Playing Your "A" Game by Rob Mautner

[bowl1820]

interesting article :

Playing Your "A" Game
by Rob Mautner

Many traditional bowlers who grew up when bowlers showed up with one bowling ball in a single ball bag and a pair of bowling shoes that had been worn for the last ten or twelve years, really have a problem with the concept that modern bowling really requires an arsenal of bowling balls. The most common excuse that I hear is that a really good bowler can adjust by changing hand positions, ball speed, loft, and line. In other words, they are implying that bowlers who use ball changes as adjustments are somehow inferior bowlers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The reason that the phrase, "You can't out bowl a bad ball reaction," has become so popular among top players is that when you have the right ball in your hand, you can play your "A" Game. Your "A" Game is your natural, most comfortable shot. It includes your ball speed, your hand position and release, the amount of loft you impart to the ball, etc., in other words everything that you do to throw a perfect shot. When you try to adjust to changing lane conditions by changing your physical game (other than the line that you are playing), you are no longer playing your "A" Game. The problem is, of course, when your opponent has the right ball in his hand and is able to play his "A" game, while you are playing your "B" Game where you throw it harder, or your "C" Game where you loft it a couple of extra feet, you are going to lose.

Even the best players in the world have their "A" Games. Take Norm Duke, for example, who is known for his versatility. We have all seen him win lots of tournaments playing his patented point the corner, up the back of the ball shot, and we've seen him move three arrows left and hook the lane to win. Be that as it may, Norm has won a great majority of his tournaments by pointing the corner. That's his "A" game. The fact that he has worked for countless hours to develop his "B" game to the point that he can be competitive with it does not change the fact that he is at his best when he can play his "A" game.

[tccstudent]

I think i have read this article before.
For me I think I have 2 A games and 1 C game.
My A games is playing straight up the 5 board or moving a little left and playing about 15 to 5.
My C game would be moving further left and swinging the ball out more.

That why when practicing I make sure to spend time working on my 2 A game shots first to keep the mechanics inline before I try and make my C game a little better.

[swingset]

My arsenal is built to keep me in that comfort zone of my "A" game, but I practice hard to play outside of it, which I think is the best way to master difficult conditions. I even do this on THS league nights, by selecting a ball that's either too strong or not enough for the conditions and forcing myself to contend with this. My "A" game might be a benchmark med-oil ball from 25 to 10, but I'll go down the 5 board with a urethane or throw deep into the oil with a solid.

[Aslan]

My "A" game is playing around the 2nd arrow.

My "B" game is on heavier oil...playing more of inside game.

My DISTANT "C" game is when I'm forced out towards that 6-board. I just can't play that close to the gutter. I hold my breath every time I watch ole Del Ballard and Jess Stayrook...throwing those balls along that 1-2 board. I just can't do it. I get too outside, I get nervouse....ball in the right gutter. And I've heard the USBC pattern that outside area is even more oiled up than a THS...so...if I ever shall grace a USBC pattern...C-game is definitely NOT happening.

[dnhoffman]

This is pretty solid IMO, i like to play the outside. And am much less comfortable swinging the ball out and opening up the lane. I can do it... But my best nights are the ones where I pick the right equipment for the condition that keeps me in my comfort zone and results in more confidence in my shots p.

[Perrin]

A - 8-13 with a little swing to it
B - 8-4 tight line
C - 13-18
D - deep inside line.

Most of the problem I have all narrow down to the fact that I drift right in my approach and the bigger angle I am trying to play the further I drift.

[RobLV1]

It's fascinating to me that virtually everyone equates their "A" game to a particular line. The whole idea of using ball changes as an adjustment is to keep from having to make major changes to your physical game that takes you away from your A Game. Those changes would include major speed changes, loft changes, hand position changes, and release changes. If your A Game is tied into one particular line, then the first thing that you need to do is practice using yourf "normal" physical game and work to expand your preferred line into a preferred area. My own preferred area ranges from 15 board to 35 board with my feet, 4 board to 17 board at the arrows, and 5 board to 12 board at the break point. When I can play within that large area, I know I can throw my shot comfortably. I will use ball changes within that area, when I see that one of the three parts of the lane; the heads, the mids, and the back ends, is getting burned up, primarily to change my angle to stay within the part of lane that is still working. Once I reach my limit; 35 to 17 to 12, then I will try to make a ball change to stay within my range until the end of the set. It's only when I can't, that I will resort to physical changes, most notably changing my axis tilt and my ball speed.

[sprocket]

In the mid 80's to early 90's I had at least ten good, usable balls. Now I have maybe 5. I needed a variety of balls then, and if I want to bowl in tournaments or at other houses, I need a variety of balls now. The only bowlers who can remember walking into a bowling alley with a single bag and having that be all that was needed are those who bowled in the 70's or earlier. I'm 49 and would have been a kid in the 70's. An adult still clinging to those days would have to be close to 60 yrs old.

I was far more likely to just change balls and nothing else back then. I wouldn't have changed speeds or hand positions, I would have just changed my line, the ball or both. Changing balls was extremely common though, and the resulting reaction was quite predictable. Nowadays I am far more likely to do something like try to come up the back of the ball more or change speed or change loft and I would often do those things rather than change balls. I find predicting the reaction of another ball far more difficult than I did 20+ years ago.

Anytime I hear a statement along the lines of "the days of bowling with just one or two balls are over" I think, well no sh**. That's been the case for 30 years.

[Bunny]

It's fascinating to me that virtually everyone equates their "A" game to a particular line. The whole idea of using ball changes as an adjustment is to keep from having to make major changes to your physical game that takes you away from your A Game. Those changes would include major speed changes, loft changes, hand position changes, and release changes. If your A Game is tied into one particular line, then the first thing that you need to do is practice using yourf "normal" physical game and work to expand your preferred line into a preferred area. My own preferred area ranges from 15 board to 35 board with my feet, 4 board to 17 board at the arrows, and 5 board to 12 board at the break point. When I can play within that large area, I know I can throw my shot comfortably. I will use ball changes within that area, when I see that one of the three parts of the lane; the heads, the mids, and the back ends, is getting burned up, primarily to change my angle to stay within the part of lane that is still working. Once I reach my limit; 35 to 17 to 12, then I will try to make a ball change to stay within my range until the end of the set. It's only when I can't, that I will resort to physical changes, most notably changing my axis tilt and my ball speed.

Thanks Rob! Great info.

You make things clear and easy to understand. At least for me anyway.

Sometimes it's a matter finding a coach or teacher that when they explain things they make total sense to you. Not that what someone else is saying is wrong. I found this to be true in many things. Music for example. I had one teacher in particular that when he explained things light bulbs would go on everytime.

[RobLV1]

Predicting the reactions of different balls today is definitely more complex than it was 20+ years ago, but it can also be a lot more accurate for those who take the time to really understand the four elements of the balls; the core, the cover, the surface, and the layout, as well as how they each affect the two simple componants of ball reaction; friction and resistance. At the ripe young age of 49, you should be able to learn to do this fairly easily. If I can do it at 64, it should be cake for you!