Bowling with Leverage
by David A. Leverage
David A. Leverage is a Former exempt PBA Player, Silver level certified coach,
an ASU Bowling Alumni member, A 6 time PBA titleist, has (40) 300 games
and owns 2 Phoenix area Pro Shops.
New Season..New attitude...New results!
Ok...So you are back for yet another season of bowling here in the valley right? We all get a fresh clean slate each and every season at the beginning so lets go make the most of it. First thing that is needed is goal setting. What was your average last year? What would you like it to be this year? Lets set a goal that is reasonable for where you and your game is. I always tell my bowling students "you have to believe it if you want to achieve it". So that is the first step. You need to set a goal that is reasonable, and attainable. For instance..."I want to raise my average 10 pins this year". It's a reasonably attainable goal. Now how do we (you) get there?
You must first start by dedicating yourself to the goal which you have set. That means practice. And not just practice where you just go bowl a couple of games, the kind where you figure out your weaknesses in bowling and you set out to correct them! Is that your timing? Follow through? Knee bend? Balance? Spare shooting? Mental preparation and concentration? Do you have one crummy game every night? In order to fix a problem, you need to identify the problem because it differs for everybody.
So the question then is...What is your weakness or weaknesses? And how do we fix them?
Make a list of what you want to improve this season. Then make another list of how to improve that. If you need some help with that obviously you can call on a local bowling coach for some added help! The point here is to set your goals and go get them!
Enjoy yourself when you are bowling!
Do you remember why we all started to bowl in the first place? It wasn't to shoot 300, win tournaments, or even drink beer. We started at various ages for one thing...TO HAVE FUN! Sure I know it's no fun to leave split after split and shoot a terrible game. But remember the point of bowling is to enjoy time with your friends and teammates doing something everybody on the team loves....(Well most of the time). So set a goal to have more fun bowling this season and smile when you throw a good shot and enjoy the moment!
Bring a friend!
You love bowling, so why not share your passion with a friend. Make it a goal this season to get one of your friends into bowling. Even if it is just as a sub for another teammate when they cant make it. Share the sport with at least one person this season. It will make your experience that much better as well.
Ask for help
More than likely you have a handful of pretty good bowlers in your league. So don't be afraid to ask for a tip or two from one of the better bowlers. Don't be afraid. They will probably be flattered you even asked in the first place.
Positive thoughts
When you get on the approach, make sure you have positive thoughts going through your mind before you roll the ball. Have you ever thought "boy I hope I don't chop this spare"....And what happens? YOU CHOP THAT SPARE. The mind is VERY powerful so put it to GOOD use. If you have a negative thought, stop, get reset replace it with a positive thought and make a great shot! You'll be surprised how important your POSITIVE thoughts can be to improve your game.
Thank you to all of the people who have been emailing in real questions and ideas for upcoming articles. We always appreciate any and all input as we are always aspiring to help and educate bowlers so they can knock down more pins. As always you may email me at: daveleverage@yahoo.com.
"TEXT the Coach" As a new feature if you are having a problem and need a quick answer to that problem, send me a text message during your next practice session, league session, or tournament and I will do my best to reply in a timely manner. Text to 6025505788.