Is It Me Or The Lane?

A terrific question was raised by Larry this past week: "Why do coaches only reward their students if they get a strike or a good score; do you know what that will lead to when they're adults? - SCORE!"

"Instead, they should be applauding and cheering when they make a good shot, regardless of the results," he went on. "Like last week," he continued, "I was shooting really well, and up popped a 4-7-10 split and I walked back visibly excited about the shot."

He said, "The reaction from my teammates and several of the spectators was one of confusion because why would I be cheering a big split?" I explained to each one that I felt that I was "dead-on" at the foul line, my armswing felt really relaxed, and the ball rolled off my hand ever-so nicely. I had to feel good about the shot, regardless of the results. Had I had the typical reaction that a lot of bowlers would have - that is, anger and frustration - I would probably not have been able to do what I did and that was to pick the split up!

Also, I was able to build on the good feeling and make a slight alignment adjustment to where I was aiming and was able to string some strikes behind that and up with a very good game. Ended up with a pretty good series, too. "If I had gotten (angry) or felt sorry for myself and I did not know if it was me or the lane, I would not have been able to make an adjustment and likely would have ended up with another bad shot right behind it," He added, "Don't you just love this process?" (The "process" of learning to bowl "all over again.")

To answer his original question, I have to say that most coaches I know don't only reward for strikes, spares, or good scores; rather, we compliment the students for making good shots - and remember, you can make good shots only if you have the basic fundamentals of the bowling game "down pat."

Not all coaches are that way; however, I do believe that the ones who focus on only strikes, spares, and scores will not have many satisfied students. Besides, I know that in the USBC certification classes, we are taught to coach the "whole bowler" because "strikes, spares, and scores" coaching is superficial and will produce only superficial results in the long-term.

I've mentioned in several articles that if a person doesn't concentrate on the fundamentals of his or her game, their results will not be to their liking. It would be the same result if a bowler practices on their own, worrying about their scores and then, when they have to perform well, they can't because they don't have the fundamental knowledge to execute properly.

There are many aspects to a person's performance in this game of bowling. Part of the "process," both from a newcomer and veteran standpoint, is to get a good coach to help you refine your game. Without a coach to provide feedback, a bowler will never really know what it feels like to throw a good shot. In a "typical house shot," (THS) a bowler can miss their target by as much as seven to ten boards and still get a strike. Getting strikes under a THS performance doesn't equate to being a good bowler. A good coach (and practice on your part) can hone your game so you're not missing your target by seven to ten boards; but by less than three boards most of the time.

I commented to Shannon Pluhowsky's father, Nick, two Friday's ago, after his return from Hong Kong, about the fabulous performance she had at the World Women's Championships. (She won an unprecedented four gold medals.) I also mentioned about how she has continued to escalate her game year after year and he told me that the coaches had worked on her game and found a subtle flaw in her armswing (and this young lady has one of the "purest" backswings and overall form in bowling today) and she was able to execute it during the tournament. (If you have a chance got to the USBC website and take a look at the archived streaming videos of her performance in the Masters Finals. It's "unbelievable.")

Think about this, I watch many, many bowlers who throw nothing but strikes during the practice sessions prior to the start of competition; yet, when they throw their first ball in the first frame, it gets poor results. What's their first remark? "Wow, did the lane change that quickly? I threw the same spot all through practice and struck on every shot!!!" In all cases, when I observe them, their first shot had some flaw in it - not posting, turning their hand over at the point of release, and so forth - yeah they might have hit the target, but, with the error, it was in no way the same shot as their practice ones.

Coaching, coaching, coaching, even if you think you game is the best it can be. You need to "feel" your shot so that you know when it is not your best shot. To paraphrase what Larry said, "I need to know if it was me or the lane."

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)