Adjustments Have To Be Made

It never ceases to amaze me that people will continually moan and complain about the conditions we are bowling on without trying something different. The saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over; but, expecting a different result."

Is it inexperience? Is it limited knowledge? Is it fear or pressure of the moment? I would say it is all of those reasons (and probably more) as to why people will not do something different to try to get a better score during their game.

This article is intended to make you think about the manner in which you are bowling your game during competition of any sort. "Food for thought," if you will. It doesn't matter it you are a beginning bowler or one who has been around a long time. I am encouraging you - if you are not scoring well - to make changes and try different things during the course of your game.

Let's look at the three points that I have mentioned:

1) Inexperience - you haven't been bowling very long, say, a few months, and decided to join a league. You are still using a house ball and rented bowling shoes; chances are it is a fun league and may even be non-USBC certified.

If you are in this category of bowler, my advice is: quit apologizing for not being able to bowl high scores, throw strikes, missing the spares, or the myriad of other self-conscious excuses that can be made. Your team mates knew your situation before you joined them. You are still learning.

Some things you can try are moving forward or backward from your starting position; changing the angle that you are throwing the ball to the pins; or changing the speed of your approach and/or the speed of your ball.

2) Limited knowledge - you don't practice a lot, you haven't had the opportunity to get even one coaching lesson; and you haven't had time or bothered to study the game. You have been bowling for a while and have more than one bowling ball as well as your own bag and shoes. You either learned the game many years ago and haven't updated your knowledge or your equipment.

As well as the changes given to the "Inexperienced" bowler, above - change balls, change hand positions, change your target, and/or move deep inside (move left so you are aiming for the third or fourth arrow) or far outside (move right so you are aiming at the 1-board to the first arrow).

3) Fear - this is, by far, the biggest reason why bowlers will not make a change during a game to try to improve their game. It could be fear of losing or fear of bowling worse, people just stay where they are, not scoring high but doing the same thing over and over again and keep on being frustrated.

Okay, so, you are not bowling or scoring good. What is the worst that can happen if you try something different in the middle of your competition? I think there is only one thing that could happen and that is, your score could get lower. On the other hand, I believe that the best that can happen is your score could get higher. On the third hand, you could continue doing what you're doing and be frustrated and miserable at how you are not scoring.

Suppose it does work? Keep in mind that if you try something different and it doesn't work, you can quickly go back to what you were doing. You'll never know if you could have bowled a higher score if you don't try to change something just for that time.

Without trying anything different and making some changes during your competition, you really cannot improve yourself. Change is good. Make the change.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)