Technique


start paying attention to what pattern they were bowling on and what their distances were. It’s so important for anyone who wants to compete at any level to understand those things.”


BE AWARE OF THE SCORING PACE Anyone who has watched a collegiate


bowling telecast knows the lane conditions collegiate players face can be brutal. Collegiate telecasts are as likely to see players whiff the headpin and miss single- pin spares as they are to see players strike— not just because the players are nervous but because they are bowling on patterns that allow only a slight margin for error and penalize poor shot-making. For Bryan O’Keefe, this factor demands an awareness of the scoring pace at a given tournament. “It will be our job as coaches to keep


track of scoring pace. When you get to a certain level of competition you can just tell what the scoring pace is without even seeing a score sheet. You just know and feel what the scoring pace is. You can tell how much room you have to work with on the lane. We will need to teach our players that there will be a time when you will need to bowl 230, or you will need to bowl 1,000- 1,050 for a five-person team. And then there will be times when a 950 will be just as good as 1,100. “Being able to realize that and notice


that and be aware of when those times are completely changes your game plan. Sometimes just hitting the one closest to you—something we used to say all the time in the ITRC—and then making your spare


Shannon O’Keefe insists the pre-shot routine should be a fundamental aspect of any bowler’s game. “It’s actually pretty surprising to me how many people don’t have pre- shot routines. For me, it is so important,” she said.


is the most important thing. We will teach our players to know what the scoring pace is demanding of them, and to notice that more quickly and adjust accordingly.” For Shannon, a bowler’s ability to


overcome demanding lane conditions derives from an ability to manage panic. “The biggest part of dealing with


those conditions is the mental side of it— overcoming your panic. It’s really easy to


start panicking when you’re struggling to knock the pins over and all of a sudden your 200s turn into 180s. And then when you’re all done, you realize it only took 200 to make the cut. “You get so caught up in thinking you


have to throw a triple or a four-bagger every game. I’ve done that many times, just because I didn’t pick up on the scoring pace quickly enough. It’s important to not


TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER


give in to panic when those moments are happening. Being able to teach that to our players is really going to be important.”


LEARN TO BE IN THE MOMENT The collegiate bowling environment can be


loud, intense, and fraught with pressure. As a veteran of Team USA, Shannon O’Keefe has bowled on some of the biggest stages around the world, including the WTBA World Championships, where she performed in frenzied surroundings similar to the atmosphere her players at McKendree must be prepared for. For her, the key is to stay focused on your own game and block out the many potential distractions around you. “The biggest thing for me is to not get


too emotionally wrapped up in what other people are doing. I still want to be there for my teammates, but there is definitely a moment where you need to just be still. You need to take a moment for yourself, get control of your emotions, and stay in the moment. “If you stay in the moment, you don’t


allow yourself to think too far ahead or hold on to the bad shots. That’s the ultimate place where you want to be. I certainly want to yell and slap hands with my teammates, but then when it’s my turn, then I take a moment, and that is when my pre-shot routine comes into play. My pre-shot routine is my moment with myself to not worry about what anybody else is doing. It tells my body that it’s OK and prepares me mentally. “It’s actually pretty surprising to me how


many people don’t have pre-shot routines. For me, it is so important.”


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////// July 2014 18


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