, a better arsenal of bowling balls and knowledge of when to use them (I use only three balls a solid resin 1996 Thunder and another old 1997 Storm for the long and flip reaction plus the plastic white dot Columbia for the 10 pin - right handed), a spinner to prepare the ball for the most likely house shot. I already read BTM, have many books and web site instructions, with all this and more helpful hints it becomes confusing and to much to remember when actually bowling and trying to make a good shot, help the team and have fun.

Some of you may be thinking why does he want to become another 200 house bowler what’s the big deal? Well, maybe that’s why bowling is losing numbers because most of the non-pro 200+ to 240 guys let you know about it and that’s not fun. Those going into tournaments are in a different level then me and may not understand my lower goals. So, my views and goals are less maybe because I’m older and lets face it I didn’t learn the skills and have want to be a 200 bowler in the past. I have never averaged 200 in a full season and have set this as my next goal, that’s why being a 200 house bowler does not matter. I am trying to stay within reason and take one step at a time. One higher average bowler suggested I bowl at another house where I could probably average 205+ but that’s not what I want. It’s just to be better in my present house and have fun with my team while I’m doing it. I don’t care about the easy conditions I hear about and read about because I still have to make the shot and the lane isn’t going to make me better only I can do that. So, once again what is the next step to improving?

I have done the reading and I cannot split boards in half like I read from Earl Anthony. Spare practice – strike practice? Is it all equipment? Coaches? Ball choice and knowing when to use them? Ball drilling layouts and type of bowler I am (tweener) not a cranker. Reading the lane conditions, seeing the breakpoint (which is very hard and sometimes seems impossible to get use to – lights reflecting on the lanes no marks down the lane)? Participate in tournaments to learn harder conditions? Any suggestions to an older but willing to learn bowler. These are probably all the things I should do but in which order? What comes next-first for a regular league bowler? Are there other factors I should consider? I hope some of you can look back in your own development process and determine which steps helped you take the step to 200 and which of those were the most important.

[Sceptic]

Of course, equipment isn't everything, but yours sounds really old. Balls with that many games on themalmost have to be dead. Another suggesiton i would give is to pracitce on the toughest condition you can. Subbing in different houses is good for your game too. Have you been to BTMs super school. They sure helped me!

[trekbowl300]

No, I have not had any formal lessons. Just what I can pick up while bowling with others. I'll look into replacing my bowling balls with newer ones. I'll check to see if the super school is anywhere around my area. I'll look for the school or coach first and maybe they can suggest balls to use for my style. I was wondering which step to take first and maybe this is the one. Thanks

[KAJMK]

Take this as a rendering of opinions. I am not an expert coach by any means. I thought I’d jot this down for whatever it’s worth.

Any rendering of instruction via the written word, or various form of electronic media is a compendium of thoughts frozen in time. Any illustration is presented via 2 dimensions. More often than not any pictorial displays may be inadequate because the let the reader infer what and when things happened between still sequences; (gee when did that thumb come out, how long did it take, when did it clear the fingers, etc …?). In short, while all of these instructional media have bona fide value, they are all limited and to some extent NOT PERMITTED. Most importantly they are not truly interactive nor can they assess your own particular needs or find out things about you as a person as well as a bowler.
Though bowling is not medicine and healthcare, how much would you lean on books, website forums et al to receive medical advice and diagnosis?

Another key variable is that we are all different. Watch the pros on TV and see how many deviate from "the book". A quick word about the book,
there's a book that most of us never get to read and that’s the book of actual experience on a pro tour.

As for how far can you go. To paraphrase a sentence in the Tom Kouros classic "Par Bowling ... " (New version in the works) - "Like it or not, we are all limited in what we can accomplish on the lanes ..."

I've often compared cyber tips et al as being very much like the story of "The six blind men and the elephant".

O.K. after all of this hot air, my best advice would be to seek out a top notch coach that is not living in the past nor a cookie cutter coach.
One of the better coaches you might book some time with would be Bill Hall. You are, I'm sure familiar with Bill if you've read BTM.

In all the years I've read and observed, there are very few books and articles that do not contain some error in illustration, some shortcomings, or some ambivalence. Working with a living, breathing, thinking, creative, effective, communicative coach, is your best bet.

As for splitting boards, from what I've read, being accurate to within 2 boards at the breakpoint would make you a highly competent PBA player
(assuming other attributes were at the proper level, rpms, speed range,
how many pitches you command, for example). In a video I drew at random, it happened to have PBIII & PDW on it. During the telecast they showed some of the bowler track information showing the speed control and accuracy of the bowlers, neither performed like a machine per se, just fairly close. One has to know how the metrics are taken and what they really mean though. PBIII is considered one of the most if not the most accurate bowler on tour. Of course what I must say is that when the bowler track collected metrics, it did not ask the bowler their intent!

One obstacle is that we become creatures of our environment.
Once you have good fundamentals, then you have to up the ante as far as what you challenge yourself with.

I think that the age old caveat, "a lawyer that defends himself in a trial has a fool for a client" applies.

Over the last few day's I happened to be watching some old bowling tapes drawn at random, various pro bowlers exhibited elements of style that conflict with information as portrayed in many books and articles.

So the gist of all of this is that you need your own guru, that will optimize what you have, not try to make you like some hypothetical perfect bowler,
transfer some of your liabilities to assets as Don Johnson said.

I believe that this is true for the preponderant amount of people. Granted, there are those at the fringes of the Bell curve that are exceptions, but after reaching a plateau, that should tell you something.

Pro's seek help, why not you?
The coach could also give you an honest experienced opinion. Whichever it was positive or negative that would serve to motivate any true "warrior athlete".

Hitting a plateau can be mentally debilitating. Don't get in to that trap.

Some of the travails and concerns you mentioned in your post are covered to some extent in some of Ron Clifton’s tips at www.bowl4fun.com
BTW Ron is a traveling coach. If you have not checked Ron’s tips, give it a go because there might be a thing or two there to help you.

The obvious suggestion I left out, is to get yourself in top notch physical shape, cross train. I’m not saying pump iron, but I’d look to good cardio vascular conditioning,
Strong core and legs, good flexibility. Help check ups, how good is your eyesight? How is your balance, do what you can to improve that for example. It’s the old adage, “the whole is equal to the sum of the parts”, this transcends bowling per se. Again, all of this means a customized to your needs approach, how many variables comprise you and your situation? No book, no cyber pal has the time, resources, or most likely ability to precisely solve your equation.

Best of luck!

Take care, John K. in Glendale Az.

[trekbowl300]

Wow, that interesting.

A little catch 22 in there with don't listen to cyber help as a be all end all but here is some advice. Get in physical shape and get a coach that matches your style. I hope that's what you meant. I did forget about the getting in physical shape for bowling. That's good advice for even general health not just bowling. I think BTM did an article on that a few years ago I'll have to look and see if I have it.

Sorry, but I have always set goals to reach (within reason) which push me to work harder. As of yet I do not think it has been mentally debilitating. One was to make more then 50% of my 10 pins. I was somewhere around 25-30%. I achieved that goal and now have more confidence then ever shooting for that pin and am up to 85%. Yes, I keep track of it.

Finding the right coach however maybe harder then making a 10 pin. Pin pointing just one individual (Bill Hall) is great if it's possible considering the expense, time, travel, family considerations, etc. will allow me to work it out.

I'll also look at two other opitions. One in reading these forums BTM I think is looking for replys from bowlers who went to various bowling programs. I'll have to review those again.

Two, there is the pro shop ball driller who at least watched me bowl before he drilled my balls so he could give me the reaction I wanted. I have to check if he does coaching. I have to review BTM to see if they had any articles on finding the right coach.

So, if this was not your intent to make me think about physical shape and a bowling coach then your were right don't listen to everything on the internet because it could lead you to the wrong conclusions. Thanks for wishing me luck I think I'll need it and quality direction to get to that next level.

[excellentbowler300]

Hi!
Your ability to average 195 is great. If you compare your average to the overall average in your house, you will be happy at 195. I would guess the house average for all bowlers is around 160-165...

You are close, very close. The next step is mostly mental! Mental strenght in bowling is the ability to forget the last bad shot and try to make more good shots. I found my greatest mental improvement (FOCUS) by bowling in a sport league and working my butt off to average 191. At the time my highest average was 204. Since then I have been no lower than 208 and all the way up to 224. My focus on the hard shot has intensified my concentration on the house shot, making me make more good shots and fewer opens. Extra focus will leave you with easier spares and fewer of them.

Good luck with your average building, stay focused longer and you WILL score higher with your ability!

Rick

[trekbowl300]

Well, I have I another factor I did not think of or realize how important it is. Mental strength more concentration. I just read an article on focus/ concentration for that 10 seconds while making your shot without letting your mind wonder. Another good point. Now I am starting to see the point stated in "The six blind men and the elephant."

I am happy at 195, and having fun at this level. The success I had in the past year has just given me more incentive to try harder and see what will happen. I am just looking to put my efforts in the "right" direction.

I so far have found out that the "right" direction is a little different for everyone and there may be no one most important step just the combination of all.

[Guest]

A few more words in response and off the top of my head. I did not sit down with a set of notes or otherwise, so this is not necessarily as well written as it should be.
My goal is to help and to learn.

The caveat about conditioning should also have the CYA – consult with your physician.

I think the intent of my reply was to stimulate thought, give additional resources, and render a general caveat. I hope something good came of it. You’ve already gone to Ron’s site and read the allegory about the blind men and the elephant too. I think there are a lot of positives to draw on therein. I first read that allegory in an English Class, I think it was in high school in the 60’s, it’s a good life lesson. In Dick Weber’s book, there is a closing sentence in a chapter that chides more or less “beware of fragmentary advice”. You are a smart and well read person and I think my caveat was not really necessary, but it was there for other purposes too.

If you have not read the Tom Kouros book ‘Par bowling, the challenge’, I’d advise getting a copy of it (there is supposed to be a new version on the way, which would be the third version), there is a lot of wit and wisdom in that book.

Tom is very highly regarded. There is a spot in the book where he recounts coaching experiences where something that worked for this bowler did not for another and that often times finding the right thing is an iterative process. Tom is a guru if you are not familiar with him, John Jowdy acknowledged Tom in John’s book as the foremost authority on the sport of bowling. Tom has helped many a pro and amateur. I can say that upwards of 90% of what I know and think I know and have been exposed to over the years, I first learned from Tom’s book. Ah you may say then I know very little and you may be right, but I do “know” a few things. One of the writers of BTM whom I took quite a few lessons from paid me a compliment insofar as my knowledge several years ago. This is not meant to impress, just as a reference.

The president of the University I work for said that our job in the University was to teach people how to learn. The Moody Blues have a song called “Question”, that’s part of the process, question, evaluate, and understand.

I think that goal setting is definitely an important thing to do. One trait shared by many successful person is that they rise above the expectations of the critics!
Give me an athlete with something to prove every time. Hey, experts said Gretzky was too small and too slow!

The more you learn about yourself the better. What motivates you, what are your strengths and weaknesses, mentally and physically, another song reference –
“The answer lies within, seconds tick the time out, there’s so much left to learn and I’m on the road to find out …” Cat Stevens. That is, you can read, listen, see examples who did what and when, in the end you assemble the right ingredients and do what you find important to your wishes and dreams.

We are all limited by time and resources. If you can use video tape, that would be a big plus, BTM ran articles on taping over the years, I’d refer to the articles, use sound and sight. That quick bio-feedback is in my opinion essential.

Establish a rapport with the management at the bowling centers and the pro shop! At the center, hopefully you can have more challenging patterns laid down
(someone said Sport league – excellent as we can become products of our environment --- least common denominator …)
Put accuracy props on the lanes for practice, hence the rapport with the center management! I’m not trying to sell Ron’s tape (expensive but good for some), but the tape is a pretty good lane target because you can hear when the ball rolls over it if I recall correctly. I met Ron out here when he was here to teach a few bowlers.
He put some of his tape at the arrows and about 40 45 feet down the lane, if I recall I could hear it both times, yes the bowler could hit both sets (he was a regional pro I believe – no he did not hit them every time).

Use PAP and Rev tapes during practice!!

Determine what drills and what you can work at when at home or not in the center, e.g. the Bill Hall articles a few years ago, I can check out the editions for you, the general theme was learning the game from the foul line back.

Also, personally I have found that doing some of the approach drills and balance drills in my stocking feet have the additional bonus of making me more aware of balance and more importantly where my balance begins to wane! I kind of stumbled ( pun intended) on this. By the way, one of the Pittsburg Steelers does a series of workouts barefoot, he mentioned that this helps his balance, so at least there are two such nuts ;o)
This touches on another important thing and that is honing your balance, not only via technique but by drills. There is one called the flamingo, Dr Briggs wrote about this in an earlier BTM when he was a regular writer, in fact the edition might have a flamingo on the cover. I think Susie covered that too. This is from my Teflon coated memory, but the drill is real and effective, that is no fabrication. Also, as the drills become easier, see what (with due care) you can do with your eyes closed!

Only practice when the body and mind are fresh and amenable to the task. DO NOT FORCE YOUR SELF WHEN PHYSICALLY TIRED, OR NOT MENTALLY FOCUSED
AND WILLING !!. This can result in several negative effects.

How long to practice depends on you but my caveat DO NOT, probably applies to most of us. Again, give it some thought, again learn about you and what works well and what not so well for you.

I could give you a few web resources, but for starts, look at www.bowwwling.com (yes 3 w’s) it has references to many websites. I’d recommend Kenn Melvin’s website
10 pin bowling in Northern Ireland for it’s videos, Rollrite pros hop in the UK for it’s set of the Ritger Drills, Mika K’s website for a short video on the 1 step drill.
Susie Minshew’s site Ron C’s site off the top of my head.


Though I should avoid negative expressions -
DO NOT discount the value of the one step drill.
DO NOT discount the value of the Blind shot drill.


“We have no friends, we have no enemies, we only have teachers”
Dan Millman

I think this means we can learn from every experience. Hopefully, this has been helpful in a positive fashion.
As far as a bowler, I have been used in the chapter entitled “Don’t let this happen to you”.
One coach tried to help me, I wondered why he always wound up humming the theme from “The man from La Mancha” (spelling???)

[KAJMK]

Well my dial up connection is famous for disconnecting me, hence my prior post occurred after I was summarily logged off. the one clsoing with the Millman quote ...

I wanted to, add an comment that is important to me.

That is that I feel that there are mnay more things that I do not know than I know. I realize that. I also know that no one knows everything.
Also, most if not all of what I know is the product of someone elses fertile mind and or experience. I consider myself like a weather vein, hopefully pointing the correct way ...

Take care, John K in Glendale AZ>

[trekbowl300]

I want to thank all who have answered my question. Tonight was the third week of my league and I have used some of the suggestions to wonderful results.

I had the pro shop manager watch me and asked him to make suggestions without changing my present game. I then asked about the ball I was using and how to get it to do what I wanted. After watching me bowl he suggestion the recaction I was looking for may or may be possible with the ball I was using. He explained resurfacing and what to expect. After considering this for 2 days I went for a new ball.

This was also a very interesting discussion. As I mentioned different balls I thought would work he(pro shop) would give me answers on how he thought the ball would react according to how I bowl. Also which balls were more specific for certain lane conditions and not exactly right for my style. So, I decided on a ball that was not drastically different then what I was using just a little more back end and surprisingly not the most expensive.

When I picked up the ball and tried it he just made one suggestion about holding the ball a little more in front of me with a slight twist and playing a different line. No big change, he did say keep an eye on my mark and don't try to see the breakpoint down the lane because my head was coming up to early. I was told to just concentrate on the first mark I was shooting for.

Simple changes that did not change everything and make me confused while trying to bowl. In my first league series I had a 582. Learning how to use the new ball, holding it and trying to concentrate on where to roll it. I wrote down my feet position and where I hit the mark (arrows) on the lane and the ball reaction. This helped me gain confidence in using the ball.

In the second league night with the new ball and now adjustments. I had 9 strikes with one split (missed mark and went out to far and ball hit right on the head pin) I did regain my thoughts and finished well for 231 in the first game. Concentration, new mark and hand were working fine.

The second game I had two strikes then another missed mark and split. In the next 7 shots I left either the 9 or 10 pin. Made all the spares for a 183 game. However, in the last frame I noticed I had gone back to the straighter hand not a little twisted as I had been doing in the first game. Loss of concentration before the shot I guess. I then changed it back to the new method on the 10th frame fill ball for a strike.

In the third game I decided to just rembember two things hold the ball correctly and concentrate on my mark this resulted in 11 in a row and a miss of my mark by 1-1/2 boards on the 12th shot for a 299 game.

So, with a newer ball reaction, more concentration and a coach to suggest minor changes I have at least now achieved what I wanted. Thanks again to those who made the suggestions and did not have me going nuts with trying to be something I'm not. The combination of all the little things have helped my game and now it is time for me to just keep control and stay within my game. I know this is only the beginning. I will have to get use to not giving in to temptation to over do what was simple tonight. Thank you all again.