Game Plan for Improvement

Here is a simple game plan to follow for your improvement:

1. Develop a plan of what you need to be able to do to adjust more effectively, not just a better delivery!
2. Set up a specific time and program to be able to practice what you have learned in this book.
3. Test your new skills during competition. Review after competition and re-write your plan for improvement.
4. Be specific and honest with yourself. Get feedback from people you trust.
5. Videotape yourself for observation, not only your delivery, but also your adjustments.
6. Hire a coach or trainer to help develop your plan and evaluate what you need to work on and exactly how you can improve.

Let’s talk about each one of these individually. Number one is to develop a plan of what you need to be able to do to recognize and react more quickly. This is where practicing all the necessary adjustments come in to use. Learning all the adjustments will enable you to be able to make quick, correct changes to your game during competition.

Work on your physical game, a better delivery. Consistency is still the key! Adjustments only work when you already have a developed, consistent physical game. Without this there is no way to tell if you’re shots are off due to the changing lane condition, or because of a physical flaw or error. No matter if you know all of the adjustments by heart, if you are drifting two boards on one shot, and seven boards on the next shot playing the same line, you won’t be able to use the adjustments correctly. Consistency is the key. Know your game. It doesn’t have to be a textbook delivery and physical game, just know what game you do have. Be aware of your body in the stance and throughout the approach.

The second step in the game plan is setting up a time and program for practice. Set specific time aside for practice and set up a specific game plan for each practice. Know what you are going to work on and how before you step into the bowling center for each practice session. Set goals for each practice depending on what you are going to work on that day.

Next is testing these new skills in competition. Once you have begun to master these adjustments in practice and know when to use them, take them into competition with you. When bowling in a pressure situation such as competition, you will truly know if your practice has paid off. You will also know if you have been practicing what you need to practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you go into a competition after practicing for a few weeks and you don’t experience an unforgettable performance. It takes time to learn and to execute. Take one step at a time. Just make sure to apply your new skills in competition.

Be specific and honest with yourself. Don’t fool yourself. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Make sure you have a reliable second pair of eyes watching you during practice. This observation pair of eyes should be somebody you trust. Tell them what to look for. Even if they do not know the game of bowling, they should be able to give you reliable feedback on what you are doing physically and what your ball is doing.

Videotape yourself! This can also be your second pair of eyes! Videotape not only your delivery and physical game, but videotape your entire practice. See how quickly you are making adjustments. See when you should make adjustments.

Lastly, and most importantly, hire a coach or trainer. If you are serious about going to the next level, hiring a certified or experienced coach is a must. A coach is not there to just tell you what to do, but they should be there to give you reliable feedback and to ask you questions in order to help you see and understand the game better. We have all seen young players and even adult players who have that natural ability to bowl and who are constantly struggling to get better. Without a coach, it is hard to take that next step.