The “T” Word – Part 1

No athlete progresses in their chosen sport without training to improve skill levels. You can’t train if you’re keeping score and if you’re keeping score, winning matters. If winning matters, you’re not training.

There are many ways to practice which will allow you to evaluate your performance without keeping regular score. Some of these games will work if you are training alone and all can be adapted to work for your team.

Baby Split Game

This game requires that you shoot the 2/7 or the 3/10 with a full rack. When you do, you’ll tend to leave some very creative designer spare combinations. After you’ve thrown that first shot you’ll have four possibilities. Take five shots at each of them.

Possibility #1: For the first five frames, shoot the 2/7 and then convert whatever you leave. Keep track of how many times you actually convert what you left. This is excellent practice for cluster spare conversions or unusual combinations of pins. For the next five frames, shoot the 3/10 with a full rack and convert whatever mess you leave.

Possibility #2: Shoot the 2/7 with a full rack and pick off only one more pin from that big wad you’ve left standing. On the next five shots, shoot the 3/10 off the full rack and again try to pick off only one more pin.

Possibility #3: For these five shots, shoot the 2/7. On your second shot of the frame, do whatever you need to do to leave the headpin as the only pin standing after you’ve taken your two shots. Repeat with the 3/10.

Possibility #4: Shoot the 3/10 off a full rack and then figure the most difficult thing you can try to pick up. For example, when you shoot the 3/10 with a full rack, you might leave the 1/2/4/9. Picking off just the 4/9 might not be too easy. Picking off the 2/4/9 would be hard. Getting the 9 only would ...