Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – September 2024

In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question!

With the start of the league season, I’ve been struggling in the first game of the night. I generally average 185, but my first game has been holding me down to start the year. I just don’t feel like I have my feet under me until at least the second game. Do you have any advice to help me start stronger?

There could be several reasons for this, so let’s start with the physical side of things. Are you warming up properly?

A dynamic warm-up before you start practice can help you feel sharper with your game faster by getting the muscles and joints loosened up ahead of time. This allows you to throw more shots at 100 percent in practice and feel better physically. The added benefit is that with more “true” shots, you’ll have more time to make adjustments to the lanes.

Coach Heather Sterner has written a few articles about warming up, and this is a good place to start.

Maybe it’s the ball?

Another potential issue is your ball motion. Not knowing what you have in your bag, it’s possible that the ball you are using simply isn’t suitable for fresher conditions, or perhaps the line isn’t quite right. Balls that are too angular can be oil-sensitive on fresher conditions and only start ...