Diary of Madman

[Tony]

Nothing gets me irritated more than seeing a 75-year old guy throw a 267 game yet he fell off of every shot, had a quirky approach, etc... I think to myself, "Wait. So I'm spending $150/month on lessons to learn NOT to do what that guy does...yet he rolled a 267 and I rolled a 167!??" But, to echo my coach, that guy has 35 years on me...and probably over 40 years more of bowling experience. He bowls in one house...he rarely enters tournaments...and his ability to adjust to changes are limited. He's definitely better than me NOW...but probably wasn't near as good as I am after his first 3 years of bowling. So, you just gotta avert your eyes...and try not to get irritated.

Instead of running him down because he doesn't "bowl correctly" just ignore those other people and work on your game or watch some of those people and see if you can learn from them, see if you can see how they are managing to shoot 100 pins higher than you when they are a "sub-par" bowler according to your standards.
Keep in mind there are golfers, quarterbacks, hitters and pitchers that have has great success with unconventional swings, or arm motion, you don't have to emulate them but you still might be able to learn something about some part of the game from them.
Why bother getting irritated by someone who is better than you, learn how to compete with him. Did you ever consider that doing everything exactly by the book does not knock down pins in itself, but knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and compensating for them could allow you to become a better bowler.
And just to clarify if he's that good at 70 something think how great he was when he was 40 or 50, probably a lot better than he is now, age has a way of slowing you down....

[RobLV1]

Dude, I have a friend who is in his sixties, takes somewhere between seven and ten steps as he runs to the line, drops the ball three feet in front of the foul line, and falls off every single shot. That's the key: he does it on every single shot. Add to this the fact that he has no understanding of bowling balls, or the differences between lanes, and there you have it. One thing that he does is repeat. One thing that he doesn't do is think. Oh, by the way, he averages over 220 in several different houses!

[jab5325]

Dude, I have a friend who is in his sixties, takes somewhere between seven and ten steps as he runs to the line, drops the ball three feet in front of the foul line, and falls off every single shot. That's the key: he does it on every single shot. Add to this the fact that he has no understanding of bowling balls, or the differences between lanes, and there you have it. One thing that he does is repeat. One thing that he doesn't do is think. Oh, by the way, he averages over 220 in several different houses!

Sounds interesting! Would love to see a video of that.

There's a guy in my house in his 60s, slides on the wrong foot, never changes balls and hardly moves.....yet averages between 200-210 for the season and has multiple 300s/700s.

[Amyers]

I agree. The release is SO important to the ultimate ball motion, that we almost intuitively go right after that in terms of trying to improve. Kinda like when a ball "doesn't hook"...we start looking for a ball that will. Most bowlers work off the assumption that if you have a good ball and a good release....all you have to do is not fall over the foul line and you're golden.

But there are SO many things going on in those 4 steps...and if not done right....release will only be there to compensate, not enhance the shot.

For example:
Step 1: If your first step is too long or too short...you are setting the "pace" for your entire approach. Think of your first step like an Indy 500 pace car. If it's slow...the approach is slower. If it's long (fast), the other cars gotta try to catch up to it.

Step 2: Step 2 should be fluid...not pausing. And it's important that your posture is correct. I have a tendency to push the ball out and then let the ball carry my head forward and down. That puts my head in front of my feet...and your feet will always do whatever is necessary to catch up to your head.

Step3: Where is the ball during step 3? In Mark Baker's video/book you'll see that elite bowlers...the ball is at the top of the backswing or already on it's way down. If it's not...you're going to get to the line early and PULL the ball down.

Step 4: Is it balanced? Do you have proper spine tilt? Are you low enough at the line? Is your timing good? Do you stay down, or pop up?

Can you be a high level league bowler with a horrible approach? Yes. You can compensate for a bad approach and stay in time and release the ball well and will have success. But getting beyond a 190-205 average on a THS is going to require more work on all those approach elements.

Nothing gets me irritated more than seeing a 75-year old guy throw a 267 game yet he fell off of every shot, had a quirky approach, etc... I think to myself, "Wait. So I'm spending $150/month on lessons to learn NOT to do what that guy does...yet he rolled a 267 and I rolled a 167!??" But, to echo my coach, that guy has 35 years on me...and probably over 40 years more of bowling experience. He bowls in one house...he rarely enters tournaments...and his ability to adjust to changes are limited. He's definitely better than me NOW...but probably wasn't near as good as I am after his first 3 years of bowling. So, you just gotta avert your eyes...and try not to get irritated.

Man you summed your problem up in a couple of paragraphs. Your thinking about too much crap as we tell you all the time. I know you have issues with that first step all of us long timers have seen it and you needed more help with your approach than the average decent bowler but this is overkill. as far as speed goes you only have to worry about starting the ball on time your body will naturally adjust your swing to match your foot speed.

I used to spend a lot of time worrying about where my balance arm should be (still occasionally go down that road) until I finally figured out I bowl better when I don't know where it is. Do I know where it should be? Yes but if I'm thinking about that it's distracting me from other things that are more important. I may need to pin it down at some point in my progression I know I rarely use it as I'm supposed to but I also know if I'm thinking about it my scores are going down the tubes.

Worry about getting the ball started on time, taking normal steps, doing whatever it is you do to get your hand in proper position to release the ball, and hitting your mark. Once you get to a 220+ average then start worrying about spine tilt and the other minutia. Just throw the D### ball.

[Tony]

Man you summed your problem up in a couple of paragraphs. Your thinking about too much crap as we tell you all the time. I know you have issues with that first step all of us long timers have seen it and you needed more help with your approach than the average decent bowler but this is overkill. as far as speed goes you only have to worry about starting the ball on time your body will naturally adjust your swing to match your foot speed.

Worry about getting the ball started on time, taking normal steps, doing whatever it is you do to get your hand in proper position to release the ball, and hitting your mark. Once you get to a 220+ average then start worrying about spine tilt and the other minutia. Just throw the D### ball.

Exactly, instead of worrying about every little thing about the approach,release, ball , and on and on, just make the shots, and make an effort to find your rhythm. Only worry about a couple things that you know you have a tendency to slip up on, for me it's taking a controlled first step, getting my arm out for balance and following through projecting down the lane. These things will change week to week among a dozen or so different area's where you're not totally consistent on all the time.
You don't have to be perfect in all aspects of the game to be a pretty good bowler, having a good consistent and relaxed flow on the approach is more important and will bring better results than having a tense but more technically perfect motion. Your mind can't focus on every tiny tidbit of information about the approach that you've ever read about, on every shot .... don't try it!

[Aslan]

Damn Aslan, you are on us Seniors again!

Then stop deserving it.

Dude,

By using that word are you trying to nudge your way onto the current Scotch Doubles Championship Team from the Aslan vs. Iceman Challenge; known far and wide as the greatest bowling tournament that ever was or shall be?? I don't blame ya. The Iceman/Mudpuppy team was embarrassingly bad.

Sounds interesting! Would love to see a video of that.

There's a guy in my house in his 60s, slides on the wrong foot, never changes balls and hardly moves.....yet averages between 200-210 for the season and has multiple 300s/700s.

I have a friend who is in his sixties, takes somewhere between seven and ten steps as he runs to the line, drops the ball three feet in front of the foul line, and falls off every single shot. That's the key: he does it on every single shot. Add to this the fact that he has no understanding of bowling balls, or the differences between lanes, and there you have it. One thing that he does is repeat. One thing that he doesn't do is think. Oh, by the way, he averages over 220 in several different houses!

Okay....then why in the WORLD isn't he bowling the PBA50!?? I want to see that disasterous approach perform at the highest level. Why don't we see it?

It's like I tell VDub...if you average 226...what else do you have to prove in a weekly handicap league? Are you some sandbagger that spends an entire season pretending to be a 187 bowler so you cash at sweeps once a year?? How pathetic is that?

But that leads me to my old solution that everyone hates...so I won't even bother mentioning it. But once you hit a milestone...time to graduate. You can't stay in 5th grade forever...no matter how much you may want to. I'd be the best 7th grade basketball player and 6th grade football player ever known to man....because I'm 3-4x as big as grade schoolers. It's not rocket science. You average 190? You've graduated. Welcome to scratch leagues. If ya get to 220, you graduate again...welcome to sports patterns. Is that gonna make people sad and cry like babies because they can't outscore everyone in some Thursday beer league doing the one thing in their life that makes em feel special? Yup. Too bad. You don't like it, learn to bowl left handed and reset your average.

New bowlingboards.com rule...if you average 220 or higher and are still bowling no-tap or handicap leagues...you have to have an avatar of a yellow chicken so we can identify you. Do I hear a second?

And just to clarify if he's that good at 70 something think how great he was when he was 40 or 50, probably a lot better than he is now, age has a way of slowing you down....

By that logic, the old 220 average bowler used to average 600 per game when he was young. ????? No...he was younger and dumber and averaged in the 160s...but slowly got better over time and thank the Lord his health has held up. As long as you never push your way through to the next level...you can be the "gym class All-American".

What is a "Gym Class All-American"? Well, remember in school how there were those 1-3 kids that were really good at kickball and dodgeball and softball....but they NEVER joined the school's team or played organized sports? In gym class...that was their time to shine. It was "safe", "easier". No pressure. Just dodge the chicks smoking cigarettes who are "too cool" for kickball...smile at the gym teacher...and try to act modest when you get picked first. No need for dedication or hard work or practice.

Practice!!? In bowling!!? I know right? How foreign is THAT concept? I suppose these older fellas we're talking about with 220 averages also never practice right? And why take lessons? You average 220. The only thing that is going to stop you is your health failing.

So is that what we advocate? In terms of the sport of bowling...does this interactive and knowledgeable bowling site of (a million? 1000? 100? Several?...how many users do we have?) avid bowlers...do WE advocate a sport of akward approaching 70 year olds that don't practice, know nothing about bowling balls, and never challenge themselves at the next level? Is that the "dream" now? The dream used to be the PBA. Now it seems like a person would rather have a podcast or something where they can TALK about bowling than actually bowl.

Maybe THATs the TICKET!!



After all the searching...I've found the key to bowling success in 2016!! Don't Care. Just recognize that if you're LUCKY...and make it to 75...even with my horrible approach and goofy first step and tendency to pull up on my shot and (insert numerous areas that need improvement)....if I can just consistently do those horrible things....I TOO...can someday....SOMEday...be a 220 average bowler that fails to challenge myself. Dreamers can dream right?

Baa Humbug!!


And I'm coming to Vegas in February Rob...I want to know who this ole timer is so I can come to league night and boo him.

[Perrin]

I feel your pain. In this area we have several guys who bowl 1-2 times a week at most, never move their feet or mark, and don't throw a ball outside of league but because their style matches up to the new oil they are averaging near as high as I do. But ohhh boy the moaning and whining on a night where 'their' shot isn't working.. hoooo boy.


Nothing more frustrating than getting called a sandbagger because I have a good night after struggling at the beginning of the year.

"you throw the ball too well to have an average that low...." Thanks jerk I throw the ball like this now cause I bowl in 3 leagues, have started doing wrist and forearm strengthening, and practice a couple times a month.

[AlexNC]

i like to think that in working on my game I am playing the "long game". Short return on my work now - as it takes time to develop consistency - but greater return in the long run.

[Aslan]

Do you wanna know what really, really, really bugs me about bowling??

WARNING! This is going to be "rant"...so if you keep reading and then get annoyed about the lengthy rant...that's on you. Also, standard disclaimer that my opinions most likely do not represent the site, bowlingball.com, or the general public at large.



MOST sports....reward practice.
MOST sports...reward knowledge.
MOST sports...reward hard work.
MOST sports...PENALIZE bad technique/form.

Bowling rewards LONGEVITY. It's not about how good you are...it's how long your body can hold up. Ask RobM or any other number of players. My grandfather loved bowling as much as anything in his life...but finally his body just couldn't do it anymore. Arthritis in the wrist, Bursitis in the shoulder...it was time to stop. Rob is the "Aslan vs. Iceman Challenge" Champion (as I predicted beforehand). But 10 years from now if I have another tournament...I doubt Rob's body will allow him to participate. Even Iceman by then may be struggling. The guy "James" I used to bowl with on Wednesdays...can't throw over 10mph...he has all the will to succeed and love for the sport...but his body just isn't there.

Bowling in this way...is the OPPOSITE of MOST SPORTS. Bowling rewards TIME. The longer you do it, the better you get at it. Like making fly fishing lures or maybe gardening...or putting up a tent or camper. How many older bowlers know about changeable thumb inserts? How long have those been around? 40 years? How many older bowlers could name every major brand of bowling ball. Here's an even harder one...how many could explain Core, RG, Differntial, and cover stocks? This sport doesn't award knowledge...it awards wisdom. And wisdom cannot be bought and cannot be earned...it's just a matter of time.

And bowling doesn't penalize bad technique. Of matter of fact, it actually rewards bowlers that have non-traditional forms. 2-handers, thumbless, palm bowlers....these guys can use weak balls, open up the lane completely, maximize their angle of entry...and it doesn't matter if they miss 6-7 boards...the ball will come back. Bowling doesn't penalize bad technique until you get to a level where you're playing on a USBC or sport pattern. And here's the rub...MOST bowlers avoid those situations like the PLAGUE. That sport shot league I tried for a little over a season...only has 7 teams. Over 4 seasons in my old home center, with all the talented bowlers there...it took 3-4 seasons just for enough guys (3) to finally ask me about the sport shot league. Bowlers don't want "hard". They don't want to be "challenged"...they don't want to be "exposed".

So, given the rant above, ask yourself this. Imagine you meet a youngster at the bowling center and he (or her) is watching the league bowlers. If that kid asks you what he should do so that someday he'll be a great bowler...I would instinctively say:

1) Get a ball the is the proper weight and fit for your hand.
2) Learn the proper form, proper balance, etc..
3) Work on accuracy and being able to hit smaller and smaller targets.
4) Play against good bowlers and watch them and learn from them.
5) Practice. At least 250-500 games per year.
6) Have goals that you want to achieve. Not just a higher average or a 300-game. But specific metrics you want to and need to improve to transition to the next level.
7) Get coaching. Proper form can be learned from a book. But books have a tendency of getting outdated. Coaches can see things that you as the bowler often can't.
8) Concentrate on hitting the pocket. Then concentrate on spares. Then concentrate on carry. Not in the reverse order.

Those 8 things....seem reasonable. Right? I mean, would that not be a great starting point for a youngster?

But...it's ALL A LIE.



It's a big FAT LIE.

Instead, I should change the advice to:

1) Forget fit. Fit only matters if you're using your thumb. Never use your thumb. The goal is to spin the ball as crazy high rpm as possible.
2) Proper form is for old timers. Most of the better league bowlers have horrible form...so chase the numbers not the technique. Just do whatever you do and try to do it in a repeatable way.
3) Accuracy is over-rated. If you're spinning the ball enough...you have at least 9 boards to the right you can miss and still carry.
4) There is no "right way" to bowl. But there is a "right way" to sandbag. You wanna make money in bowling, learn how to sandbag.
5) Never, ever practice. All it will do is wear you out prematurely. Look around at the best bowlers in your league. How many regularly practice? Enuff said.
6) Goals are for suckers. Your goal should be to get drunk, get la-hay-ed, and try to roll a 300-game. Nothing else matters. Until sweeps when you can win actual cash...that's when you start actually "trying".
7) Coaching is a waste of money. You're learn everything that is wrong with your game...fix it, then realize most of the guys beating you in sidepots and brackets have WAY worse form than you did when you first started. The difference is they consistently are the same and YOU are not.
8) Carry matters. Nothing else does. If you lose a match because you didn't make enough spares, that just means you didn't strike enough.

[AlexNC]