Stuff to Do, No Matter What – Part 1

I’ve been developing this list since I started bowling. It was just some observations I made: if I did this more often, this happened; if I didn’t, good things happened less. I didn’t know it would turn into a bunch of No Matter Whats. It was just stuff I knew I had to do to be successful. Then I started teaching and figured out there was some universal application. So, over the course of the next couple of months and even though it’s not complete and I’m learning all the time, I thought I’d share what I have so far with you. If I waited until I thought I’d found them all, it would never get out there…

The Follow Through NMW

When you watch bowling on television, you won’t see a bowler throw a shot that is not aggressive. They don’t baby the ball or throw tentatively or fail to follow through. Ever. Neither should you. The shape and distance of that committed follow through rarely change but its speed might.

Sometimes we allow the lane condition to take our game away from us. We get a little cautious and think we need to aim/fit/steer the ball to the pocket. All spell disaster in terms of carry and confidence. It’s much easier to have a free armswing and a confident shot when you’ve got two boards to hit and they both have arrows on them. One of the things that will grow area and improve carry is your follow through. When you follow through, no matter what, good things happen to off-hits.

You always want to have a ball in your hand and play an area of the lane that allows you to be aggressive. A committed swing and follow through won’t give you time to aim/fit/steer the ball – a very good thing. A committed follow through is one that looks like no matter what the ball does – strikes, barely hits a spare, goes in the ditch – someone watching you ...