As you take your approach, keep your
shoulder steady and be careful to not let it turn or move forward or backward. Imagine you are keeping your ball in a track during your swing.
Spare Change
Other than improving your shot mechan- ics, better spare shooting is the best way to increase your average at this level. Think of it this way, if you’re able to
covert just two or three extra spares every game, you’re gaining 20 pins right there. “Bowlers in this range probably don’t
make many spares and probably don’t own a plastic ball, which is something you’ll need to help make more spares,” says O’Neill. “Getting a spare ball and taking the time to learn how to use it will go a long way in upping your average. Go to your pro shop guy and have him recommend something. It will definitely be worth the investment.” Once you have
a spare ball, O’Neill recommends talking to better players for advice on shooting different spare combinations. “Then prac- tice with your own spare ball as much as you can to get a feel for it and improve your targeting,” he says. “You don’t necessarily need pro coaching at this level, but you need some type of coaching to really under- stand how your ball works.” Again, like with
anything else
involved in improving your game, practice is essential — maybe even more so when it comes to picking up spares. “We practice spare-shooting more than
anything else on Team USA,” says Fagan. “When you practice your spares, you need to work on going straighter at the pins. That will be most effective. Draw a line in your mind from the pin back to yourself and shoot at the intersecting target. Do that over and over — practice and then practice again. You have to put the time in
or you won’t get better. There’s a book I read that says if you practice anything 10,000 times, you can become a pro. I believe in that concept because I know it works.”
“When you practice your spares, you need to work on going straighter at the pins. That will be most effective. — MIKE FAGAN
Go From
175 to 200 Going from a 175 to a 200 average is a bit harder. What does it take to become a 200 average bowler? At this point, you’re definitely going to
want to be able to hook the ball with some skill so that it enters the pocket at a stron- ger angle. “This is where versatility and the abil-
ity to read your ball reaction come into play,” says Barnes. “At this stage, having a few bowling ball options is helpful as well as having your spare ball. Again, coaching becomes a key as you start to focus on get- ting your body into its best possible lever- age position so you can not only repeat, but throw the ball at different speeds and angles.”
Ball Check If you continue to rely on one strike ball at this level, Fagan recommends making sure it’s the right one. “At this level, if you don’t have a resin
ball in your hands, you’ll want to get one,” he says. “Talk to your pro shop guy about
FALL 2010 USBOWLER 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40