Once a week league, not enough?

[panbanger]

Bowled 3 games yesterday of much needed practice with a teammate. First two games were mostly working on timing issues, not trying to throw the ball too hard, foot placement, and of course spares. LOTS of spares lol!
These are things that are hard to keep in mind during league play, which I have on Sunday nights. I’m finding that if I only bowl once a week (league), which sometimes is my only choice due to work schedule, my scores on average see a steady decline over the course of a few weeks.

I wonder sometimes if I joined a weekday league – would I still practice? Is 2 times a week my limit? Would I use one league as a kind of warm-up for the “real” league? My Sunday league is a purely fun one but I sure feel the pressure when I’m bowling bad! Pressure from myself I mean. I wonder if anyone here does that – uses a fun league as a practice session for the “serious” league. Anyone?

[ecub]

I bowl on Monday, which is a mixed league, and Wednesday, which is a Men's league. The Men's league is a really good league, with an an average of around 205. I'm a league secretary/treasurer on my Monday league and there are only a few good bowlers on Monday. I bowl semi-serious on Mondays. I'm working on getting rid of my bad habits and try get more consistent and to increase my revs. So I use my Monday league to work on them. There's still pressure from the team to do well. My Wednesday league is a good money league, so I "TRY" to use what I've learned from Monday, on the Wednesday league.

Another good thing on my Monday league is that the rest day in between both leagues is just enough to rest, but still allows my arm to have the strength and muscle memory. Going from Wednesday to Monday is a long gap, that I often have to bowl a game prior to to the start of my Monday league just to really warm and let my muscles remember what to do.

[e-tank]

i practice tuesday and thursday for 4 games then cosmic bowling on friday nights from 9-1am. Then league on sunday night. I agree with ecub in that if i go to long without bowling some games, i get rusty real fast. Practice has helped me a ton aswell

[J Anderson]

I’m finding that if I only bowl once a week (league), which sometimes is my only choice due to work schedule, my scores on average see a steady decline over the course of a few weeks.

I wonder sometimes if I joined a weekday league – would I still practice? Is 2 times a week my limit? Would I use one league as a kind of warm-up for the “real” league? My Sunday league is a purely fun one but I sure feel the pressure when I’m bowling bad! Pressure from myself I mean. I wonder if anyone here does that – uses a fun league as a practice session for the “serious” league. Anyone?

Bowling only once a week in league my progress was very slow from 140s in 1980 to 170s in 2007. Adding lefty bowling in 2008 and practicing in addition to bowling league, my left handed average went from 140 to around 170 in 4 years. I'm probably at the point where I really need to work with a coach to get to the next level.

Bowling in an extra league is not the same as practice, but it probably would help at least maintain your average.

Don't forget that there are drills that you can do away from the alley that will help prefect parts of your technique. Use some of them when you have one of those weeks when you can't take an hour or so to actually bowl.

[SmilingBowler]

Great post John. I like that you bring up the drills when away from the lanes.
Can you link us up to another board here or a website that explains the drills you reference?

Thanks. Happy Bowling! (: .)

[unclemantis]

I was told by someone here that the Pros bowl 5 to 6 leagues a week! Bowl as much as you feel you need to bowl but don't bowl more than 5 to 6 games a night!

[panbanger]

Good to hear I'm not the only one who gets rusty after a few days! I'll try to find those drills, hopefully they're found in one of the sticky threads at the top.

[unclemantis]

Good to hear I'm not the only one who gets rusty after a few days! I'll try to find those drills, hopefully they're found in one of the sticky threads at the top.

I practice like every other night. It takes me about 5 frames in the first game to warm up. By the end of the second game, I AM ON FIRE.... maybe just warm :P

[J Anderson]

Great post John. I like that you bring up the drills when away from the lanes.
Can you link us up to another board here or a website that explains the drills you reference?

Thanks. Happy Bowling! (: .)

Here's one that you could probably do at home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr9lDk848-g&feature=plcp

[edpup316]

I get in at least 3 leagues a week and practice at leat once sometimes twice a week. I use my Family and Friends league on Tuesday as a kind of practice, not very competative so it works out.