I hope you are improving by now because t's been almost a year since I started my Bowling Blog and I've given you quite a bit of good information in that time. I hope you have gotten your own equipment and that you are in a faithful and regular exercise routine. Have you gotten a new ball and switched over to a Finger Tip Grip yet so you'll have a nice hook? Were you able to use a slightly heavier ball that can help you achieve more pin carry?

    I am sure your average has improved if you have been adamant about getting practice sessions in outside of your league time. Have you gotten a coach?

    I hope your timing has improved. Remember to count your steps as you are walking. Always check the condition of your bowling ball grip. As you practice, check the feel of your grip. You want the grip to feel good, not too loose and not too tight. You need to be able to release the ball properly and finger fit is crucial!

    Don't forget to clean your ball! If there's a lot of dirt, oil, and debris on its' surface, it will not react the same! It may be time to get the ball resurfaced which will keep it performing the way it did when it was new. You can bring it into the pro shop and he can do that on a re-surfacing machine which will help prolong the life of the ball.

    Are you remembering to Follow Through and touch your hand on your back after the ball release to insure a good lift? Are you pulling the fingers toward the palm to insure good revs on the ball for more pin action? 

    There's a lot to remember, so again, be patient with yourself and give yourself enough time to practice all of the important things you need to remember and incorporate into your game. Add them a few at a time because muscle memory takes time to build up. After awhile, you won't have to think about them and can focus more on reading the lanes and making your adjustments properly. 

    Have you used some Visualization on some of the more difficult shots, meaning to keep a positive attitude and picture yourself converting the spare or getting the three strikes in the tenth frame to win that game for your team! 

    If nothing else, keep an air of confidence about yourself and believe you are good and improving all the time. After your release, stay down and keep the release position until the ball hits the pins. You will look more professional that way.  YOU CAN DO IT!!

​Join me back here again next week when I'll be discussing "What is a Bowling Ball Track"?


Good Luck and High Scoring!!

    As previously mentioned, there are several oil patterns that are used around the country, some for PBA Bowlers and some for special tournaments. I have already mentioned several of the PBA Animal Patterns:
Cheetah and Wolf Patterns which are 33 feet long, Viper-36 feet, Bear-39 feet, Chemeleon-39 feet, Dragon-45 feet, Scorpion-42 Feet, and the Shark Pattern which is 45 feet long.

    There are also Legend Patterns named after legendary Professional Bowlers. The Johnny Petraglia Pattern is 36 feet long, the Don Carter Pattern-39 feet, Don Johnson-40 feet, Earl Anthony-40 feet, Mark Roth-42 feet, Carmen Salvino-44 feet, and the Dick Weber pattern is 45 feet long.

     I'll discuss only a few of them and if you would like more information on specific patterns, please go online and you can get information and pictures of the other ones. I haven't had much experience on these Legend Patterns but wanted you to be aware of them in case you have the opportunity to bowl on any of them in the future.

   
    The Earl Anthony Pattern is named after one of the greats and my favorite bowler. Before his professional bowling career, he was a minor league baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Earl Anthony was extremely famous and very popular during the 1970's through the 1990's. The guy was a lefty and extremely disciplined in his style, accuracy, and timing. It was like watching a machine bowl, he was so perfect and amazing! He earned 43 titles during his career, was player of the year six times, and he got into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1981. He was the first professional bowler to earn over one million dollars and had 25-300 games (none on TV unfortunately). Sports Illustrated magazine named him the second greatest athlete in history in the state of Washington (the first was the NBA star, John Stockton).

    My husband was bowling in a tournament long ago, and we both got to meet Earl Anthony. We had a chance to chat for a few minutes and even got his autograph, he was such a nice fellow. Unfortunately, in 2001 he fell down a flight of stairs visiting a friends home in Wisconsin and died at only 63 years of age.

    The Earl Anthony pattern is about 40-43 feet long, and instead of the oil narrowing, it gets wider closer to the pin deck, which forces the bowler to make shots from a variety of angles. Right handed bowlers should  play a deeper tighter inside line, and the lefty's have a slight advantage because Earl was a lefty. The oil is heavy on the first fifteen feet, dryer 15 feet-29 feet, then oily again to the end of the pattern. The darker the color, the heavier the oil.

    
    
​    Mark Roth was also a very famous Professional Bowler in the late 1970's-2000's. He won 34 PBA titles, and 8 of them just in 1978, giving him the record for the most won in a single season! He was the first pro bowler to pick up the dreaded 7-10 split on national television on Jan 5, 1980 which I was able to watch, pretty awesome indeed! I was so excited when he converted that monster! He was also known for his unusual 6 step delivery and Cranker Style. I got to meet him in person and even made him a cheese sandwich in the deli I worked in, in Brooklyn NY. Bob Simonelli had a pro shop on 50th and 7th ave and some of the pros would occasionally come into our deli for sandwiches.

​    This pattern is about 42-46 feet long. It has a lower volume of oil than some of the other patterns and was originally designed for plastic balls which were more popular back during Roth's prime.The right handed bowler should try to stay to the right since most of the oil is in the center and front part of the lane, so the higher friction area (hooking area) will be to the outside of the lane. As the pattern breaks down, the bowler needs to move left to keep getting a bit more oil. Don't use a ball that is very aggressive on this pattern.
    Lefties should stay to the left as long as possible and can move slightly to the right but not too far, otherwise they will be bowling in the area where the righties are playing, and the pattern will be broken down quickly. Instead, try to change your speed or the target you are using.

    ​The Dick Weber Oil Pattern was named after one of the most famous professional bowlers, Dick Weber. He was very popular during the late 1950's through the early 2000's. He was one of the original founding members of the Pro Bowlers Association (PBA), has won 30 PBA titles, 6 titles in the PBA's Senior Tour, and is considered a pioneer in the sport of bowling.He is a member of the ABC and PBA Hall of Fames. You may have seen his son Pete Weber on TV who is also considered one of the top bowlers out there.
    The pattern is about 45 feet long and is constantly changing so you will need to make larger adjustments.

    Just remember, the longer the oil pattern is, the less the ball is going to hook, and in most cases you can usually play  closer to the outside part of the lane where it's drier so the ball can hook. When there's a lot of oil, you can use straighter shots or the ball will just end up skidding. Remember, the ball needs to be in the rolling phase for the strike to happen more often.
    When there is less oil on the lane, the ball will hook more, so you want to speed up the ball if you can to cut down on the hook.  
    
​    Playing on these patterns in tournaments will help you get more experience, and taking notes will help you understand them better. Also remember NOT TO PANIC if you can't figure out the lanes. Try to find someone you're bowling with that has a similar style to yours and observe what they're doing so you can get some idea of where to stand and what target to aim for. YOU CAN DO IT!!


Join me back here again next week when I'll be doing another Checkpoint!

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Good Luck and High Scoring!!

    First let me give you a bit of history and how things were done years ago. A bowling establishment hired "Pin Boys" to manually set up the pins, pick up any pins to get them out of the way for the second shot, and return the balls to the bowlers. They made about ten cents a game and about $2.00 on a busy night. There are still a few bowling centers today that have pin boys, believe it or not.

        This was the case until a man named Gottfried Schmidt invented a machine called the "Pinspotter" in 1936 while being employed with the AMF firm. Then in 1941, he ended up selling the patent to AMF, paving the way for newer and updated pinsetting machines. 

    These pin setting machines were invented around 1963 but now there are computerized machines that have various SENSORS in them. These Sensors can detect the bowling ball as it approaches the pins. Once the ball knocks down the pins, a gate comes down called the "SWEEP". It protects the remaining pins while a "PIN TABLE" is lowered onto the pins that remain, picks them up, and then sweeps the downed pins (called Deadwood) off the pin deck. The pin table counts the number pf pins that remain standing and sends that information to the computer that keeps track of your score.
   
    The ball's impact is stopped by the "BALL CUSHION ASSEMBLY" which has enough space for the pins to go through but not the ball. Once the deadwood is cleared off of the pin deck, those pins and the bowling ball are transported onto a conveyor belt below. The ball pit also has a sensor that opens the ball door a few seconds after the pins have been cleared off of the conveyor belt. This area has a BALL ACCELERATOR which pushes the ball along a track under the lane and is what brings the ball back to the ball return. 
  
     Once the pins are cleared off the conveyor belt, they are taken up separately to the pinsetter by a little elevator that has slots or shelves holding each pin in place. These slots tilt to push the pins off and each pin hits a PIN COUNT SWITCH so only ten pins go into the Distributor. The pins are guided on tracks that have little SHARK FINS that guide the pins to the right or left side of the machine. There are TURN WEDGES that turn the pins so their bottom is always facing downwards. Each pin is then sent to a PIN STATION, and once all ten pins are set and extra pins go into the OVERFLOW CHUTE and back down to the conveyor belt and back up to the elevator.
    Each pin setting machine can hold up to 20 bowling pins so they can get into the slots and back into the pin table quickly when you hit the re-set button by the ball return.
    
    If you want to see a pin setting machine in action, you can go online and watch a Youtube video if you'd like. I just thought it was interesting to see how the pins actually got set up so quickly and thought you might enjoy this as well.

    Don't forget to check before throwing your first shot, that all ten are up there and that the rows look even. Sometimes pinsetters can be off slightly and only put 9 pins up there. Once you throw the ball, if you notice all ten pins were not up there, it will be too late and it could cost you a strike. I f a pin is missing or something doesn't look right on the pin deck to you, you are allowed to have a re-rack. Just hit the re-set button.

Join me back here again next week when I'll be discussing some of the other Oil Patterns used in Bowling.

​As always, Good Luck and High Scoring!!

    How annoying is it, knowing that you threw what you thought to be a beautiful shot and see a 7 or 10 pin staring back at you or even a dreaded split? Well you're not alone because it happens to the best of us and can be downright frustrating! Bowling is a game of angles and even though you thought you threw a great shot, there is a reason the strike did not carry. If you feel like you’ve been getting robbed a lot, try not to get too angry because you’ll only do worse. 

   Here is a photo of the path the bowling ball should take as it hits the pocket and makes its' way through the pin deck. Remember to use you eyes to follow that path:

    When you hit the pocket, you may hit it LIGHT or HIGH. A LIGHT hit means that you hit the 1 pin more on the right side so the 3 pin hits into the 10 pin and the ball exits the pin deck slightly to the right of the 9 pin slot, instead of going between the 8 and 9 pin slot as shown in the photo above. So if you see this happening, you need to adjust by moving back a bit on the lane or slightly right to hit the pocket more solidly. A HIGH hit means that the you hit the headpin in the center making it go more directly into the 5 pin and the ball is exiting the pin deck at the 8 pin slot. If you see this is happening, then move slightly left on the lane or forward. Keep the target the same for light or high hits. 

    The key here is to try and get a more SOLID hit into the 1-3 pocket area to have the ball follow the path above in the photo. It's also more beneficial for you to throw a shot that hooks to increase the entry angle into the pocket and have less pin deflection. 


   When I’m having trouble with that strike zone, I also have a few questions I’ll ask myself to help me figure out what went wrong:
 
1. HOW’S MY PHYSICAL STATE?- Am I tired? Being tired can cause you to walk somewhat slower than normal and that will make the ball hook sooner causing it to come up higher on the head pin. Do your best to try and keep the same speed throughout the evening.Get some coffee or a snack to help you stay alert. If you feel stiff at all, maybe stay standing up in between your turn instead of sitting down. Little things can make a difference.

​2. AM I FOCUSING? – It can be difficult to stay totally focused for three games sometimes, especially if you’re a fairly new bowler. There can be many distractions when you’re in a league such as noise, team members wanting to chat, getting the money into the envelope, watching for people getting up to bowl to your right and left, or getting into a pot to see who can get the highest game, etc. (I try to take care of some of these things immediately following the practice session so I can start focusing on my game as soon as possible).

3. AM I ON THE CORRECT BOARD?- Some bowling centers have five dots across the lane, and others have seven, each representing five boards on the lane. Make sure you look down at your feet each time you bowl, especially if you’re at a different center for a tournament or in another league. Don’t let the extra two dots get you confused, or you might be standing in the wrong place. A board or two off at the stance does make a difference where the ball ends up at the pins! 

4. HOW IS MY STANCE?- Normally you should be standing straight with your knees slightly bent, and eyes focused on the target. But if you’re tired for example, the ball will begin to feel heavier and may cause you to slouch. Try to be aware of this and straighten the back up again. Believe it or not, these little differences can and will affect your shot.

5. HOW’S MY TIMING?- Timing is crucial and the arm and steps should feel natural and in sync for the best results. If your footwork or arm swing is delayed a bit, then try counting your steps like I previously mentioned. This will help keep your rhythm and timing good.

6. HOW’S MY SPEED?- As I previously said, your physical state can affect your speed. If you’re excited about something when you arrive to the lanes, you may end up going too fast and the ball may not have a chance to hook and do its job. Having coffee or chocolate close to when I'm bowling affects my speed because both have caffeine, so I do my best to avoid them when I'll be bowling and you should also if caffeine bothers you. To help slow down a bit, you can lower the ball at the stance or lower your back swing to help slow down the speed of the ball (To increase ball speed, have a higher backswing by bending down more, or hold the ball up a little higher at the stance).

7. AM I FOLLOWING THROUGH?- After you release the ball, be sure that you continue to bring your arm up comfortably to at least shoulder level or higher for a good follow through. Remembering to touch your back after each release will help insure a good follow through for consistency.


    Sometimes if you keep using the same line, it will get stale. try throwing from a different angle and you may be able to hit the pocket more often and carry all ten pins. Sometimes we have to shake things up a little in order to get better results!


Join me again next week when I'll be discussing How Does A Pinsetter Work?

​Good Luck and High Scoring!!

 Happy New Year to everyone!! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and all the festivities as much as I did!!

​    Many of you have some New Years Resolutions just as I do. I hope you will be able to "FOLLOW THROUGH" on all or most of them. Here are a few you may want to include in 2023, if you haven't already, as far as Bowling is concerned!!

1. Learn to bowl with a hook if you haven't and are still throwing a straight ball. Your average will go up more quickly! 

2. Being a better Team Member instead of just bowling your own game.

3. Losing a few pounds and doing more exercising so you can get more stamina and bowl great that last game instead of being tired.

4. Remember to clean your bowling ball/s after each league session is over so you won't have to when you are starting a your next bowling session.

5. Change from a Conventional Grip to a Finger Tip Grip.

6. Really getting to the lanes and practicing more often, and working on something specific instead of just competing with the person next to you.

7. Remember to do stretching before you begin any bowling session.

8. Really focusing on getting a better first ball, 9 or better! You'll never have to worry about chopping a one pin spare and you'll always get great pin count on your spares!!

9. Buying a new ball or new shoes.

10. Bowling your first 300 game!

​11. Get in a good bowling routine, doing everything in order and having a positive mental attitude.

12. Start signing up for some tournaments! Don't put it off. You will get a handicap so it doesn't matter if your not that good yet. Getting the experience in tournaments and bowling with people who are more skilled than you will definitely help you improve!!

    These are just some ideas to start with. I am sure you have others that you wish to accomplish and incorporate into your bowling game. You have a brand new start with the NEW YEAR ahead of you. today is only January 3. Just think it, picture it, and go out and DO IT!! You know you can! Confidence and consistency is the name of the game!!!


    Join me back here next week when I'll be discussing "Why am I hitting the pocket, but not getting the strike"?
    

​Good Luck and High Scoring, and Let's get revved up for this brand new year!

     This is the 6th professional oil pattern being discussed. The PBA Badger Pattern is the longest of the patterns at a whopping 52 feet, leaving only 10 feet for the ball the roll into the desired 1-3 pocket (1-2 for the lefty's).

Here are some pointers on how to play this pattern:

1. You need to keep the breakpoint (the point at which the ball begins to hook) closer to the pocket because of the higher volume of oil, so use a tighter line, meaning to play a more direct line into the pocket. Try laying the ball down around the 15th board to start and it can hook that last 2 1/2 boards to come into the pocket.

2. Speed control is important, so don't throw the ball too fast or your ball will skid into the pocket. Remember, to get a strike the ball needs to be in it's rolling phase on board 17 1/2 for best results!

​3.  If your ball hooks too early, the power will fade out by the time it hits the pocket and you won't get much pin action.

4. Play more in line with the pocket area on these longer oil patterns when it's fresh, then you can start making adjustments as the pattern begins to break down.

5. Accuracy is important to scoring well. If you miss the mark by more than a board, you may end up with a split or not coming up into the pocket area at all.

6. Focus on being consistent with hitting your target, especially early on.

7. A stronger ball is going to hook too early. It's better to use a weaker or lesser hooking ball if you have one in your bag, to conserve the balls' energy and get a better entry angle into the pocket since there's only about 8" of dry lane.

    Good luck and have fun practicing this one if you get a chance. Remember to take notes in your notebook as your'e playing on it, so you can refer to them if you get another chance to play on this pattern.

​Join me back here again in TWO WEEKS (but on Jan 3, because I'll be on the road traveling) when I'll be discussing Why the Strike May Not Be Carrying for you.

​Good Luck and High Scoring!!

​HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!

    In a previous Blog post from 11/21/22, I mentioned about SIX BASIC NEEDS people must have in order to feel happy and fulfilled in their life (Did you get a chance to rate them on things you like and dislike on a scale from 1-10? I hope you did so you'll be able to better understand this blog post. 

    There are three things that come into mind of what I've done and seen others do at the lanes. At first it made no sense to me, but after reading up and studying these human needs, I do understand it a lot better and realize it was foolish to have some of those superstitions I mentioned in a prior blog post from 10/31/22.

   Are you one of those people who uses the ten minute practice session before league play begins? Most of us are and if you get a few strikes do you sit down because you are worried you might use them all up? I used to be like that until I became a better bowler and understood why I was doing that. Remembering that bowling is a 10% physical and 90% mental game, in our mind we believe we better leave some strikes for when it really counts, so to get our need of CERTAINTY we talked about, we just stop practicing and sit down just to be sure. This gives us the comfort in knowing that we did leave a few strikes for the real game (even though we're not 100% positive that we will actually get any--the UNCERTAINTY). You can leave yourself the the opportunity for a level of SIGNIFICANCE because you know you can still get some strikes since you sat down early and left a few. If you do in fact get more strikes, you will bowl well and that will make you feel important.You can get a level of CONNECTION and CONTRIBUTION because you want to do your best for your team to help them win the games. This sounds a bit bizarre, but I have experienced this during my bowling years but never really understood why I sat down instead of using the full ten minutes of practice. 

    I had a guy on my team a few years back who would NOT get up to bowl if there was a split left on the lane on either side of where we were bowling. He always thought that he was going to get one too, so he would patiently wait until the person finished bowling and that split was off the pin deck. He was a decent bowler too and I was surprised that he still had this frame of mind. I have seen many other bowlers do this as well and it drives me nuts even though I have seen people bowl next to a split and did get a split. When I learned how to drive, my instructor told me that if I ever got into  skid to look at or focus on where I wanted to go, NOT on what I wanted to avoid. That is when I realized that people were focusing so much on NOT getting a split and that is just what they got. If people just focused on getting a good first ball, having a good release, and getting it over the correct target, they would have gotten a strike or at least a nine count! It's true that you get what you focus on!!

    I also mentioned that people use different VEHICLES or ways to attain the six basic needs. Most of us use positive vehicles, but at times we resort to using NEGATIVE ones instead.

    I used a negative one in my bowling many years ago and learned a valuable lesson from it that I will never forget. I want to share it with my readers because I don't want it happening to any of you!
    Several years ago  I had joined a new mixed league in a different bowling center and I was averaging 216 for the first seven weeks. I was averaging about 202 for a short time before this which was my highest average so far in any of my leagues. I had mostly gotten the high average for the women bowlers by the end of the season in my leagues too. Well, a new team joined the league with all the members averaging 220+, including the two women. So I began worrying that I wouldn't be able to keep up and get the high average and I started doubting myself. Instead of focusing on my routine and basics, I kept checking on their scores and before I knew it, my averaging started going down. Then I began worrying about that and also what my team mates were thinking.
    I was doing what is called "SELF SABOTAGING" which is a NEGATIVE Vehicle and I didn't realize it at the time! I was CERTAIN that I could average 202 because I had already done that and that was my COMFORT ZONE. Well you guessed it, I did not get the high average for the women that year and I finished with my comfortable 202 average.  I learned that I will NEVER SELF SABOTAGE again! I will just stay focused on my own bowling since that is all I can control. Had I realized what I was doing to myself sooner,  I could've nipped in the bud and had a self talk. I am sure I could have done so much better but now I'll never know what I could have averaged that year.

 I realized that by fearing my failure, I was holding myself to a lower standard.The only way to really improve at something is to put yourself in a place where you can fail so you can get out of that comfort level you are stuck in! If you want to get to that next level, don't let the wrong things get into your head like I did. Always try your best for yourself and for your team. If you see yourself doing something negative, try to step back and analyze it before it gets out of hand. I've been bowling a very long time now and sometimes I still  have to try to not let pressure situations get the best of me. I am so much better now though than back then because I trained myself to be positive and to stay focused on my things that I want to accomplish so negative thoughts don't have a chance to get into my head. Stress less and only focus on what you can control!!

    We are only human and do make mistakes, but if you can learn from your mistakes then you will keep GROWING. Try your best to look at things as a challenge and a way to get out of your comfort zone so you will keep improving year after year!!

Check out my ebook on:
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Join me in next week when I'll be discussing The Badger Oil Pattern.

Good Luck and High Scoring!! 

    Throwing a straight ball can be great, especially if you are going for spares, but let's face it, all the better average bowlers in the leagues or the pros you watch on TV all throw some type of curve or hook shot. Putting more revolutions or "Revs" on the ball will help you achieve this desired hook shot that will get you more action at the pins and ultimately more strikes!!!

   I may have mentioned some of these in other blog posts, but if it's important, I tend to repeat. Here are some ways you can increase the revs on your ball:

1. USE A FINGER TIP GRIP:
    If you are currently releasing your ball with a conventional tip grip (fingers insert into the ball up to the second knuckles) you should bring your ball into the pro shop and have the holes filled with resin and get a Finger Tip Grip drilled into the ball. The Finger Tip Grip (fingers inserted into the ball up to the first knuckles) will more easily allow you to pull those fingers toward your palm to get more turns or revs on the ball as you release it, and allows the wrist is able to put more into the shot.

​2. CUPPING THE WRIST:
​    Cupping the wrist and keeping it that way throughout the swing and release causes your thumb to leave the ball first. The remaining two fingers will allow you give the ball good LIFT, giving it a strong counter clockwise motion and a strong hook coming into the pocket. It will feel awkward if you're not used to this.

​3. CHANGING FINGER POSITIONS:
    Remember the clock face I spoke about? Assuming your stance position on the approach, place the ball in your hand out on front of you and turn it to the right as far as you can. Thinking about the face of a clock, the pinky will be on the 10 and the thumb will be on the 4. If you are a left handed bowler, your pinky will be at the 2 and your thumb at the 7 or 8. Try holding your hand in this position at the stance and on the downswing. Just before the release, turn your hand back to the 10:00 or 11:00 position (1 or 2:00 for lefty's). That will get a nice rotation on the ball and higher revs and pin action.  See photo below:

​

4. If you have been wanting a new ball and have been bowling awhile, you may want to BUY A MORE AGGRESSIVE BALL at the pro shop or have them re-fill and re-drill your ball so the pin is in a different position to help with more revs.Talk to the pros about this at your bowling center and let him know what you want to accomplish. They are always very helpful and knowledgeable.

5. Try getting ​the FINGERS BELOW THE EQUATOR OF THE BALL:

6. This one will take practice, but you can try CHANGING YOUR TIMING a bit by getting your footwork to be one step ahead of the arm position. If your foot can reach the foul line slightly ahead of the arm releasing the ball, it will help increase the rev rate on the ball.

7. When you have a relaxed hand, the fingers stay in the ball a little longer which will increase the RPM's (Revolutions Per Minute) on the ball.

8. Try INCREASING THE SPEED IN WHICH YOUR STRAIGHTEN THE BOWLING ARM while releasing the ball. In other words, push the inside of the elbow towards the pins more quickly on the ball release.

9. BENDING THE PINKY:
    Bend your pinky so that the fingernail is touching the ball. This forces the other two fingers to turn the ball a bit more before the release.

    Most people have a ball RPM of about 300-350. Strokers can average between 0-200 RPM's, some power Tweeners 300-400, and Crankers 350+ RPM's.

    A man names Robert Smith has been recorded to have the most RPM's at 550-600!!


    Remember to always go and practice these new things and be confident before applying them in your league games when it counts. Be aware that with a higher rev rate, the ball will come up higher on the head pin and you want to do your best to avoid splits, so observe how the lanes are moving and move your feet and target accordingly.


​Join me back here again next week when I'll be discussing Part-2 of "Understanding the Mental Game of Bowling".

Good Luck and High Scoring!!

    When you're on a vacation for a few weeks, or perhaps if you don't join a league during the summer months, here are a few tips to help you keep up that Muscle Memory you've been developing and to keep you in shape when you aren't able to get to the bowling center.

    Walking, Biking, or Jogging are great ways to get in some good exercise to help keep up your stamina. I also find it helpful to do lots of STRETCHING. It's one of the best exercises you can do to relieve tension from the body. I like to do them at least 10 minutes a day or for however long I have time in the morning and evening. It should feel good while you are doing these stretches, do NOT force anything, just nice and easy. These should also be done before any other exercises you may be doing to warm up the body to help avoid any injuries.

    Isometric exercises make muscles contract so they can get a good workout without bending your joints. Try some of these I'm listing below so your ball doesn't feel like it weighs a ton when you do get back to the lanes:

** Stand with the back of your feet and body up against a wall with your arms down at your sides.Then place your palms against the wall and press hard holding for about ten seconds. You can work up to more seconds over time. This is a great workout for the back part of the upper arms, the Triceps.

** Hook your left and right finger tips together and then try pulling them apart. Start out with a gentle pull and then try to pull slightly harder each time you do this exercise. Hold the pull for about ten seconds or more.This is great for strengthening the fingers, especially if you are planning on going from a Conventional Finger Grip to a Finger Tip Grip.

** Stand in a doorway with your feet spread apart. Raise your arms up to shoulder height and  try pushing your hands against both sides of the door frame. This will help strengthen the arms, back, and shoulders.

​** If you have a one ball bowling bag, keep the ball in it and take it in your hand and just swing it back and forth while you're assuming the Delivery Position. If you have a two or three ball carrier, then just put one of the bowling balls or a few heavy items in one of those reusable grocery bags equaling the weight of your ball and tie the handles tightly together. Try following through with your arm looking at an imaginary target. You can aim for a spot on your couch and let it go if you want. Repeat this swinging back and forth motion several times.

** Most people have some of that blue painters tape (it doesn't leave any stick residue when you pull it up) or some masking tape in their garage. You can pack the roll in your suitcase if you're going away.  Set up a lane and a foul line with the tape on a rug to form the letter "T". See photo below, compliments from a photo in Dawson Taylor's book "Bowling Strikes".    

** Using a pen or marker, mark where you want your 1st step, 2nd step, 3rd step, and 4th step to be on the long piece of tape. Now set yourself up and go through the motions as if you were walking along the approach on a real lane and stopping to look down making sure your footwork is correct.The lady in the picture is using an ironing board iron to have a little weight in her hand. Most hotels have an iron.

    You may have other exercises you like to do, but please do your best to do some of these during your time away from the bowling center. If you don't do something, it may take a few weeks for you to get back into the rhythm again which could cost you a few pins in average by the end of the season.


Join me back here again next time when I'll be discussing "How to Increase Your Rev Rate"?

​Good Luck and High Scoring!! 

     I don't know if you have ever heard of Anthony Robbins. He's a famous Life Coach and motivational speaker. In one of his many book, he writes about Six Needs that everyone must have in order to feel fulfilled and happy during their life.    

1. CERTAINTY-- When we are certain about things in our life, then we feel comfortable. We avoid pain and feel pleasure when things are going just right and we feel somewhat at peace and in control of things. But when we have too much certainty, then things can get predictable and become a bit boring. That's when the second need comes into play.

2. UNCERTAINTY-- When things are uncertain in our lives, we can become stressed, scared, or even nervous. But it can be a good thing because uncertainty gives life some variety or even an element of surprise. Uncertainty can actually help us grow more mentally. Certainty and uncertainty are opposite but at the same time, they compliment each other.

3. SIGNIFICANCE--All humans have the need to feel significant or different in some way to set themselves apart from everyone else. But by doing this, then we all have to feel needed in some way, which brings us to number four.

4. CONNECTION  & LOVE--Everyone needs to feel loved or connected to others in some way in order to feel totally fulfilled. Significance, and Connection & Love are also opposite and complimentary of each other.

5. GROWTH-- Everyone needs to Grow in some way to feel like they have a purpose for being here on this earth. Things are either growing or dying, there is no in between. If you're not happy, it's probably because you have stopped growing.

6. CONTRIBUTION-- All of us need to contribute to this life in some form or another in order to "Serve the Greater Good". WE need to do things that we know are right and that will make us feel good and give us a sense of belonging.

    People us different VEHICLES or ways to attain these six basic needs. Most of us use positive vehicles, but some of us may resort to using negative ones.You can basically pick out anything in life that you do and rate it against these six basic needs on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the most fulfilling). If it's something you don't really enjoy, it will probably come in at a rating below 4 and if it's something you love to do, the ratings will probably be at least a 7-10.

    I'm sure you are wondering at this point, how does this apply to the sport of bowling? Obviously I love Bowling, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this Blog, and you love bowling too otherwise you wouldn't be reading it. I thought it would be interesting to write how all of my six need are being fulfilled psychologically by bowling every week. and see if you can relate to most.

    I feel CERTAIN that I will always try my best every time I bowl, I feel a level of UNCERTAINTY because the lanes are different each week which makes me feel challenged. Each week, I say to myself "Who knows, I may finally get that 300 game I've been striving for tonight". For a new bowler, the uncertainty may the worry they may feel wether or not they can hit their average that night. I feel a certain level of SIGNIFICANCE because I am usually the high average woman bowler in my leagues by year end and it makes me feel good and important, which sets me apart from the others. I feel a level of CONNECTION because I am part of a team that works together to try and win games to finish in the top three league positions. I know I'm GROWING because I talk to the pro shop guy and other bowlers who average higher than me and get results by following their advice about certain issues I may be having at the time. For people who are just starting out, they have even more room to grow because they still have lots to learn. I feel that I am CONTRIBUTING to my team because I feel I can help win games and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. People come to me with questions in the league, and writing this Blog about bowling and knowing I'm helping lots of people become better bowlers, gives me a very higher feeling  of contribution.

    Try rating your own 6 needs on a scale from 1-10 on how you feel about bowling and see where your levels are.If your levels are high on the scale like mine, that's a good thing because then you'll be more likely to improve in a shorter amount of time!

I want to wish all my followers a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you took some time off from work this wee, go bowling with the kids so they can see how much you are improving!

  
​    Join me back here next week when I'll be discussing How to practice when you're away from the lanes.

    Good Luck and High Scoring!!