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Practice makes perfect--Thank you, Hilo Junior Bowling Club Coaching Staff The game of bowling is all about repetition. The only way to become repetitive in bowling is through practice. Most of the best bowlers you will meet or see have spent hours developing their games. Why is it that some needed less time to become good than others? The accumulation of mental strength, natural ability, and practice was used to develop that person's game. This tip will try and explain how to practice effectively. When a bowler steps into a bowling center, he/she can do one of two things: "throw ball", or practice. We will concentrate on doing the latter. The following are some ideas on practicing more effectively. PRACTICE WITH A GOAL IN MIND Remember the last time you went to the bowling alley? Was there a part of your game that felt bad? Maybe it was your spare shooting or your armswing. Now is the time to work on it. You should have an idea of what you want accomplished before you get to your lanes. Almost anything can be accomplished with enough practice. If you aren't confident throwing a lot of strikes, practice doing that. If the lanes are tougher than normal on that day, practice throwing "no-tap" strikes. See how many you can throw in a row. USE YOUR BRAIN As a child, I used to imagine myself hitting a homerun in the last game of the world series. It put stress upon me to do well in a pressure situation. As a bowler, I use practice to try and psych myself out. Just like trying to hit the homerun in the world series, I try to create a stressful situation that I must overcome. As a competitive bowler, you must become used to stressful situations. After a while, stress will become a regular part of the game. Listen to a professional bowler talk about stressful situations. They thrive off of them. Most pro's want the chance to strike out for a major title. USE YOUR RESOURCES When I practice, I like to practice alone. I feel I get the most done when no one can bother me. There are times when I practice with my partners though. We all know that we are at the bowling center to accomplish a task. Talking is held to a minimum. Most conversations are reserved to bowling. It is important to have a regular partner to watch and follow your game. Professional bowlers have coaches. Golfers have regular caddies. We should also have this resource. They can help you fix physical problems with your game. When you are in competition, they will be there to watch your game and point out anything out of the ordinary in your game. At the least, they can give you some impromptu competition. A partner will not always be there though. That is when you resort to technology. Bring a camera. Videotape your game. Always have records of your game when you are doing well, and when you are struggling. Besides the camera and the partner, take notes. Notes can consist of everything from lane nuances to what you will practice next. LEAVE THE THINKING FOR PRACTICE Practice is the time to try new things. When you practice, that is when you should do all of your thinking. Learn how and when to adjust during practice. When you hit the competition, you should bowl almost instinctively. KEEP PRACTICE FOR PRACTICE Don't take your recently learned high backswing to your next tournament with the intention of winning. If you learned something or worked on something during practice, don't use it in competition. Bowl with your usual style. After a while of practicing that new backswing, your competitive game and practice game will merge into a new hybrid game. Just let it come to you naturally. KEEP LEARNING Finally, when trying to succeed in bowling, try to learn something new as much as possible. As a junior bowler, I tried to go away from any tournament learning something new. The money spent on a trip or tournament would seem miniscule if I could come away with some advantage I could use later. I learned the most about myself, about bowling, and about my game in competition. That was worth more than the trophy or the title. I could use my new found knowledge in my next competition. Bowling can be very rewarding and fun. By practicing effectively, your game will be able to excel quicker and better than someone who just "throws ball." Try these tips and hopefully, you can email me with a story about how well they work. Good Luck and Good Bowling! |
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