Motiv Girl
03-03-2010, 09:28 AM
If you want to improve, you need to understand the learning process as it relates to your game.
This is a very simple statement. Maybe that is why most who read it will continue on without giving it a second thought—DON'T DO THAT!
Far too many bowlers who have practiced for several hours a day, five or six days a week, and they didn't get even the slightest bit better. The reason is simple—they didn't understand what was required to achieve the improvement they desired.
Everyone knows, or should know, that practice is imperative for one to improve their game. But obviously there is more to it than that. Practice the wrong things, or the wrong way, and you might find yourself getting worse. However, if you practice the right things, the right way, you can't help but improve (over time!).
So, what is the right way and what are the right things to practice? Always remember—if you don't understand the learning process, you're chances of improving may be decided by chance!
Intelligent people tend to read and watch all they can in order to learn about bowling, which is why so many feel they are knowledgeable about the game. To explain their inability to improve, these bowlers believe their problem is that they can't put their knowledge into action. In other words, they think they know what to do, they just can't do it.
Isn't knowledge more than just the acquisition of information? Shouldn't the acquired information be correct for it to be considered knowledge?
This is an important point for those wanting to learn about bowling. Surely you've noticed how one instruction article conflicts with other instruction articles, sometimes within the same magazine. If the articles conflict with one another, then how do you know which is correct, if any? Of course, It could have mentioned one video conflicting with another video.
The bottom line: most people who believe they know a lot about the bowling really don't. Most of their knowledge is really only incorrect information—a hodgepodge of conflicting theories.
The bowler who claims they "know what to do but just can't do it" is probably wrong—they think they know what to do, but they don't!
Most bowlers aren't willing to "go the distance"—they aren't willing to work through the frustration that is an inescapable result of improving a faulty game. Instead,bowlers try the band-aid approach to improvement, which is relatively painless, but is also ineffective because they aren't fixing their faults, they're just treating the symptoms.
Changing is not learned by throwing money at it, nor by practicing something for only a week or two. It doesn't come quickly and it doesn't come without effort, yet bowlers seem to think (or maybe hope) that it will. If you want to improve, be prepared—you will throw the ball badly and your swing will feel very awkward and uncomfortable until you have practiced it enough to develop coordination with whatever part of the game you were trying to improve.
There are many bowlers who should probably not take lessons! For two reasons: first, and most importantly, most bowlers don't know how to practice and how to work on a swing. The result—any information they get from their lessons will be wasted. Secondly,Bowling Professionals have many more important responsibilities than instruction and with instruction being such a low priority, one can expect the quality of teaching from some professionals to be somewhat suspect.
If you do decide to take lessons, be sure you understand what it takes to improve. You also need to be selective when you choose your instructor. Find a coach who teaches because they like to teach and because they have a serious desire to help their students improve.
To those who think they don't take bowling lessons, I say—dream on. Will you ever read any magazines, listen to the advice of a friend, try ideas from a book, or will you ever go out and practice and try your own theories in an effort to improve?
Of course you will! In case you didn't realize it, these are all forms of bowling instruction.
I can understand why so many bowlers are disenchanted with the instruction process, and rightly so—you take lessons but you don't improve. I hate to say it, but this is mostly your fault because you demand instant results. You don't stand a chance if you think you're going to get significant results within a week, or even a month! Of course, Bowling Professionals will try to give you what you want, which only encourages them to rely on short term band-aid instruction techniques, which ultimately does nothing to improve your game for the long run.
If you aren't going to do it right, and by this I mean practicing properly and finding a good instructor, then don't do it at all!
Every bowler should have a goal to improve for every year they play, but most bowlers reach a certain level and never improve beyond that point.
For most bowlers, the road to real improvement is just as simple: practice properly—about one month for every motion you are trying to change (and be sure you're working on the right thing!), get the best instructor you can find, and understand that you will be frustrated for awhile—deal with it!!!
If you aren't willing to find and pay for an instructor that is right for you then don't take any lessons until you're ready to commit to the game. Go to the lanes and do whatever comes naturally. Do not accept bowling tips from anyone, including relatives, friends, etc.—they will almost certainly hurt your game, even though they are well intentioned.
This is a very simple statement. Maybe that is why most who read it will continue on without giving it a second thought—DON'T DO THAT!
Far too many bowlers who have practiced for several hours a day, five or six days a week, and they didn't get even the slightest bit better. The reason is simple—they didn't understand what was required to achieve the improvement they desired.
Everyone knows, or should know, that practice is imperative for one to improve their game. But obviously there is more to it than that. Practice the wrong things, or the wrong way, and you might find yourself getting worse. However, if you practice the right things, the right way, you can't help but improve (over time!).
So, what is the right way and what are the right things to practice? Always remember—if you don't understand the learning process, you're chances of improving may be decided by chance!
Intelligent people tend to read and watch all they can in order to learn about bowling, which is why so many feel they are knowledgeable about the game. To explain their inability to improve, these bowlers believe their problem is that they can't put their knowledge into action. In other words, they think they know what to do, they just can't do it.
Isn't knowledge more than just the acquisition of information? Shouldn't the acquired information be correct for it to be considered knowledge?
This is an important point for those wanting to learn about bowling. Surely you've noticed how one instruction article conflicts with other instruction articles, sometimes within the same magazine. If the articles conflict with one another, then how do you know which is correct, if any? Of course, It could have mentioned one video conflicting with another video.
The bottom line: most people who believe they know a lot about the bowling really don't. Most of their knowledge is really only incorrect information—a hodgepodge of conflicting theories.
The bowler who claims they "know what to do but just can't do it" is probably wrong—they think they know what to do, but they don't!
Most bowlers aren't willing to "go the distance"—they aren't willing to work through the frustration that is an inescapable result of improving a faulty game. Instead,bowlers try the band-aid approach to improvement, which is relatively painless, but is also ineffective because they aren't fixing their faults, they're just treating the symptoms.
Changing is not learned by throwing money at it, nor by practicing something for only a week or two. It doesn't come quickly and it doesn't come without effort, yet bowlers seem to think (or maybe hope) that it will. If you want to improve, be prepared—you will throw the ball badly and your swing will feel very awkward and uncomfortable until you have practiced it enough to develop coordination with whatever part of the game you were trying to improve.
There are many bowlers who should probably not take lessons! For two reasons: first, and most importantly, most bowlers don't know how to practice and how to work on a swing. The result—any information they get from their lessons will be wasted. Secondly,Bowling Professionals have many more important responsibilities than instruction and with instruction being such a low priority, one can expect the quality of teaching from some professionals to be somewhat suspect.
If you do decide to take lessons, be sure you understand what it takes to improve. You also need to be selective when you choose your instructor. Find a coach who teaches because they like to teach and because they have a serious desire to help their students improve.
To those who think they don't take bowling lessons, I say—dream on. Will you ever read any magazines, listen to the advice of a friend, try ideas from a book, or will you ever go out and practice and try your own theories in an effort to improve?
Of course you will! In case you didn't realize it, these are all forms of bowling instruction.
I can understand why so many bowlers are disenchanted with the instruction process, and rightly so—you take lessons but you don't improve. I hate to say it, but this is mostly your fault because you demand instant results. You don't stand a chance if you think you're going to get significant results within a week, or even a month! Of course, Bowling Professionals will try to give you what you want, which only encourages them to rely on short term band-aid instruction techniques, which ultimately does nothing to improve your game for the long run.
If you aren't going to do it right, and by this I mean practicing properly and finding a good instructor, then don't do it at all!
Every bowler should have a goal to improve for every year they play, but most bowlers reach a certain level and never improve beyond that point.
For most bowlers, the road to real improvement is just as simple: practice properly—about one month for every motion you are trying to change (and be sure you're working on the right thing!), get the best instructor you can find, and understand that you will be frustrated for awhile—deal with it!!!
If you aren't willing to find and pay for an instructor that is right for you then don't take any lessons until you're ready to commit to the game. Go to the lanes and do whatever comes naturally. Do not accept bowling tips from anyone, including relatives, friends, etc.—they will almost certainly hurt your game, even though they are well intentioned.