Tips for the Weekend Warrior – Part 1

Equipment hook zones

Tips for the Weekend Warrior - Part 1

It is Saturday morning and youth league just ended. I head home to watch the PBA Tour on ABC and watch my favorite bowler compete for that week’s PBA title. Or, fast forward 30 years to today and kids are watching bowling on YouTube while bowling league. Either way, we all grow up as bowlers wanting to become that professional who is bowling under the bright lights of TV. While some kids dream of stepping up to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in game seven of the World Series with a chance to win it all, bowlers grow up with similar dreams of stepping up in the 10th frame needing a strike for the title.

For most bowlers, reality eventually sets in as we get older and those dreams don’t become a reality. Instead, we get a job that supports our lifestyle and we become a “weekend warrior.” The weekend warriors are those bowlers who still live and breathe competitive bowling, but they can only compete on the weekends. As I travel the country and compete against many of these weekend warriors, I find that many of them quit traveling after a year or two because they find little success. While I believe physical practice and being physically sound is still one of the most important aspects to success in bowling, the game is changing.

You must become good in other areas to be able to compete at the next level in our sport, and that includes developing a solid understanding of your equipment. In this article, I am going to help you classify your equipment so you can start making better choices when competing.

Everyone is different

Bowling ball technology is changing quickly. If you don’t keep up with it, you are at a severe disadvantage before you even step onto the approach. When bowling balls are designed, they are put through a series ...



Josh Blanchard

About Josh Blanchard

Josh was born and raised in Southern California where he found his passion for bowling. Graduating from Wichita State with degrees in Entrepreneurship and Management, Josh joined the PBA Tour and became Rookie of the Year in 2011. Along with three national PBA titles, three PBA Regional titles, and two Collegiate National Championships, Josh co-authored a book, Bowling: Energy in Motion, in 2017. The book has been sold worldwide and focuses on bowling’s mental game. He is a father of three children, an avid golfer, and he competes regularly in long-distance bicycle races.