A Multi-Dimensional Bowler

Come a-listen to my story of a man named, "Choc,"
Poor, reactive bowler, barely kept his average blocked;
Then, one day he was practicing some strikes,
Thoughts came to him that he really didn't like.
Errors … mistakes … easy stuff … old habits don't die easy.

If you've never seen the "Beverly Hillbillies," a popular TV show here in the U.S. many years ago, you won't recognize the tune that the short jingle goes to. It really doesn't matter, of course, because the moral of the "story" centers around the last line - errors, mistakes, easy stuff, old habits don't die easy.

What I am pointing out today applies to everyone who wants to advance their abilities, skills, and scoring in the sport of bowling. The beginning bowler, because you are just starting out, but, must garner the knowledge to get better; the middle-average bowler, if you want to continue to raise your overall scores; and the high-average bowler, who needs to tweak your game to get beyond the current 200-average range. This means not only bowling in your regular bowling center, but, also when you travel around to different houses and conditions.

Averages now-a-days do not carry the same impact as they did before the advent of the reactive urethane bowling balls. A bowler can average extremely high in one bowling center, yet, never show up anywhere else they bowl. However, if averages were the mark of a good bowler, than one who can carry a 200+ average over several houses, with around a 10 pin difference among them, is still a good bowler - consistency in this case shows that this bowler can adjust to differing conditions.

Here's the "Choc-List" for getting yourself into the "good bowler" category:

1) Don't only bowl with one style. Learn more than one way to bowl. It is all about being able to carry the pins when you hit the pocket. Among some of the factors are rev rate, axis rotation, ball speed, cover stock, angle of entry, and breakpoint. Other factors will include oil pattern, length of oil, and units of oil. Varying your hand and wrist positions are the keys here. Try also four- or five-step approaches.

2) Don't bowl on easy conditions all the time. Try to bowl at several different houses, either for practice or for leagues. If you don't want to go to different centers, pick out the lanes that "everyone" knows is the worst pair in the place and practice on those. You can still always vary between your styles and equipment. If the lane is still too easy, throw off the 4th arrow to see about mastering that line.

3) Don't wait too long to change lines or bowling balls. Hone your ability to see small changes in ball reaction and oil carry down. Watch what types of balls other people on your lane are throwing so you can adjust your game to get a higher percentage of carry. Don't be the, "man I should have changed balls sooner," bowler who makes the move in the middle of the third game.

4) Don't stick to one style of aiming. Depending on the lane conditions, you may have to look at all the markings on the lane, in between the markings, as well as a combination of them or developing your own. Advanced targeting techniques. The dots, the arrows, the breakpoint markers, the pins, as far down the lanes as you can see. You're going to have to practice with all of them because of the way lanes sometimes change throughout a 3-game series.

As technology advances in the sport of bowling, it demands that the humans who play it make necessary changes to adapt to them. Would you rather be a "one-dimensional" or a "multi-dimensional" bowler who can play under all the varying conditions?

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)