How Do You Practice?

[Bunny]

I'd like to implement a more productive practice routine.

What is your practice routine?

[noeymc]

i work on only 3 things when i walk in what are you trying to work on and we can all tell you what we do

[tccstudent]

Well that depends on whether I am trying to work on anything specific. If I am working on aiming I may play around the world. If I need 10 pin practice I may play low ball. Generally I play like I would In league except I change balls each game to find a shot and build comfort in everyball I got.

[vdubtx]

During my practice I do not care about the score. First thing I focus on is my approach...is it slow are my feet fast? Next along with approach am I hitting my intended target at the arrows and down lane? Again, don't worry about score so much.

After I have warmed up and feel good about my approach and targeting(usually a warm up game), I take each of my 3 strike balls that I usually bowl with and bowl a game with each making adjustments to make each of them strike. When I don't strike or I don't feel good about approach or delivery, I recap in my mind as to why it didn't feel right and what did I do different. I try to get a consistent shot each and every time.

Lastly, I will work on nothing but 10 pins. At my main center, I can set up only specific pins if wanted, I tell the lanes to only set up 10 pins and shoot at them. For this "game" I try for the highest score possible. Each picked up 10 pin counts as a strike on the scoreboard. My high game is a 279. 12 of 13 attempts picked up.

Sometimes I will use my iPhone to record when I am just not feeling it that day. Couple frames and I can usually see something that is not right. Has been a valuable tool. I use an app called Ubersense, allows for the recording at 60fps(frames per second) and is ultra clear when played back on the phone.

[J Anderson]

My practice philosophy:
Whether you call them goals or objectives, have specific things in mind that you want to improve when you practice.
Do not worry about scores.
Do not worry about looking foolish.
Reward your self at the end.

Philosophy in action- my last practice session from Saturday:
This was a bit different then most of my practices since my doubles partner was at the alley and I was able to convince him to practice with me.
My Goals:
Balance, specifically making sure my balance arm doesn't get lazy.
Spare shooting.
Get comfortable with the line I expect to be using Monday on the sport shot.
What I did:
First five frames threw from a "staggered stance"-slide foot at foul line, other foot about 18" directly behind, push the ball out and let it swing. This drill makes me use my balance arm to keep from falling over.
Next five shooting corner pins.
Second game my partner and I took a page from the PBA league and shot each others spares.
Third game practiced playing almost straight down the nine board.
Reward:
Going to the diner afterwards for lunch where we both ordered breakfast.

[JJKinGA]

one warm up game
Then practice corner pins for a game
I usually do one of four things for a couple of games
1) work on how to strike from three spots (sometimes with different balls)
2) work on keeping my wrist from coming around the ball (fixing a recurring problem)
3) work on hitting a consistent target
4) different ball for each roll - which may include using a polyester ball for stickes and resin for spares. Often I just line a few up and take whatever is at the back of the rack.
then close with one game where I am trying to score my best

[Mike White]

Sometimes I will use my iPhone to record when I am just not feeling it that day. Couple frames and I can usually see something that is not right. Has been a valuable tool. I use an app called Ubersense, allows for the recording at 60fps(frames per second) and is ultra clear when played back on the phone.

You had such a great sales pitch up until the "ultra clear"

The last thing I want is to see my butt ultra clear. :)

[circlecity]

I try to play different lines so I can feel comfortable using them in league play. I also try and shoot at all spares if possible.

[Aslan]

I usually have a few things I'm working on...no more than 3-4.

Lately I've been trying to get comfortable with the DYDS method and keeping my lateral tilt at the foul line.

But sometimes as I work on things, the priorities/focus changes. I may be focusing on release early on and by the end focusing on balance.

I actually DO keep track of scores unless it's a lesson or a clinic. I like to see the numbers and see what the actual stats are as I change different elements. Sometimes the scores are useless because you get splits or luck into strikes...but other times using the Pinpal app I can see where an adjustment caused me to leave a LOT of a certain leave...and can then figure out what causes that...and get some insight into what I was doing wrong. Also, sometimes you may "fëel" like you're releasing the ball poorly...yet strike, strike, strike....and you may find that what you WERE doing was working...and maybe the change you're trying to make/force...isn't a good idea.

[Bunny]

Thanks All! :)

[swingset]

I have a game I play to warm up that's fun and helpful. It's called "lowest score". Shoot at your corner pins (7 & 10), trying to hit them without taking any additional pins. Gutters count as a pin, so if you whiff you don't keep scoring low.

It's fun to see how "bad" you can shoot while increasing your accuracy on much-needed spare technique.

Then I bowl for pocket & make myself use every dot as a starting point. I don't quit doing this till I can strike clean from every dot.

Once that's done, I aim for every spare single pin position and don't quit till I hit them all.

If I have time left, I roll 3 games.

This keeps it fun, challenging, and works on ALL my skills while giving me a tangible and comparible metric I can use to evaluate each practice session.

It's also fun with another person as they're all "games".

[J Anderson]

I have a game I play to warm up that's fun and helpful. It's called "lowest score". Shoot at your corner pins (7 & 10), trying to hit them without taking any additional pins. Gutters count as a pin, so if you whiff you don't keep scoring low.

It's also fun with another person as they're all "games".

The version of "Low Score" described by David Ozio in Bowl Like a Pro suggests scoring a first ball gutterball as a strike and a second ball gutterball as a spare. Personally I like to count gutters as 5 since almost any ball that stays on the lane and would miss the corner pin completely is going to take out at least 4 pins. I say almost because my friend Max can take out the 6 and 9 pins while leaving the rest untouched. Like you say the important part is to assign a value to the gutter to keep from rewarding a bad shot.

[tccstudent]

I have a game I play to warm up that's fun and helpful. It's called "lowest score". Shoot at your corner pins (7 & 10), trying to hit them without taking any additional pins. Gutters count as a pin, so if you whiff you don't keep scoring low.

It's fun to see how "bad" you can shoot while increasing your accuracy on much-needed spare technique.

Then I bowl for pocket & make myself use every dot as a starting point. I don't quit doing this till I can strike clean from every dot.

Once that's done, I aim for every spare single pin position and don't quit till I hit them all.

If I have time left, I roll 3 games.

This keeps it fun, challenging, and works on ALL my skills while giving me a tangible and comparible metric I can use to evaluate each practice session.

It's also fun with another person as they're all "games".

Yeah we used to play low ball when the AMF had the free 2 hr practice and a gutter would always count as a strike.
As far as the other game we call that "Around the world" We start on the first dot and cant move to the second till you strike and brooklyns dont count. The first one to go all the way and back again wins

[RobLV1]

The most important thing to do when you practice is to make sure that you have a specific goal: one thing that you intend to practice. It may be spare shooting, and playing low ball is certainly a great way to practice that. It may also be one aspect of your physical game; something that is a critical key for you: footwork, free armswing, release, etc. Practice can also be a great way to learn to adjust more quickly and effectively. If you are a right hander, try bowling a few games with the goal of always keeping the ball to the right of the headpin; you'd be amazed what avoiding splits can do for your average. This particular exercise will help you to anticipate adjustments before leaving something ugly rather than after. You can also practice doing something that you know that you should do, but often don't: check the rack before every frame, watch the ball as it goes through the pins, identify the cause of every corner pin you leave - was it a weak ten or a ringing ten. You can also practice playing different lines: play five board on one lane and 20 board on the other. Along the same line, use one ball on one lane and a different ball on the other, or switch between two or three balls in progressive frames. There are all kinds of things that you can practice. Just make sure that you pick something and don't just go out and throw the ball without a specific goal in mind.

[ALazySavage]

For me this greatly depends on what I'm trying to accomplish with the practice; mainly if I am in a maintenance mode or trying to correct an issue.

When trying to correct a specific issue, for example my second step being too long, I want to get into a rhythm with my practice to try and develop some muscle memory of the correct motion. Planning before the practice is key, especially if you are able to find a drill that will attack the specific problem.

As for a maintenance mode practice the last thing I want to do is get into a great rhythm, I try to mimic more of what I will encounter in a league; delays between frames, random leaves, line and ball adjustments, etc. To do this I have a deck of cards that I use for strike lines and spare shots, the system is listed below:

For Spares I have the 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 (to represent the pins exposed in a fresh rack) set aside in three suits (hearts, clubs, a diamonds): Hearts represents the center of the pin, Clubs the right side, and Diamonds the left side. I draw a card on my first shot and that is what I shoot at - i.e. the 7 of clubs would mean I would throw a line that would be intended for the right side of the 7 pin.

Then for my second shot, assuming the first ball (spare shot) didn't strike, I have cards representing various strike lines; For example the Ace of Clubs says on it Stand 8 throw between the gutter and 1st arrow, Queen of Spades is stand 25 and throw 12 between the 2nd and 3rd arrow. There isn't an exact method to how the remaining cards represent each line; I just have random shots written on each card.

For me this helps prevent just showing up and throwing the ball.

[TotallyDefiant]

For me this greatly depends on what I'm trying to accomplish with the practice; mainly if I am in a maintenance mode or trying to correct an issue.

When trying to correct a specific issue, for example my second step being too long, I want to get into a rhythm with my practice to try and develop some muscle memory of the correct motion. Planning before the practice is key, especially if you are able to find a drill that will attack the specific problem.

As for a maintenance mode practice the last thing I want to do is get into a great rhythm, I try to mimic more of what I will encounter in a league; delays between frames, random leaves, line and ball adjustments, etc. To do this I have a deck of cards that I use for strike lines and spare shots, the system is listed below:

For Spares I have the 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 (to represent the pins exposed in a fresh rack) set aside in three suits (hearts, clubs, a diamonds): Hearts represents the center of the pin, Clubs the right side, and Diamonds the left side. I draw a card on my first shot and that is what I shoot at - i.e. the 7 of clubs would mean I would throw a line that would be intended for the right side of the 7 pin.

Then for my second shot, assuming the first ball (spare shot) didn't strike, I have cards representing various strike lines; For example the Ace of Clubs says on it Stand 8 throw between the gutter and 1st arrow, Queen of Spades is stand 25 and throw 12 between the 2nd and 3rd arrow. There isn't an exact method to how the remaining cards represent each line; I just have random shots written on each card.

For me this helps prevent just showing up and throwing the ball.

I like this method. May have to give it a try.

[Bunny]

Thanks all! Great ideas!!

[JohnnyG]

Practice your strength, not your weakness! Practice doing it right, not replicate what you have done incorrectly in the past! Practice in regularly spaced intervals or days of the week as to train the memory of the muscles in your body to repeat automatically.

[RobLV1]

I rarely practice by myself. Most of my bowling is done in the company of other bowlers. Usually I bowl 6 to eight games when I practice. I will focus on one specific aspect of my game for the first few games, and then bowl the last three games competitively to incorporate what I've worked on during the "practice" games.

[rv driver]

Practice your strength, not your weakness! Practice doing it right, not replicate what you have done incorrectly in the past! Practice in regularly spaced intervals or days of the week as to train the memory of the muscles in your body to repeat automatically.
Practice doesn't make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

[mike_thomas93]

Yeah I just realized to need to make effort in having a more effective practice routine. Not just worrying about scoring. I think these examples will give me a better idea and understanding to building a better standard practice routine

[rv driver]

Yeah I just realized to need to make effort in having a more effective practice routine. Not just worrying about scoring. I think these examples will give me a better idea and understanding to building a better standard practice routine
I've found that practicing the fundamentals well will do wonders. Repeating what's good in order to build up muscle memory.