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Author Topic: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump  (Read 1688 times)

The Extremist

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I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« on: June 22, 2007, 03:56:42 AM »
Well, it is like this... last November I reached an avg of 190, everything was fine and I felt like reaching that 200 avg was near (working once a week 4-5 hours with my coach)... then my house changes oil to an OOB condition and I realize that without the wall if I get a 500 it's a good series.... say to myself "keep trying, work with the coach, etc"... the thing is that I'm starting to feel frustrated because when I find something that works at Saturday's practice then I arrive Tue-Wed leagues and bang: 480 series or even worse.... the question is What to do?? I'm really considering a thumbless-two handed delivery, a one step delivery and unconventional stuff like that...

As I can't put a video I'll try to describe my profile and major problems:
-RH, Like 275 rpm revs, med speed-track, 4" span, PAP 4 1/2" and 1/2" up, no blisters-callous or problems with hand-fingers
-It seems that 90% of the time I can't arrive balanced to the foul line, I keep always falling to the right, therefore can't repeat shots, 2-3 opens per game avg because of splits and missed easy spares
-I open the right arm, kind of like Wes Malott, therefore I tend to miss left and sometimes I hit my sliding leg at release

Thank you in advance for any advice or comment that eases my frustration.
--The Extremist
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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2007, 12:15:59 PM »
Some guys who are great bowlers are not good coaches. After that long I would expect that you'd start improving and especially becoming more versatile.

Being off balance is something you and a competent coach should be able to fix without too much work.

He may be a nice guy, but the coach isn't very good at coaching.  

One thing you might check yourself on at the foul line is that you're not bending too much at the waist. That will almost always cause you to fall off to the right. Sometimes a timing issue can cause you to be off balance, too. You need another set of eyes watching you, but I mean "another set of eyes."  

If I were coaching someone that long and they didn't show improvement then I'd ask another coach to step in because they may pick up something in your mechanics or delivery that I was missing.  

I admire your desire to get better, but believe you need a different coach.  I don't know how to say it any more nicely...





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CoachLefty

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2007, 12:23:12 PM »
If i was you I would invest in a different coach.  I would not say that yuor coach isn't competant, however some ciaches can only take you so far.  A couple of people that I work with are just about ready to outgrow my coaching skills.
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Atochabsh

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2007, 08:45:24 PM »
The problem with a lot of coaches is that they know the physicalities of bowling, but they do not understand how to adjust to different lane conditions.  Or how to teach their students to adjust to different lane conditions.

First thing....you have to find your balance at the line.  That is paramount. You need to have an approach and preshot routine that is so set in concrete that you can depend on it no matter what conditions you see.  But the off balance, usually this means you are rushing your feet and/or taking a too long first step.  That's it....two things.  Slow down your feet.  I don't care how slow you have to get in order to achieve balance at the line....do it.  Stop experimenting, its a bunch of crap and you know it.  

Rushing.  Its an easy problem to create through pressing and trying to achieve.  So its normal!!!!  Back off and slow down.

Bowl with people that are better then you.  At 190 you probably find yourself at the top end of most handicap leagues and anchor.  Look into your association for a scratch league where  you might fit in with some better bowlers.  Because when you bowl with better bowlers.....you get better.  You pick up on their tips.  So if you find yourself in the social bowling league situation, that's fine, but bowl a second night in something more competative where YOU are NOT the high bowler.  

Flatter oil is a challenge.  Flatter oil is a relative opinion.  2 to 1 is a sport condition.  But most leagues are over 13 to 1.  If you have 55 units on the inside and 5 units on the outside (3 units is the minimum USBC allows) then that's 11 to 1. Still a pretty good ratio for a house shot.  But if they raise the amount of oil on the outside (for whatever reason) then its going to appear as if there is out of bounds.  Some lessons may teach you that you can not only target horizontally but vertically as well.  So your targetting depth might be wrong for this condition.  And at 190, I would not be surprised if you have not been introduced to varying your targetting depth.  This alone could be a huge eye opener for you.  

Its not that your coach is bad.  Don't think that.  But you might have outgrown him/her.  

Erin
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chitown

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2007, 01:21:03 AM »
quote:
The problem with a lot of coaches is that they know the physicalities of bowling, but they do not understand how to adjust to different lane conditions.  Or how to teach their students to adjust to different lane conditions.

First thing....you have to find your balance at the line.  That is paramount. You need to have an approach and preshot routine that is so set in concrete that you can depend on it no matter what conditions you see.  But the off balance, usually this means you are rushing your feet and/or taking a too long first step.  That's it....two things.  Slow down your feet.  I don't care how slow you have to get in order to achieve balance at the line....do it.  Stop experimenting, its a bunch of crap and you know it.  

Rushing.  Its an easy problem to create through pressing and trying to achieve.  So its normal!!!!  Back off and slow down.

Bowl with people that are better then you.  At 190 you probably find yourself at the top end of most handicap leagues and anchor.  Look into your association for a scratch league where  you might fit in with some better bowlers.  Because when you bowl with better bowlers.....you get better.  You pick up on their tips.  So if you find yourself in the social bowling league situation, that's fine, but bowl a second night in something more competative where YOU are NOT the high bowler.  

Flatter oil is a challenge.  Flatter oil is a relative opinion.  2 to 1 is a sport condition.  But most leagues are over 13 to 1.  If you have 55 units on the inside and 5 units on the outside (3 units is the minimum USBC allows) then that's 11 to 1. Still a pretty good ratio for a house shot.  But if they raise the amount of oil on the outside (for whatever reason) then its going to appear as if there is out of bounds.  Some lessons may teach you that you can not only target horizontally but vertically as well.  So your targetting depth might be wrong for this condition.  And at 190, I would not be surprised if you have not been introduced to varying your targetting depth.  This alone could be a huge eye opener for you.  

Its not that your coach is bad.  Don't think that.  But you might have outgrown him/her.  

Erin


Excellent post reply!
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HAMMER NO MERCY is Un-freaking real!  Using this ball is like cheating!
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Action

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2007, 01:12:00 PM »
not sure who your coach is but there are a few things that all competent
bowling instructors must help you do. (emphasis on competent).
make the sport simple and set up your timing corectly so that you do
remain balanced at the foul line, walk straight or walk consistently towards
your target line, have a muscle free arm swing that is close to your body and is in line with your target direction and a consistent follow through.
in today's bowling environment video is a great tool to use when taking lessons or just monitoring yourself. it is one thing to tell someone what they need to improve on. by showing them a video of themself it makes the bowler more aware of what really is going on with various parts of their game. it is then up a to competent instructor to map out a plan of how to work on changes and allow that person to work on that change for a period of several hundred attempts. it can take up to 1500 repetitions to learn a new method so that it becomes very natural to the bowler. some take less reps as everyone is different. a competent coach will not over whelm you with several things to do but will build a base and make sure you do things better without moving onto something new. if you are losing your balance then your swing line is going to change a lot and you will have different launch directions. your current coach should have figured out why you lose your balance. the reason you are having a hard time is because you are bowling with areas of concern that are affecting other parts of your game.  suggest you find a certified usbc coach with at least a bronze level if not a silver level.

terry
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BOWL119

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2007, 11:27:26 PM »
One thing to try is another coach. Not saying that the one you have is bad, but might not be seeing why you are off balance. Another coach might look at it differently. It is like looking at a cloud, one person sees one thing while another sees something different.

I know I started to struggle, even though I was working with a coach. She suggested I work with her husband and he saw something that I was doing that she did not see. Now, she is a great coach. I am not knocking her. Her husband was able to see and adjust me so I no longer did what I was doing.
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The Extremist

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2007, 10:46:03 AM »
1. Thank you all very very much for all your comments and advice.
2. Last week at night after watching all these comments, I started practicing last steps at my room and I noticed that for 7 years of bowling I was sliding in a wrong way. My last step was way too far left of my previous step = falling off the shot.
3. I remember reading all those RonC tips but couldn't remember about this particular one. Lesson = always study your previous knowledge.
4. Then last Sat practice I start focusing on sliding in a more proper manner, result: immediately improved to like a 70 or 80% of shots balanced. I never focus on the numbers at practice but can tell you that for games 3 to 5 I went 211-179-215 = 605.
5. Yesterday at league my score was 524 with 6 opens all of them splits. And 3 of them were pocket hits: two 7-10s and one 8-10 (what can I tell you).
6. All that anxiety and frustration is gone because now I have something to focus on which with a little practice so on has given me immediate results.
7. The coach is great, several friends have improved with him but I'm not blind to seek other people's opinion.
8. Again, thank you all for all your comments and advice.

--The Extremist
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John D Davis

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2007, 10:57:56 AM »
I think he should go see RON CLIFTON.... BEFORE ITS WAY TO LATE! Not only a good coach but one of the best man I have ever met in my life! After i am learning with Ron I feel like a knew man and can beat anyone. Truely a great coach. John
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The Extremist

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2007, 05:54:37 PM »
Well, after working hard with the  balance issue, today at practice I went 190-247-267-204=908 and 227 avg. I finished the 2nd game with 7 strikes and opened the 3rd with 5. I have to admit that the lanes were kind of easier but nevertheless I'm satisfied with my progress and now I have this feeling of hope I didn't have before. I think I have improved to like a 70 to 80% of shots in a balanced position. And this was with my "last month I wanted to get rid of it" DT Element.

Again, thank you very much for all the support and comments.
--The Extremist
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CoachLefty

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Re: I'm sooo tired.... - 6 months slump
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2007, 06:03:55 PM »
good shooting buddy, may many more big scores follow.
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Lefty

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