Practice with a purpose

[The German Shepherd]

I tisn't often that posts are made about effective methods of practice and bowling discipline. Are you willing and/or able t go to your local bowling house and practice? "Back in the day" I used to go to the local lanes and "shadow bowl." That meant bowling without the benefit of pins. You could throw ball after ball and pay a reduced price. This may sound like a strange idea because you do not get to see the results - like, how the pins carry, how the ball deflects or continues through the pin deck and so on. It was still a good way to practice for your corner pins, grooving your arm swing, improving your timing and even your "'spot bowling."

The other day went to the lanes just to throw at 10 pins and try different hand positions. Of course, my game scores were much lower than normal, but one guy on a nearby lane told me he would have a hard time practicing ike that, "because [he] needed to see high scores on the monitor. In other words, his ego would not allow him to intentionally not throw strike balls on his first ball in every frame!

What are you favorite ways to practice? Do you have any special tips on practice to share with everyone here???

Jay

[Fuzzifus]

When I practice, I rarely if ever score. The scorer is left off. I simply throw shots to see what a move does to ball reaction and so on. Usually, I will throw roughly 2 games of spares, where I simply target commonly left spares. (Generally, I devote about 10 shots to the 10-pin.) Practicing in this manner gives me a better understanding of my equipment and confidence should I leave a corner pin or anything else for that matter. It also helps that the house where I practice gives a rate of $5 for 2 hours of bowling.....unlimited games in that 2 hours.

Side note.....no matter if I am bowling a league or tournament, the first practice ball I throw everytime, is plastic at the ten-pin. This is always followed by what i think I need to throw for a stike ball. Should I miss the 10-pin on the first try, the first ball of my next practice frame also goes for the ten pin.

[scottymoney]

This is a good thread to start. I never get to practice on conditions I would bowl during league. So it is always tough to purposely practice scoring well. During practice I normally spend a couple games just trying different tweaks and changes in my approach to see what it does to my shot. I do this mainly to get used to knowing things I can change on the fly to get a different reaction. Practicing this way allows me to also practice picking up spares as normally I will leave a bunch with the adjustments I make.

I will practice 1 or 2 games of serious bowling for a game where I treat every shot as if it is a tournament/league situation. Being burnt up dry lanes, I tend to not be able play the lines I want to. I will start experimenting with playing more left now that my ball is sanded down and get a bit more reaction.

I know I tend to stop focusing on things during practice and rush a lot. Hoping I can soon get used to relaxing and just working on one or 2 things during a practice.

[Greenday]

The place I practice at doesn't use as heavy oil as my league's. My league has a 37' pattern with relatively heavy oil. Playing from the outside works the best. Where I practice, I asked them what they do and was told they have a 35' pattern that's buffed out to 38'. I normally throw the 15 board and get a breakpoint around the 5-6 board. Completely different conditions. Oil also burns up fast where I practice.

I generally just throw strike balls when I go practice. I nearly never miss my single pin spares and rarely miss any easy multi-pin spare. If I could just start stringing my strikes together, I'd be at the point where I could consistently bowl 600 series.

[Zothen]

My practices usually consist of footing,timing & armswing,hitting my mark consistantly and picking up spares. I also play mock games and see how high a game I can get.

Zothen

[e-tank]

Since im still relatively new to bowling i practice hitting my mark for strike balls then working on my spares. I also try out many different styles. Ive only done serious practice for about 3 weeks now but it has helped a ton with my accuracy and consistency. As well as getting to know how my balls react.

[10-in-the-pit]

I usually start off the first 3-4 shots finding my strike line. Depending on what I need to work on, I will either just pick off 7's and 10's each frame or I might go for a corner spare shot first, then practice my strike ball second. I try to make sure I roll two balls every frame to get the most for my money. I tend to bowl faster when I practice, so by the 3rd game of bowling 2 balls each frame, I'm already pretty tired. I can't turn off the scoreboard so everyone always sees my scores.

[aussiedave]

I tisn't often that posts are made about effective methods of practice and bowling discipline. Are you willing and/or able t go to your local bowling house and practice? "Back in the day" I used to go to the local lanes and "shadow bowl." That meant bowling without the benefit of pins. You could throw ball after ball and pay a reduced price. This may sound like a strange idea because you do not get to see the results - like, how the pins carry, how the ball deflects or continues through the pin deck and so on. It was still a good way to practice for your corner pins, grooving your arm swing, improving your timing and even your "'spot bowling."

The other day went to the lanes just to throw at 10 pins and try different hand positions. Of course, my game scores were much lower than normal, but one guy on a nearby lane told me he would have a hard time practicing ike that, "because [he] needed to see high scores on the monitor. In other words, his ego would not allow him to intentionally not throw strike balls on his first ball in every frame!

What are you favorite ways to practice? Do you have any special tips on practice to share with everyone here???

Jay
Practice should be a session where you try things you normally wouldn't in league because in league you don't want to sacrifice any pins that you might ordinarily get doing what you know scores most for you. It's a time to try out those radical things you may have learned from friends and wouldn't use in league.
Practice is when you get to work on your weaknesses and should be done in private so you don't have to worry about onlookers. Some of us don't care but if peers turn up and they don't know what you're doing, it can influence what you throw.
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[ecub]

Before the league starts, I normally like to warm up with a game. Depending on who's behind the counter, I either pay $1 for a game or they just turn on the lights, but not the scorer. I normally use this to actually loosen up my arm. I'm getting old. Then when league practice starts, I use the time to see how the oil is. I usually vary from aim for 10 pin with 1st ball, then pic up the spare with the 2nd ball. Or 7 pin with the 1st ball, then pick up the spare with the 2nd. Or just go for a strike. I sometimes play around with different lines, to see which works best.

[BoomGoesTheDynomite]

I wish I had time to practice! The best practice I get now is if I bowl a sport shot league or tournament. I actually find that the best practice for me because it creates pressure and the shot forces you to be accurate rather than just attempting to hit the same mark.

[noeymc]

decide one 1 or 2 thing whan u go and only work on thos one or two thing trying to do to much at one time u wont know if u did one of them and yea

[e-tank]

Before the league starts, I normally like to warm up with a game. Depending on who's behind the counter, I either pay $1 for a game or they just turn on the lights, but not the scorer. I normally use this to actually loosen up my arm

i might have to see if they will do this for me. They give us about 15 min to warm up which is usually fine but id also like to test the boundaries on what i can do with the lane conditions.

[75lockwood]

I Love to go practice, i have gotten a lot of great idea's from here as well as the ebook by Joe Slowinski, right now i'm working on my newly acquired slide, and hitting any mark i pick on the lane, once i get my spare ball drilled i will spend a few weeks on 10 pins, then start working on speed and axis rotation control.

Great Read:http://bowlingknowledge.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=23&Itemid=63

[wdc1987]

I start with working on my form for a few games. Next is nothing but strike balls. and ill play a game of 10 pins. Some nights me and my doubles partner will alternate who throws the strike ball and what ever is left the other picks up the spare.

Thursday nights we bowl during the blacklights makes you focus alot more on your lines.

[v33dubfox]

When I go practicing, the only thing I look on the screen is my speed. The scores aren't important. Also, I usually play an entire game targeting on the 7th pin because I know it is one of my weakness. I will also concentrate on the correct arrow and don't really care about the pin fall.

[SouthpawTRK]

I went to practice on picking up spares today by shooting only at the 7 and the 10 ten pin; definitely challenging and a good reality check on how bad I am at shooting spares.

[75lockwood]

When I go practicing, the only thing I look on the screen is my speed. The scores aren't important. Also, I usually play an entire game targeting on the 7th pin because I know it is one of my weakness. I will also concentrate on the correct arrow and don't really care about the pin fall.

The speed reading on the monitors is not really all that accurate, using it to judge your consistency isn't gonna work that well, video footage or a timer are better.

[ecub]

i might have to see if they will do this for me. They give us about 15 min to warm up which is usually fine but id also like to test the boundaries on what i can do with the lane conditions.

Get to know the staff, before asking anything. I've been bowling in several leagues in the house. I'm also the League secretary/Treasurer in one of the leagues there. I know all the owners, managers, and majority of the people who work behind the counter, as well as the bar. I even hang out with some of them. The person behind the counter offered to just turn on the lane, without the scorer. I even know the pro shop guy affiliated with the alley and often let's me take home a bowling ball that he has out for a demo. Of course, he only lives a few houses away from me. So yeah, I have a real good relationship with them.

[Loyer807]

For me I always begin bowling with scores on but I do my best never to look.
I don't want to be obsessed with how I'm doing but if I do put out a good game I at least want to know about it.
Of course there is always the times I bowl 4 strikes in a row but realize my game ended 5 frames ago.....but it is nice.
If I do get caught up in looking at it, my game usually lacks, if thats the issue I do just turn it off.

I always take time out from my practice to really explore the lane, try new things and work on spares. In which that case I don't even bother to look at the scores cause I know they are going to look like a poop show during that time ha.