Ten Minutes of Practice

[JCasey1992]

Hi all!

I was just wondering about this. What is the best way to approach your ten minutes of practice prior to league competition? At this point, I just take a few shots to continue loosening up. However, I feel that there must be more to it than just that. For example, a friend who has been helping me suggests I throw what he calls a "waste ball" so I can start reading the lanes. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,
Casey

[TCJ]

My typical method is to start with my usual strike ball. If I have a good line, I throw a few of those to try to get a little rhythm in that spot. Then I practice some ten pin shooting. Occasionally I'll try to hit the seven as well. If I still have time to practice after all that (and I often do) then I'll grab a different ball and see how that reacts on the lanes in comparison to the first one. I like to know what to expect should I have to switch during competition. Sometimes I decide to switch before the game starts. Also, I always attempt to pick up any spares that I leave. So often I see bowlers who miss a strike on their first practice shot and then they come back and hit reset and let another person go. But spares are very important, so why not take the opportunity to get some practice in on them?

Some things other people do that I don't:

1. Burn a line into the lane by repeating the same shot over and over and over again. They don't practice any spares and they don't really care about getting a great result.

2. Spend practice ruining another person's line. Last year there was an entire team that would do this against certain other teams to get in their heads.

[J Anderson]

When I'm in a league where most of the people shoot their spare leaves in practice, I'll start by shooting a corner pin on the first ball and then try to find the pocket.
In a league where everyone else is only taking one shot at a time and resetting the pins so the next person can shoot at a full rack, I'll only shoot one corner pin on each lane. Then I'll try to shoot a number of balls a board or two outside the line I intend to play. In other words I try to hit the three pin, or the two if I'm playing left-handed, with my strike ball.

[GeoLes]

I was taught to try three shots and watch for the effect of lane conditions. Strike ball, flat 10-pin, and 4-pin. Now you know how your ball behaves on the lanes.

[classygranny]

My coach has suggested that first shot is usual shot for that house (or your favorite line, if new) and not quite full speed. This limbers up your swing and gets your feet in motion. Don't read the lane from this shot. Second shot is about 1/2 to 3/4 speed straight up 5 board - you will be looking for the skid end and the friction point. Third shot is straight up 10 board - again looking for the skid end and friction point. From these two shots you should be close to where you want to be. Fourth shot would be two boards outside that mark at normal speed. Any additional shots would be where you intend to play unless you don't want to burn up the line, then stay outside a few boards. If your league throws both balls, then always shoot your spares just to see what the lane conditions are doing - or better yet, no matter what you leave, shoot for the 10-pin and the 7-pin at least once each.

Be sure and do a few stretches before you begin...this is more important the older you get. Also, my coach says that if the muscles aren't warmed up, then you will be throwing the ball differently once they are warmed up and then all your practice shots just went out the window.

[JPbowl]

I find it to be a 'warm up'. 10 minutes with 8 other people, you get maybe 4 shots?
That's hardly enough to get loose, let alone start looking for the right line.

I need about a full game to warm up before i think about practice

[bowlerRob2]

I think everyone has their own approach to practice. For me the first two balls are very heavy and are required to get me loosened up. I swear that first ball feels like it weighs 30 pounds! In subsequent turns after I have "loosened" up somewhat, I find the best route to the pocket - for me usually from the outside. Then I might shoot a few spares. I'll get my spare ball out and throw a few at the 6/10 pin regardless of whether they are standing or not. That is my routine.

[Tampabaybob]

I'm in agreement with several of you. First Rob, yeah those 1st couple of shot's definitely hurt. After my body says "Ok I remember the drill" her's what I do. My 1st shot with my "starter ball" is always at my comfort/usual zone. I'll then shoot a shot 2 boards left of target and the next two boards right of target. What I'm doing here is what I call "bracketing my shot". That is, so I have a rough idea of how much area I have off of my normal starting position. If time permits, I'll throw my evil siege and shoot an inside line to see how heavy the oil is inside, incase I need to go that route. Shooting on a 5 man team league doesn't usually give you a whole lot of practice but you do need to make every one count.
As far as shooting ten pins or seven pin shots, your wasting your practice time. If you're that uncomfortable and unsure how to make a corner pin, then you need more practice. Everyone needs to have one target, one spot to stand on for that corner pin. Thats it, and you stand there EVERY shot at that pin. Don't need to be practicing it during your league.

[e-tank]

mostly just getting warmed up and figuring out the lane conditions. Sometimes theres heavy carry down, sometimes its dry or one time our secretary messed with us and put down cheetah haha. After that ill practice 10 pins and trying to play deep inside just to see what my ball will do not to mention it seems like everybody plays 5-15 board so having a strike line inside will give me my own oil

[got_a_300]

My approach to the 10 minute practice is I'll shoot at the
10 pin on the first ball and then try to find my strike line
on the second ball.

If I have enough time then I'll try different lines to get to
the pocket and try different balls but usually I'll just use
my benchmark ball first out of the bag to get a read on the
lanes.

Then I'll go from there either I'll shell up or shell down as
it just depends on what ball reaction I see out of the first
few shots with my benchmark ball.

[billf]

My first ball usually goes in the gutter and is accompanied my lots of snapping, popping and cracking. If it's my home center I just care about getting loose. I already know how the lanes will play.
Visiting center or PBA league, I try to find my margin of error and will often start with my strongest ball and go down from there.

[Greenday]

For the two leagues I'm doing right now, I just mainly throw strike shots. I know how these lanes play. They oil the alley from right to left. So if I'm on a pair all the way on the right, I start with the Sync. If I'm more towards the middle-right, I start with the IQ Pearl. If I'm on the left, I use my Frantic. I'd say I'm able to predict which ball is right the first time about 95% of the time. Practice time is all about just loosening up for me. Then once we get down to 3 minutes left, I'll shoot a couple ten pins.

Other than that, I rarely if ever practice my spare shots. I don't see the point during league practice time. I slow roll the ball for the 4 and 7 pins. I cross-lane for the 10-9-6 pins. All other single pin spares (1-2-3-5-8) just involve small moves with the feet and hitting my regular strike target with a normal strike ball. Those take no effort and I'm not going to waste practice time when I could be practicing finding a more efficient move to the pocket that won't require a spare shot. Anything complicated as far as spare shots go and I waste too much practice time figuring out how to make it.

[dnhoffman]

Honestly, I usually get to the lanes about 30 minutes early and bowl a game on a lane that's just gotten oil and loosen up.

I like to get my release loose (my first 2 shots i always loft...) shoot a 7 and a 10 one frame, strike shot a few times, and then when practice comes I'm ready for the important part: watching everyone else.

This has been the hardest part for me, watching the lane transitions, and other players lines. I bowl once on each lane and then just watch the others so I know who's going to be throwing a similar line and who to watch during the game.

[billf]

Honestly, I usually get to the lanes about 30 minutes early and bowl a game on a lane that's just gotten oil and loosen up.

My center doesn't allow any bowling on oiled lanes before league starts. They shut down the lanes 30 minutes prior and oil. Being a small 12 lane house all the leagues take up all the lanes. They even re-oil after the morning and after the afternoon leagues. It's nice always having fresh oil to start with. Being 60 year old wood though it transitions real fast.

[noeymc]

i throw one ball at the ten one at the 7 the rest all over the lane trying to look for different angels i can play i know where i can strike from the first game later in the night is what i am looking for

[vdubtx]

I just throw strike balls. I typically only get 4 shots total so it is mainly just to loosen up. First 2 are to get loose if possible and read the way the ball reacts. Then the next 2 are using what I saw to find a quick line. Usually works out pretty well.

I liked how we got our practice in at Nationals. Our team would throw one ball and whether it stuck or not, you would go to back of the line. That way all get a chance to throw at full racks and spares on tough shot.

[dnhoffman]

My center doesn't allow any bowling on oiled lanes before league starts. They shut down the lanes 30 minutes prior and oil. Being a small 12 lane house all the leagues take up all the lanes. They even re-oil after the morning and after the afternoon leagues. It's nice always having fresh oil to start with. Being 60 year old wood though it transitions real fast.

Bummer! Our house is 24 lanes, and I've not started there this summer... I wonder if during fall leagues ill have the same issue (because we have a lot more bowlers and leagues going simultaneously)

I know the original intent of this thread was probably the 10 minutes during tourneys, but ya... I guess I don't really need a game of warm up on house shot anymore... I know within a board where my feet and target need to be on almost all Kane's there (wood too.. So a few of them play much different)

[J Anderson]

i throw one ball at the ten one at the 7 the rest all over the lane trying to look for different angels i can play i know where i can strike from the first game later in the night is what i am looking for

I know that bowling has some religious roots But I didn't know that angels were directly involved. Maybe that's my problem. I've been trying to figure out which angle to play

[dnhoffman]

Angels are what get you X's, without angels you're lucky to get a diagonal

[noeymc]

its a common word in the lanes i bowl in so =P


67 degreees is the best way to go btw