Things That Take You From 150 to 200
At the heart of it, there are a limited number of things that are really important in the quest to go from a 150 average bowler to a 200 average bowler. This month, I’d like to give you my short list of things that allow someone to progress to the 200 level.
You must make more Spares
This seems like a no-brainer, and it is. However, there are a lot of intermediate-level bowlers chasing equipment and more striking power as their first solution to make that jump. Particularly from the 150 to 180 level, most people can make that progression by just making 2-3 more spares per game. These are almost always the achievable spares, not the big-split variety. In order to make more spares, learn a spare-shooting system and practice it. For most people, the use of a hard plastic ball is also a key element in making more spares (the alternative is to develop a VERY straight release position, and even then it can be difficult).
Free Up the Arm Swing
You must free up the armswing to get better. Even the biggest power players on the tour largely have very loose armswings. You simply can not exert excessive control over the armswing and repeat it consistently. While very few armswings are totally gravity driven, most of the good ones allow the gravity generated by the ball to work with your body. To develop a free armswing, learn to DROP the ball into the swing very early in the swing (usually at the end of the first step of a four-step approach). As you get better at keeping the swing loose, you will have a better feel for where it is tight, where you are “grabbing” the ball in an effort to control it. Allow yourself to “swing through” these points in the swing, and you will get better fast.
Develop Good Balance
You will need to get better balance in the stance and swing. I had a new student just last week, and I immediately helped this player get better just by improving his stance. You must be very balanced, so much to that if someone approached you while you were in the stance and gave you a gentle push, you would not have to move. Remember, higher-level bowling is a SPORT, and it starts with assuming an ATHLETIC position in the stance.
“Post Your Shots.”
If you have balance in the stance and swing, but you can’t deliver that balance to the line, you will not be as consistent. Your body should come to a FULL STOP when you release the ball. By maintaining good balance throughout the swing, you can complete the deal by using a good knee bend and moving forward with your WHOLE BODY in the last step. Many people forget to keep the hips moving forward with the upper body, and get themselves out of balance.
Be Consistent
It is not important for every shot to be a work of art. We are all individuals who have our own strengths and weaknesses. Very few of us are as technically proficient as Brian Voss, but many of us can be consistent. Don’t try to make every shot perfect – just make them all be the same. Generate the same ball speed, the same release, and the same roll shot after shot after shot and you will find that you can adjust to a lane condition much faster, because you will KNOW that when something
changes, it’s the lane condition and not you.
Learn to “Read” the Lanes
Finally, you need to learn to read a lane condition. Know where the oil is on the lane, recognize when the ball hooks too soon or too late, and adjust to what you see. Even if you don’t make the perfect adjustment, if you learn to adjust enough to keep yourself out of trouble, you will leave (and make) more spares. .