Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – September 2026

In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers and bowlers that I work with. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question!

For experienced league bowlers (215+ average) who regularly bowl on typical house shots and would like to expand onto the tournament scene, what are some tips that would help them score when confronted with sport/PBA patterns? What is the best approach to practice for sport/PBA patterns on THS patterns?

Ideally, for bowlers who compete regularly on sport shots, you’ll have access to sport shots at a local center. This often comes in the form of a sport shot league that rotates through different patterns throughout the season. In some cases, where there are a lot of tournament bowlers, some centers might even set up certain days or times of the week to put out sport shots for practice.

Quite often, though, bowlers are left practicing on house shots. While you can’t recreate the lane play dynamics of tournament conditions on sport shots, you can still work on the skills you’ll need for higher-level competition.

Spare shooting

This horse isn’t dead, so I can’t be accused of beating it. Spare shooting is one of the primary skills to keep you competitive on sport conditions. Where most league bowlers suffer is that they often hook the ball and get away with it on house shots. While some righties will throw it straight at right-side spares and hook it at the left-side spares, most league bowlers have some ...