Bowling Control And Consistency

Bowling control and consistency are the keys to bowling fame and fortune. If you have them, you can become a champion.

If you have not—well, you simply will have to develop them. You may become a fair kegler and occasionally shoot a good game or even a good series, but you will never reach the top without developing these two skills.

What do I mean by control? I mean control of your feet, body, right arm, your arm swing, your release, and of the ball itself. Sounds like a pretty big order, doesn't it? Well, it is. And consistency?

Consistency is the ability to do the same thing, time after time after time. It's as simple as that. In order to acquire control, footwork is most important.

The bowler must practice—and practice some more—to perfect the rhythm of his steps so that he can put his feet in practically the same identical place every time—even if he is blindfolded.

Now, placing the feet in the same spot time after time cannot be accomplished overnight. Don't expect it to be.

Practice your run to the foul line whenever you happen to have a few minutes of spare time. Practice in front of a mirror whenever possible, and practice with all the concentration you possess.

Footwork, of course, is timed with the movements of the body and right arm to produce a smooth swing. The more correct your foot work and the more smoothly your body and arm move in relation to it, the more effortless and effective will be your swing. Accuracy comes naturally when your delivery slips into this grooved state.

You can bowl well and you can bowl for long periods of time without tiring, for you are repeating the same process until it becomes almost second nature. I am not going to try to tell you that control comes easily.

It takes time—everything good takes time. But meanwhile, you will experience the real thrill that comes with the knowledge that you are succeeding at a sport that is very difficult to master.

Some bowlers, however, are never satisfied. They get a poor hit, get eight or nine pins on it, and still complain that they should have had a strike. Even though splits are a part of the game and everyone can figure on one or more over a period of three games, these players are loud in their wails every time they encounter one.

Which brings to mind a statement attributed to one of these perpetual crybabies. This particular fellow, a star bowler by the way, was hitting strikes one after another until he had finally tallied twelve in a row for a perfect 300 game, the dream of every bowler.

One of the first to congratulate him was the proud and beaming proprietor, who was astounded to hear the star reply, "Say, you'd better get that alley in better shape. I almost got tapped on that seventh strike!"

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