How to Train on a House Shot

Tips for challenging yourself on easy practice conditions

How to Train on a House Shot

One of the most prevalent misconceptions I’ve dealt with in recent years, particularly with youth bowlers and their parents, is that you need a sport shot out on the lanes for any practice to be worthwhile. There’s this general opinion... [Read More]

Tackling Your Weaknesses – Part 3

Is your physical game keeping up with your brain?

Tackling Your Weaknesses - Part 3

Now, more than ever, bowling is a thinking person’s game. To achieve the highest level in this sport, you need to not only be able to out-play the field, you need to be able to out-think them. With dynamic balls,... [Read More]

Tackling Your Weaknesses – Part 2

Tackling Your Weaknesses - Part 2

Last month, I dealt with improving the mental game to help Active Volcanoes. This month, it’s time to deal with the Blind Squirrels. Blind Squirrels are bowlers whose physical and mental games are reasonably sound, while their tactical approach to... [Read More]

Tackling Your Weaknesses – Part 1

Calming the volcano

Tackling Your Weaknesses - Part 1

In the last couple of articles, I’ve introduced three player “categories” based on the area where a bowler is weakest. I’ve called them the Thinker, the Volcano, and the Blind Squirrel. Over the next three months, I want to address... [Read More]

Starting From the Ground Up – Part 1

Footwork: The foundation of effectiveness

Starting From the Ground Up - Part 1

Almost every time I coach a bowler, I’m reminded of the expression relating to chewing gum and walking at the same time. Inevitably, bowlers are able to perform an effective armswing while standing still and are able to walk efficiently... [Read More]

Starting From the Ground Up – Part 2

The importance of your core

Starting From the Ground Up - Part 2

Last month, in discussing using your feet and legs effectively, there were a few areas where we saw the old and new schools of thought collide. A discussion of how bowlers use their core also causes some disagreement. One thing... [Read More]

Bowling Ball Surface Management

Beginning and advanced techniques to improve your game

Bowling Ball Surface Management

It used to be so easy: there was dull and there was shiny. Dull balls were for oily lanes; shiny balls were for dry lanes. These days? Surface roughness is a key component to ball reaction and with the variety... [Read More]

Starting From the Ground Up – Part 3

Hands and arms: What do I do with them?

Starting From the Ground Up - Part 3

The term hand-eye coordination is defined as “the ability to coordinate vision with fine motor skills.” Since bowling is a precision sport, everything a bowler does is to promote successfully knocking down pins by coordinating movements to direct the ball... [Read More]

What to Do in Your Spare Time…

Getting back to the basics with improved spare shooting

What to Do In Your Spare Time...

For my Bowling This Month reincarnation debut, I had several ideas go through my head for a topic. In the end, what better way to get started than to get back to basics. Like the first practice after several months... [Read More]

Starting From the Ground Up – Part 4

Targeting, trajectory, and keeping a steady head

Starting From the Ground Up

The final chapter in the From the Ground Up series, for obvious reasons, is the head. For the most part, when bowlers and coaches talk about the head in bowling, we are referring to the mental or tactical game. In... [Read More]