The game plan for the Spartanburg Classic involved as lot of
work on the spinner. There is a lot more friction than we have
experienced all year. It also looks like we will not see the
huge wall of oil to the left of the lay-down area. The ratios
have been significantly lowered and the pattern is 37 feet in
length. This will be a welcome surprise for some. While others
will not like the left having so much free hook to work with.
The lefty/righty issue seems to spark a lot of conversation
these days. I sometimes wonder if it is warranted or not. What
they really complain about is the results but to full examine it
we would need to look at why it happens.
First of all and probably the most important is the number of
right handers who can not play "up" the lane in today's game. I
can only imagine how walled the right would get if more right
handers would develop their straight game better. Going sideways
too early really creates havoc with transitions. No different
than what the lefties that try to hook in on the fresh get into.
I don't want to spend too much time talking about something that
is as old as the sport itself. Bowlers have always complained
about the left to right comparisons and I am not convinced that
the complaints are totally warranted. I would like to see what
would happen if the right handers broke down the lane the same
as the left does. These comments are more of a reference to the
concern of player development than an actual lefty/righty
debate.
The biggest difference I see in this week is the lower lateral
ratios from the middle of the lane to the outside. Instead of
exceeding 3:1 they are closer to 2:1. Because of this you will
see the players mistake room to the left disappear. Better
control of the swing plane and release are going to be
necessary. As much hook as there is to the outside it will
promote more angle and an earlier break point. As usual there is
a little trap that I saw.
Playing down lane reaction from any angle is possible on the
fresh but as soon as the carry down begins to effect the
consistency of the down lane break point bowlers will begin to
wiggle around trying to find the right strategic match-up. This
will not be an obvious move for several as they will try and
make lateral moves to fix the issue. When there is not enough
lateral difference between boards ie lateral ratios, a bowler
really needs to make more advanced moves that involve length
wise window, angles, shapes, and ball choices.
To help the bowlers identify the transition moves they need to
look for I try and give them spare combinations to help them
realize the situation they are in. The constant ring 10 means
the length wise window is too far down lane. The 3-6-10 means
they are not using enough angle through the front. By the 4th
game it will be obvious that the bowlers will be using more
angle and an earlier breakpoint than what we have had to do all
year. We will see more gutter balls and test the bowlers
confidence by seeing if they are willing to throw the ball
directly at the gutter.
If the gutter tightens up then the scoring pace will drop
dramatically and force bowlers inside of the track area. With as
much overall friction as there is this week the middle plays
shorter and I don't see the gutter getting too tight for most
bowlers. As the block progresses the bowlers will move their
length wise window a little further down lane and quicken their
hand to get it back from that spot.
Because of the overall friction on the lane I expect many
bowlers to use lower diff. balls or cleaner covers. We will be
looking for reaction with Twisted Fury's, Pearl Fury's and some
older oil soaked balls with lower differentials. I wish we had
the Avalanche ball this week as I could almost guarantee a good
week for us with that option. I will trick drill some balls to
lower the diff and shine up the stronger balls. I suspect
several players will get confused with their ball reactions
because of the look of the stronger balls. From the foul line it
can be hard to tell if the ball is too week or too strong. I am
telling my guys that if there is any doubt chances are the ball
is too strong.
I have seen this condition turn in some really high scores but
being we have not seen this is a while I expect the bowlers to
need time to get comfortable with the look. This would be a very
high scoring environment after a couple weeks of practicing on
it.
If the gutter tightens up on either side... the lefty/righty
issue will become more than just a reference to bowler
development. I am sure we will hear it anyway so get ready to
block out the whining.
Enough for now I better get back to the lanes and see how we are
doing.
Until next week. Don't complain...Learn
Bowler development
The invisible course in bowling can be as easy or as
difficult as desired.
This invisible course is what makes bowling so unique when
compared to other sports. The playing surface in all other
sports is either regulated to very tight specs for consistency
across competitive environments...or the course challenges are
visible to the human eye. Bowling is an obstacle course that
bowlers must use their physical skills and probing tools to
challenge their opponent.
Many bowlers deal with the invisibility in different fashions.
The first thing I teach my students about the game is that
bowling is...always has been...and always will be about
transitions of this invisible course. What other sport can boast
the skills required to deal with an invisible course.
Imagine playing any other sport with the invisible challenges
bowling deals with...it will bring a smile to your face.
Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Hockey, or any other sport
you can imagine would take on a totally different look if they
had to deal with a constantly changing environment that is
invisible to the human eye.
A bowler is required to use a combination of repetition,
versatility, creativity, feel, observation skills, knowledge,
experience, and a type of mental thought process that separates
our sport from any other.
A bowler is challenged to commit their strategy and execution in
an environment of constantly changing obstacles. Bowling has a
recreation is quite simple but bowling as a sport is not a game
for the mentally weak.
The bowler with physical skills is at an elementary level of our
sport and unless he or she realizes what the sport of bowling is
about they will plateau. There are a lot of bowlers who get to
this level and simply do not fair well when they are challenged
with what sport bowling is all about.
Great bowlers are artists with the ability to see, feel, and
trust what their senses are telling them. The creativity and
feel of a great bowler is a product of the development in their
human senses. This requires a level of focus and confidence in
human senses that rivals that of any sport. Bowlers who have
reached this stage of development get feedback that is then
processed through the mind to develop strategic Game Plans.
As a bowler moves up the competitive ladder he or she will find
that being physically better then their opponent is much more
difficult. At the elite level of our sport bowlers learn to
appreciate the mental challenges or are sent home looking for
answers. Some minds just do not deal with a constantly changing
invisible environment very well.
The uniqueness of a great bowler is easier to identify by their
mental makeup than their physical makeup. Confusion is the
number one enemy of a bowler. Sorting through information and
making decisions with commitment is a common trait of a great
bowler.
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