Practicing At Home

At the very first coaching session, I always give my students a list of things ("exercises") they can do at home to sharpen and keep their bowling senses sharpened. I periodically ask them if they are doing the exercises and find that the students who regularly do them tend to improve at a more rapid pace than those who don't. It is, of course, understandable that their degree of advancement is relative to the amount that they do their exercises away from the bowling center.

These exercises are not physically demanding and don't take a lot of time away from whatever it is you are doing. In fact, they can be done while you are doing other things. Using your imagination, you will see ways that you're able to fit them in while you're watching TV, reading a book, or washing dishes.

Please be cautious here because you don't want to be closing your eyes while, for example, you're ironing your clothes or jogging down the street. You can, though, close your eyes and visualize while there's a commercial break on TV.

1) Utilizing 1, 3, or 5 pound weights (mini-barbells) that you may already have or are readily available in department store sporting goods departments. Take the stance and position as though you have just finished the final step of your bowling approach. Hold the weight in your throwing arm and methodically push away and allow the weight to take your armswing through its full arc to the top of the backswing and forward to a complete follow-through. Repeat this at least five times per session. (You can substitute such things as a steam iron or rolled up newspaper for the weights).

2) Close your eyes and keep them closed through this exercise. Visualize that you are in your starting position on the lane approach (with or without your ball). See yourself going through your approach, armswing, and release. Watch your bowling ball roll down the lane and follow the arc of the ball as it rolls over your target, rolls down the lane, and then makes its move toward the pocket. Do this at least five times each session. (During your next practice session, stand on the approach without your ball and do this exercise as one of your "loosening up" routines. How about doing this before your next league while you're waiting for the practice time?)

3) While sitting in a chair, practice holding your bowling ball in your starting position, fingers as if in the holes and the other hand propping the ball, and your shoulders level. Do this as often as you want.

4) Actually go through your complete approach in slow motion. Develop your own step-by-step count such as: 1) get positioned in your starting posture, 2) take the first step, 3) push the ball away, 4) drop the ball to the side of the leg, 5) the ball is at the full height of the backswing, 6) take the final step with the armswing coming forward to release the ball onto the lane. Remember this is in slow motion and can be repeated as often as you have time for.

As I mentioned earlier, these are not physically demanding; nor do they take a lot of time. All they are designed to do are to hone your so-called "muscle memory" and keep the basics of your game in focus so that when you are physically performing, your mind does not have to think so much about what to do.

Also, using your imagination, I'm sure you can come up with a few other "exercises" to keep your game sharpened and in focus while you are away from the lanes.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)