Ask Bob – June 2017
6/15/2017
By Bob KorthQ. I have been asked to help with a senior bowling class. Do you have any hints on helping seniors?
A. Being a senior myself I think I have some idea's on the subject. Plus I have instructed seniors from time to time. First you have to remember with seniors you must first ask them about any physical conditions like that really can affect the things they might be able to do. Such as arthritis or joint replacement, Knees or hips. You have to work with what they have physically. I just coached a group of 6 ladies aged 77 to 83 they had slow speed and not much fluidity. Mostly I had them work on keeping there eyes on the target till the ball rolls through it to help with accuracy then on the proper place to line up for spares. With most seniors to get the best out of their game helping with the alignment for spares will get them the most improvement. Then checking the ball for weight and drilling will be the next thing to look at. Many are using the wrong weight ball and spans and pitches need correction.
For you seniors out there that may be having problems with sore fingers and wrists and hands go to your local pro shop and get your
ball checked both for weight and for drilling. Bowling is supposed to be fun not torture. Lessons are also good for you to be able to get the most out of your physical game no matter what problems you may have. When there's a will there's a way.
Q. I am just starting to bowl again after a five year layoff. I have always used a 15 pound ball and quit because of a sore wrist. So I am thinking about going down to a 14 pound ball. Do you think the do you think the lower weight will hurt my scoring?
A. I doubt that your scores will go down much. The bowling balls today are very powerful. You might notice a few weight related ten pins but the lower weight should take some pressure off the wrist. So bowling pain free and with more control plus some added speed should make up any difference the occasional extra ten you might leave.
Q. When I bowl I target at the second arrow or close to that. I have heard that looking down the lane will keep the ball from hooking early. Is this true?
A. Targeting down the lane can help early hook. Sometimes though you might want the ball to hook a little earlier. What I do when warming up for league or tournament is start by targeting about ten feet past the arrows pick a dark or light board on the line you want to use say the ten board or 2nd. Arrow. If the ball goes high look further down toward the pins say 40 to 45 feet. Some lanes have tracer marks down there. If they do target there. If the ball goes light and you think you need earlier roll then target at the arrows. My name for this is the 3 spot system. Arrows, mid lane area, or 40 to 45 foot are or tracer board area. This works great for small lane adjustments when a larger move is not called for.
Article was posted with permission from Stars & Strikes, America's Bowling Newsmagazine. www.starsandstrikesbowling.com
