The Value of Coaching

                 Athletes in no matter what sport need to be coached in some regard.  Whether your name is Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, or Willie Mays having a coach is imperative to being successful.  Bowling is no different from any other sport.  We are not robots, we are humans who sometimes just need a push in the right direction. 

Although the game of bowling is very easy to do, it takes years of practice and training to get good at it.  And even when you become good there’s always something that can make you better.  That’s where coaching comes in, a bowling coach can see things while you’re bowling that you can’t feel your doing.  There are so many intrical parts of the bowling game that no one can battle them alone.

A coach can help you set realistic goals to achieve in a certain period of time.  These goals can be very simple, whether it is to make more spares or to be more consistent from game to game.  Spare shooting in my mind is the most important thing people lack when it comes to becoming a better bowler.  If you were to break down the numbers each missed spare opportunity is costing your score 10-11 pins depending on each scenario.  The good news is spare shooting is one of the easiest things to fix.  There are many different methods to spare shooting, it will take some work and some help from a coach, but in the end you’ll be on your way to your next bowling goal. 

Consistency in your game is a little more complicated.  There could be a lot of different things happening to you during the course of your bowling series.  One critical aspect to consistency is having the right equipment to tackle the lanes.  Having bowling balls that not only fit your hand correctly, are drilled correctly, and have the right surface texture on them, is key to your success on the lanes.  One of the truest statements I’ve heard about coaching is this; “You can’t out coach a bad fit”.  A coach can look over your equipment and tell you if your bowling balls are going to work for you. 

So now that you’re ready to find the coach for you, how do you do it?  If you’re a local to Alley Katz, Dave Marsh is a Bronze Level USBC certified bowling coach who also has been a physical education teacher for 30 years.  Dave hosts free coaching sessions usually once per month.  He is also available for private or group lessons by contacting him at dmarsh22@yahoo.com.  For bowlers not in our area the USBC website bowl.com keyword coaching is a great way to start.