Will New Equipment Help My Bowling?

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. - John Quincy Adams -

The Muse of Mesa (TMOM) calls me; "Does the changing weather have an effect on the lanes?"

"Sure it does," I reply, "bowling is an indoor sport; but, humidity and temperature play a part in your ball reaction, why?"

"Well," he says, "my scores have dropped and I can't seem to hit the pocket like I was a few weeks earlier."

"What kind of scores are we talking about?"

"Oh, I was averaging solidly in the 190's and now, I'm shooting a lot of 130's and 400 series."

Ummm, "Excuse me, T.M.O.M., but, the weather will not have that drastic an effect on your score; I think you need to look at different areas of your overall game."

"Well, then, how often should a bowler be changing their bowling balls?

I'm tempted to go out and get the ball that I've been hearing so much about - you know, the one that all the pro's are throwing?"

Ummm, "Excuse me, Muse, but, I don't feel that purchasing the latest whiz-bang, high-tech bowling ball will have you shooting higher scores overnight."

"Look," Muse, "Stop looking for external excuses and go back to the fundamentals of your game - just follow my "Choc-List" and you'll come out fine:"

1) Don't be jumping to spend your way out of a slump by buying up all the products and gadgets out there. What good is brand new equipment if the bowler hasn't gotten the fundamentlas solidly in place?

2) Hire a bowling coach and have him watch you. You don't want one that wants to re-invent your game; rather, find one who'll work with your style to fine tune your game. Also, at least make sure they have some credentials.

3) Pay attention to the physical aspects of your game - Stance, Armswing, Timing & Tempo, Finishing Position, and Release & Follow-through.

4) Always remember to exercise the Mental Game, too - Breathing, Self-Talk, Pre-shot Routine, and Visualization.

"Boy," T.M.O.M. lamented, "that's sure a lot of things to think about."

"Perhaps, but look at it this way, Muse, if you improve yourself over the next year by three-tenths of one percent per day (0.3%), you will have made more than a hundred percent improvement in your abilities - take it one day at a time, brother, one day at a time."