The benefits of professional help

[DLP]

Take one 110 avg bowler + a Brunswick Bowling Mini Camp
Add a new grip done by Chuck Gardner + a new brace + a whole lot of advice from Parker, Sean, and Chuck....

=

First 500 series in practice yesterday
For someone who has had problems lately getting into the 120s, dropping a 186/146/182 was a shock.

If you ever get the chance to attend one of the camps, DO IT! Just go. There are just SO many things to learn combined with a fun and nonjudgmental environment.

And yes, mental game is part of it

[Aslan]

The downside to that advice is that it costs thousands of dollars.

Not saying I wouldn't love to attend one…but why not just pay $100/month in lessons? You end up with more instructional time, 1 on 1 time, and it ends up being about the same cost.

The other thing that kinda annoys me about clinics is sometimes you get different advice from different people, and that can be confusing. You didn't have any of that going on at your camp? curious

[J Anderson]

The downside to that advice is that it costs thousands of dollars.

Not saying I wouldn't love to attend one…but why not just pay $100/month in lessons? You end up with more instructional time, 1 on 1 time, and it ends up being about the same cost.

The other thing that kinda annoys me about clinics is sometimes you get different advice from different people, and that can be confusing. You didn't have any of that going on at your camp? curious

I don't think the mini-camps, which are a one day affair, cost thousands of dollars. I suppose if you looked at their schedule and went to Hawaii it might, but not if you go to one close to home.

[DLP]

Nope, the mini camps don't cost thousands, but J - if I hit the lottery, I like your plan
Could I have spent the money elsewhere as far as my bowling is concerned? Probably.
Would I have gotten near the same level of benefit? Probably not.

[striker12]

DLP you should find one of the Bowl U/Brad Angelo bowling camps you get to use some training tools that work great and you can buy them online but if you want here's the site to them for you to check the training tools out, I plan on getting the (MOK ORB, KILK PIN and OZ BLOCK)


http://www.eileensbowlingbuddy.com/

[bowl1820]

Cost depends on just what camp it is, but not thousands of dollars.

A 3 day "Brunswick Bowling Mini Camp" can cost about $1000. But you get 3 balls, shirts, video taping, lunch etc. with it.

A 1 day "Brunswick Bowling Mini Camp" they had here florida a while back was $300 you got choice of a ball, lunch etc.

[Aslan]

Cost depends on just what camp it is, but not thousands of dollars.

A 3 day "Brunswick Bowling Mini Camp" can cost about $1000. But you get 3 balls, shirts, video taping, lunch etc. with it.

A 1 day "Brunswick Bowling Mini Camp" they had here florida a while back was $300 you got choice of a ball, lunch etc.

Yeah. I was just going off the two camps I wanted to go to. Camp Bakkes was $1150 and the Brunswick FULL camp was $1198. The Kegel camp was only $675-$799 + lodging. But I figured why do that "camp" when I could spend $550 for a full day personal/private lesson at Kegel?

Again, I'm not "poo pooing" camps or DLP's positive experience. I think it's great! I just wonder (and am asking) what people's thoughts are on a camp versus 3-12 months of private lessons. For ME...I'd just be worried that I'd go to a camp, learn some stuff, then after 2-3 months of practicing I'd run into some other roadblock and not have the opportunity to go BACK to that person I learned it from and get more guidance. BUT...playing Devil's Advocate....if you're in an area where finding a good coach is difficult...a camp or clinic might be the best you can do. I'm lucky being in California...others are lucky if they are in Texas or Nevada. It might be harder to find a high level coach elsewhere.

[axslinger]

Just some food for thought...

I play guitar and used to take lessons. My teacher had a philosophy; you only need "X" number of lessons. At that point I have told you everything you need to know. From there, it's up to you to apply it and practice it.

The same holds true for bowling. A good coach could watch you throw 3-5 balls and recognized every mistake you are making and tell you what you need to do to correct it. From there, it's up to you.

When I was having issues getting a ball fitted I struggled desperately to get a 160. I was more in the range of 140-150 but knew I was capable of much better. I had thrown a 224 game as well as a number of 180-190 games. The guy from the pro shop came out to observe me. Focusing only on my swing and release he told me what he was seeing. They were things that I didn't even realize I was doing. With him standing there watching me, I threw a 203. I had 6 strikes in a row and believe I only had 1 open frame.

My point is, an $80/hr. lesson can go a LONG way! In my case, he wasn't even a coach; he just worked in the pro shop and happens to carry a 210 average. So now, whenever I'm having issues, I go back to that lesson and recall what he told me and what he was noticing about me. I had issues this past weekend, struggling to hit 180. I even threw a 135 and a 145. The lanes were great; fresh oil and in good shape. I knew it was all me. I relaxed and went back to what he told me and I threw a 203!

Just some food for thought. The trick is, get a good coach and 'Do what he say!'

[rico]

Any organized coaching program with reputable instructor(s) can be of value....researching for clinics, schools, one day programs, and individual lessons is a wise thing to do before making a decision which way to go....the points made in these reply comments are good ones and make sense....it is up to each bowler to decide whether their budget, personality, and physical and mental game needs is best served by private or group programs...one thing is for sure, if your game suffers and you need help, experienced coaches can and will benefit you if you give it a try....it is surprising how many bowlers know they need help but never work with an instructor - always look for fast and free tips and listen to too many local bowlers offering opinions and advice....most of the top pros have coaches so why shouldn't we?

[rico]

Forgot to mention earlier that there are some cool articles for free at this site:

http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/

Thanks