The following article, is written by John Honeyford and is a continuation of one of my previous articles on the testing completed by the USBC for the BPAC. The topic about this testing really seems to have created some talk about how 5pin is, how it was and how people think it will be. This means that so far, the articles on this site seem to be doing what I intended them to do: make people talk about 5pin bowling. I've decided to change things up a bit and run an article every Monday, leaving every Thursday for a new feature called "20 Questions" and also for posting recent results in tournaments across Canada. To those who have approached me to talk about this site, either to simply talk about it or to offer some assistance, I thank you and encourage everyone to keep doing so. As I tell everyone I talk to, I only write what I think, and post up other contributor's articles without knowing what anyone else thinks of them. Hearing that people are enjoying these articles, learning from them, or simply trying to apply what is being said is a great compliment, and only encourages me to continue this idea, and look for ways to expand it further. Here is this week's article on the more dynamics regarding 5pin bowling by John Honeyford!
I will endeavor to expand on some of the points that Jeff has mentioned very effectively in his posting regarding the research that the Bowl Canada undertook with the USBC. As some of you know I have been interested in the technology of the game for many years, from the years I spent working in the business and 35-odd years of playing the game competitively (I won’t talk about the last couple).
Bowler’s styles are a function of their learning environment, combined with their physicality and personality. Imagine going into a time warp and walking into a major tournament in progress back in 1975. The major difference that you would notice, besides the hair and the polyester, is the speed of balls going down the lanes. They were a bit SLOWER.
Why? The game was played with hard wood pins, PBS bands and primarily on lacquer lane surfaces. Brunswick Tiger Stripe, Double Diamond and PBS house balls were on the racks, all the same hardness. Roughly 75% of the houses (talking Southern Ontario) were still thankfully freefall (don’t get me started). The need for speed just wasn’t there, and on Double Diamond pinsetters in particular, not such a bright idea. If silicone spray was used to help get the pins around the pressure curve in the machine (in the YouTube videos – it is the steel wheel-driven curve on the left side) some exciting vertical pin fall displays could be experienced. At any YBC event you could instantly tell which kids played in Double Diamond houses just by watching them throw a ball. They were at medium speed and rolling, and mostly down the middle 10 boards of the lane. The Fleetwood lanes were/are also 42” wide, characterized by 2 additional boards, inside third arrow on each side, with the headpin arrow offset one board to the left. (Cobourg actually has both 42 and 41-inch lanes).
As years passed, more houses converted to string machines, and in the late 80’s plastic pins were introduced. Beyond the economic benefit of plastic pins there was a distinct change in the nature and manner with which the game was played. The density of plastic pins was more generally helpful to a harder thrown ball in the string environment. In the Double Diamond world, the increased gyration of free-standing pins can still make the faster ball a liability, but we were also introduced to personal bowling equipment at this time which is another factor to consider.
Jeff mentioned the point about the full-sized ball in his posting. A full-sized ball strikes the pin at mid-point on the band, which promotes lateral movement in both string and freefall worlds. Some other variables are angle of attack to the pin, band resilience, pin base condition, ball hardness, weight, ball roll, and retained energy due to friction from the lane.
I am no physics expert, but as some are aware I have been engaged in a bit of bowling ball ’fun’ since 1998 when I met Lionel Beauparlant, who had worked for General Tire in Welland, the maker of the Brunswick, Double Diamond, and PBS installation balls. He turned and refinished balls for houses, and that was a memorable number of visits that we made to him. I have gone on to give some classes in recent years on bowling balls at the O5 Bowling School, and a number of competitive players too.While we do not have the ball dynamics of the 10-pin game, which with walled lanes has caused total havoc (233 USBC sanctioned 300 games in Buffalo last year alone), we do have some different options in our game.
Different types of balls aren’t crutches, just tools to do the job. Sort of like tires – all season radials, snows for the winter. Some are harder, so they will skid more in the front part of the lane (that most people will perceive but won’t see) and then roll. Some are softer, so they see friction on the lane and roll earlier, and acrylics which are quite porous, sensitive to side roll put on the ball, and can actually flare and roll-out at the pins. The heavier ball deflects less (I tried 3 lb 12 oz duckpin balls on Double Diamond freefall machines and lacquer once, 4 beautiful sets of Aces) and in the old days 3-8 was the maximum weight in the CBA rule book (wood pins, and pin boys). Once you get down to 3-6 the risk of not carrying can ensue, with the ball jumping off pins and potentially jumping past the corner - a function of resistance. The lighter balls were less an issue in the wood pin days, though at slow speed they’d jump too if the bands resisted.
It is just important to understand the shape that a bowler wants to see the ball take on the lane surface be it straight or breaking, and by reacting to and not penalizing oneself by using something that doesn’t carry due to the scoring environment at hand. An example would be having a desired ‘A’ game with a couple of boards of movement, then struggle to score by throwing hard-shelled balls on very fast lanes (or the reverse). This is why it was often a benefit to see full-sized house balls in a fast Double Diamond house in the pre-1990 days to keep the pins down and in play (but then again I shot 270 at O’Connor one year with the small balls but I had to spin them, so in that case it was sort of like watching Bullwinkle - watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat).
Our Duckpin cousins in the U.S. tend to have their ball preferences too. Comets, which are a hard shelled ball that hit the pins very hard, and Ebonite Prolines and Arrow balls which are soft and tend to create more lateral pin motion. In Petites Quilles, they use combinations of ball hardness and weight, coupled with backspin rotation on fully oiled lanes, and softer gray bands also used on certain pins to reduce deflection. The backspin is used to reduce the ball deflection, and they want the ball to stop rotating backwards right at the pins to enhance this.
I know that I have expanded on Jeff’s thoughts like a waistline at Mary Brown’s, but kudos to Jeff for launching this blog.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Unique Styles by Jim Head
The following article is the first on this site from Jim Head of Cooksville, Ontario. Anyone who knows Jim or has seen him bowl knows that he has a unique approach. His unique stlye has led him to a very successful bowling career over the years. (check his bio to the right of this site) So, who better to write an article on the various styles in bowling than Jim Head.
Recently, I’ve had two separate people on two separate occasions make the exact same comment to me. The comment was, “Wow, there certainly are a lot of different styles on the lanes, no one seems to throw the ball the same.” The two occasions were the Youth Challenge, and the qualifying round of the Open; of the two people, one was a non-bowling parent, the other was a fellow competitor. These recent comments were not the first I’ve heard this over the course of my life in bowling. As anyone who knows me can tell, I also have a rather unique way of travelling from my starting position to the foul line, and this may be a reason why I frequently hear similar comments.
The simple fact of the matter is, there is no “correct” way to bowl. I’ve been fortunate enough to have bowled from coast to coast and quite a few places in between, and that simple fact holds true. The way an individual bowler bowls is completely unique to that particular bowler.
The various regions of Canada and their predominate conditions, may be a factor in determining how a bowler bowls, but that does not preclude variety. Take Alberta for example, for the most part the lanes are fast and predominately string pins. However, these conditions have produced bowlers such as Bruce Morter, Gene Ziebarth, and Dianne Violini, among others. Bruce has a long approach, while Geno’s approach is fairly short. In addition, ball speed varies greatly between these three. Dianne throws the slowest, Bruce the fastest, and Geno somewhere in-between. However, despite the variety within they’re styles, no one can dispute the success these bowlers have achieved. To narrow the scope, travel to the city of Winnipeg. Both Rob Shanas and Karen Armstrong hail from the Manitoba capital and play on the same conditions, yet both bowl very differently. However, the most diversity I’ve seen on the lanes, primarily due to my own location is in Ontario. For those of us who can remember watching 5 Pin on TSN and CBC, no one could possibly confuse Doug Stuart and Greg Peteraitis from seeing them on the lanes. Doug’s tiny approach and incredibly high back swing, and Greg bowling off the right foot while bowling right handed (commonly referred to as a bocce style) are both effective deliveries for those two bowlers.
Bowlers styles are in fact their own signature on the lanes. When I attended the KG Tournament in Saskatoon and even here at our own Bowling School, I’ve often witnessed a bowler imitate a certain style while the rest of us tried to identify the bowler being imitated. From Kim Chadwick’s over the head push away to start her approach, to Tom Patterson’s staggered descent into a crouch, or to John Mattioli’s shuffle to the left until he gets into position to start, styles vary greatly. This is not to say that unorthodox movements or rituals should not be added to an approach simply to make a bowler stand out, there should be an actual purpose to every part of a bowlers approach.
There is one basic thing that all these bowlers mentioned above and all top bowlers have in common. Whatever they do, and however they manage to deliver the ball, they are consistent. Repetition and consistency in any approach is the key to success.
I would encourage young bowlers to watch the top players in their area and, if possible get out to some of the major tournaments that still exist. Watch what other people do and maybe you can pick up something that can help your game. However, this is not an invitation to try to copy someone else’s style in its entirety. As a bowler, you have to do what is comfortable for you and bowl in a way that is consistent, regardless of the pin or pins at which you are throwing.
As stated throughout this piece, bowlers are individuals. Coaches out there, of which I am one, have to be aware of this and respect this fact. Usually when an involved parent sees me bowl for the first time and realizes that I will be coaching their child there is a standard plea, “You’re not going to teach my child to bowl like that are you??” The answer is simple, no. When coaching the YBC or at the O5 Bowling School, I teach the basics and try to adapt them to the individual bowlers existing style. I may point out something in a young bowler’s style that could cause them problems, however, if they feel that they can be consistent in executing their own delivery, I won’t change it. In the end, it is up to each bowler to do what feels natural for them. As coaches, we should fervently try to avoid producing “cookie cutter” bowlers fashioned after any particular style. Many coaching courses advocate teaching a three step approach, and some even go as far as stressing that a back up should be taught. Teach the basics and allow your bowlers to experiment and find what is right for them. Of course this applies to bowlers old enough and sufficiently developed to have their own style.
I remember making my first Open team and the coach, who I didn’t really know and who had not seen me bowl much, called a practice. While I was on the lanes, the coach remarked to another bowler on the team, that he had to stop me from bowling the way I do. Thankfully the bowler he was talking to was from my home centre and told the coach, that what he was seeing was the way I always throw the ball. In another instance, I was practicing at a centre where I had not previously bowled, when a coach there blatantly told me that I would never get anywhere in the game bowling like that. I smiled politely and continued to practice without giving him my bowling résumé. Situations like these are not that uncommon, I remember hearing someone saying something similar regarding Karalyn Skanes of Newfoundland. Karalyn throws the ball with both hands, however, I’ve personally seen her compete with success at Nationals at least twice.
Whether it’s from a physical restriction or a timing routine or from an emulation of another bowler, bowling styles will be as unique as the individual bowler. Think about it the next time you’re at a centre and you can look across the lanes see a myriad of varied styles. We’re all doing the same thing, bowling, but in our own, sometimes odd looking, way.
Recently, I’ve had two separate people on two separate occasions make the exact same comment to me. The comment was, “Wow, there certainly are a lot of different styles on the lanes, no one seems to throw the ball the same.” The two occasions were the Youth Challenge, and the qualifying round of the Open; of the two people, one was a non-bowling parent, the other was a fellow competitor. These recent comments were not the first I’ve heard this over the course of my life in bowling. As anyone who knows me can tell, I also have a rather unique way of travelling from my starting position to the foul line, and this may be a reason why I frequently hear similar comments.
The simple fact of the matter is, there is no “correct” way to bowl. I’ve been fortunate enough to have bowled from coast to coast and quite a few places in between, and that simple fact holds true. The way an individual bowler bowls is completely unique to that particular bowler.
The various regions of Canada and their predominate conditions, may be a factor in determining how a bowler bowls, but that does not preclude variety. Take Alberta for example, for the most part the lanes are fast and predominately string pins. However, these conditions have produced bowlers such as Bruce Morter, Gene Ziebarth, and Dianne Violini, among others. Bruce has a long approach, while Geno’s approach is fairly short. In addition, ball speed varies greatly between these three. Dianne throws the slowest, Bruce the fastest, and Geno somewhere in-between. However, despite the variety within they’re styles, no one can dispute the success these bowlers have achieved. To narrow the scope, travel to the city of Winnipeg. Both Rob Shanas and Karen Armstrong hail from the Manitoba capital and play on the same conditions, yet both bowl very differently. However, the most diversity I’ve seen on the lanes, primarily due to my own location is in Ontario. For those of us who can remember watching 5 Pin on TSN and CBC, no one could possibly confuse Doug Stuart and Greg Peteraitis from seeing them on the lanes. Doug’s tiny approach and incredibly high back swing, and Greg bowling off the right foot while bowling right handed (commonly referred to as a bocce style) are both effective deliveries for those two bowlers.
Bowlers styles are in fact their own signature on the lanes. When I attended the KG Tournament in Saskatoon and even here at our own Bowling School, I’ve often witnessed a bowler imitate a certain style while the rest of us tried to identify the bowler being imitated. From Kim Chadwick’s over the head push away to start her approach, to Tom Patterson’s staggered descent into a crouch, or to John Mattioli’s shuffle to the left until he gets into position to start, styles vary greatly. This is not to say that unorthodox movements or rituals should not be added to an approach simply to make a bowler stand out, there should be an actual purpose to every part of a bowlers approach.
There is one basic thing that all these bowlers mentioned above and all top bowlers have in common. Whatever they do, and however they manage to deliver the ball, they are consistent. Repetition and consistency in any approach is the key to success.
I would encourage young bowlers to watch the top players in their area and, if possible get out to some of the major tournaments that still exist. Watch what other people do and maybe you can pick up something that can help your game. However, this is not an invitation to try to copy someone else’s style in its entirety. As a bowler, you have to do what is comfortable for you and bowl in a way that is consistent, regardless of the pin or pins at which you are throwing.
As stated throughout this piece, bowlers are individuals. Coaches out there, of which I am one, have to be aware of this and respect this fact. Usually when an involved parent sees me bowl for the first time and realizes that I will be coaching their child there is a standard plea, “You’re not going to teach my child to bowl like that are you??” The answer is simple, no. When coaching the YBC or at the O5 Bowling School, I teach the basics and try to adapt them to the individual bowlers existing style. I may point out something in a young bowler’s style that could cause them problems, however, if they feel that they can be consistent in executing their own delivery, I won’t change it. In the end, it is up to each bowler to do what feels natural for them. As coaches, we should fervently try to avoid producing “cookie cutter” bowlers fashioned after any particular style. Many coaching courses advocate teaching a three step approach, and some even go as far as stressing that a back up should be taught. Teach the basics and allow your bowlers to experiment and find what is right for them. Of course this applies to bowlers old enough and sufficiently developed to have their own style.
I remember making my first Open team and the coach, who I didn’t really know and who had not seen me bowl much, called a practice. While I was on the lanes, the coach remarked to another bowler on the team, that he had to stop me from bowling the way I do. Thankfully the bowler he was talking to was from my home centre and told the coach, that what he was seeing was the way I always throw the ball. In another instance, I was practicing at a centre where I had not previously bowled, when a coach there blatantly told me that I would never get anywhere in the game bowling like that. I smiled politely and continued to practice without giving him my bowling résumé. Situations like these are not that uncommon, I remember hearing someone saying something similar regarding Karalyn Skanes of Newfoundland. Karalyn throws the ball with both hands, however, I’ve personally seen her compete with success at Nationals at least twice.
Whether it’s from a physical restriction or a timing routine or from an emulation of another bowler, bowling styles will be as unique as the individual bowler. Think about it the next time you’re at a centre and you can look across the lanes see a myriad of varied styles. We’re all doing the same thing, bowling, but in our own, sometimes odd looking, way.
Monday, January 3, 2011
THE MOST IMPORTANT MENTAL SKILL – THE PATERSON FILE
This is the second installment from Tom Paterson of Saskatchewan. The mental game is always a key element on success in sports, and bowling is no different. Here is Paterson's article on "The Most Important Mental Skill" Check his bowler bio on the top right of this page.
When people make a list of all the mental skills they could be developing they tend to leave one off their list. The skill left off the list is really the one staring us straight in the face – yet we don’t see it. OR…maybe we simply see all this other stuff and get lost in the jumble of thoughts. So what is that one skill. Let’s make a list of what is not top dog on the list.
• Relaxation skills – because without it we could not focus clearly on our task.
• Focus – yup we need it, and yup you need to be able to control your impulses and relax before you can truly focus in a most productive manner.
• Imagery – so that we can direct our mental blueprint to where it is most beneficial.
• Stress Management – simply learning to handle distractions
• Self Discipline – making that commitment and sticking to it
• Recovery – learning to recover from a poor game, a series of head pins, etc.
All of the above we could work on and yes it would make you a better player. But…unless there is a grander picture the above won’t net much gain. What is the one skill everything you do should be moving towards developing? It’s the C word – CONFIDENCE.
To get to a stronger consistent mind set of confidence one must begin with AWARENESS. If confidence is the most important mental skill to develop than one very key element is
Awareness. Awareness is about simply being aware in three main areas:
Physical
The physical part of awareness is really how it feels to execute correctly and when your game is a bit off being able to detect and correct by feel. Feel can be a subtle thing such as the extension you give each follow thru. Or it can be something basic such as knowing the feel associated with holding your follow thru. There is also the physical or feel component that results from when you are emotionally charged. – because this emotion has a ripple effect upon the quality and feel of execution.
Emotional
When playing well your emotional level sits at a certain point. It is essentially the degree of excitedness you feel when playing at your best. AND as importantly recognizing how to get yourself there when you are blasé , and when you are simply overly excited, possibly (overly excited, frustrated, or angry). Maintaining a perspective based on logic and focused on what you can control is important in getting your emotions back under control.
Intellectual
This is the problem solving side of you. Being ready and able to problem solve through the various challenges that come to you. And…doing so in a calm, rational, productive way. Once you solve the problem or at the very least have something you are going to try and do, the next job is to simply do it. In other words throw as if you cannot fail Here is where a sage piece of advice is ‘don’t get in the way of yourself’ is important.
A second part of the intellectual side is our ability to create our own perceptions. The vast majority of mental hurdles stem from a perceptual frame. How we choose to look at something plays greatly into our favour or disfavour. The key here is to bring everything to what you control. For example: I you may not presently feel that you can average 200, in fact thinking of this may create anxiety, and doubt in your mind. Maybe you are simply just not good enough. (despise the term ‘good enough’). Instead o f thinking of all the things out of your control begin to plot a map for how you are going to get to your goal. Maybe it includes improving your follow through, being more patient, taking your time on the lane so that you do not rush. A great resource to help you with framing includes a book written by Dr. Gio Valiante titled ‘Fearless Golf’ Read it and I am betting you become a more consistent athlete in whatever you choose.
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