When do you offer advice to other bowlers??

[Aslan]

I was at leagues tonight and we bowled a fairly "bad" team…4 players with averages under 100.

Well, anyways…there was this one bowler that I could see obvious problems with her release…that triggered some ideas because I had gotten some advice a couple months ago regarding what she was doing wrong. So, I thought I might "help" her…but it's sorta like golf…the general rule is you don't offer advice unless asked right??

But on the other hand…if you KNOW something someone is doing wrong…that if they just fixed that one little thing…bowling would be more enjoyable…it almost seems counterproductive to the sport not to just offer them the advice.

So I ended up not saying anything…mainly because she was sitting with her boyfriend the whole night and I figured it was more "his job" to help her…not mine. Had she been alone, I probably would have offered the advice.

[MICHAEL]

never
lol

[MICHAEL]

wait till you get a little more knowledge, you would probably just confuse them at this point! You confuse me, and I am Iceman!!

[bowl1820]

but it's sorta like golf…the general rule is you don't offer advice unless asked right??

right!

[dnhoffman]

Well, this was fun.

[sprocket]

Pretty much never. Most of the time even when they say "I wish I knew what I'm doing wrong" it is a rhetorical question and they still don't want help. Even if they outright ask for help you may find that your ideas are wrong for them or don't offer the immediate result that you had envisioned in your mind. The outcome may be WORSE. Mostly help is best offered by those trained to instruct and even then only in practice and not during league. Some never want to practice and that is unfortunate for them. I guess they think they will improve my osmosis or something.

I personally feel I have a lot to offer but even my years of experience and a pretty good eye are meaningless because I don't believe I have proper teaching skills. I can tell someone what I see and what I should be seeing but I am not trained in how to help them implement changes or even what to work on FIRST. I would like to become a certified instructor if I could just find the time. The best I can do now is direct them towards youtube instruction videos, bowling instruction books, or an actual instructor. The truth is for the most part I do nothing and I have been shot down a few times when I did offer advice and that is how I learned the stuff in this post.

[Hammer]

never
lol

LOL! Boy Mike, you almost made me swallow my partial.

[J Anderson]

Outside of Saturday mornings, when I'm supposed to be giving advice, I either wait until being asked, or ask if they would like some advice.

[e-tank]

I used to do it alot but recently, i was convinced that while the advice is with good intent, giving unknowingly bad advice can be more detrimental than good. Ive never had a coach like you have aslan, so your advice would prob be better than mine but just my 2 cents

[Aslan]

Well, this was fun.

Yeah, right? Do you see how even when I try to start an interesting thread…not about me…not with "I know it all" attitude…that it's pretty much impossible? Not to "play victim"…but since this just keeps happening…I might as well just accept it.

LOL! Boy Mike, you almost made me swallow my partial.

Awww…I didn't realize you were so old. I'm sorry. That's sad.

Ive never had a coach like you have aslan, so your advice would prob be better than mine but just my 2 cents

I never give advice just because:
1) etiquette
2) I'm still a beginner myself (as was eluded to)
3) Most people don't take advice even when you give it (also eluded to)

The only reason I even considered it last night was you had 4 bowlers under 100 (averages)…there really was nothing I could say that would make them worse. Nothing. I could tell them to close their eyes and they'd have probably improved. But the one thing I noticed was the one lady was leading with her shoulder…noticeably. And I was told by a very experienced bowler/coach, "lead with the ball, not your shoulder". So since it wasn't my "opinion"…it was something I was told by a very good coach….I figured it'd be safe to pass it on.

But at the end of the day…even though I think bowling better = more bowling/bowlers = a better sport…I struggle getting past the "etiquette" factor (like in golf) where you don't offer advice unless asked.