PLAY ALL SUMMER
You’ve had your banquet, collected your winnings and hopefully improved on your average from last sea- son. Yes, summer’s here all right. But that doesn’t mean you should relegate your equipment to the back of the closet.
Check fit First and foremost, before you get your summer practice plan started, you should first visit a local IBPSIA-certified pro shop to make sure that your fit is where it needs to be. That
way, if changes need to be made you will have the whole summer to familiarize yourself with them. In order to be consistent and see improvement, your grip is something that needs to be “spot on” every time you hit the lanes.
Spare Shooting No matter your skill level, all bowlers should practice their spare game. That is usually the easiest way to improve your average. If you consider yourself a below- average spare shooter, this
By Bryan O’Keefe, Team USA assistant coach
OFFSEASON PRACTICE ROUTINES WILL HAVE YOU READY TO ROLL IN THE FALL.
extra practice should show big dividends in the future. If you make one extra spare a night because of the practice you put in, that will roughly show an average jump of nearly 10 pins. First, you always want to
have a spare system so no matter the circumstance, you are always shoot- ing them the same way. Take the first month of the summer to experiment with different lines and angles for shooting your most trouble- some spares. After you find what is most effective, use
the next few months getting comfortable and committing yourself to the system that is most efficient. Few people use the exact same spare system, so find what is best for you. Ideally, the straighter you can go at most spares, the higher your percentage will be at converting them over the course of a season.
Lane Play The biggest thing league bowlers face is a lack of confidence in their shot- making. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s simple. If you miss the pocket on three, four and even five consecu- tive deliveries, it's likely you are not in the correct part of the lane to maximize your room for error. In terms of a practice
LAY DOWN: Click on the above video for tips on how to incorporate adjustments in loft to your practice routine to help you become a more consistent bowler.
plan, familiarize yourself with playing different parts of the lane. Get comfortable play- ing parts of the lane that you otherwise wouldn’t feel at ease with executing. Don’t be hesitant to see your ball roll inside of the second or third arrows, or on some occasions, outside the sec- ond and even first arrow. This is great practice even if the lane condition you are practicing on doesn’t neces- sarily call for it. That way, you can familiarize yourself with options you wouldn’t normally attempt in a typical league session. Watch your ball and, most importantly, learn what a good shot feels like so that when league starts back up, you don’t find yourself repeating the same shot to no avail.
SUMMER 2010 USBOWLER 17
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