Bowling practice, the time honored tradition of throwing games.  Sometimes people work on playing a different part of the lane or maybe try using a variety of bowling balls. Perhaps trying to adjust your line to see how  well you “match up.”  It's the puzzle philosophy; that every lane is different and requires some combination of our game, the ball and line to “win.”

Practice for most other sports rarely follows those guidelines. Professional golfers rarely practice by simply playing rounds of golf. They stay sharp by spending hours on the putting green, short game area, bunkers, etc. Honing their physical game and gaining feel.

A baseball team doesn't stay sharp by playing full games.  has batting practice; hitting to specific fields, bunting, etc. Fielding practice where you would practice one particular throw or play over and over until it's second nature. Practice situations and that may not come up during the routine game. Pitchers have side sessions to gain better control and consistency.

A pool player would hit a particular shot hundreds of times until the angle, stroke and English would be second nature.

Bowling has an amazing drill, something anyone can do to work on dozens of faucets in your game and hone them into something so consistent, you won't even have to focus on it.... The One Step Drill.

There's really so much going on for a bowler to take a full approach and expect to focus on one thing, especially if it's something at the foul line. To earmark a tiny sliver, a micro second and expect you'll feel a consistent difference can be frustrating. Even if you do, the likelihood that your instincts will pick up this subtle change can be remote.

The idea behind the One Step Drill is just that. Done about 4 feet from the foul line, it's swinging the ball, allowing it to reach the top of your back-swing and THEN, take your final slide step as the ball comes down. This is not a full speed technique since you aren't taking all your steps and for that reason, you'll find lots of time to focus your attention on any number of checkpoints.

Perhaps your issue is seeing your target. Perfect! Swing the ball and focus your eyes on your target. 20 to 30 shots. Use your plastic spare ball and focus on an arrow. Maintain a level chin and eyes on your target. Swing and roll the ball keeping your finishing position balanced. Watch your ball roll through your target. If it's a miss, was it left or right? Again.... and again. Over and over until it becomes easy. Eventually it will.

Maybe your issue is a flying elbow and a tight grip. Maybe your pulling the ball down and not giving your fingers a chance to lift property. Fantastic. 4 feet from the foul line, swing the ball and let it freely fall to the bottom. Loose thumb and pay attention to your fingers. Let the ball roll off your finger tips. Elbow in and forearm face up. We aren't scoring. It's a technique we are trying to master. Change the mechanics of what our body is doing. Do 20 or 30 shots and eventually you'll relax that hand and it will become more obedient.

Now on to the blends; that's when you do the a couple one step drills and then do a full shot frame. This will give you an opportunity to monitor your progress by taking 3 or 4 more steps before you enter that the One Step Drill part of the approach. See if your body has caught onto what you're asking it to do.

15 minutes of drills; 15 minutes of blends, now time for a game. Try to score. Note the project and judge if a percentage of shots are affected. If so, that's success! The probability is that your game will be in a mid state, where you'll do a percentage of shots well and some not as good. Keep at the drill. Session after session. Change takes time but the alternative of polishing your game by simply bowling lots of full approach shots won't necessarily make you a better bowler.

In my life, it's done thousands of these drills. Granted it was in a different age where consistency was paramount. These days, you can get pretty far being smart with the pieces in your hand, the placement of your feet and chosen target. For those who want to climb the mountain high, practice drills like the One Step are a great way to change.

Will the impending closure of my pro shop at White Plains Bowl and the exodus of all the bowlers to other centers, I've had the chance to follow up and see how they're doing in their new environments. I've seen some bowlers prosper while on more occasions that I want to admit, there have been some who struggled to match up in their new homes.

Here's something you all need to keep uppermost in your minds: all house patterns are NOT the same. Every pair is a puzzle and asking for something different. Lane surface, oil type, machine, stripping schedule, pattern length, pins and the proprietor's idea about where the shot should be can all have you standing in different spots using different pieces. This is where an open mind and losing preconceived notions must come into play.

The first thing we all need to do is find the bounce, the burn; if it's truly, THE HOUSE SHOT, somewhere is dry. Being right handed, I need that friction right of my target. My first shot is always up 5, the first arrow, using something in the middle of my bag. I expect that it's going to hook early and jump across the lane and if it doesn't, I'll grab something more aggressive until it does. Next is where's the hang. When I tug my shot, I need hold or that artificial curb to keep my ball from going high in the pocket. So my second or third shot is inside the area I believe I'll end up playing, maybe like the 12-13 board. I expect a washout or at least a 2 pin. If it hooks, the next shot will be in another arrow into the 15-17 range and again looking for that washout. When I find both the hook and the hang, then I start aligning myself so both hit the pocket. I'm not looking for carry just yet, merely the pocket. You see, I need area. If I'm lined up properly, I should miss 2 boards inside my target and strike flush and also have at least 2 boards to miss right. Including my target board, that's at least 5 boards and expect to have no less than an 80% carry. Every 12 frames I bowl, 2-3 shots a game I should strike because the proprietor put down a shot that helped guide my ball to the pocket. 2-3 shots should strike because the ball manufacturer put a product in my hands which gave me a strong ball reaction. The rest is my game and ability to duplicate shots.

So first and foremost on EVERY lane you bowl on, ALWAYS find the too much hook zone, then find the not enough hook zone. Split the difference. Then begin fine tuning with your bowling bag, super fine tune with your game changers if needed; hand position and speed.

Transitions: when you swing and it either hooks too much or sets up flat, start moving in or grab a shiner piece. If you tug and it doesn't finish strong enough, could be carrydown, nudge yourself out or grab something a tad stronger. If the ball just flat out hooks too early, step in, grab something shinier or maybe do both. The lane is constantly giving you clues.

               That's your job: Read, React and Commit.

Last bit of advice on this, Stop bowling exclusively on SPORT shots. There's plenty to learn bowling on house patterns; especially from different centers. All your feel for keeping yourself lined up and hitting the pocket can be groomed and mastered on these presumably simple lane conditions. Don't fall into the trap of not learning how to kill a lane condition. String em up. Later on when you are on a sport pattern and it's a game or two in, those instincts to find some hold and some bounce will absolutely come in play.

I know there’s been rumors circulating about Bowl-Mor White Plains Lanes and the future of Great Balls of Fire. Last Friday, the district manager introduced himself and broke the news that Bowl - Mor has no intentions of retaining the services of a pro shop at this venue. To say I was stunned would be an understatement. Westchester’s flagship bowling center, 56 lanes, and no pro shop. 

I love the science of ball drilling and coaching. I feel I have so much to offer and am depressed to have someone tell me I’m not wanted or needed. Never in my wildest thoughts did I think that would ever happen.

I started this business back on June 28, 1989 and just recently celebrated my 25th anniversary; half my life. I've met 10s of thousands of people over the years and have enjoyed every single moment. Every day, unlocking my door put a smile on my face. But to see this location change so drastically and so quickly has been a very sad time, certainly a blow to Westchester bowling as well as the sport itself.

Needless to say, this isn't the end of me. With the help of someone special, I’ve launched an upgraded website, richjacobsonbowling.com as well as about to release my first private label bowling ball. Next is to find the right place to hang my hat and plug in a drill press so I can continue to service the needs of all of you who I've been able to help over the years. I’m hoping for a swift move; don’t have everything in place yet but with a little luck and maybe a prayer or two, it’s gonna be something special.

In the mean time, I have about six week left here at White Plains. So on or about October 1st, when they close for renovations, I will be packing up the equipment along with all the memories and hoping I won’t be homeless for long. If anyone needs to know what’s going on with me, you can find out on my website, facebook or call the shop number. They should all have my current status on where or when something will happen.

Best to everyone!

One of the things bowling on the house pattern ruins is your ability to fine tune your alignment.  On THS (The House Shot), the lane conditions help your ball to your break point quite a bit.  For instance, if the shot is built up at the second arrow, which almost all house shots are, you could stand in a 10 board area or more and those lane conditions will hold your ball near the second arrow and walk it down the lane.  Typically, around 40 feet, the ball is ready to hit the dry back ends and jump into the pocket.

On challenge and sport patterns, since the oil ratio is flatter, you don't get the free pass to the "pattern exit."  If your feet are too right, the ball won't hold pocket and too left, won't recover.  You could get lost in speed and ball choices which can be frustrating.  

A few articles ago, we talked about the Kegel formula, pattern length - 31.  If you're bowling on a 43 foot Dead Man's Curve, you're looking for the ball to exit the pattern on the 12 board (43-31).  On Broadway, a 37 foot pattern, you're looking for the ball to be on the 6 board (37-31).  So how do we line up?

Everyone has separation between the bowling ball and their feet.  That's the distance between your shoulder to the center of your body.  Most medium men's frames are about 7 boards and for an average woman, it's 6.  That means that when a girl is trying to go directly up the boards, she will slide 6 boards left of her target.  So sliding 16 means that the ball will be released on the 10 board and if the swing is true, the ball will go directly toward the 2nd arrow.  10 to 10.  Not everyone walks board for board or drift less so determining your footwork's uniqueness is essential.  You do this by throwing a series of shots straight up 10 standing 16 or 17 and seeing where you start and finish with your feet.  Once you have your "lateral variance,"  you can apply it to other angles.

Examples:

Let's say a man walks board for board and wants to get the ball to the 6 board on Broadway and through the 10 board at the arrows.  Where does he stand?  What's the head angle?  

For easy math sake, lets say 45 feet is the break point and 15 feet are the arrows.  We need to extend the line to the foul line to know where he needs to slide and then where he needs to stand.  

Difference between 10 (15ft) and 6 (exit) = 4 boards / 2 = 2.  So it's a 2 board head angle.  The ball will be released at 12 at the foul line.  Now reverse for your feet.  If an average man is throwing this ball, he would need to slide 19 to release at 12.  If he stands toward the back of the approach, which is another 15 feet from the foul line, he would be in his stance around 21 square to his target.

                    Feet     Ball position
stance            21            
foul line         19            12
arrows                           10
mid lane                        08
pattern exit                    06

Looking at your feet at the foul line can explain whether your swing, hand position or your alignment was to blame that your ball reaction wasn't right.  If he slid left at the foul line but hit the target, the ball would be wide of his break point.  That could explain the 2-10 or washout.  The shot was fine but the alignment ruined it.  He could have slid 22 and missed his intended line, going 13 arrows to 8 pattern exit because he slid too far left and blame his swing or game for "tugging" the ball.  

Another example.  Lets say your a woman with a 6 board separation but drifts 6 boards left.  Zero sum gain.  Lets say the lanes are pretty toasted and looking to go 20 at the arrows and 12 at the break point.

20 - 12 = 8 / 2 = 4 board head belly.  So lay down point is 24.
She needs to slide 30/31 so with her drift, she would start 24/25 facing her target.

                    Feet     Ball position
stance            24            
foul line          30           24
arrows                           20
mid lane                        16
pattern exit                    12

This is a basic way to check your approach so that you not only hit your target, but that you're lined up to exit the pattern properly.  Alignment helps you generate more efficient momentum and take the pressure off your swing and hand to "throw" the ball at your target.  That would usually sap you of of speed and also make your grip pressure heavy losing valuable revs and axis rotation.  

So in summary, determine if you drift and how much.  Work out the math for some common angles you use.  Ultimately, I want you to save a shot or two lining up properly.  Those shots could save you lots of pins by not wasting time getting the ball along the right path.

Make sure you're not "afraid" of the gutter by playing up the first arrow, sliding oh, 11 or 12.  If you happen to slide left of that zone, there's no way you can play that target line properly and it's not because you're tugging.  Grab a plastic ball and prove it to yourself.

Sorry to take so long to write an article for the blog.  It's been a busy fall with the shop, lessons and my wonderful experiences with the Sacred Heart Ladies bowling team.

I'm so proud of them for all the hard work and sacrifice they've done; an awesome 39-9 record for an .812% at the break; best in the nation and should have them ranked among the elite 8 in the NCAA.  That record includes 3 wins over the reigning national champion University of Maryland, and wins over FDU, Vanderbuilt and Central Missouri.  Keep it up ladies!

Now onto the blog...

I've been watching PBA telecasts for decades.  Long ago, I was fascinated  how bowlers delivered the ball;  the consistency of bowlers like Earl Anthony, Mike Durbin, Brian Voss and Wayne Webb.  It was all about fundamentals back then.  

Since 1992, the birth of reactive, it's less about how they bowl but now what they're using.  Many Mondays the phone at the shop would ring and they would ask what ball so and so was throwing.  It became less about the style and more about the ball.

In the last decade, the PBA adopted their animal patterns like Shark, Cheetah, etc.  Kegel and the World Tenpins have also added to the library of lane play with all their varieties.  Every local event advertises Dead Man's Curve or an evening on Broadway.  So no tournament is announced without the lane pattern anymore.  No longer is it as much about how you throw or what you use but where you play. 

With the internet, bowlers can look up on youtube.com for advice on how to play these conditions.  USBC Team USA members and PBA players alike will tell you their method for nearly every condition;  which balls would be appropriate and where to look and stand; hand positions to use and what balls to transition to.  To me, this is good to help bowlers work on playing different parts of the lane.  We know that short patterns are attacked more on the outside and longer oily patterns are now best attacked inside.  But how is this making bowling better?

I ran a Turbo clinic at White Plains a couple months ago with the pleasure of PBA superstar Bill O'Neill and Gold coach Lou Marquez.  They we showing a theory of taking 6 shots to determine a bowling pattern.  Billy O went upstairs and blind to the condition threw a series of shots to determine the length and volume of a pattern and while he thought it was a medium length condition, it was in fact short.  I found this interesting because his ball choice and moves might not match up to his first impressions.  I felt I had a secret.  I had knowledge he didn't so his thoughts I knew were only partially right about what he was bowling on.  

The drama of watching him try and identify an unknown pattern was intriguing.  I would love to watch a pro bowl on a mystery pattern and tell me what he does to "match up."  Are you going to move, change balls or change your game?  Is it a complex move or a simple one?  

Let's think bigger.  What if a PBA title were on the line and they used a fresh mystery pattern each game of a finals? Consider it a brand new puzzle to solve where each bowler is given 5 shots and a 4 ball arsenal to read, align and execute their best game?  Why can't there be about 30 different choices where we watch the machine rolling down and back resetting the previous match into a fresh unique condition?  Wouldn't that make for serious drama as we watch top players in the world totally blind to what ball and where they'll play?  Perhaps a short gutter shot for game one and then a super long flat pattern game two?  Would they play them right or get lost?  That would be an amazing challenge.

Will they make the big move and risk an open to perhaps find a better part of the lane to play or be content to stay where they are and change balls and their game?  The announcers would have a great time being the voice of perfect knowledge.  Since the matches are now taped, they can post dub the "if he stays here since it's a short pattern, anything he misses inside his target or slow will hook way too much" and there it is.  A miss inside.  Now it's the "he should use the other shinier ball and get more up the back and move right or firm up with the medium ball."  Reading.  Now that's something we're totally missing from bowling.

In this scenario, all 3 eras are in play.  The consistency of the 80s, the equipment of the 90s AND the advanced lane play of the 00s.  For an absolute fact, the best bowler wins.

I watch the World Series of Poker.  Outside of the finals, the early rounds are all filmed and the announces know the outcome of a hand.  So they already know who has the better hand while it's going on.  The tension is watching a player who we already know is a loser consider making the WRONG move based on his imperfect information.  The PBA could be the same way.  Lets say the pattern is long but a player believes slow and outside with a dull ball is the way.  He's pushing his physical game and equipment to make up for the playing the lanes wrong.  The drama is can he do it?  

Reoil every game with a mystery pattern.  The telecast can be done so that the announces can inform the viewers the condition while the players are totally in the dark.  That's what can make bowling fun to watch.  5 shots each and bowl for score.  Read em and adjust like lightning.  That's bowling where there's tons of skill and experience involved. 

Thoughts?

Surprises lurk around every corner. You rarely know when it rears it's ugly head or how much it will affect you.  But you can be certain that it occurs virtually every time you bowl.  We spend countless hours working on technique; drills of all kinds to make our games as consistent and versatile as possible.  That's unfortunately, the easy stuff.  Most feel that the game is 70% mental and only 30% physical.  At the professional level, it's more like 80/20.  The strong mental game is where the stars live.  

Distractions rattle us; they happen in the snap of your fingers.  It can make you quit, doubt your ability and confuse you.  They get your mind off of the task at hand and when left to fester, can make you crazy.  In extreme cases, make you a raving lunatic.  They put you in the wrong place to solve the problem at hand and that's what ball, where to stand, how to throw.  Sure easy house conditions have so much built in error that distractions don't come into play so much but when you're bowling when it counts, or on challenge or sport shots, they can do some heavy damage.

Sometimes they're physical.  Ever bowl with a cold?  Fever, chills, pain in your knees, elbow, wrist?  If you haven't, consider yourself amazingly lucky.  How about cuts on your thumb or blisters on your finger tips?  I've seen some pretty ugly digits in my day.  Hopefully from crazy numbers of games which will beat up the best of us.  Adding skin protector or the newer skin protection tape to a hand surface that never used it before will change your feel.  The thought of whether a ball is going to slip off your hand or stick can make you very tentative in your shot making .  But what are the alternatives?  Quit?  That never a solution.  

Perhaps you're feeling tired.  It's probably going to sap some energy so your speed is a touch slow.  Our ability to process the move, ball change may be lagging.

How about emotional.  How do we deal with failure or worst, what if the people around us want to pile some more pressure on top or stoop to verbal abuse.  Happens.  More times than I want to say.  Parents and close friends seem to feel it necessary to always put in their two cents.  How can you deal with that distraction?  Maybe just someone who thinks that when you're not bowling, it's the perfect time to talk about all sorts of topics; frivolous topics that have nothing to do with bowling.  

Here's what we can do:  Improvise, Adapt and Overcome. That's the unofficial mantra of the US Marine Corps.  We take what we have and make the absolute best with it.  They never quit and neither should you.  Here's how:

If you're tired, sick or weak, assume that level of energy and line up for it.  Sure the ball might be a touch weak for the condition or maybe you'll play a bit more inside that you normally would when you're fully healthy.  You're weaker so maintain that level and adapt!

If your cut, patch it as best as possible.  You'll probably have to spend time changing it often so plan for it.  Find a hand position that allows you to be consistent.  Never mind if it's not the perfect hand.  Let the ball and alignment take care of that.  The task is finding a way to finish.  Deal with the situation and overcome it!

If it's conversational distraction, get out of dodge.  That means don't put yourself in a position where someone can start talking to you.  Stay near the lanes and away from those at that moment.  Try not to be confrontational.  Your job is bowling so bowl!  This is not the time to fight with people.  You're focus is on the game.  

How about some other common mental distractions.  Ever bowl with someone who is loud?  How about slow?  You can go crazy waiting for the bowler who takes SSSSSOOOOOO much time to bowl.  Smokers are tough to deal with.  They seem to get lost at the end of the game while they pop outside for a quick cigarette.  Maybe someone who has just lost it and chucks the ball half way down the lane.  Perhaps someone who cuts you off frequently.  You know, you get into your stance and out of the corner of your eye, someone gets up and you're no longer locked on your target.  Sometimes you cant stop and feel cheated that the poor execution wasn't your fault.  Well, it was.  Own it.  How about the guy who pounds his chest yelling when a big strike happens.  All these things happen all the time.  Any one of them can get you out of your scoring mode.  What should you do?  If it happens once, assume it's gonna happen again.  If the guy next to you seems to cut you off, give that person the right of way.  Every frame.  The Smoker?  Assume the break and be surprised when it doesn't happen.  The slow bowler is in control.  If you like to bowl fast, probably from doubles leagues, then practice bowling slow.  You can't and won't make them speed up so don't waste your time explaining why they're wrong.  They're not.

If you're serious about this sport and work hard, there's ALWAYS a way.  Truth is we can't always be 100% so we go into battle with all we've got.  Steer clear of the worst thing of all, BLAME.  Own up to the experience of the day.  Find a way to practice it so that you won't get caught in that situation again.  Now that's a mature way to attack and raise your level.

What is important is FOCUS - LINE UP AND EXECUTE.  Whatever the distraction, there is a solution so stay calm and search for the solution.  It may not be elegant, it may not be pretty but blowing a gasket, throwing your arms up, yelling, cursing and acting like an idiot isn't going to solve anything.  Overcoming obstacles builds character and that's a mighty nice trait we should all strive for. 

I must admit, I'm a GPS nut.  Love plugging in an address for the place I wanna go and have the British lady tell me where to go. Left, Right and the ever popular, recalculating...  

Last week while I was helping at Bowl Expo in Dallas, I borrowed a car to head back to my hotel and then meet the team at a cocktail party.  So bad at remembering directions from relying on my little navigation box, I needed to write them out so I wouldn't get lost.  Seemed odd that 3 or 4 directions would be tough to memorize but I was in a town I've never been in, in a car I haven't driven so I was a touch apprehensive.  Long story short, the directions were painfully easy and I felt embarrassed to not just memorize them in the first place.  Lack of confidence I guess.

This past weekend, I was at a barbecue up in Mahopac, NY.  Off Route 6, the house was 5 or 6 turns deep off the main drag.  The GPS took me right to the front door but when I left, it was cloudy, overcast and getting dark.  I jumped in the car and plugged in the pro shop, "searching for satellites."  I put the car in gear and went down the street.  Looked straight and right, remembered I had made the left so I turned right.  Down that road I looked at the GPS but it was still not functioning.  At the next block, I looked left and right.  Thinking right, I turned and down that road I went.  Quarter mile, another left and straight for a half mile.  Full stop.  Spent a second or two and made the right.  Now the GPS has locked in and I found myself less than a block away heading straight for route 6.   I felt happy and proud of myself for finding my way out without help.

Having decent instincts for bowling is exactly the same.  We can easily fall into the trap of expectations, doubt, fear and apprehensiveness especially on challenging lane conditions.  What we want are trust and confidence to make good shots.  When conditions change, we need to change with them.  Some choices are easy; others can be very hard.  On occasion, it's a ball change while others it's a move.  Perhaps it's a giant leap with speed and a hand change;  now that's a super savvy adjustment!  Bottom line is you have to develop instincts to find proper ball motion and maintain it.  You can't expect someone to always be there to make the choices for you.  They just might be incorrect and guide you down the wrong road.  YOU have to create a feel for the sport, make good choices and execute.

I watch many of you bowl hundreds of games a year.  Part of the time, I'm monitoring your timing and mechanics.  But what I'm also looking at is ball motion; your ball choice, speed, rotation and alignment.  It's when you're struggling that I really try and paying attention.  What you're creating or worse, why you may have settled.  Don't get me wrong, the best bowlers in the world make mistakes.  I certainly make mistakes;  judge ball motion wrong or paint ourselves into a corner where we have to throw it absolutely perfect or drive down the road to ruin.  We all will fall into this trap from time to time.  It's learning from our choices so that we adjust quicker next time.  Learn from those mistakes so we don't do them over again.  

What can't ever happen when your "GPS" isn't working, is pulling over to the curb and parking.  In bowling, that's not moving, not changing and letting the bricks fall on you because you're afraid.  That's totally unacceptable.  Fear is the enemy here and you can't let that happen.  Breathe.  Take a step back and look at the situation.  Quiet your mind and process the problem.  You can always look at the traffic on your pair and try emulating whomever is succeeding.  Look left and right for someone who seems to have a good motion.  Think.  Decide.  Commit.

A great deal of the fun in this sport is finding your way out of the weeds so keep practicing your instincts.  Adopt a philosophy where you never give up; never get angry and maintaining your composure.  It's so gratifying when you figure it out for yourself.

I had the privilege of representing Ebonite brands on quite an adventure recently; to fly to South Africa and help open a new pro shop in a city called Durban. It's not tiny, nearly 2 million people, but the bowling centers are few and the pro shops are far from state of the art. I was to train the owner on all the principles of measuring, fitting and drilling bowling balls.

Fly Sunday morning out of JFK non stop to Dubai. This was a 15 hour flight, no small hop in the least. You know you're flying far when they serve you two meals and a snack in between. Drank tons of water, slept a bit, watches a few movies and finally arrived at 5am the next morning. After a 3 hour layover, I boarded another 8 hour flight to Durban down the east coast of Africa; landed about 5:30pm.  After passing through baggage and customs, I met my new best friend, Guy Caminsky.

Guy was the owner of 3 bowling centers, one of which we would design for him to operate this new pro shop. He's 6' 1, thin, blonde hair, blue eyes and definitely athletic. I was eager to see what we had to work with so rather than call it a night, we headed to the bowling center.  This country follows the rules of the road like England.  The driver is on the right side of the car and you drive on the left.  Thinking to myself, I was glad not to have a rent a car.  Wouldn't get 50 yards without hitting someone!  

After a short trip, we arrived at a mall.  Curious.  Not what I was expecting. You see security is a problem down there. Though on the surface, Durban is an absolutely breathtaking place with winters that are 70 degrees and sunny, beaches that stretch for miles and lots of world class golf, rugby and soccer, they're unfortunate prisoners of the oppressed who roam the streets homeless, hungry and aggressive. All entertainment is found in these colossal malls. Now these aren't your typical American variety. They REALLY know how to entertain themselves. Movie theaters, mini golf courses, bowling centers, pool tables, skate board parks, water rides, ice skating rinks, work out facilities plus all the shopping, eating and drinking you can possibly do. Guy has bowling in all 3 major malls in the area. He's an excellent player averaging in the 220s, a classic game along the lines of Mika or Walter Ray with a touch more bang for the buck.

We arrive at the particular mall he's opening a pro shop and head upstairs. Past food business, clothing shops and other obvious mall occupants, we arrived at SUPERBOWLING, Bumper cars, video games, indoor glow miniature golf and 11 bowling lanes. Tucked next to the front desk, was the pro shop area.  It was about 10 by 20, snug but easily suits our needs. Partially painted, the new drill press was moved into the small drill room at the back along with the spinner station. The walls were barren with just some recently installed slat wall and one front counter.

Balls, bags, and accessories were still in their cases neatly stacked in the center of the room. We preceded to spend a few hours Monday evening separating the equipment and sorting the marketing merchandise; ball holders, price signs and other advertising. I headed to the drill press to see how that was going to work. I to eager to check out the mill/drill and get myself up to speed. Not being my particular brand, I needed to get it installed, within spec and able to teach Guy how to operate it.  With a little tweaking, and some phone calls to Ebonite (7 hours behind us so they were open), we got the press up and ready for action.

Tuesday morning, we continued with merchandising and some pro shop training. In one short week, Guy will have to know enough to meet standards of measuring, and drilling bowling balls so time was of the essence. We discussed different marketing arrangements for products on the wall and pricing. He wanted grouped by company, which was fine. We setup each area with a brand and hung appropriate banners over each. There was no work bench, just as well since all the rolling bowling bags were stacked up behind the counter, we didn't have room for one anyway. We finished up a long 12 hour day with a basic pro shop layout, measuring area, drill press running and all the gloves, bags and accessories hanging appropriately on the walls and in the displays.

What happened over the next 4 days was astounding and magical. They came. Not in a steady stream but everyone. The shop was jammed with people looking to have their grip checked and purchase a ball. It was an avalanche. You see, I've been busy before. All pro shops get busy. But when everyone is a brand new customer, you need to see them bowl, investigate their grip, determine their goals, find an appropriate choice of balls, explain the motions and price, measure, discuss the differences from their grip, drill, shape, final fit and watch them throw it afterwards, that takes time. What amazed me more was that South Africans, or perhaps South African bowlers, are patient. Hours would roll by and most would be quite comfortable waiting in the shop, listening to each bowler's interview and taking in whatever bowling conversation was going on. I've never had a shop so full of customers where most were as quiet as church mice.

There have been two major influences in the past 20 years in South Africa; Don Johnson and Jan Schmidt. Both made visits in the 1990s which helped set the direction for bowling as they know it. We're so lucky in the US. Information flows freely from Demo Days, brand seminars, Bowl Expo and Trade shows,  Information is easy to get, questions get answered, there are people to call. In South Africa, it's nothing like that. They're an outpost; way off the beaten path. Think of pro shop professionals as navigators and our customers are ships. We keep them on course by drilling proper grips and proper layouts; monitor their progress on the lanes. Watch the, grow. South Africa's last course correction was 15 years ago and from my first few customers, they were off course.

A local pro shop ran with the ball from what Don Johnson and Jan Schmidt described. What came out was a rubber front edge insert in the thumb and 3/4” to 1” away pitches in the fingers. For those of you who understand the grip, I can see you cringe at the combination: an inability to let go of the thumb, a mandatory flying elbow and non-lift of the fingers producing a low rev rate, top spinning release. It happened time and time again for nearly every bowler who walked through the door. It wouldn't be a bad direction if lane conditions were dry wood and you your main objective was to get length down the lane. I can see a time when this could be somewhat practical. However, SUPERBOWLING is synthetic with a Kegel machine using a challenge pattern for the upcoming tournament. Another local center not under Guy's control, Dolphin Bowl, is also going synthetic in a few months.  What was necessary was taller revs, higher rolls and more leverage from their release.

Each bowler became a project; to sell them on change. Not casual change by any imagination. I'm talking grip, timing, release. This is major and not to be taken lightly. Remember that navigation metaphor? We're talking a hard course correction where a person feels they've wasted time. Selling change like that, especially with an expensive bowling ball, that's not something to be taken lightly.

Proper coaching and pro shops are seriously lacking here as well as a steady stream of reasonably fresh bowling products. We take for granted that all the best bowling balls in the world are made in the USA. Ebonite, Columbia, Track and Hammer products are proudly made in Hopkinsville Kentucky. Several major wholesalers have extensive inventories of every ball in every weight ready to ship anywhere in the USA on a moment's notice.  I can contact one major wholesaler near me and get anything I need next day; and that's ground service.  If I buy a reasonable order, freight is free.  The difficulty in South Africa is that ordering from Ebonite and exporting them half way around the globe is no easy road.  In fact, there's no road, it's shipped by boat. Air shipping is way too expensive and totally unrealistic. It actually takes 7 weeks shipping from Hopkinsville to arrive in Durbin, South Africa. Think about that. Order a ball not in stock and you wait at least two months. How many pro shops in the US would struggle to remain open if that were the case?

Guy ordered fifty balls a dozen double and triple rolling bags, some single bags and totes along with a variety of accessories. He though we were buying for the locals and plenty for a tournament that weekend. Little did we know what was to happen. We sold everything in 4 days.  I would say that at least half the people we worked with understood the direction.  Timing and release are the nuts and bolts of bowling and to do something that extensive and expect instant results isn't realistic but in about half the cases we did, they could see an instant upgrade in ball motion and carry.  About a quarter were skeptical but trying the new method.  With their fingers pitched the way they were and a thumb that wanted to hang, it's a lot to ask a person to do in such a short time.  Some couldn't grasp how lightly the thumb really holds the ball and the feeling of the fingers "lifting" the ball onto the lane.  It would take some longer than others.  Some I feel will revert back to what they're used to and resist the major change.  I remember back in the early 90s when reactive resin came out.  It was a monumental change to ball motion and those who could make that major move left with their feet resisted the new technology.  Hammer products ruled the 80s and now they wouldn't be strong enough.  It's was tough to accept but proved true.  This was the same situation.

To say there's a growing sport half way around the globe is true. To the few people I got to meet, measure and drill for, they got a glimpse into the future, our present, the philosophy of how to release and exploit the amazing motions synthetic lanes, high performance equipment and a little state of the art coaching can do for their game. Let's hope this course stays true.

We live in a unique age in bowling.  These days, "matching up" is the key to success.  That's having the right ball and playing in the right place.  For those of you reading my blogs, that's the salt and pepper.  With house conditions across America, where you stand is usually fixed.  10 board is the divider between mountains of oil and the barren wasteland of dry friction.  A quick trip to a reputable pro shop (hopefully me), and you've got a ball designed for your game, how you attack the condition and able to provide you a better ball motion and more strikes.

Back in the day, timing and mechanics were the keys to success.  Equipment was barely a blip on the radar and lanes conditions were inconsistent at best.  I remember vividly spending hours working on techniques barely needed these days on most of these lane conditions.  

This puts bowlers in a tough situation; how far along will you have to go before you find out you have to change?  It's common for someone to bowl just a few years and average over 200.  Common for someone to have an honor score early in their career.  How do you tell someone who is satisfied with their game there's something wrong with them?  If the conditions always cover up the bad timing, poor release, inconsistant speed or the most common, strike enough to overcome missed easy spares, how will you ever reach your full potential?

I believe one of the problems is that most bowlers aren't exposed to the diverse lane conditions that exist.  Our enemies to higher scores aren't bowling balls but oil.  Trouble is, oil is invisible.  Golf lets you see the bunkers and water and trees.  Fairways aren't as wide as driving ranges so there's some tension when you see that tight shot and trouble looming.  Gets you unbalanced, nervous, unable to execute.  You can feel the wind and its influence on your shot.  Easy house conditions let you just whale on your ball.  Throw it all over the place and let you score.  

Beginners to intermediate bowlers think that if they stand where they usually do and throw their ball at the usual spot and it doesn't do what it's suppose to do, either the ball is wrong or the bowling center screwed up the conditions.  It's unfortunate but we've created this problem over the years.  Most of the variables in lane surface, oil and stripping have now become expected.  So much so, honor scores are less meaningful and the basic beginner can with a new fingertip ball raise their average significantly overnight.  Go to any center and see a 300 game every week.  At least a bunch of 250 to 279 games.  We can't appreciate the greatest bowlers in the world anymore.  How can I watch a pro shoot anything less than 250 and not be bored.  

The answer is Kegel Challenge conditions.  I'm happy to see many centers locally going the route of tougher lane conditions.  It puts the integrity back into the sport, allows us to compare ourselves to the same conditions pros use and makes us aware of our short comings.  Like I keep hammering into everyone, fundamentals are so important to this great sport.  The ability to duplicate your speed, revs and maintain balance; to read lanes and make well educated adjustments.  That's the beauty in this sport!  To have a poor look and adjust to a great angle with good ball reaction and strike.  That's what make's me feel good about bowling.  It shouldn't be easy, it's been WAY too easy for too long.  

So the best thing that can happen is a reality check.  Find challenging, more realistic lane conditions to push you to throw it better, to raise your level of expertise.  To loosen up that muscled swing and let the ball roll off your hand cleanly.  House patterns are nice to pump up your ego but realistically, it's just an illusion.  Reality requires hard work and sacrifice and that, in a nutshell, is the big picture.  

Stop by White Plains Bowl any Tuesday evening at 9pm and watch some of the best bowlers around challenge themselves.  36 top amateur, collegiate and juniors bowling on difficult conditions which will expose their weaknesses.  It's what all athletes do...  push themselves to be better.  With luck in years to come, more will push themselves so we can get the game of bowling back to the sport of bowling.

This past week, I gave a bowling lesson.  Most of you have had one or two with me so you know how technical my sessions can be; Bowler's Map, timing charts, spine angle, swing plane, all that jazz.  This was a special lesson I haven't given in a while and it's truly a shame.  

A request came into the site for a combined lesson, husband and wife which we arranged.  They arrived with just their bowling shoes and nothing else.  "We don't have any bowling equipment."  Amazed that someone so novice would want a lesson, I delved into what motivated them to call?  Turns out they're doing a bowling party with their friends in a couple weeks and wanted a few pointers to get them going in the right direction so they won't embarrass themselves.

Was getting my Bowler's Map and camera ready but quickly realized, they wouldn't be necessary.  We went upstairs and spent some time finding the right house ball and grip size, basically explaining what they're looking for in a weight, fit and then off to the lanes.

First they needed to do some warm ups; basic stretching to limber up.  Seems hokey but to avoid silly injuries, especially older people, it's best to not just start throwing shots.  Next was a few frames each to see what I had to work with.  

The man squatted down practically like a baseball catcher, took 5 steps and had a grip like he's choking his worst enemy as the ball was lofted over the dots.  The woman used 4 steps but actually took two steps before moving the ball.  Oh and she really threw it slow with no follow through.

We discussed a basic stance and athletic position which the man applied instantly.  With the wife, I talked about the basic 4 step approach and how we need to get the ball started on the first step, swing and follow though.  We did this without the ball next to each other until she could coordinate the steps and arm swing.  This took about 20 minutes.  While this was going on, I had the man working on loosening his grip.  He was doing that at the foul line doing no steps and 1 steps.  "Very low speed.  Just let the ball roll off your thumb and let your fingers lift the ball onto the lane."  Later on, we tossed a rosin bag to each other so he could get it to tumble.  

In less than an hour, she had her 4 step approach and he was more upright and rolling the ball.  He shot a 135 with an open in the 10th (his high game) and she hit the head pin 6 times and made 3 spares.  I wrote out their lesson plans so each of them would have reminders what they needed to work on.  I left them both happy and eager to practice their new styles!  It was really lots of fun for all of us.

I'm telling you this because all of you are dedicated bowlers and anyone who reads my blog has sacrificed a piece of their life for the sheer joy of bowling.  

So the next time you happen to be practicing and someone bowling next to you is new or obviously in need of a little attention, or when your friends want to go bowling, you know, the ones who don't bowl, offer some assistance and be enthusiastic.  Just the basics.  I'm not expecting you to start giving advanced lessons but an easy tip would probably be well received and go a long way to making their experience more memorable and satisfying.  

I think when a person finds something and shows improvement, they want to keep doing it and get better.  So each of us need to help others learn and discover how much fun bowling can really be.  It goes a long way to growing this wonderful sport of ours even if it's just one bowler at a time.