Lucky Coaching

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 10

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:12:00 +0000

It has been three long months since I have last posted on the blog. I have been changing and focusing on my game, and lost focus on the writing. It sucks, but it happened. Oh well..

Anywho, I do believe my slump has been getting better and I might have finally begun to break out of it. Signs of improvement have been happening when I shot 300 on April 1st and averaged over 220 for the Utah State tournament, and won an ABT tournament just a few short weeks ago. But there have been signs of stagnation as well, like averaging under 185 at the City tournament.

One thing I have been doing lately that has helped is renewed my focus on the lanes. There are many bowlers out there who are "feel" players and they don't really pay attention to targets or marks but rather feel their way on the lanes and play an area instead of specific boards. I am not one of those players. I am a target player and I have to focus on the board I am throwing on to ensure accuracy. Well, I have found myself losing focus and allowing my eyes to wonder while in my approach before release.

My solution? Focus. Renewing my focus on the lanes. So now I am making sure that when I ready myself on the approach, I stare at the break point I want, and then imagine a path from that break point and follow it back to the arrows which gives me my target. Then I keep my eyes on the target the entire time. From the point where I begin my approach to when I release the ball and watch it roll over the target. I find that if I keep my focus, stare at the target until the ball rolls over it, stay down and post my shot with a good follow through, I am usually on point and throw the ball right where I want it.

Focusing on this over the last couple weeks have made me feel pretty good about my game. I highly recommend anyone who is a target player to try out this system for themselves if they don't already. You never know, it might make all the difference in the world!

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 9

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Back In Action

I have taken a small break from posting on the Breaking The Slump series, but now I am back in action. The last little while that I haven't been writing haven't been the best on the lanes. I have had some real struggles during league, and the last tournament I bowled was a complete disaster. However, there has been some improvement and some good news for this bowling season.

First off I am going to address something that is kind of messing with my bowling mind right now. All fundamentals I have been taught is to have a relaxed and free arm swing. To have a completely loose arm swing is very difficult to do. You naturally muscle the ball like crazy when you bowl and it takes major work to loosen up. This is the adjustment I was working on with my last coach, Mike Jasnau. He felt my most pressing issue in my game was not having a fluid enough arm swing. He noticed I would push away and go into the backswing fine, but then I would pull the ball down and throw it and use too much muscle in doing so.

I spent all of the Summer months and a few of the Fall months trying to relax more when I threw the ball. I was getting better at it, but I wasn't improving my scores at all. Because I was getting so frustrated with my current slump, I began to change things. After witnessing the success of the two handers, Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa, on tour this year it confirmed a trend I had believed a lot in lately. The bowlers who are using more power are finding more success than those who are not. The bowlers on tour now throw the ball harder and with more revs than at any time in the history of bowling. The two handed phenoms are a testament to this theory. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw more power into my game.

Almost a month ago I began throwing the ball harder and really making an effort to turn the ball on my release. The result is a lot more revs and a ton more hook. I definitely was not relaxing while I was doing this. The interesting thing was, I noticed I was not being as sporadic with the placement of the ball anymore. I wasn't always throwing the ball right where I wanted to, but I definitely was missing less often. Then I would change it up by relaxing my arm swing again but keeping the release really strong for more revs. This resulted in large misses again and mostly swinging the ball out a lot further than I wanted to. So I just usually keep it strong throughout, I am not really relaxing, but I am putting the ball closer to my target more often.

So now I am at a critical junction and I don't know exactly how to proceed. I would tell myself to keep working on getting a good relaxed and fluid arm swing, and I am sure every certified coach would tell me the same. But my track record tells me otherwise and my scores aren't letting me go back. I am hitting the pocket a lot more often and usually carrying much better. I have had quite a few higher games lately and it would seem I am breaking out of my slump. I don't want to get premature though, I still have the lower scores in there as well, but overall I am bowling much better now than I have at any time in the past six months.

Now on to the really exciting and kind of funny news. What do you think of when I say Brooklyn? Do you think of the city? Or, like most bowlers, do you think of striking on the wrong side of the head pin? For good bowlers, nothing is more aggravating than when someone misses big and gets rewarded for it. That is what is happening when someone goes Brooklyn for a strike. They missed and are around six boards left of where they meant to hit the pins. Many bowlers get quite upset about this. I proved that theory correct on Wednesday night in our scratch league.

This scratch league is a really fun league. It is on a really tough shot and hardly anyone is ever shooting a 600 series or 200 game. The high series in the league is 686 and the high average is 196. So it is pretty tough. Well this week was the roll off to see who would win the second third of the season. We were 1 1/2 points behind, so we knew with only 3 points available we had to sweep to have a chance. problem was we were also depending on another team not winning more than 1 as there were three teams battling it out for the win.

Well I shot a pretty solid 184 the first game out and our team won by more than a few. Luckily the other team we were close to lost the first game so then we were only 1/2 point behind. I was playing in the slickest part of the lane, but by the end of the first and into the second game, the ball was hooking a ton and the line was drying up. Finally I knew I had to make a move but I knew if I moved left I would be getting into the dryer part of the lane and I would have to make a large 15 board move and I didn't feel comfortable with that. I could move right and go further into the slick out of bounds of the lane but I knew that would lead to a lot of washouts. So the only rational option I had left was to line up Brooklyn.

I adjusted my line so that I would go Brooklyn, or if I missed right it would go high into the pocket. Anything around that area was pretty safe, going light is where people get into trouble on this pattern. So I make the move, start getting strikes on the Brooklyn side and end with a strong finish and a 190 game. Our team barely squeaked out a win by less than 10 pins. The other team also lost so now we had a 1/2 game lead. Things were looking really good. Plus as an added bonus, since our opponent had lost a close game and now were done a point behind the leaders, their morale wasn't too great. Add in the fact I was lined up and striking Brooklyn, they were not happy campers. This would prove to be quite detrimental for them.

The last game I was able to line up in just the right way. I was either going Brooklyn or missing right and drilling the pocket. Each time I struck on the left lane, they got even more frustrated and would comment on it which would make me just smile. For the first half of the game we were close and going back and forth, but their frustration leaked through and proved to be their downfall. By the 9th frame we were up by 90 pins and we ended up winning by triple digits. I had a strong finish and shot my first 200+ game in forever on that pattern. The other team we were up against also won their game so if we hadn't won and swept the night we would have lost the third. Fortunately that did not happen and now we are one of four teams locked into the roll off for the 1st place prize of $5000!

By finally having the right equipment, Roto Grip Defiant, and playing a good line I was able to finally put together a decent set on that pattern. No more sub 500s for my series, I was high on the set that night with 576. Even better is we are no longer on that killer Brunswick Phantom patter, but are moving to the 2012 USBC Open Championships pattern. I am expecting a lot higher scores this third.

So after the last few sets my cumulative average has taken a hit, but many of those sets were scored after having fun on the lanes. I think one of the most important things to do when you are frustrated with the sport of bowling and/or in a slump is to actually have some fun with the game. Talk some trash back and forth with your friends, play different lines and see if they will work. See if you can purposefully leave certain spares and then pick them up. Sometimes scoring lower is the healthiest thing to do for your mental game.

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 8

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:48:00 +0000

Spare shooting. People in bowling usually don't care enough about spares. They want the equipment that will get them the strikes, learn adjustments to keep striking once a lane pattern transitions. They focus on strikes so much that sometimes they let their spare game suffer and they wonder why they don't average higher. Each spare that is missed is usually worth 10 pins or more on the final score. So the difference between a 170 average and a 200 average is only a matter of three spares.

So in short, if you want to average higher you need to practice spares. And if you practice spares, you will get more strikes, that is just how it seems to happen. There are many good ways to practice spares, one good way is to shoot the 10 pin off the rack on the first shot and the 7 pin off the rack on the second shot. Do this for a three game set a few times a week and it should help out quite a bit. If you have the center that can do it, have the computer set down certain spares and spend an hour or two shooting at different combinations.

One thing I have neglected over the past couple weeks is getting in some good practice and shooting spares over and over. My three game set on Wednesday night showed both my ability to shoot spares, and my lack of spare practice. One thing to remember when bowling on sport patterns is that not only are strikes harder to get, but spares are too. It is better to throw straight at spares instead of depending on hook with a tougher shot. I haven't been throwing straight at all my spares because I have not been too confident in it as of late, and that has hurt my game. Although I was 100% on single pin spares, my multi-pin spare percentage was way down.

Game 1
The first game was rough for me. Three splits for opens and two missed multi-pin spares. Total of five open frames. I can tell you there won't be any high scores if you have three or more open frames much less five. Did throw some strikes but this game was ugly through and through. Ended the game with a 136 and our team lost by more than a few.

Game 2
The second game was a lot better and not because I was throwing the ball any better, but because I was getting more breaks. Had an open off a split to start with and then was clean until the 10th frame where I just had to get another split for an open. Ended the game with a score of 180, lower than my goal of 200, but not disappointing in any way. Luckily we won the second game by five pins and gained back the first point we lost.

Game 3
The third game started out the best of all three. I had three strikes in a row out of the gate. But of course, I had to put down a big 2, 8, 10 split in the 4th frame. I believe that was my third one of the day. After another open on a simple 3, 6 spare I struck and then spared and then a nice 8, 10 split was left standing and I had three opens after eight frames. I finished okay with two strikes and a spare for 179, but leaving those splits were kind of a morale killer for the night. The good thing was we ended up winning by a whole bunch because our last two bowlers shot huge games so I wasn't too bummed about the performance.

Summary
Split city is where I was born before this set and apparently I decided to be raised there throughout the three games as well. Seven in total and not a one of them was converted for a spare. The bright side is I was able to salvage somewhat decent games to help my team a little bit and win two out of three points to be within a half point of first place. Converting all single pin spares is definitely a big deal on nights like this.

My average for this league is now down to 184. This is pretty significant since 8 weeks ago it was 201 before they switched from the Brunswick Competitive 2 pattern to the Brunswick Phantom pattern. I really enjoy throwing on these tougher shots as it gives me a true measuring stick of how I am performing. A 17 pin drop in average from one sport shot to the other in just two months is pretty hardcore and really signifies that not only is this Phantom pattern a beast of a shot, but that I am not quite at a turning point in breaking my slump.

I am going to be continuing to throw the ball the way I have this week and see if my scores change at all. I have decided to go against the grain and think outside of the fundamental bowling box. Instead of going for a nice smooth, loose and relax arm swing, I am putting some power into the ball. The strange thing is I feel like I am more accurate with it. When I was more relaxed I would toss the ball outside of my mark one frame and tug it inside on the next. With this more powerful swing I feel like I am fitting into a bit tighter window and I don't drive myself nuts by going from one extreme to the other. It is not something any coach or even pro player will ever advise doing, but at this point I feel it may be a nice change for a few weeks, and who knows, maybe I am just one of those players who score higher by really swinging the ball instead of being a pendulum.

I bowl next on Sunday. I will be pre-bowling for my Sunday Practice league early in the morning and bowling a doubles tournament later so a lot of bowling ahead of me. Wish me luck!

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 7

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Do you have fun when you bowl? Do you just bowl on the weekend with some friends to party and have a good time? Do you bowl league or tournaments? When you compete, do you do it for the challenge? Or for the money? Is it fun for you?

Well I bowl for a few reasons. One, I am good at it so it is fun to compete and get better and test my skills against others who are just as good and better. Two, a lot of my best friends bowl and it is really fun to compete with, and against them. And finally, it is like a side job that helps earn money to pay for more bowling and other hobbies.

Sometimes, league is all about competing and winning money for me, and other times it is only about goofing off with friends and having a good time. Last night in my scratch league was one of those fun nights. A friend of mine wanted me to use my Storm Fired Up last week and I didn't do it and we were talking trash back and forth so I told him I would use it, and only that ball, for this week. So, true to my word I only brought in my bowling shoes and Fired Up to throw.

I showed up a little late to bowling so I only had time to throw two balls during practice. Which was okay because I knew I would need to play on the right side of the lane. I ended up finding a good line standing on 17 and targeting 8 at the arrows. It seemed to be a solid line and only one or two others were in the area with me, everyone else was either a bit left in the track area, or way deeper and hooking the lane.

Game 1
The first game started off well. Had a double and then two 9 count spares another strike but then an open. All of my shots were pretty good, I did flag a 10 pin but I wasn't too concerned, I wasn't really focused and trying to score like I usually am. I then went off for a 5 bagger, and didn't line up for the fill ball so I 7 counted that one to finish with a 233 game. I even won my point!

Game 2
The second game started off even better. I had a great look and banged out the front five right away. I thought I had a good shot at a big game, but then left a 10 pin, then a 4 pin, then a 7 pin and had three spares in a row. Finished with a double then open for a 245 game. Crappy thing is I lost to a 255 game! The guy I was bowling could carry the world and play anywhere on the lane. It was crazy to see.

Game 3
By the third game I was barely paying attention to anything, but I was noticing a little transition and I moved a little left to start, only to swing the ball way out and 6 count. Spared it and tossed another wide shot which resulted in an 8 count spare. Put up a double, then a 4 pin spare, strike and then BAM! I hit the burn spot hard and the transition crashed through the door like an angry SWAT team. I couldn't move enough to get away from it. Left three split opens in a row and finally got a spare then strike in the tenth frame. I scrapped together a 171 game and even managed to win my point for three out of four on the night.

Summary
Overall I had a couple of opens that I could have converted had I been focused and not goofing off, and I could have adjusted faster and not leave so many splits at the end of the last game, but I still shot 649. It was higher than I expected to shoot and I wasn't bummed at all, even with the last game being what it was. I threw the ball a different way than normal, instead of using a free loose arm swing and relaxing, I was throwing it with intent and using more muscle than coaches I have had would like to see. Even though I was throwing it differently, I seemed to be more accurate than usual. Interesting.

Next week we bowl a friend of mine and his team, for the sixth time this year. Pretty remarkable considering you usually only line up against someone two or three times in one season. So we were talking and we will be mixing up the lineup quite a bit. Also, I have agreed to only use one ball again, and to line up as far left and hook the ball as much as I can. It is the last night of the second third of the season and we are near the bottom so the points we win do not matter at all. It should be pretty fun, I wonder how I will score when I am trying to line up like a power player.

This week brings this season's cumulative average to 202.9. I expect another dip after league tonight, I am hoping for a 600 series, but anything over 550 would make me happy. It is such a tough shot, you have to be really accurate to shoot anything good and the last couple of weeks I have not been accurate at all.

Wish me luck!

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 6

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:04:00 +0000

Sometimes things just come together. They just click. Sometimes, no matter what you do you can't go wrong. You can go on this epic run of insanity and no one can touch you. Unfortunately, I haven't had one of these for a while. If you have, congratulations! They are quite fun and I hope I can get back there soon. Yesterday's bowling session on my Sunday Practice league was almost such a run. Close, but a ways to go before it could ever be referred to as "epic".

I scored well and had a good set. I was over the number I set as the standard and was close to my goal. I didn't necessarily throw the ball well and actually deviated from my style and tried something completely new, so I wouldn't say it was a step in the right direction, it could be, but I am not convinced of that until I try a few more things. But it seemed like no matter where I threw the ball or how I threw it, it decided it wanted to strike. All except for a few were at least 9 count or higher. It is nice when that happens, but I wish I could've taken advantage of the opportunity better.

Game 1
So in case you have missed previous posts about my bowling on this league, there are a few factors that have to be considered when looking at my scores. 1. It is a practice league. Not competitive and as far as I know, the payout is almost non-existent. 2. It is on a very easy house shot. 3. No one over a 210 average bowls this league besides myself. I now have a 214 average and I am 14-15 pins higher than the next highest person. 4. There is 4 points possible per week and our team won the first half by 9 and a half. We were leading this half by 2 points at 8-0 going into this week. 5. I have never shot a 300 game or 800 series, so that is always my ultimate goal for any bowling this whole season.

With that being said, I shot a 223 game out of the gate. In practice I was crushing the pocket from multiple angles and the first ball during scoring goes high flush and leaves a 4 pin. So I spare it and even though the first chance at 300 is ruined I think about 800 and just continue to roll. After 3 in a row I leave a 9 pin and spare it up. I throw another 3 in a row, all shots are hitting the pocket hard, and then I tug it a little bit and leave a 7 count. So I spare that up and trying to punch out for 246, I end up with a big split in the first ball of the tenth frame. I take out one and end the game with a 223. I wasn't too happy with that outcome since I was in the pocket almost the whole game and probably should have had front 8, but oh well. I knew I needed a 277 or higher the next game for a chance at 800 so I mentally lined up and moved on.

Game 2
I start the game very well, I am still crushing the pocket after moving left a little and after three frames I have three strikes. 4th frame comes up and I leave a 7 pin off of a good shot. I'm not too happy about this and I know I need to spare it for a chance at 800, and since my second shot at 300 was ruined, this was pretty important. I go up and throw what I believe to be a good spare shot, only to have the ball hold in the middle and not hook. Now I am cursing myself for not being confident enough to throw straight at it. So now my 300 shot is gone, my 800 shot is gone and I have no reason to score in the second game.

I pull out my Roto Grip Defiant, and start killing the pins with that ball. I get three in a row and then I swing the ball out too far right and leave a washout. I pick up two and find myself staring at a 229 max. So I do something I haven't done in a long time. I just wanted to see how much I can hook the ball. I move way left, slow my feet down, tuck my pinky and rip on the ball with an exaggerated follow through and I was surprised to see the ball tear up the line and explode the rack. I found this interesting so I continued in the tenth frame and was shocked to see I had punched out for a 229 game.

Game 3
Since my new "power player" style was working well, I decided to use it to try to shoot a 300 the last game. The very next ball just happens to miss the 9 pin and I am staring at a stone 9 that has now cost me any shot of being happy with this set, even though the scores were pretty good. And by now I am no longer concerned with bowling good as I can't get 300 or 800 and my team won the first two games and were guaranteed series. So I pick up the spare and just forget about bowling seriously the rest of the day.

By now I am just joking with friends and wanting the game to be over so I just continued doing what I was doing. It didn't matter that I was tugging some shots and swinging some shots out, I was striking because this house shot is really easy. I then put up the next six strikes in a row. That was until I left another 7 pin, which I just so happen to flag and leave an open frame. I really didn't care at this point because it didn't make any difference to me so I pressed forward, got a double and then a 2, 8, 10 split with the second ball in the tenth frame. I ended with a 241 game and 693 series.

Summary
So I did end up with a 693 series and it could have easily been over 700 had I been interested in shooting high scores outside of 300 and 800. This is a very good set, but I was a bit upset I didn't throw anything huge since I had so much room for error. A few more spares and I would have had over 730, but for how easy they were this week, I probably would have only been happy with 750 or better. Oh well, there is always tomorrow night.

And speaking of tomorrow night. I have a wager going on. A good friend of mine was trying to get me to throw my Storm Fired Up last Tuesday during our scratch league, but I knew it wouldn't work very well, especially since I tried it once or twice and didn't like what I saw. So I told him that this week I would only bring the Fired Up into league and bowl exclusively with that ball. And we made a wager that if I shoot over 700 with the ball I owe him $20, but if I shoot under 700 he owes me. This is not a very serious bet so it is likely neither of us would pay up, especially since it is so skewed in my favor, but it is fun anyway.

Time to get Fired Up!

Wish me luck!

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 5

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Do you ever have those days where everything you do just goes wrong? You get out of bed and stub your toe. You go to make coffee and break a mug. You have a bad hair day. Your car is out of gas. You get to work late and it's the one time your boss notices when you arrive. Just feels like nothing can go right? Well, that is how I felt while bowling league last night. Kind of like the punt returner for the San Francisco 49ers.

Before bowling started I was so optimistic on how I would bowl. I was able to practice on the pattern on Saturday, and I threw the ball great. Then I bowled well on Sunday and last night during league. So I was sure I would bowl good. Especially since I had some good advice from the coaches at International Art of Bowling. There was no way I was going to bowl as bad as I have the previous few weeks. Or so I thought...

Now keep in mind we were bowling on a very tough and low scoring pattern, the Brunswick Phantom, so it is pretty hard to score over 200. So if I score low on this league I am not too hurt by it, and my actual goal is only a 600 series. I don't get frustrated or angry when I don't strike, people aren't striking on it very often so I have no problems with it.

I do get frustrated when I cannot throw the ball where I am targeting though. And that just so happens to be what happened all night last night. Nothing I did seemed to work and everything was going wrong. This pattern is a 43 foot pattern so you want to see the break point right around the 12 board. I tried that, all night long, and just couldn't do it. No matter where I was standing I couldn't throw the ball where I was aiming. I tried standing on the right side and throwing it with angle to the pocket, tried throwing straight up, and finally playing deep and looping it. All of which ended the same way, usually with a split or multi-pin spare as the result.

Game 1
This night started off really rough. During practice I was doing okay and had a line that I liked and was getting to the pocket well. Once the lights turned on, the lane and my ball were conspiring against me because I couldn't get anything going. I had a great look, but kept swinging the ball out to the right for some reason, it was really strange. I would be looking right at my target, arm relaxed, release good, and then the ball would sail to the right of where I wanted. My team could tell I was getting frustrated but I couldn't fix the issue and that was why I was upset. Well that and my knee was killing me. For some reason my knee has started hurting while I bowl. I know it is something I am doing in my slide, but I haven't quite been able to isolate it to fix the issue. I think I need to order a new S8 sole from Dexter. The game ended after way too many open frames resulting in a wonderful 139. The absent score is 150.

Game 2
The second game wasn't a whole lot different than game 1, except for the fact that I tried to tug the ball instead of swing it out so much. I started moving around the lane to account for it and I had a total of 4 Brooklyn strikes in the game. And 1 good strike! I mostly stayed clean except back to back big splits in the 4th and 5th frames. Total of 5 strikes, 3 spares and 2 open frames for a 192 and high game on the pair.

Game 3
When the last game rolled around I had no idea what to do. I was either swinging the ball way right of my target and washing out or leaving tough splits, or I would tug it and go Brooklyn side. Add to it that our team had lost the first two games and we were dropping further away from first. I really wanted to bowl even better and shoot big the last game to redeem myself. I moved where I thought I had the best chance and I struck on my first shot. And then more of the same. Opened in the second frame and then a few spares and another Brooklyn strike. And so on until I ended with 4 strikes, 3 opens and 4 spares for a 169 game.

Overall I ended with a 500 series, 100 short of my goal, but higher than the last two sets I have shot on that league. I have now gone down from 201 with the first pattern, Brunswick Competitive 2, to a 186 now with this Brunswick Phantom pattern. That is a 15 pin drop in 10 weeks. Needless to say it is rough and I look forward to when we change patterns again. Hopefully I can hit my goal of 600 next week, but I am thinking it is going to take some major practice!

The lesson I have had drilled into me from this league and my advice to you is learn how to repeat shots. Practice throwing the same line over and over and over. Don't look at what you score while you are practicing, just put down a post it note, bowling tape, or use a sophisticated tacking system like the C.A.T.S., and you can learn exactly where you are throwing the ball and learn how to repeat the same shot over and over. If you want some good advice on targeting, check out this Kegel Target System article.

My next adventure is on Sunday for the easy house shot I love to try and get over the honor score hurdle at. Hoping for 700 this week!

Wish me luck!

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 4

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:35:00 +0000

I would like to take this opportunity to express how upset I am by the two conference championship games this last weekend. I really wanted Baltimore and San Francisco in the Super Bowl, but because of stupid mistakes made by a couple individuals, I have to try to figure out which of the two teams I hate that I want to win it all. These were definitely double face palm types of games to watch. Anyway.

Yesterday I was combing through my usual bowling spots online and I stumbled across something very helpful. It wasn't a tip or instructional video, it didn't even come from a coach or pro bowler or anything like that. What I read was a reminder of something I had already known, but was forgotten yet very useful to my mental outlook on bowling.

I was reading the latest Gutter To Glory post from Timothy Merath. Tim is a Wisconsin native who just started bowling regularly and wanted to document his entire experience of league bowling. Gutter to Glory is a great blog about bowling and is not only entertaining, but has some good tips. It also happens to be the inspiration for me doing a series on "Breaking The Slump". Well yesterday Tim posted an entry to his blog titled "Law of Averages". Seeing the title brought the concept back to the forefront of my mind, and as I read the article it began to sink in more and more.

According to Dictionary.com:

1. a statistical principle formulated by Jakob Bernoulli to show a more or less predictable ratio between the number of random trials of an event and its occurrences.

2. Informal . the principle that, in the long run, probability as naively conceived will operate and influence any one occurrence.

This is basically an optimistic outlook that no matter how bad something is, eventually it has to even out and get better. I was glad to read Tim's article because it inspired me to remember that no matter how bad a slump may get, you will eventually break out of it and everything will even out and get better. Actually, it made me think that as bad as this slump has been, once I do break out of it, I will probably begin bowling really well.

So that thought was bolstering my confidence all day long, and I was positive about my league because I had taken a 3 week break and usually a small break is a good thing. After working late and grabbing a quick bite I finally got to the bowling center for my scratch league with only a few minutes to spare before league started. This provided a great opportunity for all those around me to give me a hard time about "returning" to bowling after such a hiatus. Also, enough time for me to talk some trash to my opponent of the night, a friend of mine who happens to be in the Utah State Bowling Hall of Fame. He claimed he was going to sweep me and win 4 points. Since he is averaging 16 pins higher than me, I didn't argue that point too much.

Practice began and I tried to use my new Roto Grip Defiant again, but unfortunately, like most of the patterns I bowl on, the Defiant didn't match up well so I used the Storm Second Dimension instead. This ball is like my trusty sidekick who never lets me down! I tried a few different looks, but I finally decided on a line where I was standing on 30 and targeting 15 at the arrows.

Game 1
So, the game started off pretty well. I had some tug room inside, some swing room outside and overall I was smashing the pocket. Before I knew it I had front 7. Funny thing was, another guy on my pair also had front 7 with his new Storm Crossroad, seeing is how it was the first game out of the box for the ball I knew he was going to shoot big (Virgin balls usually always do well). So I go up for my 8th shot, starting to get kind of nervous since I have never shot 300 before, and I took a deep calming breath as I usually do in my pre-shot routine and told myself to keep it smooth. When I threw the ball, it came off my hand weird and I was worried about it being a bad shot. The ball sailed right and luckily recovered and struck. Front 8. Nice! The next shot, I got up and went through my routine but now I was even more nervous, especially since they pay you $100 for an honor score. Because the ball fell off my hand in the previous shot, I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. I went up and released the ball and my heart dropped because I got a good handful of the ball and I knew I was in trouble. The ball hooked hard and went through the nose and almost Brooklyn leaving me a 3 pin. Bugger! So I clean it up, punch out in the 10th and finish with 279. During the whole game I didn't have to move at all, it was pretty nice, but I knew it was a false sense of security because we bowl on lanes that are already broken down, and all of us on the pair bowl aggressively and these conditions are notorious for a huge transition the second game.

Game 2
The second game was the tricky one for me. It started out fine, but once the transition happens, you have to move big and move quick. Unfortunately I didn't do this and suffered two big splits because of it. After moving I found the line again and was scoring okay and then at the end I tried a different ball and left another big split. Flagging a 10 pin and leaving 3 splits does not add up to a good game. Ended with a hard fought 199.

Game 3
The third game was a big question mark for me as I didn't know which ball to throw and what the best line would be. I had a few options that were close, but nothing great. The right lane was hooking more and everyone was having an issue keeping the ball left of the head pin. I ended up moving two boards left and about 6 inches back on the approach and upped the ball speed a little. This worked pretty well for the right lane, but the left was trickier for me, I thought it was strange as it was the opposite for everyone else. On the left lane I made two ball changes, the first didn't work out well and finally using my polished Critical Theory did the job well enough. I couldn't get any strings of strikes going, but I was able to stay safe and only really leave easy spares.

Overall I shot pretty well. My goal each Tuesday night is 660 and I surpassed that with a 696. Because our team is not in contention for first this third and I wasn't in any side pots and all of our friends were right next to us, the focus wasn't really there and my only motivation was to beat my friend Craig who would exchange friendly trash talk with me all night. So I probably could've bowled much better, but having two clean games and almost 700 was good enough for me.

So far that is back to back sets where I met or exceeded my goal score. This brought my cumulative average to 202.9 for a total of 205 games since August 1, 2011. This could end up being the turning point where I begin to break the slump. I don't want to count my spares before they're converted though, tomorrow night is the toughest pattern I bowl on and my goal is 600, high average on the league is currently 199. I did just get some great advice from the coaches at the IAB (International Art of Bowling), and with their help I am hoping I can line up and attack the shot correctly and start scoring near the top of the league like I started out doing earlier this year.

My closing advice for anyone with a slump is to remember karma, law of averages or what have you. No matter how bad it gets, it will always get better. Keep the positive outlook and learn from your mistakes.

I'll be posting another chapter in Breaking The Slump tomorrow with the results of the Utah Premier Scratch League.

Wish me luck!

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 3

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:22:00 +0000

One of the bad things about bowling on leagues that aren't scratch or competitive at all, is when you don't have the opportunity to shoot big, you don't have the motivation to scrap out a really solid set of games. This is what happens to me on Sundays during my Sunday Practice league at All Star Fun Centers Sandy.

I have found myself losing focus and not giving an all out effort once my opportunity for 300 is gone. You see, I have never shot an honor score, much less a 300 game. I have had 17 in a row during league play, 11 in a row five times, 299 three times and have yet to break the plane of that 300 threshold. It is my main goal in bowling at all times, the bar at which I set the success for my bowling season. During this Sunday league when I am bowling on an easy house shot, I expect to shoot it. I have had the front 9 twice already this year and haven't been able to shoot over 279.

So now when I leave a 4 pin in the first frame of the first game, a part of my mental game clicks and shuts out the ability to focus the rest of the game. Even though I would still have the opportunity for an 800 series, I only focus on the goal of a 300 game. If I don't have a chance for a perfect game, I look forward to the next game and just start trying to find a shot that will work better than the one I have, or I start talking about who is going to win the football games that day. (Curse you Billy Cundiff!)

Game 1
During practice I felt really good about my look. I had a good reaction with the Storm Second Dimension and had some room and was hitting the pocket hard. First frame up and I stone a 4 pin on a high flush shot. Pretty upset about ruining a chance for 300 on the first frame I get up and line up for the spare and throw a good ball, but don't expect the ball to not react and fly right by the right side of the 4 pin leaving an ugly open frame right off the bat. So after the open I didn't care too much about the game. Our team had already won the first half, the team we were bowling against was near the bottom anyway, and I wanted to line up to have a good shot for next game. So I move and begin with a couple strikes and then all of a sudden I have seven in a row. Thinking about how upset I would be with yet another 11 in a row without 300, I pretty much jinxed myself. I swing the ball out too much and leave an easy 7 count spare. Unfortunately I didn't learn my mistake from the first frame as I put the ball in the same slick spot and it doesn't react again and chops the 9 out of the 2, 4, 9. So now I am in the 10th frame and no spares yet. I throw the ball, get a little bit too much hand in it and go high and leave a 3, 6, 10 spare. I end up thinking about what I am going to try in the fill ball to line up that I chop the 3 pin off the spare and leave a third open frame. Finish with a 220 with three opens. This was funny to me after shooting 637 last week with a clean set.

Game 2
I started this game off of a double and everything was looking good. I had made a ball change to the Roto Grip Critical Theory and had a great look. Then I smashed the pocket for a 10 pin. A turkey later I send the ball out too far again and leave the 2, 4, 10 split for another open frame. Then another turkey and another smash 10. I felt like I had some room as long as I didn't send the ball out too far right. All I was worrying about for the third game was carry. I ended on an open frame, which only cost me a pin, and shot a 232. So after having 5 missed spares I was still 452 after two games which was 20+ pins better than the previous week after having two clean games. On to the third!

Game 3
The third game started much like the second game, started with a double and feeling good about it. Unfortunately getting the ball a little outside and seeing it jump through the high part of the pocket leaving a 4, 6 split ruined any hope for a perfect game this week. The only cool thing about leaving a 4, 6 split is if you happen to pick it up. I launched the ball towards the 4 pin, 16 lb ball traveling at 26.4 mph at the camera, I kissed the left side of the 4 pin sending it into the 6 pin and converting the tough spare for the first time in my life. That was almost a good consolation for ruining my last chance at an honor score for the day. Almost. So the rest of the game I was only concerned with winning the game. We went 4-0 last week which was the first week of the second half of the league and we started 2-0 this week as well. We really didn't need to win, but I enjoy it, even more when we sweep, so I wanted to shoot high to ensure we were 8-0 after two weeks. We found that some of the straighter bowlers on the other team were pushing some carry down in the center of the pattern, the weird thing was it was only the left lane with the slick spot. We were having some trouble getting the ball to react inside so we began toying with some adjustments. After moving a little right and slowing down, I just decided to go from the Critical Theory to the Second Dimension on the left lane. Using two different balls is always kind of fun, but I made it work well by punching out after not getting much carry and leaving 8 and 10 pins. I struck out for a clean 227 game and shot 679 series.

I came into the day putting the bar at 675. If I had shot below it I would've been disappointed and anything over it was fun. Hitting 679 with 5 opens is bittersweet. I am glad I finally scored the way I expected to, but wasn't happy about not shooting anything big. My season average went up just a little bit and is now 202.4, and the league average went from 212 to 213 so it is getting closer to the 220 average it should be on such an easy shot.

My next opportunity to attempt to break out of this slump is on Tuesday night for the All Star Masters league. This is a scratch league and is one of the most competitive in the area. It is also the most difficult house shot I have ever played on. We bowl on a 4 man team scratch league and we bowl after a 4 man team league gets finished and they do not re-oil lanes. So we never know how they will break down from the earlier league, and when we bowl, everyone is using aggressive styles and equipment so the lanes break down even faster for us. My goal for this league is always 660 or higher.

Wish me luck on the lanes!!!

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 2

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

Yesterday I was surprised by a good friend of mine needing a sub for his 5-man scratch team at Valley Bowling Lanes in Kearns, UT. I couldn't let him down since there was no one else who could fill the spot for him. So I had an impromptu 3 game set in a competitive environment. This is a league I bowled 2 years ago and have subbed on a couple times, so I am a bit familiar with the house shot they use.

I decided I wanted to avoid the over/under I usually see with house shots around here so I started practice with a solid, the Roto Grip Defiant. My hand is still opened up from the weekend so the first few shots were painful but I got used to it and started throwing the ball well. The Defiant proved to be way too aggressive so I switched to a Storm Second Dimension. This ball rolled much better and I started striking.

1st Game

I started out the game leaving a 4, 6, 7 split by pulling the ball a little left. Then I got it going a bit, but the lane kept transitioning in a weird way for me, I had to move slightly right, and then way left. The ball kept pushing and going flat into the pocket or too light. Then it was coming in too sharp and I was leaving 4, 7 combos and 4 pins or 9 pins. Ended with a 192 the first game after starting off with a split and flagging an easy 4, 7 spare. I won my point in the 9th frame so there was no pressure to finish strong so I tested out my Defiant again in the 10th frame. It was still much too strong and I knew I couldn't throw it in the 2nd game.

2nd Game

The 2nd game started out okay, I started with a strike and then three 9 spares in a row. There was a 7 pin and two 9 pins. Had another strike and then a 4, 9 split. At this time I went to a ball that was a little less violent on the backend, the Roto Grip Critical Theory. It started out okay with a 10 pin and then a double, the 10th fram I pulled the ball a bit and left a 7 count spare. I tried out a weaker solid that I had in the bag, Jet Altitude, for the fill ball and found that the solids were rolling too early and I couldn't get a good line with them. Ended with a 187, two splits one for an open and one in the fill ball. Lost the game by 60 pins since my opponent decided to shoot over 260.

3rd Game

I stuck with the Critical Theory for the third game, but I picked up my ball speed a little so it wouldn't react so sharp on the backend. The third game went okay, I had one hiccup where I pulled it left and shot at a 1, 3, 6 spare. Other than that I had trouble carrying, left three 9 pins and one 10 pin. I ended with a clean 215 game and won my point by almost 20 pins. Unfortunately I couldn't overcome the huge 264 game my opponent shot in the second game so I lost series resulting in a 2-2 split.

Ending the night with a 594 series was a bummer. I was expecting at least a 660 on the simple house shot that I have played before. Especially since there were 3 or 4 other sets on the pair that was close to 700. This means out of the four 3 game sets I bowled this week, 637 I shot on the house shot Sunday Practice league was the highest. This lowers the cumulative average for the 2011-2012 Fall season to 202.1.

I did receive some good insight today from USBC Coaching Specialist Stephen Padilla. After asking him for some advice on how to break out of this slump he offered his two cents,

"Sounds like a tournament slump and you can work your way out of it. One of the simplest ways I’ve seem players break a slump is to “go back to basics” meaning equipment, technique, approach to tournament/league atmospheres, anything that seems to be in the way of success. Even if it’s just for a little while to clear the decision process, keeping things basic will clear out some of the confusion that may be causing the issues."

This was some pretty strong advice for me as I really trust Coach Padilla to give me excellent advice as he has done it on several occasions already. I haven't had anyone suggest going back to basics to break the slump and I really like the idea, so I am going to do my best to follow his advice. He recommended the following to really keep your game simple:

"-focus on one physical game piece

-limit your arsenal to 3-6 balls for a tournament/league

-give yourself one mental game thought before starting your approach

-limit your decisions when playing lanes"

I am really hoping this advice helps me to turn the corner and start raising those scores. The next opportunity I get will be Sunday morning at 10:30 am for my Sunday Practice league. This is an easy house shot and I have been shooting pretty well on it lately, so I expect a set of 660-720.

Until then, Wish Me Luck!!! Oh and go Ravens and go 49ers! (Baltimore for Super Bowl Champs!)

Images captured from the 12 Strikes iPhone App

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 1

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:23:00 +0000

This will be the first chapter in my novel of blog entries for the "Breaking the Slump" series. During each chapter entry I will summarize my previous night of bowling and the nightmare or the success story that goes along with it.

Last night I went to Jack and Jill Lanes in Lehi, UT to bowl the Utah Premier Scratch league. This league bowls on a competitive lane pattern, usually a sport shot depending on what is voted on. For this third of the bowling season we are bowling on the Brunswick Phantom lane pattern. This is a 43 feet long flat pattern utilizing a 1.4:1 oil ratio. To put this in perspective, the typical house shot utilizes around a 10:1 oil ratio and is usually 38-41 feet long. The good thing about a flat pattern like this is it allows for multiple angles of attack so you can play just about anywhere. The bad thing about a flat pattern is it allows for multiple angles of attack and you aren't forced to play one area so it can be hard to find a good line.

Before bowling last night our team was 1.5 points out of first place (3 points per week possible) and my bowling average was 189 (down from high of 201). I had been using a variety of equipment to try to find something to work. I had switched between a Storm Marvel Pearl, Storm Second Dimension, Storm Fired Up, Roto Grip Critical Theory and the Jet Altitude. Nothing seemed to work great for me and nothing could hook enough to play outside like I prefer, the out of bounds area is just too slick. So I have just acquired a Roto Grip Defiant and I was planning on using this monster to tame the outside of the lane.

So last night I started practice on the outsides of the lane and the Defiant did hold up to expectation in the sense that it hooked more than the other stuff, but it didn't hook enough like I wanted. So I knew I wouldn't be able to play my favorite line still so I threw two or three other lines in practice to find something that would work.

When we started scoring I was standing on 15 and targeting 10 at the arrows. It worked a little bit but the problem was I was too close to the out of bounds to the right and after three 3 counts off the right side, I had to move. So I moved 5 boards left and targeted 15 at the arrows. This was doing okay but if I pulled it a little left it would go brooklyn or completely miss the head pin to the left. The games went like this for the entire first and second game. I didn't have a double at all except when I struck out in the 10th frame of the first game. I had moved to stand on 25 and targeted 15 at the arrows and tried to keep my break point around 12. I had shot 159 and 150 and I was none too happy about that. Our team was bowling second place who had a 1/2 point lead on us and we had split the first two games so it was very important for us to win the last game. The line I found at the end of the first game disappeared when some carry down showed up so by the end of the second game I was lost again.

I moved really deep to play similar to those who were scoring highest on the night, but the risk was not worth the reward because if I pulled it a little left it would hook past the head pin and if I swung it too far right it wouldn't recover and would split or washout. So I decided to play the safe line and move back right and try to play straight up 10. This way if I missed left it would barely go brooklyn and had a chance to strike and if it went right it would leave an easier multi-pin spare. After a few tough breaks and some splits and opens, I struggled to finish with a 156. We ended up losing that game by 40 or more and are now down by 1.5 to that team and 2 to the first place team.

Overall I am still struggling to find a good line to play and when I do find something I am struggling to repeat shots. Every time I step up to the approach I take a deep calming breath, tell myself I will strike and win, but I haven't been able to hypnotize my body into believing it quite yet. After my dismal 464 performance, my average is now down to 187 bringing the tally to 14 pins that my average has dropped in the last 2 months.

The next time I bowl is a no tap tournament this weekend at Jack and Jill Lanes and hopefully I can do something good as the first place prize is a minimum of $500. Then I have the Sunday Practice league at All Star Fun Center in Sandy, UT on Sunday at 10:30 am.

Wish me luck!

Breaking the Slump - Prologue

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Welcome to Breaking the Slump. Here I will be chronicling my journey to break the extreme bowling slump that I am in. First I need to give you a little background. I am normally a 215 average bowler. I have a few smaller amateur bowling titles to my name. I am also a USBC Silver certified bowling coach. I am surrounded by great talent at all times and have received instruction from top level coaches at one point or another. Since August of 2011 I have been in a slump. A major one. One that has caused me to bowl the worst I have in 8 years.

Last Fall season I ended my scratch league with a 213 bowling average after doing some average control to fit under the average cap with some friends. I did not bowl a Summer league, but I did a lot of practice and got some great coaching. I did bowl a tournament or two that didn't end well so I suppose I could consider that as the beginning of the slump, but I don't. I consider the slump to have started with the beginning of my Fall leagues in August.

I am in three bowling leagues for this Fall season. One is a practice league on a fresh typical house shot. The second one is a scratch league on a typical house shot that has a league on before us and they don't re-oil. The third is on a sport shot scratch league that changes the shot each third. Currently I am averaging 212 on the easy house shot league and this has improved from 207. I am averaging 206 on the house shot scratch league that I normally average 215 on. I am currently averaging 187 on the sport shot scratch league. I keep track of my bowling scores every time I bowl on the iPhone app, 12 Strikes. From August 1st up to today, my cumulative average with all leagues and tournaments is 202.1 with a strike percentage of 52.5% and a split percentage of 9.7%. If you are keeping track that is almost 3 splits for every 3 game set.

This is unacceptable to me as I have never averaged this low since I moved adult from juniors 8 years ago. I have been doing everything I can to get out of this slump from practicing a lot, getting coaching, getting new equipment, bowling on different patterns, changing drill specs and even taking weeks off. So far nothing has worked, and if anything it is just getting worse. Some even suggest that I am thinking about it too much, but I don't see the correlation there if I bowl the same during a tournament as I do during a practice league where I am just having fun with some friends.

So, now that you know the back story and how I got here. I will begin to take you on the incredible journey of rock bottom to sky high as I break out of this slump and reach new heights and average higher than I ever have before. Stay tuned for updates on my progress through this bowling struggle of mine!

A New Direction

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Hello bowling world! I have been absent from this blog for a while, and while I have been gone from here I have been on the lanes, a bunch. Not as much as a pro, but more than the average bowler. I am currently in three fall leagues, two of them scratch leagues and I am averaging two tournament entries each month. This has gotten me to thinking about the direction of this blog.

Up until now the focus I have had for this blog is to provide bowling tips and instruction as well as provide information bowlers might find informative and/or entertaining. I have decided on a break from this and to take it in a new direction for a little while.

I am currently bowling more often in my life than at any other point during my bowling career. Normally this would be great, but the problem is, I am also in the largest slump in my life. This is another reason as to why I am going in a new direction here. I want to chronicle my bowling as best I can so I can help other bowlers who may get into the same kind of slump I have gotten into.

So I will be logging my journey to not only get out of my current slump, but to improve my game to a higher level than I have ever achieved. If you would like to provide tips that you have found useful, or good resources to view, I would love to check them out and put them to use.

More to come tomorrow, for now, I am off to my scratch league on a sport shot, IT'S A 1.4:1 RATIO!!! Tough stuff! See you later world!

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Saturday Jackpots

Saturday, December 10th at 1:00 PM.

All Star Sandy Lanes

10535 S State St

Sandy, UT 84070

$35 Entry - $335 Total Carry Over

Refer 5 first time bowlers and receive a FREE ENTRY!!!

If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, check us out on facebook or send us an email at info@luckycoaching.com

Saturday Jackpot Bowling

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:31:00 +0000

Saturday Jackpot Bowling

Last Saturday was a decent start. Less entries than I expected, but we had about 5 people who had some injuries and other issues that wouldn't allow there attendance. No one hit the jackpots so we have a $160 carry over for this week. Below are the details:

Saturday, July 30th 2011 @ 1:00 PM

Entry Fee = $35 ($30 prize fund - $15/each pot)

1st Game = Super Six Pot - 100% of the Super Six Jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler(s) who get the first 6 strikes in game number one. If there are no bowlers who achieve the front 6 in game number one, 1/3 of the jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler with the high game. The other 2/3 of the jackpot will be carried over into the next week.

2nd Game = Pyramid Pot - 100% of the Pyramid Jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler(s) who complete a "pyramid" by scoring an eight count or higher on the first ball of frames one through four of the second game, nine count or higher on the first ball of frames five through eight and finish the game with four strikes in a row. If no bowler completes the "Pyramid" in game number two, 1/3 of the jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler with the high game. 2/3 of the jackpot will be carried over into the next week.

Side Pots available:
$10 - Reverse Pot (achieve either of the jackpots in the reverse order. $5 will go into a pot for each game.)
$5 - Clean Set Pot (No open frames through both games. Only need one mark in the 10th frame.)

Pot Games To Follow

*$2.00 Processing Fee for entries using credit cards

For more information contact us at info@luckycoaching.com

Saturday Jackpot Bowling

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Saturday Jackpot Bowling begins this Saturday, July 23rd, at 10:00 AM and continue every Saturday thereafter. Registration opens at 9:30 AM.

The jackpot games will be an opportunity to have a fun and different experience in competitive bowling. The format is two games, each featuring a different jackpot goal.

Game 1 is the Super Six Pot. The goal of this jackpot is to strike in all of the first six frames. Any bowler(s) who get the front six of the first game will win and be awarded the entire Jackpot value for the first game. If there are no bowlers who win the Super Six Pot, 1/3 of the total jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler with the high game.

Game 2 is the Pyramid Pot. The goal of this jackpot is to get eight or more in the first four frames, nine or more in the next four frames and a strike in the last four balls. By getting an eight count in frames one through four, getting a nine count in frames five through eight and then striking out a bowler completes the "Pyramid" and will be awarded the entire Jackpot value for the second game. If there are no bowlers who complete the Pyramid Pot, 1/3 of the total jackpot value will be awarded to the bowler with the high game.

The entry fee for the Saturday Jackpot Bowling is $35. $15 goes into the first game jackpot and $15 goes into the second game jackpot. $5 goes towards all event fees.

After the two games are over, bowlers are encouraged to stay and compete against each other in "pot games". Bowlers will be responsible for their own lineage rates, and entry into each pot game will be determined by the bowlers before the game begins.

Feedback on the format is highly encouraged by bowlers who compete each week. If there are changes recommended and accepted by the majority of the bowlers, the format will be changed accordingly.

For additional information, please contact Lucky Coaching.

2011 Junior Gold Champions Crowned

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:22:00 +0000

The 2011 USBC Junior Gold Champions have been crowned after a tough week of competition.

Gary Faulkner of Memphis, Tenn., and Natalie Jimenez of Rowland Heights, Calif. claimed the national titles on Friday.

Faulkner finished with a 46-game total of 10,241, including a 9-7 record in match play with 20 bonus pins for wins. Andrew Koff of Miami took second with 10,016 and a 12-4 record.

On the girls side, Jimenez had a 46-game score of 9,819, including a 11-4-1 record, to top second-place finisher Elise Bolton of Merritt Island, Fla., who finished with a 9-7 record and 9,651 pins.

The top four finishers for both divisions earned automatic spots on Junior Team USA for 2012. Joining Faulkner and Koff on the boys side was third-place finisher Zack Hattori of Las Vegas, and fourth-place finisher and defending champion Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash.

On the girls side, joining Jimenez and Bolton on Junior Team USA was third-place finisher Amanda Greene of Romney, W.Va., and fourth-place finisher Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill..

Check the final standings for the boys division and the girls division to find out where everyone placed.

2011 Jr Gold Standings After 12 Games

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Hometown Zack Hattori finished 9th last year in the Junior Gold Championships and now he is sitting at number 5 after 12 games of qualifying. Zack says he loves to travel, but loves the fact he has the hometown support and comfort of the Junior Gold Championships being in Las Vegas. So far the local venue is proving to be advantageous for the recent high school graduate. He is averaging 217.5 with +210 after 12 games.

Here are the top 10 in the boys division after 12 games of qualifying:

Graham Fach - Guelph, ON +245
Cameron Weier - Federal Way, WA +240
EJ Tackett - Huntington, IN +234
Marshall Kent - Yakima, WA +225
Zack Hattori - Las Vegas, NV +210
William Duen - Orlando, FL +189
Michael Coffey - Melbourne, FL +188
Nathan Ricks - Plantation, FL +178
David Lance - Meritt Island, FL +168
A.J. Chapman - Manchester, IA +158

Bowl.com has posted the full standings for boys and girls after 12 games.

Start the Youth Bowlers Off in the Right Direction

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:39:00 +0000

When I was about nine years old I signed up and played little league football. I was obsessed with the game so being able to actually play it was some of the best fun I ever had as a child. But, without the coaches, we would have been completely lost and basically a giant cluster. The same could be said about bowling. I started bowling around the same time, but there weren’t any structured teams and coaches like football. Luckily I had some family members to help me along and teach me the game. No one in my family were coaches or good bowlers really; they just played the game as a hobby.

Even though no one was certified to coach or had much experience, they were able to give me the basics I needed to understand what to do. That along with watching good bowlers taught me what I needed to know. Later on, my mother got involved in youth bowling and became a certified coach and gave me additional help. I cringe to think of how I would have progressed had I not had any coaching at all. I would not have known the bowler courtesy required during league and tournaments, nor the simple physical form needed to get the ball down the lane. My bowling career would’ve taken a very different turn, or might have ended prematurely.

Many youth bowlers experience that sad story. No one who knows the game is available to nurture their bowling skills and groom them into something more than what they are. However, there are many youth that have the opportunity to work with someone who has been trained to help them along. There are USBC Certified coaches who volunteer countless hours to the youth programs in their area and help these kids to have more fun and raise their scores. My area now has several great coaches who are putting together programs to do that very thing.

USBC Gold Coach Karen Pullman has been working with local youth bowlers for many years. Even her husband Paul is certified to coach and together they have brought together other coaches and put together a successful coaching program that help the youth bowlers achieve greatness. This coming season is no exception.

Beginning September 10^th, 2011 All Star Sandy Lanes will be hosting the Saturday Morning Juniors every Saturday at 9:00 AM. Each Saturday the youth bowlers will receive 25 minutes of individual coaching instruction then put their lessons to use during three games of USBC sanctioned league bowling. All youth bowlers are welcome and coaches and parents alike who wish to volunteer are welcome to participate. All Star Lanes is located in Sandy, UT across the street from South Towne Mall, 10535 S State St.

If you would like additional information on the Saturday Morning Juniors youth program, USBC Coaching, All Star Sandy Lanes or private bowling instruction please contact Lucky Coaching.

Give Yourself Another Hand While Bowling

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:44:00 +0000

Hey do you remember that guy who was bowling on ESPN for $50,000 that bowled with only two fingers? Nope, not Jason Belmonte the two handed bowler from Australia. No, no not Osku Palermaa either. The guy who only uses one hand but doesn't use his thumb, remember him? No? Oh that must be because it didn't happen. Many new bowlers want to spin the ball as much as possible and think that will help them score higher and they are convinced the only way to do it is to bowl without their thumb. Recently there has only been one guy who has had any success on the PBA tour employing this method, his name is Tom Smallwood, and he even uses his thumb a little bit. In almost every case, the successful bowlers use the traditional method of using the middle and ring finger and the thumb to throw the ball. Rarely do you see guys who don't use their thumb, and the only ones who sustain success are the two handed bowlers who employ a style that is revolutionary in the sport of bowling. Using only two fingers just isn't cutting it.

Lately I have worked with several bowlers who throw the ball with only two fingers in the ball and they are frustrated by scores they think are low. They want to get better and improve, but aren’t willing to completely change. They seek out coaching instruction only to be told they must completely change their game to succeed. This is the story I get from bowlers I work with in this situation. Then because they don't want to change their whole style, they keep doing what they were doing before and they see the same unsatisfactory results. I don’t believe in one “perfect” way to bowl so I simply suggest they give themselves another hand.

The first step in coaching is identifying a concern and diagnosing the liability. In cases that I see someone using two fingers they suffer from the same issue, inconsistency. This becomes a major issue when competing and it will kill your average. Accuracy is king. I try to teach them that the thumb provides stability and control and is important for accuracy. That is why many bowlers are of the opinion that you can’t be good unless you use your thumb. Luckily for them, this isn’t true.

The first step for them to improve is to consciously make the decision to choose a style they will move forward with from then on. The worst thing someone can do is use one style for a while, then down the road decide to change and find they have wasted all that time using the wrong style. I recommend one of two options:

Traditional Bowling - Using the middle and ring finger and thumb to hold the bowling ball.
Two Handed Bowling - Using both hands throughout the approach to hold the ball. This can be done with or without using the thumb.

Changing to the traditional bowling style is repellant to a two finger bowler. They don’t think they can change and be as good. So when I mention to them that there is another option that will help them to improve, and it is similar to what they are already doing, they jump at the chance and are enthusiastic about employing the change. Most of them choose to bowl with two hands.

If you have not seen the fathers of two-handed bowling, Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa, throw the ball, do yourself a favor and watch them right now. They are amazing, and the style they use is revolutionary to the game of bowling. Even USBC Coaching has been studying it with motion capture and other state of the art technology so they can understand how to teach it to others. The style involves cradling the ball in the main hand, and using the second hand to guide the ball backward and forward to the release. It is basically substituting the thumb with your other hand. This style helps a bowler to generate many times more power than they would normally have with only one hand, especially if the thumb is not used. It also gives the two finger bowlers something very important that they usually lack, accuracy.

One thing is for sure, over the past couple of years, two handed bowling has gained momentum and credibility in the bowling world. Jason Belmonte is ushering in the new revolution in bowling and it is a legitimate option for bowlers to use. It is difficult for someone to learn, but it is a great alternative for all of those bowlers who choose to bowl without their thumb. So if you are one of the many bowlers out there who throw the ball with only two fingers, I highly recommend taking a page out of “Belmo’s” book and start using both hands. I predict your average will begin to climb once you get the hang of it.

For more information about two-handed bowling, or questions regarding any other bowling topic, contact us at info@luckycoaching.com.

Junior Team USA Selected for PABCON Youth Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Junior Team USA is the crowning achievement for any youth bowler in the United States. Only the best of the best in the country get the opportunity to represent their country all over the world. Thousands of bowlers compete for the opportunity and many times more dream of the chance. Just think of the feeling you would have when you step up on the approach of a center in a foreign land knowing that you are one of eight of the best youth bowlers in the country and you represent Junior Team USA and basically the United States of America.

In Arlington, Texas the new generation of Junior Team USA competitors have been chosen to represent the country again in the PABCON (Pan American Bowling Confederation) Youth Championships. Four boys and four girls have been chosen to for Junior Team USA. The girls roster includes Elise Bolton (FL), Jessica Earnest (IL), Danielle McEwan (NY) and Kaitlin Quinn (NY). The boys roster includes Marshall Kent (WA), Kyle King (AZ), Andrew Koff (FL) and EJ Tackett (IN).

The event will be held in Santiago, Dominican Republic from July 16-23 and will feature countries in the Americas competing in Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team, All-Events and match-play Masters and will be broadcast live on Bowl.com by the USBC. The last time Junior Team USA traveled to Colombia for the PABCON Youth Championships they captured a total of 19 medals. 8 Gold, 8 Silver and 3 Bronze medals, the boys and girls teams medaled in every event.

For more information about Junior Team USA or the PABCON Youth Championships, visit Bowl.com to read the full story.

Components of a Good Bowling Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0000

My tournament experience in the realm of bowling has been limited to a bunch of local events, a few out of state scratch events and one gigantic national event that happens in different parts of the country every year. I can’t say I have performed at the highest level as I only have a couple tournament titles under my belt, but I have had fun. I have learned one thing for sure though, if you are a bowler you need to compete in tournaments.

Even if you are only a league bowler who averages 140 or less, you should at least compete in local handicap events. The sense of accomplishment when you perform well is fantastic, and it helps you to improve your game. It is well worth the time and entry fee, so do yourself a favor and go compete.

Now I have seen tournaments put together extremely well, and I have participated in events where it hasn’t gone so well, or the format is not up to par. Unfortunately not everyone gets it. Some tournament directors charge too much for entry fees, some focus on a particular class of athlete and some just don’t do anything right. I have been in tournaments where bowlers who averages over ten pins higher than me, get more handicap. And bowlers who average just ten below me get thirty five pins per game more than I do. By the way, that was the same tournament. No consistency at all. That kind of inattention to detail is what results in less tournaments.

The tournaments that survive, keep most if not everyone happy. The entry fee is reasonable, the payout is great and the structure is well put together. The only problem is, in my area there are only a few left. I can count three tournaments each year that I will attend in my area, but that doesn’t include city, state or national tournaments by the USBC or local association, those are usually a given.

Because of the lack of quality tournaments, I have taken the time and effort to talk to some of the top bowlers in my area to see what their opinion is on what makes a good tournament. I think I have compiled a quality list of ingredients that is a recipe for bowling tournament success.

· Oil Pattern

o Something more difficult than a typical house shot, but not as difficult as a sport condition.

o The new USBC white pattern is a perfect middle ground, and a great choice for any tournament condition.

· Entry Fee

o Not many people want to pay high costs to bowl, but are willing to pay a higher amount if the format is good and the prize fund is worth it.

o The consensus is anything between $50 - $100 for events with more than 3 games.

· Scoring Format

o Although most scratch bowlers would obviously prefer scratch tournaments, there are not enough bowlers to support a scratch only event.

o Handicap at 80% of 220 and determining average by using the highest average over the last three years appears to be the best option.

· Game Format

o The longer the format the better the chance of a more skilled athlete winning. When there are only three games, one bad or average game will just about guarantee a loss. With more games you can recover from one bad game and still have a chance.

o Any format that is six to ten games is the best option. Sometimes it is fun to do a lot of games; there are twenty game tournaments for those who are a bit more “extreme” about their competitions.

· Tournament Format

o A lot of athletes are mixed about the type of tournament they like to see. All agree they like having side events such as doubles and high game pots and brackets most of the time.

o A lot of bowlers prefer a beat the board format where you post your score against the rest of the bowlers and that determines a winner. Many like it because they know what score they will have to beat.

o The alternative to beat the board is having qualifying cuts, semi-finals and a finals stepladder round. Qualifying cuts should be made by squad, by doing it by day the early squad bowlers will not know if they made it and lose the chance to re-enter if they need to because they led the early squad, but got beat out later. Doing cuts by squad ensures the lane conditions are consistent for the competition instead of some bowlers having an easier shot once the lanes break down.

o The consensus favorite of all the athletes I asked is the beat the board format with several squad times to have a chance to re-enter if the first attempt is not successful.

· Prize Fund

o After all tournament fees and lineage fees are paid from each entry fee, the prize fund is left over. The prize fund must be paid 100% back to the athletes.

o The payouts must be evenly balanced, nobody likes top heavy payouts that pay a lot to first place, and significantly less to second.

o The best choice for tournament payout is a 1 in 6 payout that cascades down. 2^nd place should receive 50% of 1^st, and 3^rd should get 50% of 2^nd and so on. That way the payout is not top heavy.

· Side Pots

o Side pots are always a good option. They do take some effort to run, but provide for more opportunities for the athletes to make some extra cash as well as provide more income for the tournament director to reward his efforts.

o Brackets – If there are enough higher average bowlers there will be a good opportunity to have brackets. Each bowler pays $5 for every bracket they wish to enter, and then there are eight bowlers per bracket which is $40 for every bracket. Winner takes $25 and second place wins $10 and the tournament director gets $5 per bracket.

o High Game – For each game someone will have the highest score. Each person who enters the high game pot and pays somewhere between $1 - $5 per game for a high game pot. If it is a ten game tournament then the high game pot entry is usually $10 or $1 per game. If there are twenty bowlers in the pot, each game will pay out $20 and that can pay $15 for high game and $5 for second high game.

o Sweepers – This is a pot where someone can take their two or three highest games during the squad and use them to compete against others and their highest games. This pot can be any amount for the entry and will usually pay around 1 in 8 or even 1 in 6 to pay more entries.

o Doubles – This is similar to a normal entry but is usually a lot less per person to enter. If it is a ten game event, a reasonable entry fee that has a good payout is $30 per team. Round Robin is the best option for doubles side events so that someone could partner up with multiple people over the same squad. The payout ratio should be around 1 in 6.

o Honor Score – Sometimes there is a pot for honor scores. Usually a 300 game pot and includes handicap to give bowlers a better chance to achieve the feat and win the pot. This is usually best when it is part of a tournament series and can have a rollover. Otherwise all of the entries for the pot will be kept by the tournament director to use at his discretion. Entry fee can be anything, but around $10 seems to be the best.

After discussing the issue with many scratch bowlers, Storm Bowling staff members, Higher Average Pro Shop and Strike Zone Pro Shop owners and the owner of The Bowling Approach blog, I have come up with a tournament format for local events that I am confident would be extremely successful.

The event would be a handicap beat the board tournament consisting of eight games over eight lanes, moving a pair of lanes each game. The event would be over 4 weekends and a squad each Saturday and Sunday morning, with two available the final Sunday. Handicap would be based on 80% of 220 and the average used would be the highest USBC certified average over the last three seasons bowled, including summer averages recorded on bowl.com. Entry fee would be $70 per person and there would be a scratch division available for $35 per person. Side pots would include a high game pot for $15, Round Robin Doubles for $30 per team, 300 Game pot (with handicap) for $10 and a 4 game sweeper for $20. Bowlers can enter into as many squads as they would like and multiple cashing would be available.

If you have any additional feedback for what makes a great tournament, or any other questions or comments please contact us at coach@luckycoaching.com. Please visit ScratchBowlers.com and BowlOutWest.com for information on tournaments in the North West and Rocky Mountain region.

Jet Bowling Summer Sweepstakes

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Hi, welcome to Lucky Coaching. Inside you will find a variety of subjects within the bowling world. So grab a shopping cart, wipe off the handle with disinfectant wipes, and say hello to the older retired gentleman who boisterously calls his greeting to you from his cozy little barstool type seat. Oh, wait, that is a different store. And as a matter of fact one that is nothing like Lucky Coaching. For one, we exist as an online source, not a giant warehouse of cheap goods. We don’t have a greeter or alarms or metal shopping carts with millions of bacteria. We just have our website, our facebook page, our twitter and ME!

Oh! And one other thing that we do have is an awesome partner! Yes that’s right, we have partnered together with Jet Bowling to bring you an exciting opportunity to win free stuff! Okay enough with the exclamation marks, this isn’t a spam mail. I have been working with the owner of Jet Bowling for quite some time now. I have been helping him market and advertise his new line of bowling balls, The Jet, Armor and Surrender. The Armor and Surrender are brand new and haven’t even begun to ship yet. I have been very impressed with the equipment and I am happy to throw Jet equipment whenever I bowl.

When the owner came to me with the two new bowling balls, I began to discuss marketing tactics to help spread the word about these amazing bowling balls. One thing I mentioned was using the power of social media and launching a sweepstakes for people to win a free Jet Bowling Ball of their choice. Thus the Jet Bowling Summer Sweepstakes was born! We used our fan pages, Lucky Coaching and Jet Bowling to launch the sweepstakes and so far we are excited to see the response.

Whoa, someone just yelled at me and demanded that I get to the details of how to win already. Geez people have no patience these days. Okay well here it goes. All you have to do to qualify for the drawing is to become a fan of both the Jet Bowling and Lucky Coaching fan pages. Then just fill out the official entry form, and BOOM you are entered to win a Jet Bowling Ball! Not only that, but if you share the offer with a friend and they enter, you get a bonus entry. So the more you share the better your chances of winning are. It’s a beautiful thing isn’t it? Oh and did I mention that you can enter every single day if you want to? Yep, that’s right. Enter each day and increase your entries in the drawing.

The sweepstakes is open from June 1, 2011 until August 31, 2011. On September 1, 2011 we will pick a Grand Prize Winner and one runner up. The Grand Prize Winner will receive their choice of any Jet Bowling Ball. The runner up will receive a free Jet Bowling Staff Member crew shirt. Again, I can’t stress this enough. You HAVE to be a fan to qualify for the drawing, and every friend who enters gives you a bonus entry. So what are you waiting for? Go and become a fan and enter the sweepstakes today. Then enter again tomorrow, and be sure to share this wonderful little opportunity with all of your friends so you can get even more entries.

If you have any questions about the sweepstakes visit our fan page and ask on our wall. You can also e-mail either Jet Bowling or Lucky Coaching your questions or comments. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Help Wanted: Volunteers for Today's Youth Bowlers

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:19:00 +0000

The youth are our future. In every aspect of life this is a fact. The area I am most concerned with at the moment is bowling. The youth bowlers right now will be the amateur champions and professionals of tomorrow. It is important that we take stewardship over the direction these youth bowlers will travel. We must educate ourselves to provide top notch instruction so they receive the best coaching available. We must also be a good example to them and teach them good sportsmanship and a winning attitude. If we fail at these things the future of the sport appears bleak at best.

Now I am not an expert of all youth bowling in every area, but I have observed some disheartening things here in Utah around the Salt Lake valley. I remember when I was a youth bowler I competed in several leagues and many tournaments. All of these competitions had great turnouts and there were a lot of really talented youth bowlers. My Saturday morning league had over fifty bowlers and the travel league had just about as many. Now when I walk into the same bowling center on Saturday mornings and expect to see the bright eyes of eager youth bowlers I am disappointed to see a ghost town. The state of the youth program in many centers is sad. There are some bright spots where individual volunteers make a great effort and do a great job to get the youth bowlers out and give them good instruction, but unfortunately this is the exception instead of the rule.

Hopefully this will all be changing soon. Before we can get youth bowlers to come and be good and have a winning attitude, we need volunteers and parents to get a good coaching education to provide the right kind of training for these young athletes. USBC and the YES fund are beginning to provide an opportunity where it will be easier than ever to get these volunteers the training they need.

The International Bowling Campus (IBC) Youth Development team will facilitate dozens of coaching seminars across the nation later this year designed to teach parents and volunteers basic bowling coaching skills. The seminars are part of a YES Fund initiative to develop a new mainstream competition model for youth bowling.

The seminars will be open to volunteers from Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) member centers or United States Bowling Congress (USBC) associations at no cost. Up to three volunteers may represent each center at a coaching seminar. The seminars will feature some of the most respected coaches in the world and are designed for people from all knowledge bases including volunteers with little or no experience teaching kids bowling.

With the opportunity they are providing it is now up to the center managers and proprietors to arrange a seminar in their center that will provide the venue for our youth program to thrive. To register, center managers or volunteers can email usacoaching@ibcyouth.com or call (817) 385-8455. Speak with your local bowling center and encourage them to help the youth bowlers in your area to register for this great opportunity.

Help spread the word, follow our blog and visit our facebook page to share with all of your friends.

Hollywood Bowling is in the Gutter

noreply@blogger.com (Levi Lauck) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:09:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me would probably tell you that I love to argue and that I am passionate in my beliefs. If you told me that I would probably agree with you. I am rather stubborn and think the way I think, but I am also logical and will admit when I am wrong. Recently I was exposed to something, again, that I am not in favor of. As a matter of fact, this thing is quite a large pet-peeve of mine. What is this annoyance of mine you ask? Well it is the portrayal of bowling in the Hollywood world.

Now there are funny portrayals like in the movie King Pin that make me laugh and those are okay. But I have seen bowling in TV shows recently and it really bothers me what they film and the way they portray bowling and the athletes who bowl. Allow me to make a list of things in particular that bother me quite a bit about the way Hollywood puts bowling into TV and Movies.

Bowling is not a spectacle by the "People of Wal-Mart"
Bowling is not easy
Bowling is not restricted to dives and hole-in-the-wall facilities
Bowling Balls are more diverse than the "pretty" ones you see
Bowlers are not poor sportsmen
Bowlers are not alcoholics

I think that about covers the main points and I am beginning to exercise my demons. You may not have seen the many Disney movies and commercials featuring bowling, but I am sure you have seen movies such as "King Pin", "The Big Lebowski" and TV shows such as Bones and Fringe where bowling is part of the plot. In just about all of these Hollywood creations the characters go to an ugly run down eyesore of a facility where they go bowling. Inside this hole-in-the-wall are a mix of the latest Wal-Mart bingo board characters. It is as if someone brought all of the pictures from the website peopleofwalmart.com to life and put them in one location. Everyone is wearing mullets with trucker hats and wife beaters with sweatpants.

Now that you have such a wonderful picture in your head, forget it. I am here to tell you that no, not everyone who bowls is an overweight beer guzzling, short sleeve button up shirt wearing maniac who rents bowling shoes and throws his ball on the ground after losing. Not all bowling centers are low lit, grungy cesspools.

Not every bowler uses a bowling ball that is clear and has a rose or skull in the middle, or a bowling ball that has a leopard print design on it.

After being in the bowling industry for over 15 years I can safely say that most of the people who come in are younger couples going on a date. Most of the crowds on the weekends are high school and college kids having a good time. The league bowlers are a wide mix of people, and yes there sometimes is a guy with a mullet (I actually shudder when I see this, but the mullet is back in style in high schools all over the place), but most of the time it is your normal mix of people you might see in a mall, or movie theater or other places around town.

All of the bowlers I just described above are the ones who do it for fun. There is another world of bowling where everything is competitive. Usually when a bowler competes in a tournament, there is a dress code of slacks and a collared shirt, usually with the name embroidered on the back kind of like a jersey. The best bowlers I know are not fat or even drink at all. They are athletic guys who are fit and usually compete in other sports as well. Anyone who knows anything about bowling knows that the "pretty" bowling balls you see on TV are just that, pretty. They are not effective at all and are in fact the lowest bar of performance.

All I ask is that Hollywood find some extras who actually bowl so when they show people bowling on TV they actually show someone with decent form and throws the ball like an actual bowler. Guess what, people who throw it straight do not get many strikes, so show the ball curving on the lane and getting the proper angle to strike, geez. And if you have to have one of your actors bowl on camera, take some time to get them a lesson or two so they don't look so ridiculous on TV.

USBC Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp

noreply@blogger.com (LuckyCoach) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:08:00 +0000

Qualifying has started for Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp

The Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp contest, a product of the Sport Bowling program, officially kicked off Jan. 1, 2011.

To be eligible to enter, you simply have to roll a single game of 200 or higher game in any USBC Sport Bowling certified league. Once you do so, go to BOWL.com and fill out the entry form and you are entered to win!
This contest will run for all of 2011 and six winners will be flown to the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas, for our Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp. The Fantasy Camp will include three days of training and competing with Team USA coaches and selected members of Team USA.
Click here to learn about the Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp contest.

Lucky Coaching

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 10

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 9

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 8

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 7

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 6

Breaking The Slump - Chapter 5

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 4

law of averages

noun

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 3

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 2

Breaking the Slump - Chapter 1

Breaking the Slump - Prologue

A New Direction

Saturday Jackpot Bowling

Saturday Jackpot Bowling

2011 Junior Gold Champions Crowned

2011 Jr Gold Standings After 12 Games

Start the Youth Bowlers Off in the Right Direction

Give Yourself Another Hand While Bowling

Junior Team USA Selected for PABCON Youth Championships

Components of a Good Bowling Tournament

Jet Bowling Summer Sweepstakes

Help Wanted: Volunteers for Today's Youth Bowlers

Hollywood Bowling is in the Gutter

USBC Team USA Experience Fantasy Camp