For those who practice......

[fokai73]

there are those who don't practice, yet carry a high average.... lucky people lol

but, for those who say they practice, do they really practice? I know many bowlers in my area from different leagues who are at the lanes several days of the week. Yet, I've never seen these guys/gals really practice. They ALL shoot for scores. It may be the area, but compared to where I started bowling, we practiced differently.

We shadow bowled (no pins) for target practice, play low ball, one step approach, get on one knee and feel the release, put tape on the lanes, ect......granted bowling centers don't allow you to do certain things on the lane surface, or their open bowling fees are high even for league bowlers, but practice isn't just on the lanes. You can practice certain things at home too.

When I returned to the game 13 years ago, I was influenced by those around me and my coach. I did what they did for practice. I finished my first league with a 168 average before following them. But after, the next season at 3 leagues at 3 different houses with 3 different types lanes and patterns, I finished with a 189 total average. The next few years, my average increased even more and I cashed more in tourney's too. But, life took over and my family and career came first before practice/bowling. It's the reason why I am stuck at where am at in my physical game, but still above par

If you feel the need to practice to reach your goals, practice with a purpose. I used to plan my practice sessions and stick to it. I made a list of two to three things to work on and stick to that plane. Make practice a game too, like playing low ball. Lowest scores win. We have tools in our smart phones to help give us feed back instantly, something we didn't have in the past. Take advantage of the tools we have today. Practice when you get a chance, and practice with a purpose. I'm limited to 2 hours every other week, so I have to make each hour count.

Good luck and bowl well this season folks!!!!;

[Mike White]

I just went a practiced after not bowling for the last 3 months.

I expected to have a bit of rust, but what I didn't expect was the layer of barnacles underneath the rust.

Trying to throw the ball straight at the 10 pin, I would miss my mark left by 5 boards.

Finally when that became closer to 2 boards I tried to see how moving up to 15 lbs would feel for the strike ball.

I ran off 16 strikes out of 20 tries, but then my gas tank ran empty.

I quit before the 4 games were complete, so I wouldn't do any physical damage.

3 months of not bowling, and my legs turned to Jello.

[fokai73]

"noodle legs" is common among us older dudes.... "we're not 20 anymore charlie!" lol

[ALazySavage]

There is one teammate I really enjoy practicing with because of how we handle the practice. Essentially we switch off after each shot where the first bowler always throws spares (mainly corner pins) and then the second bowler either attempts to clear the rack or just throws another spare. There is always a focus on mechanics and very rarely do we throw games for score (may once a month we will throw one game if they are going to start cosmic early and we are just trying to finish). There are a lot of one step drills and video recording.

[ChuckR]

I take the summer off and use it for practice and saying hello to my wife. Each week and 1 or 2 games, I will work on one piece of the puzzle. Timing(First step or continuing to walk after push away). Shoulders back to reduce pull to left. Staying behind the ball till the thumb is out. ETC.

[dougb]

there are those who don't practice, yet carry a high average.... lucky people lol

but, for those who say they practice, do they really practice? I know many bowlers in my area from different leagues who are at the lanes several days of the week. Yet, I've never seen these guys/gals really practice. They ALL shoot for scores. It may be the area, but compared to where I started bowling, we practiced differently.

We shadow bowled (no pins) for target practice, play low ball, one step approach, get on one knee and feel the release, put tape on the lanes, ect......granted bowling centers don't allow you to do certain things on the lane surface, or their open bowling fees are high even for league bowlers, but practice isn't just on the lanes. You can practice certain things at home too.

When I returned to the game 13 years ago, I was influenced by those around me and my coach. I did what they did for practice. I finished my first league with a 168 average before following them. But after, the next season at 3 leagues at 3 different houses with 3 different types lanes and patterns, I finished with a 189 total average. The next few years, my average increased even more and I cashed more in tourney's too. But, life took over and my family and career came first before practice/bowling. It's the reason why I am stuck at where am at in my physical game, but still above par

If you feel the need to practice to reach your goals, practice with a purpose. I used to plan my practice sessions and stick to it. I made a list of two to three things to work on and stick to that plane. Make practice a game too, like playing low ball. Lowest scores win. We have tools in our smart phones to help give us feed back instantly, something we didn't have in the past. Take advantage of the tools we have today. Practice when you get a chance, and practice with a purpose. I'm limited to 2 hours every other week, so I have to make each hour count.

Good luck and bowl well this season folks!!!!;

I had a coach that used to make me do one step, put tape on the lanes, etc. I really improved with him . Reading this thread makes me think it's time to call him again!

[foreverincamo]

I don't watch my score when I practice. Unfortunately, the only way to get the lanes to work is to have the auto-score working. I have spent an hour straight on one knee working on my thumb clearing the ball. I've done one-step approach shots for an hour.
I also work with coaches. Right now I'm working on my hand position to increase my revs. Always working on something!

[bobforsaken]

When the lanes are rough I'll often shoot corners and then try to clear the rack with my second ball. But, honestly my biggest issue is with knowing what adjustments to make and when to make them. I most often bowl for score in practice because that is the only way I know of to start recognizing when Its time to move and what move to make.

When I get to the point that I'm throwing 8 baggers every game and my biggest issue is missing spares I'll focus on that... right now, however.. I get plenty of spare practice from my missed strikes..

[J Anderson]

When the lanes are rough I'll often shoot corners and then try to clear the rack with my second ball. But, honestly my biggest issue is with knowing what adjustments to make and when to make them. I most often bowl for score in practice because that is the only way I know of to start recognizing when Its time to move and what move to make.

When I get to the point that I'm throwing 8 baggers every game and my biggest issue is missing spares I'll focus on that... right now, however.. I get plenty of spare practice from my missed strikes..

I used to not move unless had thrown the ball on target. I now realize that if I'm a little off and don't hold pocket I need to make an adjustment.

[GeoLes]

That is a big hot issue between my wife and myself. If she does not bowl a high game, it was an unsucessful session. While higher pinfall is the result of good practice, it does not always indicate good practice, I believe. I practice when I can and keep a single ball and shoes in the car for such sessions. If the ball does not match the lane coditions, forget the score. have been satisfied with an average game as long as I accomplished my goal in the process. If I hit my mark consistently, or was able to perform a good inside release and can feel it becoming a habit, it is a good practice session.