The Basics of Practice

[MajorPhoenix]

When given the opportunity to help out, what are the first things you do when coaching a basic practice?

[JasonNJ]

If coaching, it would be different depending on what issues I'm trying to correct or improve on for the individual bowler. As for practice, I usually work on my timing or my release. For my release, just trying to stay behind the ball and making sure my thumb clears first.

[J Anderson]

When given the opportunity to help out, what are the first things you do when coaching a basic practice?

1. Warm up. Even if it’s just a few practice slides before the lanes are turned on get your team used to the idea bowling is a real sport.

2. Have a goal for each practice.

3. Let them have some fun.

Obviously if you are just starting out with a team, you need to assess the individual strengths and weaknesses of your bowlers. That assessment will help you figure out what drills to teach and what goals to set.

Good luck!

[Aslan]

Depends on the age and level.

[ALazySavage]

High-level thought, a few things I do with anyone I am coaching.

First, I ask the bowler what their expectations are. After they are done with their telling me their expectations I am then able to evaluate if I am able to help the bowler out. I am not a certified coach and really don't have a desire to do much physical game coaching - I am much more centered around reading ball roll, understanding what adjustments will do to ball roll, surface adjustments, etc. This typically leads into my second step, after the bowler tells me their expectations I will inform them what I am comfortable working with them on. This leads into a fork in the discussion - if they want to understand more about ball roll and reading their ball roll I will be willing to help them out, if their needs are more around the physical game I will typically guide them to someone I trust (if there are obvious issues, wrong fingers in the ball, planting with the wrong foot, etc I will give a high level thought before guiding them to another person). At this point I will then watch them throw some shots and ask them what they are seeing what they think they need to do to get their general understanding and then find some visual tools to help accentuate what they are seeing (tape on balls, adjusting surfaces, etc.).


Really what it comes down to is this - do I believe I can coach up a mid-level bowler, very much so, but (a) it really isn't something I enjoy doing anymore and (b) there are plenty of people certified (granted many who are not worth the paper their certification is printed on) and they have gone through the steps and for me to take that away from them is not necessarily fair to their work.