The ol' plunking the ankle thing.

[Phonetek]

Just over a month ago my son was having an issue where he was releasing his ball like a foot and a half to two feet from his ankle. Shockingly he was still bowling well.

Suddenly he fixed it but he didn't. I was focusing on the release point and the distance between the ball and the foot. I'll be damned if the ball and foot weren't right next to one another. I didnt realize until I took video the other night that it wasn't his arm swing he fixed, all he did was move his side foot farther right closer to the ball. He walks straight then his slide foot moves like 10 boards right of his starting position on the last step. He even keeps his foot with the toe pointing straight and posting.

It looks awkward and painful in slow motion. He didn't even know that's what he did to compensate. His coaches didn't notice either. Two nights ago it caught up with him and he nailed himself in the ankle. Not once, not twice but 5 times while he was practicing. Each time he hit it harder than the last. Ironically he still got 3 out of 5 strikes and no gutter balls. The 5th time he went down hard on the approach in pain, favoring words starting with the 6th letter of the alphabet to scream. He ended his session there.

He bowled that meet yesterday and didn't hit his ankle at all and shot 703 as I said in another post. So bottom line this is difficult. There are obviously mechanical issues here that need to be addressed. His foot work, his arm swing and other things. How do you argue that he needs to correct these things when he's shooting 663, 703,759 series and 30 frames clean twice in a week?

Do you just ignore it and say "Everyone's style is different and if it works for him leave it alone as long as he don't plunk his ankle?" Or do I go back to the basics with him and get the things ironed out and risk screwing things up? He won't be happy with me if I make him work on this stuff and he suddenly shoots 4 & 5xx series. It's a double edged sword.

[J Anderson]

What I would be worried about is your son reverting to the old way and having the ball a foot to the right of his ankle every shot.

My advice, since you say your son has access to some good coaches through the pro-shop, is to let them “fix” it. Your job was to try to get the kid to put some ice on the ankle after practice.

You know, if I had those series and two sets of 30 clean in two weeks, I probably wouldn’t be too accepting of coaching no matter how much my ankle hurt. And I should be old enough to know better🙃

[boatman37]

I like the advice Rob gave me awhile back on here....never coach someone you have seen naked....lol

[Phonetek]

I should have clarified. Although I still coach him, I do so in concert with the others at my center. We literally have a whole team of people coaching him. About 8 of us total. We don't mess around when someone wants help.

[RobLV1]

We literally have a whole team of people coaching him. About 8 of us total. We don't mess around when someone wants help.

Really bad idea!

[Phonetek]

Really bad idea!

Again to clarify, it's not 8 different people telling them 8 different things. They watch, then they discuss the issues with one another as a group collaboration and the person best suited to help does the actually one on one with the student. That way the student doesn't get confused and or overwhelmed. I know what you're saying... to many cooks...

[J Anderson]

I should have clarified. Although I still coach him, I do so in concert with the others at my center. We literally have a whole team of people coaching him. About 8 of us total. We don't mess around when someone wants help.

Key phrase: When someone wants help.

The way I see this working best is one of the other coaches (NOT DAD) saying something like ‘I hear that you hit your ankle a few times the other day. Want me to help you figure out how to fix that?’

[Phonetek]

Key phrase: When someone wants help.

The way I see this working best is one of the other coaches (NOT DAD) saying something like ‘I hear that you hit your ankle a few times the other day. Want me to help you figure out how to fix that?’

It wasn't "DAD's" idea. I mentioned what was going on to the coaches since I see them every day. My son also bowls every day so they watched him, seen what "DAD" saw and discussed it amongst themselves. They then discussed it and asked "DAD" if it was a good idea to fix right now. Now "DAD" was asking the general consensus on what Bowling Board members opinion was.

Also, he does want help. He has goals he wants to achieve and he's not arrogant enough to think he can do it without help. He welcomes advice from most people. Now... Unless there is something else? Let me know so I can borrow Boatman's Kevlar vest first to protect myself from anymore shots fired in my direction. LOL

Now that I answered to all of that, the original question is now moot. Today he bowled the Varsity Invitational tournament and shot 1468 scratch for 6 games, his team took 1st place, he won high series and high game with 280.

Given all of that, I think the questioned that was asked answered itself. No, NOBODY is telling him to fix a thing until the fire he is on fizzles down some. To do so now would be stupid and reckless, even if he has every bad habit in the book. The coaches and "DAD" agree. It seems enough wrongs can make a right.

An extra shout out to his team for having a combined single game with a 5 player team for a total of a phenomenal 1192 pins scratch! In addition to only two open frames which were both splits in that game. Pure domination!
Un-freaking-real bowling guys. You rock!

[J Anderson]

He bowled that meet yesterday and didn't hit his ankle at all and shot 703 as I said in another post. So bottom line this is difficult. There are obviously mechanical issues here that need to be addressed. His foot work, his arm swing and other things. How do you argue that he needs to correct these things when he's shooting 663, 703,759 series and 30 frames clean twice in a week?

Do you just ignore it and say "Everyone's style is different and if it works for him leave it alone as long as he don't plunk his ankle?" Or do I go back to the basics with him and get the things ironed out and risk screwing things up? He won't be happy with me if I make him work on this stuff and he suddenly shoots 4 & 5xx series. It's a double edged sword.

It wasn't "DAD's" idea. I mentioned what was going on to the coaches since I see them every day. My son also bowls every day so they watched him, seen what "DAD" saw and discussed it amongst themselves. They then discussed it and asked "DAD" if it was a good idea to fix right now. Now "DAD" was asking the general consensus on what Bowling Board members opinion was.

Also, he does want help. He has goals he wants to achieve and he's not arrogant enough to think he can do it without help. He welcomes advice from most people. Now... Unless there is something else? Let me know so I can borrow Boatman's Kevlar vest first to protect myself from anymore shots fired in my direction. LOL

Now that I answered to all of that, the original question is now moot. Today he bowled the Varsity Invitational tournament and shot 1468 scratch for 6 games, his team took 1st place, he won high series and high game with 280.

Given all of that, I think the questioned that was asked answered itself. No, NOBODY is telling him to fix a thing until the fire he is on fizzles down some. To do so now would be stupid and reckless, even if he has every bad habit in the book. The coaches and "DAD" agree. It seems enough wrongs can make a right.

An extra shout out to his team for having a combined single game with a 5 player team for a total of a phenomenal 1192 pins scratch! In addition to only two open frames which were both splits in that game. Pure domination!
Un-freaking-real bowling guys. You rock!

Phonetech, I did not intend my last reply to be a shot at you. Your original post ended in the the first person question “Do I...?” I just wanted to reinforce that your son needs to want the help (👍 he does, for bowling in general), and that if he needs a nudge in the right direction it might be more effective coming one of the other coaches.
Sounds like you and your wife are doing a great job raising your family.

[Phonetek]

You know what, you're right. I did end the op with "Do I?" I didn't screw up in my wording, I specifically worded it that way for a reason. One thing I am is meticulous about is my wording. I may miss some auto correct changes but I say things the way I do on purpose. If you guys don't know the reason them it only makes sense that you'd make false assumptions.

I forget sometimes that you guys on here only reply based on what is said, you're not here seeing everything goes on. Fact is, there is so much more that I don't share but probably should. I tend to leave a lot of details out because let's face it, my posts are long enough. So how are you guys to know what I know if you're not me, not here and I didn't say it?

I leave a lot out because anonymity, too much information can come me back on you. Second, I most do my posts late at night after work at a million o'clock in the morning. It's sort of my ritual that helps me wind down after a long night of work. I get home usually between 1-2:30 am every night. Unfortunately I can't just dive into bed and go to sleep even though I want to just pass out. This helps me unwind first so I can fall asleep somewhere around 4:30-5am. Then I wake up early at the crack of noon, have some coffee, shower, get dressed and start it all over again.

Sadly I spend 80% of my waking time dedicated to bowling be it going to practice, meets, tournaments or work. The 20% I'm home, 15% is while my family is asleep. It isn't easy but I love it. Last night in particular I only had an hour sleep the night before. My son's tournament started at 8am and lasted until 4pm. I went straight to work (I was actually 15 minutes late which was a first). I'm usually an hour and a half early. So I was a bit slap happy, perhaps a bit cranky from dealing with putting out fires and dealing with idiots last night when I replied to you John.

One thing Phonetek does is admit when he's wrong and face up to his mistakes. Therefore John, Rob and Boaty I owe you guys an apology. I'm truly sorry gentleman.

I promise I will set the record straight. It's going to take time to write (which I do I not have at the moment, gotta get ready for work) and I'll do it in a different post. In the meantime please refrain from further comment on the OP.

Truth is, I like you guys, all of you. If you like me or merely tolerate me I don't know. I know you likely think I'm just a goof, an arrogant jerk, a guy who knows enough to be dangerous and possibly even a know it all dad who thinks he's right and everyone else is wrong. If that's the case I have done that to myself to make you not think otherwise. I'll fix it, you have my word. You guys still may not like me when I'm done if you didn't before, who knows? I'm not going to try to change anyone's mind. At least you'll understand me better while disliking me. I can live with that. Again I apologize. C'ya soon.