| Featured Ball of
the Week |
Instead of talking about a specific ball I think it would be
different to talk about a featured ball reaction of the week.
I think a lot of bowlers get themselves in trouble because of the
thought processes they use to conclude their strategic game plans. We
all know how important bowling balls are but bowling balls are the
fourth order of business when I am trying to develop strategic game
plans in my head. Here is a brief outline of the thought patterns going
through my head when developing game plans for bowlers.
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Everything
starts with the pins. The object of the game is to knock
down as many pins as you can in as few a shots as
possible. Experience proves that not all pins fall down
the same way. I am first looking for the best method to
knock down the pins. This may sound simple but there is
more to it than you may realize. It is a lesson in
itself. But before I even want to think about anything
else I am thinking about pin deflection |
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In a pampered
environment this element is more important than others.
The element of the lanes has to do with not only the
visible surface but the invisible course as well. I
don't need to see a ball go down the lane to consider
this element. All I need to know is the lane surface,
the length of the pattern, the side to side ratio, the
front to back taper, the conditioner being used, the
volume being used, and the field of bowlers competing.
That is all. :-) The most important topic of discussion
about this element is the length wise grid I imagine in
my mind. As the ball rolls through each one of these
"grids" what is my strategic game plan in each one of
these grids. I usually have at least two options in my
head when thinking about this length wise grid but my
strategic thoughts are based upon scoring pace and
transition. A good guess about the scoring pace is very
important in the decision making process and no matter
what is applied it will always transition based upon
what the field is going to do to it. During the
qualifying rounds I don't think we are playing the
pattern I think we are playing the field. Once we get to
match-play the applied pattern is more of a factor. |
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Every bowler is
different. After considering the first two elements I
have a pretty clear picture of who is and who isn't a
natural matchup. At the professional level bowlers who
don't have options in the length wise grid are at a
disadvantage. Developing bowlers has a lot to do with
getting them to see and use this length wise grip. This
is also the reason most bowlers who are over focused on
increased rev rate struggle in the tour environment. Not
having rev rate options severely limits a bowlers
ability to adapt to more challenging environments. But I
thought process when thinking of this element is that if
I can get a bowlers physical game matched up then 4 or 5
balls will work. If I can not then that bowler will need
to have the right ball in their hands at the right time
and will be asked to recognize details to help them make
quicker and better decisions. This bowler is almost
always at a disadvantage at the elite levels of bowling.
At lower levels a bowler has more time to recognize and
adapt but at the elite level I promise you somebody is
going to have a physical matchup that is not so
dependent on bowling balls. Bowling balls are probing
tools that are aligned by how they are best used not
what they do. |
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Bowling balls
are probing tools that are aligned by how they are best
used not by what they do. Understanding your balls by
how they are best used is determined over a period of
time through transition. What a ball does is controlled
by too many elements and when you know what how your
arsenal is best used you have better lane/ball
reaction/bowler feedback. I want a bowler to be
strategically prepared based on the first 3 elements and
by the time I am done thinking about those first 3
elements the probing tool or bowling ball that I think
is the best matchup usually jumps out at me. If none of
them do then I go to the bag and take a second glance.
Almost always I find a ball or two that do the job. If
the emphasis is on a higher scoring pace I am more
likely to drill a new bowling ball based on a range of
balls in the bag so the bowler will have closer options
during competition incase carry is not quite what the
bowler is looking for. If I don't see anything in the
bag that makes sense then we have arsenal issues or
physical game issues. Better bowlers usually have less
arsenal issues than developing bowlers because they have
better control and manipulation of the length wise grid.
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Yes there are many things that go on in my head each week when trying
to matchup individual bowers. And the brief outline I gave you above is
just the beginning of the thought process I go through every week for
each of the bowlers I work with. When you see me walking around in a
trance or staring into space chances are I am not satisfied with what I
am seeing from one of my guys or in this years case girls.
Something that I always want to make clear. "Good ball reaction never
changes how we accomplish it changes every week"
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