Bowlers and Bowling Coaches
Scott PohlDescription
Coaches are instrumental in a bowler’s success. A good bowling coach understands that everyone learns differently and can impart knowledge accordingly. Regardless of how you learn, you must be able to try new things and ditch the idea that your game may be negatively impacted.
These areas of improvement that coaches work with you on are liabilities in your game that need improvement, and yes, you might go backwards before making progress. In this free video, Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, explains that having input from a coach is invaluable for bowlers of all skill levels.
Fundamentals
From stance to finish position, fundamentals are the foundation of a strong physical game. Whether you are new to bowling or on an elite level, working on fundamentals regularly is what keeps your game on track.
Here are the common areas of concern that coaches address regularly:
– How you set up
– Body position in the stance
– Hand position
– Start of the ball or push away
– Footwork and timing
– Finish position at the foul line
– Spare making
Lane Play
Understanding lane play is another common issue most bowlers encounter. A coach can help you see the playing field better. Every time a bowling ball rolls down the lane, the oil pattern changes slightly, and over time, it will be drastic. Knowing how to adjust is difficult for most because bowling is the only sport that is played on an invisible playing field.
A coach can help you adjust your game to better match up with the lane conditions you are facing. These tips include:
– Hand position
– Launch angle
– Offhand position
– Ball speed
– Ball motion
This is a lot to digest. Check out How To Train Your Bowling Game for expert instruction on how to maximize your next training session.
Hi, Scott Pohl here. I'm a USBC certified coach. I get asked a lot, "Well, when do I need coaching? "When do I need a coach?" I'd recommend everybody needs a coach. Well, why is that? Number one, you can't see what you're doing. Have a coach watch you bowl, give you some pointers on possibly to see how you can improve. A lotta ways to do this, show some videotape to each other, bounce ideas back and forth. A lotta the time, a coach gonna give you suggestions, maybe it doesn't work the first time, but what you will figure out, is you can get it right eventually, all right? What are some ideas that we wanna do when we do coaching? I like to work on simple aspects of the game to start with, for example, how you set up. We wanna get off to a good start to throw the shot the right way. What's another thing? Well, our body position, okay? Lotta good ways of going about this. Everybody's body shape is a little bit different. We have to do it the right way. What's next? Well, the start of the ball happens, right? Wanna make sure that start of the ball is going where we want. What else do we have? We have timing on how we wanna walk up to the approach. We have hand position. We have how we finish at the foul line. All these areas you can bounce off your coach, get to the right spot. What's another area of coaching that I see a lotta people need improvement with? Lane play, definitely adjusting the correct way on lane conditions, carrying the pins the right way, how we wanna throw the ball on the right path, lots of different ways to strike, be effective and hit the pocket. What's another area a coach can definitely help you? Well, the coach should know a very respected pro shop owner, unless he isn't one himself. He can help you with the right ball, how to maybe drill it, maybe even possibly work on a newer grip. The hand is always changing. Fine tune these areas. Especially as we get older, our hands change, body shape changes, sizes change. Make sure you adapt to those. What else can we have from a coach? Well, mental, mental is a very big part of the game. Possibly you're in a slump. A mental coach can help you get over this. What can he do or she do? Can give you different ideas to approach the game, have a fresher attitude. What else can we do? Well, a mental coach can help you deal with pressure, whether it's dealing with the right routine, what things to focus on and what we can control. Always it comes back to number one. The fundamentals are the key at any sport, especially bowling. Look up a good coach. They'll help you.
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