PerfectBowling.com

Can the Nintendo Wii Improve Your Bowling Game?

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:49:06 +0000

So with the explosive popularity of the Nintendo Wii, and especially Wii Bowling, we decided to experiment with the game to see if it actually can improve people’s bowling game.

First, I do want to mention that the reaction and sensitivity of the controls are very close to being just like the feel of real bowling minus the actual weight of the bowling ball. But the movement and timing of the nunchuck’s were able to mimic the real life movements of the arm swing and release of the ball.

Also, I found that it is possible to hook the ball. This was a nice feature and it was amazing to see that the pin action matched even real life bowling.

But to answer the question if the Wii Bowling game can actually improve your game…in a nutshell I would have to say yes. First, there is the fact that the arm motion is virtually identical and provides practice for recreating a perfect arm swing. Secondly, as mentioned above, Wii Bowling aids in the timing of releasing the ball the the best time. Through the video game, I was able to determine that my ball release was way to early which effected the rotation and velocity of the ball. So I was able to learn something from the video game that I didn’t really notice from my bowling game.

Now some people might feel that because the ball weight is not the same that it really doesn’t represent a good conduit for practicing your bowling game. I would agree that it is not exactly the same but the benefits of gaining muscle memory and mental focus definitely is a big advantage to using this video game.

So, at the end of the day, does the Wii Bowling game offer improvement to your bowling game? I would say the definitive answer is yes. Technology has come such a long way that it is now possible to simulate actual real life movements in the game itself. This is just another tool that is useful to improve anyone’s bowling game.

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Backwards Bowling

PerfectBowling.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:27:13 +0000

Do you think that you have a crazy bowling style? Check out this guy.

If you have a unusual or funny style for your bowling game then we would love to hear about it…better yet…we would love to see it. Send us an email at info@perfectbowling.com

Learning Resources

PerfectBowling.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:46:51 +0000

If you want to improve at something, you have to keep learning and practicing. Wanting to become better at bowling is no exception.

BOWLING EXECUTION
by John Jowdy

If you want to improve your bowling game by leaps and bounds then you need to get this book. We consider it THE bowling book for beginners and for advanced bowlers looking to tweak their game. John Jowdy has been teaching and helping top bowlers for decades and now with this new revision, continues to provide his insight and techniques to everyone.

What Every Bowling Bag Should have

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:52:20 +0000

Part of being a great bowler is to have the proper equipment and supplies in your bowling bag. You never want to be in a situation where not having something like grip tape, can cause you to have a bad release which leads to losing the game. By being prepared with the right supplies, you can focus on your game and not on your equipment.

I have omitted the bowling ball, bowling shoes, and bowling bag as these should be already considered the “heart” of your equipment list. Each bowling accessory list builds on the previous list. So you should start by stocking your bowling bag with the “must have” list then move to the next list of bowling accessories and so on.

“Must have” list

Grip tape – helps the thumb come out of the ball easier and keeps it from slipping out prematurely.

Bowling towel – useful to wipe excess oil from your bowling ball.

Ball cleaner – keeping your ball clean means keeping it in top shape to last longer and perform better.

Grip sac – helps keeps hands dry so your bowling ball doesn’t slip.

Skin patches – when blisters happen, these will definitely come in handy.

“Good to have” list

Easy slide – this is a light powder/resin when applied, allows the thumb to easily exit the bowling ball.

Shoe brush – when your shoe pads start to stick and you loosing your slide, a quick brush of the pads can help.

Shoe covers – these are also known as “booties”. These slip over your bowling shoes when you need to leave the bowling area so that the bottoms stay clean and free from debris when you return.

“Could use” list

Tape insert tool – this is useful if you have difficulty applying tape into your ball or frequently apply tape into any of the finger holes.

Accessories carrying case – if you have a lot of small accessories, this can keep all of them from getting lost inside your bowling bag.

Round rasp file – sometimes you may need to make some adjustment to your thumb hole during a game. Using this file can help open up your thumb hole to allow for more room.

Wrist support – these come in a wide variety of styles and support options. Generally the purpose of wrist supports is to keep your arm and hand in alignment and provide a consistent release.

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What Are Bowling Balls Made Of?

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:50:46 +0000

There are many types of bowling balls on the market today. Each of them are made of unique materials and designed to produce different types of performance. Understanding what bowling balls are made of, can help you match the best bal for your style and level of play.

Plastic (polyester)
The type ball that most recreational bowlers will recognize is the polyester bowling ball, which is commonly referred to as a “plastic” bowling ball. Polyester bowling balls have been available since the 1960s. They generally have a lower cost compared to the other types of bowling balls. They are very durable, which is why they are used as “house” balls on the racks of most bowling alleys. The durability comes from the hard, low friction nature of the polyester cover. This low friction nature causes the “plastic” ball to skid more and maintain a straighter trajectory. “Plastic” balls are primarily used by beginning bowlers; however, many experienced and professional bowlers use them for spare shots and for very dry lane conditions.

Urethane
In the late 1970s, bowling manufacturers experimented with coverstocks softer than polyester in order to create more “hook” potential. The result of these experiments was a polyurethane coverstock, or urethane for short. Urethane has a higher friction surface than polyester which allows the ball to grab the surface better so it will hook more. Urethane bowling balls can be easily sanded or polished to control its hook potential. Urethane is the preferred coverstock for beginning hook bowlers. It is also the ball of choice for many experienced bowlers when bowling on very dry lanes.

Reactive Resin
In the early 1990s, ball manufacturer started adding resin particles to their urethane coverstocks. The resin made the ball tackier than plain urethane which increased its hook potential. A side effect of the resin is that it makes the ball hydroplane on the oil more than plain urethane. The combination of the increased skid on oil and stronger hooking ability on dry boards gives the resin ball a bigger backend reaction for more striking power than prior ball types. Reactive resin is the primary coverstock for most experienced bowlers on most lane conditions.

Particle
Experienced bowlers preferred the smooth reaction and controllability of urethane, but they could not refuse the power provided by reactive resin balls. The ball manufacturers response to this situation was to add textured particles such as ceramics and glass to the resin enhanced polyurethane balls. The added texture gave the ball more grip in the oil for a smooth, controllable hook style, while maintaining the powerful backend of reactive resin. The hook potential for most particle bowling balls is higher than all of the other types of coverstocks. This extremely high hook potential means that most particle balls are for use on oily lane conditions only. However, ball makers are constantly tinkering with the quantity and size of the particles used, so particle balls are becoming more versatile across many types of lane conditioning.

Now when it comes to deciding which bowling ball is best suited for you, it may not be the latest and greatest technological wonder. Ultimately, it comes down to your style and skill that will determine which bowling ball is best and how well you bowl. The bowling ball is only the tool that you use to release that skill. Here’s to your bowling success.

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Spares Could Make Or Break Your Game

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:49:32 +0000

It is human nature to want to excel. In the case of bowling, we want to excel at bowling strikes. But, unfortunately, we are not always able to do that. The game of bowling is more than just strikes. You also need to be able to pickup those spares. How do we do that? By practicing spare shots.

To bowl better you have to practice
In general, most bowlers don’t spend enough time in practice let alone in practice for their spare shots. Too often when bowlers go to the lanes to put in some… so called practice… all they do is work on is getting a high score. That’s not practice…that’s just bowling. We will discuss how to conduct bowling practices in more detail in a later article. For now, our focus will be on the importance of converting spares and how it will improve your game. Yes… bowling strikes will get you that perfect 300 game but, let’s face it, even professional bowlers don’t get a strike every frame.

Do spares make a difference?
To see just how much of a difference spares can make to your game, let’s look at a score sheet where a bowler did not score a single strike in the game but got a nine and then picked up the spare in each frame.

As you can see, just by getting a nine then a spare for each frame this person got a respectable score of 190. He was only 10 pins away from getting a 200 game simply by picking up the spare. Now imagine if this person got a strike or 2 here and there. He would have easily had a 200+ game.

The right tool for the right job
So now you know why spares are so important let’s talk about the right bowling ball to getting spares. With today’s technology, bowling balls are getting better and better. The top bowling balls deliver strong hooks and are made of the most advanced materials. They are specifically designed to give the best hook to improve your game. But the latest and greatest bowling that will deliver strikes is not the best ball for spares. The best bowling ball for getting spares is a simple plastic bowling ball.

The reason plastic balls are better at converting spares over other more advanced bowling balls is because they do not hook. In 99.9% of all spare situations, a straight rolling plastic ball is the bowling ball of choice because in most spare shooting situations, a greater degree of accuracy is needed because there are fewer pins to shoot for.

Let’s take a look back at the bowling scenario we gave earlier, we saw that the bowler knocked down nine pins with his first ball which leaves 1 pin standing. It is much easier to roll a ball straight on to knock it down then to try to hook the ball. There is a greater risk of error with the hook.

Worth the investment
One of the great things about plastic balls is that it is a no brainer when it comes to buying one. All plastic bowling balls are the more or less the same in terms of performance. They all are created to do one thing…roll straight. Also, in comparison to high end hooking bowling balls, plastic balls are cheap. Then when you compare the price of a plastic ball to the improvements you will see in your game, you will see that it is actually quite a bargain.

Different looks
The only hard part about selecting a plastic ball is what kind of look you want for it. There are so many styles to choose from these days from cartoon characters to your favorit sports teams. You can find ones with roses in the center or ones that look like a billards eight ball. There is almost an endless variety of plastic balls to fit your personality and style.

So, in conclusion, if you are serious about bowling and want to improve your bowling, you must have a plastic ball and use it for your spare shots. You will see a definite difference in your game.

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Spares are Just as Important as Strikes

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:48:24 +0000

In any sport, being able to do just one thing well isn’t sufficient enough. A tennis player who can only hit forehand isn’t going to get far, a golfer who can drive but can’t putt won’t make par, and a bowler who can’t pick up spares won’t score high either. Not picking up spares is the same as giving pins away.

If you are interested in getting the most out of your practice sessions one thing you can do is shoot your spare shot first and your strike shot second. That way you will always throw both balls in each frame, in a way, being able to double your practice time.

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Focusing on the Shots Verses the Score

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:46:37 +0000

Practice should be just that practice. It’s the time to work on your strike shot, your spare pickups, and developing your mental game. Don’t be concerned with the score because the only score that matters is your competition score. It might help to not even look at the monitor at all, just focus on the pins and what the next skill you are working on is.

For example, if you are working on your strike game, roll your strike shot both times regardless if there are pins there or not for a set number of times. After that move your feet over a couple boards and your target over in the same direction for a set number of shots. Once you reach the side of the approach go back the other direction in the same fashion. Remember to focus on your objective and not the score and you will have a successful practice.

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Don’t Rushing Practice

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:45:10 +0000

When many people head to the lanes to practice, they throw frame after frame and end up just throwing the ball down the lane. Every shot, whether in practice or in a game, should be made with an honest effort.

To keep your mind in the mental game, it’s best to not only practice your technique but also the pace of the game. Remember that during an actual game you may be waiting for your opponent to bowl or other bowlers in the lanes next to you. As you practice, find the best pace that works for you, whether that means consciously pausing between frames or every couple frames. By regulating your pace, you may find that your consistency increases because of the calm, unhurried focus you give to each shot.

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Owning Vs. Renting Bowling Shoes

PerfectBowling.com — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:43:27 +0000

When most people think about the very first bowling equipment that you need, they will instinctively say it is a bowling ball. This is very true. Without the bowling ball, there is no bowling. But there is another item that is needed if you really want to get better at your bowling game but is often overlooked because it isn’t viewed as essential for bowling. The overlooked equipment are the bowling shoes.

Having the right bowling shoes is a must for anyone who is more than just a “hit the lanes once a year” kind of bowler. Even if you are a casual bowler but have a regular bowling night, you definitely want to have your own pair of shoes.

What’s the big deal of having your own bowling shoes?

Having your very own bowling shoes is probably the best investment you could make when it comes to considering bowling equipment. First and foremost, you don’t have to worry about renting bowlilng shoes that about a thousand other people have worn. You don’t know who the previous person who wore the shoes could be and what kind of foot problems they might have. So hygenically speaking this is a definite plus to having your own shoes.

Another point to consider about owning is that you know that you will always have a shoe that fits you perfectly. With rented bowling shoes, they get stretched out so much and worn out so much that it’s like wearing clown shoes. Having your own bowling shoes allows for maximum comfort whenever you bowl.

In addition to this, your own bowling shoes can improve your game. You will be able to make modifications whether brushing the bottom of the shoes or changing the soles on some shoes or even shorting the laces. Making the shoe fit you means comfort and solid and predictable footing. There are shoes on the market that actually have removable soles. This allows different soles to be used that have properties that are better suited to the lane conditions. House bowling shoes can’t do that. So if you are experiencing excessive stickiness in your shoes there is nothing you can do with rented shoes. But with your very own pair of shoes you would be able to fix that. This will decrease the chances of sticking and disrupting your bowling.

Now this next point isn’t a big deal for most but still worth mentioning. Having your own bowling shoes will save you time at the bowling alley. You don’t have to wait at the counter for the clerk to go back and forth to find the shoes you need. You can go right to the lanes and get bowling.

Probably the biggest positive point is that you will save a ton of money owning rather than renting bowling shoes. Right now, bowling centers are charging anywhere from $3 to $6 to rent a pair of bowling shoes. Let’s say you go on a regulary weekly basis to the local lanes. If you rent each time, you are looking at spending roughly $12 to $32 each month. Now multiply that by a year and you are looking at spending $144 to $384 on just shoe rentals! That doesn’t even include the cost of the actual bowling games. Now it may not sound like a lot but when you compare that cost to the cost of owning your own shoes being around $50 to $150, in less than a year they would have already paid for themselves.

Special considerations for children
If you are thinking about buying bowling shoes for your kid(s) there are some issues to consider:

How old is the child?

Have they stopped growing?

How committed are they to continuing to bowl on a regular basis?

Since kids are still growing, they will eventually outgrow their shoes. In general, most parents will buy children’s clothes a bit bigger to compensate for growth and make their clothing last longer. While this is very frugal, in bowling it can be a hazard. Shoes that are too big may cause awkwardness in the approach and even cause the child to trip. It is better to fit the bowling shoe now and avoid the potential of them hurting himself. Besides, by the time it is time to get new shoes, he may no longer be interested in bowling anymore. So when it come to getting children’s bowling shoes, its best to get ones that fit well.

So finally, as you can see there is a definite consideration that needs to be made when it comes to bowling shoes. In the long run it makes financial sense to purchase your own bowling shoes. But it also makes sense immediately because having your own shoes that fit you and you alone will help to provide consistency and comfort when you are out there bowling for the perfect game.

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