Unsolicited Coaching

[Blomer]

I went to practice yesterday for a tournament and one of the regulars at the alley came up and watched me bowl. It was the first few frames of the first game. I was just getting warmed up so my shots weren't on point yet. He decided to give me some free unsolicited lessons. This person is a great bowler. Shot multiple 300's with each hand, bowls on the ABT and all and I'm just to nice to say," Thanks but I got it. I bowl with lunging my left foot on the 30 and target the 15 board. He thought I should move foot to the 20, with my right foot ahead of left where I usually keep open stance with right foot behind my left. He was having me do many thing different than what I usually do so it was a lot to take in. Perhaps he's right, but it wasn't me. He had me hold most the weight in my left hand as I usually kept it in my right hand, bowling hand. I did learn some things that could help my regular shot. But for 3 games he was doing this. I know he didn't have any ill intentions, but I just wanted to bowl my game. This guy is at the alley half the time I'm there. Hope he doesn't keep watching.

[bowl1820]

Well next time just tell him "Thanks but I got it" most will understand.

[Tony]

It tough when people that you run into try to revamp your game for you ...even though you know they are excellent bowlers themselves.
Hopefully he does not hang out and continue to watch you bowl expecting you to follow all the directions he has given.
On the other hand did the changes seem like they were helping you ?

Seems like most of the bowlers with as much experience as that guy know better than to try and revamp a persons entire game at one time.
The guys I know often will keep quiet unless asked but a couple of guys I know well will make a suggestion here and there when they see something and know the bowler is receptive.

[Blacksox1]

I went to practice yesterday for a tournament and one of the regulars at the alley came up and watched me bowl. It was the first few frames of the first game. I was just getting warmed up so my shots weren't on point yet. He decided to give me some free unsolicited lessons. This person is a great bowler. Shot multiple 300's with each hand, bowls on the ABT and all and I'm just to nice to say," Thanks but I got it. I bowl with lunging my left foot on the 30 and target the 15 board. He thought I should move foot to the 20, with my right foot ahead of left where I usually keep open stance with right foot behind my left. He was having me do many thing different than what I usually do so it was a lot to take in. Perhaps he's right, but it wasn't me. He had me hold most the weight in my left hand as I usually kept it in my right hand, bowling hand. I did learn some things that could help my regular shot. But for 3 games he was doing this. I know he didn't have any ill intentions, but I just wanted to bowl my game. This guy is at the alley half the time I'm there. Hope he doesn't keep watching.

Let the person know, I need some "Me Time". When you have had enough coaching. :)

[Hot_pocket]

He should understand that you would like to focus on bowling the way you are used to, especially if it's for an upcoming league or tournament. Attempting to change someones game can make or break them physically or mentally at the wrong time. Like blacksox said tell'em you need some you time and thank for the advice

[fokai73]

Sometimes guys like him need to respect other bowlers. But, he can't help it when he sees something off with a bowler he sees frequently at the center. There's many people like him, he's not the only one. I don't think he should of done that, no one should.

Blomer, you said you stand on 30 but target 15 at the arrows? or 15 board down lane? I'm just curious because that right there can be sign of some thing significant or it's nothing at all. But if you are targeting the 15th board, or the 3rd arrow, and you are standing on 30, you must have some serious drift. I can't say more cause I don't know how you bowl.

Going back to that person who tried to help, he shouldn't have done what he did unless you asked for it. Also, when coaching someone, too much information is like pouring water in a cup and the water over flowing.

[Blomer]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his kindness to help, but he wanted me to change from a hooking shoot to more down and in. Entering this season at an average of 170 and currently averaging 186, 189 in another league, feel that I'm doing alright. He's a more serious bowler in the sense of bowling in tournaments and on ABT, which I really have no desire to do. I just intend to bowl in leagues and local county tournament. I'm sure his advice is very good, well intended.

[Amyers]

I went to practice yesterday for a tournament and one of the regulars at the alley came up and watched me bowl. It was the first few frames of the first game. I was just getting warmed up so my shots weren't on point yet. He decided to give me some free unsolicited lessons. This person is a great bowler. Shot multiple 300's with each hand, bowls on the ABT and all and I'm just to nice to say," Thanks but I got it. I bowl with lunging my left foot on the 30 and target the 15 board. He thought I should move foot to the 20, with my right foot ahead of left where I usually keep open stance with right foot behind my left. He was having me do many thing different than what I usually do so it was a lot to take in. Perhaps he's right, but it wasn't me. He had me hold most the weight in my left hand as I usually kept it in my right hand, bowling hand. I did learn some things that could help my regular shot. But for 3 games he was doing this. I know he didn't have any ill intentions, but I just wanted to bowl my game. This guy is at the alley half the time I'm there. Hope he doesn't keep watching.

I ran into this same problem and it nearly broke up our Friday night team. One of my teammates started bringing a friend with him who is an excellent bowler but thought he could fix every ones problems and that we didn't have enough fun (which consisted of berating your teammates and opponents in his mind) at first I didn't mind the advice but when it reached the point of breaking down every shot of the night I eventually lost it.

[BrianG]

Had the same type of issue where my buddy was trying to teach me how to play an extremely deep shot (I did ask him for help, he didn't just start giving me tips without me asking). The problem was I was trying to learn this during league play and my average was suffering because of it. I ended up telling him thanks for the help but I'm just going to go back to something I am comfortable with during league play but I will continue to work on it when I practice until I feel confident enough with the shot and he understood.

[JasonNJ]

This happened last night at my Practice Plus. A woman playing on my pair is a terrible bowler. I think she has about 110 average but she was even worse yesterday. 2 older guys on my pair kept giving her advice and at first she was receptive but she was getting frustrated and you could tell she was starting to get annoyed with the advice because the 2 guys wouldn't give up.

[Jekyll & Hyde]

i know i sometimes hate to give advice to other people without watching them for a few weeks at least in a league. then if the guy or gal is not too much of hot head then i would offer some advise.

[billf]

I don't offer unless asked. Many ask for help and without even going over to their pair I will tell them what I've seen the past few weeks and how to correct it. Their response? Why didn't you say something? My answer is always the same. My job is to assist you when you want help not when you don't want it.

Any observant, fairly knowledgable bowler can tell you that you're doing something wrong. Usually it takes a coach to tell you why you're doing it and how to properly fix it. Cause and effect.

While this bowler probably had great intentions your game isn't his game. What he knows is what has worked for him and not necessarily has the highest percentage of success to work. Such as being in the stance with the right foot ahead of the left for a right handed bowler. It will work effectively for less than 1% of the population yet this "good bowler" had you do it. For some reason bowlers seem to think only good bowlers can coach. Unlike any other sport. Rhino Page and Dave Wodka among others have Ron Hatfield (Gold) as their personal coach. He aveage 223 on a THS so should they drop him? Does that make him less knowledgable than some of the memebers here because they average higher? Well he didn't become an international winning coach becaue he lacks the brains.

[foreverincamo]

I watched a local tournament over the weekend. Had a few people in it I knew. I watched the first game of a guy I bowl league with. He finished 2nd in this tournament the last time he was in it. He shot 235 the opening game, then fell apart.
He started tugging the ball, badly. I could see he was getting too quick with his feet the last two steps, which threw off his timing and the late armswing resulted in tugging the ball. I never said a word to him about it. If he would have asked, I would have given him my two cents, but I wasn't going to throw my coaching on him when it was all his money at stake.
He finished in the bottom 10 out of 59 guys. He qualified first the last time. Same oil pattern, same house, same ball. Just bad timing.