The BTM Interview: Kyle Troup

Kyle Troup has seven career PBA Tour titles, including the 2021 PBA Players Championship, and currently sits atop the 2021 PBA points list. Bowling This Month sat down with Kyle after the 2021 PBA Lubbock Sports Open to chat about how he’s grown since his early days on tour, the positive influence of his friendship with Jesper Svensson, and what it was like for one of the most charismatic bowlers on tour to bowl without fans for part of the 2021 season.

(Please note that our questions appear in bold italics and Kyle’s answers appear in standard typeface.)

You’ve just kicked off the PBA Summer Tour. What do you do between events to get ready for the next one?

It depends on how the week goes, but just about every week I want to get back home and get to the gym a few days. I don’t like to let off the gas too much when I get home. I’ve made some mistakes in the past by going into “full chill mode” and not really putting the work in. So now I make sure to get some practice time in.

I also think it’s important to de-stress. I like to go out and play golf with some of my boys back home. I love to play golf even though I’m not very good. It’s important to refresh the mind because then come Thursday we have to be fully committed and fully focused on the next tournament at hand. If it was a bad performance the week before, leave it there. And if it was a great performance the week before, leave it there.

So do you have a specific approach to find this balance?

It’s all about the cycle of a tournament for me. Step one is preparation, and that includes relaxing a bit to get ready, as well as putting in practice time. Step two is execution, which is when I’m bowling the tournament ...