Throughout my career in the bowling industry I have heard one thing that is consistent. I hear the customer say that I like to stand here, and throw it there. Can you get me a ball that I can do that? The answer I always give them is two parts, yes and no. Bowlers can’t always get what they want. This week I would like to talk about why and hopefully I will shed some light on the fact that I stated earlier this year in a previous article: The lanes tell you what to do. 

Every bowler has what is called their “comfort zone”.  This is the area of the lane where the bowler feels the most confident and on some nights does their best. We all have a comfort zone. The questions I ask you, as a bowler is; do you only have one comfort zone?  If you do, then you really need to open your mind in this great sport of bowling. Yes it’s a great feeling when you can stay in your comfort zone and bowl. That’s why it’s called the comfort zone. But as a bowler, you need to have more then just one of these zones. Every bowling center does not put out the same oil pattern, nor do they sometimes even have the same lane surface. So if you have a comfort zone in one center and it works, but it doesn’t work in the other, it’s not that the lanes are tougher, it’s the simple fact that the comfort zone in that particular center is different then the other. If you’re a bowler that bowls in more then one center, how many times do you say, “Well this worked at the other center, why isn’t it working here?” Simply put, the lanes dictate where you play! 

As a bowler, you need to work on learning how to either play straighter or play more hook. Which ever is your weaker of the two comfort zones. When you have learned both you have not only made yourself better as a bowler, but you have now just created two “comfort zones”.  

Bowlers are always looking for that certain ball that will allow them to play in there comfort zone longer. Some look for a less aggressive bowling ball for when the lanes start to dry out. That makes sense in some aspect. When a lane starts to dry out in a certain point, that means that there is oil depletion on the lane surface. So if you go to let’s say a weaker reactive bowling ball then you should be able to stay there right? Not entirely true. Remember Reactive bowling balls will tend to slide in oil and grab or have friction to dry. So if you have depleted the oil in a certain part on the lane, will a reactive bowling ball slide in the same spot? No. It will grab the lane surface. So what do you have to do next? You guessed it; you have to move your target. When you do this, you are moving out of that comfort zone. So back to why I mentioned about learning other zones on the lane. If you have more then one comfort zone then you can be more versatile and be able to maintain a higher score. How do you do this? You need to practice other parts of the lane. If you practice enough in other areas of the lane surface then you have created more zones. And all of a sudden you those no so comfort zones become comfort zones.  

So remember this, lanes that break down, makes the bowler move. When you learn to play what the lanes tell you to do, then you will be more susceptible to scoring better. Remember you can’t control what happens to the lanes, you only can control what you do. By making adjustments and becoming more versatile you not only have improved your scores, you have also recognized lane adjustments and have become a better bowler for doing so. Last thing I will say is if you can see what the lanes are doing, or you see other bowler’s styles scoring, then why would you stay where you are? If there scoring then the only thing they have done, was to recognize that the lanes have changed and that they themselves have changed with it. Change is a good thing. Resistance will only create headaches.  

On a side note, I would like to personally thank everyone that has wished me a speedy recovery during my physical therapy. I am now back to bowling, and starting to get ready for nationals. Only 65 days until Reno!   

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. He is a USBC Certified Coach. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

Bowling season is starting to reach its end and soon people will be putting there bowling balls away and reaching for there fishing poles or golf clubs. So with that in mind I would like to present our first ever top selling bowling ball list of the bowling season.  

I am basing all this information on what we have seen as the most selling bowling balls in OUR market place. These views may be different then those researched on the national Level. You can agree or disagree with my findings. Remember its ok to agree or disagree. Remember these are only based on our local front. As I provide this list I would also like to get your feedback on these. I would like to have all of you send in your comments, questions, and thoughts on this years GLC Bowling top seller list.   

 TOP SELLING HIGH PRICE POINT BOWLING BALLS 

1.      VIRTUAL GRAVITY by Storm

2.      MUTANT CELL by Roto Grip

3.      VIRTUAL ENERGY by Storm

4.      MISSION by Ebonite

5.      INVASION by Storm

TOP SELLING UPPER MID PRICE POINT BOWLING BALLS 

1.      BLACK WIDOW STING by Hammer

2.      HY-ROAD by Storm

3.      REIGN by Storm

4.      BLACK WIDOW NASTY by Hammer

5.      NOMAD by Roto Grip

TOP SELLING MID PRICE POINT BOWLING BALLS 

1.      FAST by Storm

2.      FURIOUS by Storm

3.      RAW HAMMER JACKED by Hammer

4.      RAW HAMMER BURN by Hammer

5.      LANE BREAKER by Ebonite

TOP SELLING UPPER ENTRY PRICE POINT BOWLING BALLS 

1.      FREEZE RED/BLUE by Columbia

2.      FREEZE BLACK/SILVER by Columbia

3.      FREEZE SCARLET/BLACK by Columbia

4.      VIBE ONYX by Hammer

5.      VIBE EMERALD by Hammer

Do you have any of these top sellers in your bag? Email me to let me know which one of these top sellers are in your bag right now. If you do not have one of these then I suggest you visit your local pro shop and get you one of these today! Until next week, I hope you all bowl well and make all your spares! 

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. He is a USBC Certified Coach. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

This week I would like to talk about the USBC Nationals and what it really means to me when it’s time to bowl. The USBC Nationals (formally the ABC tournament) is something that I personally look forward to every year. It’s a time to go out with my longtime friends and bowl together. It’s a time to go to a different destination to bowl. It’s a chance to try your skill on the tougher oil patterns, and it’s a time where you have a chance to win one of the most recognized trophies in bowling, the Eagle.  

Every year I start getting excited about 4 to 5 months before the actual dates that I bowl. This year I get to go out to Reno NV in May. Now this isn’t my first time going to Reno. I have done decent in years past out at the National Bowling stadium. The last time we were there I shot 1834 I think. I have also posted a 19 something all events there too. In the past my friends and I have gone out in March, but we decided for a little change this year. Going later for us, means we get to start to see what the bowlers are doing out there, and get some feedback from friends of ours that go out before us. It’s also a chance to get a lot of quality practice in before we go. This year we are doing actual team training sessions which we can work on bowling ball layouts, bowling ball surfaces, and work on the physical game to get our bodies and mind in tune for what’s to come. Where do we do this? Of course we do this at Bowling IQ. I have only talked about this awesome place in the past couple weeks. I will never forget the last time we were out in Reno. I had a bowler who joined us for his first trip. This was his very first National try. I remember telling him to make sure you just make good shots and it’s ok if you don’t shoot 240’s or 250’s out here. The lanes are a little bit more challenging then back home. Well in the team event he posted 203 205 290. I was very excited for him. He grinded it out and stuck with it. Heck he beat me in team series. But one thing I noticed a lot recently is how the younger generation thinks. I can remember this conversation like it happened yesterday. All ten of us were sitting down for dinner, and I again complimented him on his bowling that day. He didn’t seem to really take it to heart just how well he bowled. He kind of just shrugged it off. I told him to keep that focus on the lanes tomorrow because this isn’t a three game tournament. There are 9 total games to bowl, and All Events is a pretty big thing, at least in my eyes. Sure you can bowl great for one set, but doing it for 9 total games is a greater accomplishment. He just looked over at me and said you want to put some money on total events?

Now, remember he had me by 80 pins in totals at this point, and I looked over at him and said “Sure how much do you want to bowl for?” He said something like ten bucks, and I looked over at him and said, “If you’re that confident and you already have a huge lead on me, let’s make it worth the time. “How about $500?” He looked at me and said he didn’t have that kind of money. Honestly neither did I.  I wanted to see how confident he really was. So we decided not to go on with the wager, but this just lit a fire under me. I’m thinking to myself, this 20 something year old kid is going to challenge me? So the next day came and it was time for us to bowl doubles and singles. We reminded each other about the conversation the evening before. I said, “Are you ready?” He said sure no problem. Well after the 9 games were done, and the all events totals were in, I beat him by 33 pins!! Yes you read it right. He had an 80 pin lead on me the night before, and I beat him in all events. This is a small lesson for those people that like to talk a lot. I am going to give you some advice one of my former coaches told me. He always said “Let the bowling ball do the talking not you” To this day I remember that and it’s something that has stuck with me throughout my bowling career.  

In closing this week, I hope all of you who are bowling Nationals this year, have a great time, enjoy your friends and teammates company, and don’t look to go out there and shoot huge numbers. The lanes are more difficult and you need to keep your focus during every shot. If you make good shots, good things will happen. Just look at what happened with my scores. Also thank you to everyone on face book that has wished me a speedy recovery during my physical therapy sessions over the last four weeks. I am feeling about 80% better, and will be back on the lanes soon. If you haven’t become a friend of GLC or myself on Face book, then what are you waiting for? Log on and find us. 

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. He is a USBC Certified Coach. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

This weeks tip will be a about the balance of your body at the release point. Balance is a major factor in creating power and accuracy.  Ask yourself this question, do I fall off towards my release side? If you answered the question with a yes then your balance is off. Have you ever heard of posting your shot? This simply means that you hold your finish position until your bowling ball reaches the pins. Can you do that? This week’s tip will give you some insight as to how to control your body from the starting position until your release and finish position.

Let me recap this week’s article about balance. There are two components with balance, free arm swing and leg strength. Creating a triangle with your legs will increase your balance and combining that with a free arm swing will allow you to increase your power. Combine these two and watch out!!! You have now become a monster on the lanes!!! Until next week, if you have any comments or questions, I would like to hear them. I have been answering emails as fast as I can and I have been getting a lot lately. Remember about Bowling IQ. If you ever need any training they are there to accommodate your needs.

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com  

Each week I write about how to do this or you need to practice that. So I am stunned when I provide all this information and the tools to help each and every one of you bowlers a chance to get better. Why do so many people decide to veer from the teachings?  Is it a lack of commitment or does that individual bowler say they want to improve but what they are really thinking is I want to do that but I really don’t care?  This week I would like to challenge my bowlers out there to take a look into themselves and see if they really mean what they say or they don’t believe in it. 

I deal with customers from the entire spectrum of bowlers. Some just do it for a reason to get out of the house for a few hours.  Some people do it because it’s just something they have done since they were kids.  Some bowlers are the seasoned veterans and really take this sport to heart.  So which one are you? This article is more geared to the seasoned bowlers. 

I have traveled this great country of ours for bowling. I have bowled in different cities and states and have seen a lot. One thing I still see out there is the passion of bowlers to bowl well. I also see the stereo type minded people who see bowling not as a sport but as a recreational activity. You know the beer drinking out of shape mentality. That is fine for some people, but I tend to see things in a different view. The sport of bowling is exactly that, a sport. Bowlers have to have endurance when competing as well as the flexibility and muscle memory to repeat shots and stay competitive. The same could be said for a bowlers mind. Bowlers need to constantly learn and educate themselves on the sport. What type of oil pattern is being used?  What type of bowling ball surface will work on the given lane condition?  What type of bowling ball layout will give me the best chance to score?  What ball speed should I use?  What hand position will work the best for this condition?  What type of lane surface is this?  There are so many questions and variables that are involved with bowling at the highest level.  Back to my original opening, if you have the opportunity to learn this at your fingertips then why do you not take advantage of it?  If you have a coach that is willing to share and pass on this knowledge to you then why not take it? 

I have been involved in the bowling industry since I was 15 years old. As soon as I was able to work at a bowling center I did. You name it and I have done it in the bowling industry. But the one thing that has always been my passion is education. I love to take a bowler and pass on the knowledge I have collected from my years and watch the bowler grow into a competitive player. So this basically comes down to the title of this week’s article, commitment. A large amount of bowlers want to learn but I see this all the time, they are not committed to doing it. They will take the knowledge that they have learned, try it that time, and then push it off to the side. I can tell you, if you want to get better and you have been given the knowledge from someone to apply it to your game, then you have to be committed to using it. Getting better in a sport takes commitment. Just as with everything else in life, you have got to be committed to it. I can go on and on for hours about this but I won’t. I am going to wrap this up with a couple key things about having the commitment. First, take the knowledge you have been given and work with it. I don’t mean once or twice. You need to understand it, embrace it, and believe in it! Secondly, you need to apply it. If you have the drive to learn, you have the drive in you to get better. Last thing is to find time. I know everyone works and has families and other things to do, but if you want to be serious about something and you are passionate about it, you will find the time to do it!

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com  

Last week I wrote about the new Bowling IQ. The new upscale training facility located in Michigan. I have had people comment about how cool this place is and that we (meaning bowlers) needed something like this. Well now that it’s here, what are you going to do about it? This week I would like to talk about the programs offered at Bowling IQ and the services they provide.

Bowling IQ is meant to be an educational facility designed to create excitement for the sport of bowling. This is accomplished in a number of ways. One of the objectives is to hang on to the existing bowlers in the sport by educating them to be able to compete at a higher skill level. Another focus is to get the new youth bowler excited about bowling. What happens when you’re excited about something? You tend to stick with it. This is what the sport of bowling needs. We need to go after the new bowlers and turn them into lifelong bowlers. By doing this we can create a stronger future of bowlers to come. Just look at the explosion of High School Bowling. With an increase of bowlers what does that do to the market place of bowling? It makes it stronger. I am sure the USBC will be happy for that. But they won’t be the only ones that benefit from it. The bowling centers will be able to have a stronger league base. The Pro shop operators will become more educated and be able to provide better results for the bowler. The bowlers themselves will become more educated and therefore create longevity in the sport of bowling. All in all it is a win-win situation for the whole sport of bowling.

So what does Bowling IQ offer the bowler? Well here is a list of services that they provide and trust me when I say this you will leave with more knowledge about this great sport of bowling then when you started. This was the whole concept behind why we started blogging. People are thirsty for knowledge and I want to be able to supply that. Bowling IQ is on the same path and will continue that path with every step they make.

Training Programs:

Team Training – $375 per 5 person team

   $600 for 10 person team

•  Includes instructor introduction to team lane tactics
• Playing oil patterns
• Using practice to create your team path to the pins
•  Ball spinners
  • Learn the pros and cons of changing ball surfaces based on lane conditions
• You pick Lane condition
  • Type of lane to bowl on Qubica/AMF or Brunswick Lanes
  • Type of Oil Pattern
•  Each session last for 2 hours

• Individual Training - Price Varies based on level of training (available for bowlers and coaches)
  •  Includes an instructor
  •  Choice of oil pattern
  •  Choice of lane surface
  •  Can include video analysis and classroom training

          Lane Rental Prices:

•  $30 per lane hour
  • Includes bowlers choice of lane pattern

•  $120 per hour for 4 lanes
  • Includes use of Concession Area adjacent to rented lanes
  • Glass Curtain wall separates 4 lane pair sets
  • Includes bowlers choice of lane pattern

•  $240 per hour for 8 lanes
  • Access to both Concession areas
  • Bowlers choice of lane pattern

This is just a few things that Bowling IQ offers. You can email them with the address provided below for more information on Classroom Rentals and Club outings such as Soccer fundraisers or Girl or Boy Scout outings.  T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

7023 E. 14 Mile Rd.

Sterling Heights, MI 48312

phone: 586.268.4001

email: Events@BowlingIQ.com

Week in and week out I talk about how to do this or how to do that. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place where you could get all of this training?  A place where you could be educated as a bowler. Or as a Pro shop operator learn the latest in equipment?  How about a place where you can try out your new equipment? How about being able to bowl on two different synthetic lanes surfaces? Well the time has come. A new place has been built in Michigan; Bowling IQ.

Bowling IQ is a state of the art facility located in Sterling Heights Michigan equipped with eight new synthetic bowling lanes. Four of the lanes are AMF and four are Brunswick, equipped with the latest in AMF and Brunswick Scoring systems. The Brunswick lanes are equipped with A-2 machines, and the AMF lanes are equipped with two 82-70 and two 82-90XLI machines. The lanes are separated by a glass enclosure made from the same glass used in the NHL. There is a sliding glass system used to separate the AMF from the Brunswick side. The lanes can be separated if you have more then one group to teach or easily opened up for the larger groups. The settee area has the newest in AMF and Brunswick furniture. Burgundy and sea foam green color leather furniture complete the settee. There is a 4000 sq. ft showroom which displays all the latest in bowling equipment in the industry. The showroom has an Oak, Mahogany color scheme with some “Retro” bowling looks.  Wooden benches extracted from a local bowling center that opened back in the 1930’s accent the showroom floor. The past and the present come together in Bowling IQ.

Bowling IQ has two concession areas equipped with stainless steel appliances along with granite countertops. There are two education classrooms. One classroom can seat forty students and is equipped with one 47 inch Flat screen T.V. with Laptop port connections. The other classroom can seat one hundred students and is equipped with two 47 inch Flat screen T.V. s along with Laptop port connections. They are also equipped with Zone Speakers with wireless microphone capability.  There are two separate board rooms that can seat either four or eight people. All in all a facility that is second to none in the bowling industry.

About Bowling IQ

“ Bowling IQ exists to do just that, raise your bowling IQ. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned bowler, Bowling IQ provides you with the tools for success. Our one and only goal is to insure that every person who enters our doors has a positive experience, and leaves with more knowledge than when they entered.

Versed in all available bowling equipment, our staff can provide you with expert information. We strive to insure that you fully understand the products you choose to use.

Our training staff lead by former Team USA and Gold Level Coach Sean Klug, give Bowling IQ the capacity to deliver on our promise of excellence. So whether you are a first time bowler or a seasoned veteran, Bowling IQ is your resource for bowling knowledge.”

You need to check this place out. Right now you can bowl on eight different lane conditions, one on each lane each and every Monday and Tuesday night from 8-10 p.m. $10.00 per person and that lets you bowl on any of the eight different PBA oil patterns they put out. We will also have Bowling Ball spinners at your access to fine tune your bowling equipment.

Bowling IQ is located at 7023 E. 14 Mile Rd. Sterling Heights MI 48312

Until Next week, if you need to learn anything, I can help you raise your Bowling IQ. Thomas Yeip is the Manger of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA advanced certified technician. You can email your questions or comments to him directly at Thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

Welcome to 2010 and most of you are about half way through your league season. Some of you might be bowling well this season, and some may not be. Most of you might be getting ready to start your Local City or State tournaments. So are you prepared for the tournament season? Do you think you have the right bowling balls to compete at the higher level for the tournaments? This week I would like to talk about some drilling layouts and bowling ball surfaces that you may want to have in your bag this tournament season. I will explain the different drilling techniques and surface preparations so you can better understand your equipment and have the right tools to excel on the conditions you might face.

Bowling tournaments can be a very fun time. It could also be a time where you struggle to bowl well. Having the right drilling layouts and ball surfaces will help you achieve greater success on the lanes. I am not saying that you will bowl better with the advice I give you here, remember equipment is a big factor to scoring, but it ultimately comes down to the bowler themselves. I can give you the advice, but you, the bowler, have to be able to execute your shot.

The first step I want to talk about is your bowling ball surface. You can not go into any tournament setting and have the same surfaces on every bowling ball you own and expect to have the right tools. It’s kind of like going to the golf course with a bag full of 9 irons. It’s much more difficult to make par 5’s with just 9 irons. So the first thing you should do is actually look at your equipment and have at least one bowling ball sanded to 500 grit or 1000 grit finish. These are for when you encounter a heavier oil condition. The duller the surface, the more friction you will have on those heavier oil patterns. Then next bowling ball should have anywhere from a 2000 to 4000 grit finish. These will be a little less aggressive then your lower grits, helping your bowling ball travel further on the lane surface before it begins to hook. These surfaces will be most effective on the medium oil conditions. Last, you should have at least one polished bowling ball in your bag. Having a bowling ball that is polished will have even less friction in the oil and front part of the lane surface.

Now how do you know which one of these to use? I will give you a very simple tip. Watch what your ball is doing. If your bowling ball is traveling to far down the lane then guess what, the bowling ball is telling you that for this pattern you don’t have the right ball . Go to my brother the duller surface ball. Sometimes I hear voices in my head haha. So if your bowling ball tells you to use another then now at least having these couple tips about surface will help you make the better decision.

Now on to the next part, about drilling layouts, you will need to have a couple different layouts in your bowling bag as well. The first one I would like to talk about is a drilling that will help you when you encounter heavier patterns. You should have a bowling ball in you bag that has a drilling layout where your locator pin (that’s the colored dot on the bowling ball) is placed even with or below your finger gripping holes. Having locator pins lower will help the bowling ball start to rev up faster on the lane thereby creating less length and a smoother back end reaction. If you have trouble understanding that part, let’s think of the lane conditions. If you have a heavier or longer oil pattern, the lane oil will make the bowling ball travel further down the lane. So just keeping it simple, if you use a bowling ball that is drilled to go long and you are bowling on heavier oil, which will make the ball go longer, what are your chances of having that bowling ball hit the pocket on a consistent basis? Not a good chance. You may be able to hit it a couple times, but if you miss a little bit from your target then you will not be happy. So my suggestion is to use pin down bowling ball when encountering heavier patterns.

When you encounter less oil then you would want to use drilling layouts that have the pins higher above your finger gripping holes. Having locator pins higher will create longer bowling ball motion down the lane. These will work best when you start to see your bowling ball hook to soon. Now I could get into a deeper conversation about Mass Bias or PSA placements, along with locator pin distances from you positive axis point, but that will be a very lengthy article. I will save that for another time.

So let’s recap this weeks article, You need bowling balls in your bag with different sanded or polished surfaces, and locator pins below or above your finger gripping holes to be able to attack different lane patterns. Having these tools in your bag and properly drilled will help you achieve greater success on the lane conditions of today’s sport. Remember, you have to observe and define what your bowling ball is doing on the lanes and be able to take that knowledge and turn it into something great. Until next week, have fun, bowl well, execute shots and let’s say it again: Have fun.

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead Technical Advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified Member and former PBA member. You can email your questions to him personally at thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

How many of you remember that famous A.I. saying about practice. Well we all need to practice. Sure, some of you are content with your bowling game just the way it is. I am not one of those people. Everyone has room for improvement. Maybe it is a release or timing issue. Maybe you got a new ball for the holidays and you need to learn what it does, or heck dare I say it, practicing your spare shooting. But what and how do you practice? This week I would like to cover a couple things to work on, and also let you know why I go out and practice. 

Well everyone has their own reasons as to why they practice. Some bowlers want to improve their consistency. Some bowlers want to practice spare shots, and some go out to practice because they need to work on one particular piece of there game. Heck here’s a novel idea; some people want to practice because they want to get better!! Anyway you slice it bowlers are not satisfied unless we are doing good. Let me tell you why I went to practice this week.  Last week I was bowling in my Tuesday All Star league. I had a relatively good look on the lanes. Let’s keep it that way. First game I came out and went strike, spares, next ten strikes and finally left a solid 8 pin for a 279. Second game got a little better started out with the first 7 seven strikes in a row, then something happened. I left 3 consecutive 7 pins and I missed them all!!! Yes, yes, all the talk about spare shooting here all these weeks and I miss the first 3 seven pins I face. Can we just say I started to become a little annoyed? Well the last game was not a good one.  I had an absolute great chance for attempting to roll an 800 series and I threw that away. I lost my focus and couldn’t get it back in the last game. I ended up missing another 7 pin attempt and finished the game with a 187. So what did I do this past week? You guessed it. I practiced for about 35 minutes at shooting nothing but 7 pins!!! This is just one of many scenarios that can happen to a bowler and what you do to correct it is up to you. So if you feel like something just isn’t right with your bowling game, you go and PRACTICE to figure it out.  

One tip when going to practice is to work on one thing that is causing an issue. As I did above, I had no issues with rolling strikes that week my issue was making 7 pins. That’s what I went out to practice. If you feel that you have some sort of timing issue, then you go out and practice on timing. One of the most important things to remember when you practice is do not look at your scores. Last time I checked, scores in practice do not count for anything. But what happens when you are having issues and you can’t seem to figure out how to correct them. That’s when you do what sports teams do, and that is go to the coach. You need to find a coach in your area that is a certified USBC coach to help you. If you are in the Detroit Metro Area then you may want to come into the new Bowling IQ training facility located inside DiLaura Brothers LLC. They have 8 brand new lanes, 4 AMF and 4 Brunswick lane surfaces. So if you bowl on either one, you can have a similar practice shot from your local bowling center.  

So let’s recap from this week, when you go out to work on your game, do not look at the score board, take time to actually think and analyze what you are there to practice on, and by all means, if you do not have a coach, then talk to your local bowling centers to find one. As always you can contact me and I can try to help you out the best that I can. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.  I will be back next week to share some more about my bowling and help you out anyway possible.  

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and the Lead technical advisor. He is an IBPSIA Advanced Certified member. You can email your questions or comments to him at Thomas.yeip@glcbowling.com

This week I was reminiscing about the days back when I bowled on the PBA. Now I didn’t bowl full time like the guys you see every week, I bowled a 6 week tour swing, back when I was living on the west coast in sunny California. I was taken back to those days realizing just how cold it is here in the great state of Michigan. I think last night it was down to 10 degrees!!!  Again I ask myself, why did I move back?  But everything does happen for a reason and this is where I am supposed to be I guess.  Well I was thinking about writing this week about the first tour event where I made a paycheck.  I would like to take you on my personal journey when this all happened. Have fun, sit back, relax and read.  

It was January in the year 2003. At the time I was working for AMF as a pro shop Manger and West coast Technical advisor for the AMF owned pro shops. I was on PBA staff with Ebonite at the time. Sounds kind of funny that I worked for one company and bowled for another, but that is another story. So I packed up the Suburban and headed out to Washington. That week was not a productive week, so let’s move forward to the following week. We packed the Suburban back up and headed to Medford Oregon, the home of the great Marshall Holman. We made the 7 hour drive to Medford, a tiny little town but a huge welcoming city for the Professional Bowlers. For a few minutes I felt really good. I was thinking to myself, this is great, I feel like a star. Then reality set in and it’s time to get to business. I walked into Lava Lanes in Medford and this was a brand new state of the art bowling center. The concourse was huge, plenty of room to move around. The settee area was also a great size to move bowling balls around from lane to lane. I can not forget the restaurant in the bowling center. Yes I said restaurant and not a snack bar. They had every dish was named after a famous bowler. This place really knew how to make bowlers feel important. I got a seat in the restaurant and watched some horse racing. Yea they even had off track betting. I didn’t make any wagers because I wanted to really focus on the reason I was here. That was to bowl at my best.  

After checking out the bowling center and making my way to the locker room I decided to check into my hotel and get a good nights rest.  The next day was the official practice session, so I got my equipment ready, headed out to the lanes and practiced. In practice session, you try to see what type of ball reaction you will get and how to play the lanes, but I will tell you that the practice session and the actual event, plays differently. This is a result of the oil pattern and the lane condition being cleaned off the lanes and reapplied more then once. Usually the oil is a little bit wetter and the dry usually plays a little drier. So after about an hour and a half of practice, I decided to call it an afternoon. I found great ball reactions with a couple bowling balls and felt confident for the first day of qualifying. The two bowling balls I felt the most comfortable with were the Red Predator and the V2 Pearl. Both gave me some good ball reactions. Feeling confident going into qualifying is a great feeling. If you’re unsure of things you can start to over analyze lanes and bowling equipment. You always want to keep it simple. So it was off to grab a bite to eat and relax in the hotel and watch some ESPN or whatever caught my attention on the T.V. 

Today is the day. I go in to the bowling center and get ready for roll call. The first qualifying block is 8 games long and the top 64 return the next day for another 8 games of qualifying. I started out my set with a few solid games. Popped in a couple 240’s 250’s and had a couple games left to finish qualifying. I kept looking over at the big projector wall to see the number for the cut line. I kept seeing my name in the top 64. With two games left and a lot of nerves I kept trying to keep my head in the moment. It was kind of hard because I was bowling with a few big names. To the right of me was the great Marshall Holman, which drew a huge crowd. Now to the left of me was Pete Weber. Another crowd pleaser. Oh and who was on my pair to boot, non other then the great Chris Barnes. Can I tell you that was probably the biggest crowd of people that I have ever bowled in front of.  I started out the 7^th game with a three bagger. Then came number four five and six. The crowd started to gather seeing that there was someone with a string of strikes, and that person was me. I looked back once and could not believe the amount of people cheering me on. So I proceed to put my head down and not let that bother me. So I step up in the 7^th frame and throw another strike. I started to realize that my look on the lanes was getting better every shot I threw. The 8^th frame was a little bit of a fan favorite. I got up threw the ball and left a 7 pin. But wait here comes that great bowling help called the messenger, and it toke the 7 pin out for strike number 8. The crowd erupted and I had to take a minute and play to the crowd. The 9^th frame comes up and I strike yet again. Yes folks, I have the front nine in a PBA Tour event! The tenth frame is coming. I try to stay focused and not let my outside surroundings get into my head. The tenth shot I flush for another strike. Now I am really nervous. I have thrown 300 games in the past, but never had a chance on a stage like this. So I try to calm myself down, and wait for Pete Weber to go and throw his shot. He looks at me and passes it on to me. He said, “Go ahead, this is your spotlight kid.” So I get up and I keep telling myself to not get slow. We are bowling on the Cheetah Pattern and it definitely hooks. So I let it go and trust me, I didn’t get slow with it! I heaved that ball down the lane and alas my string was over. I left a seven pin. I ended up shooting 289 and I looked over at Pete and said “Man that was my first chance at a 300 game on tour” You know he gave me some of the best advice right at that moment. He turned to me and said “You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You made a good shot and hit the pocket. You can not control the pins. Great game and move on to the next one” He’s right. You can’t control what happens once the bowling ball leaves your hand. So I moved on to the next pair.  

One game left and I am still in the cut and still kind of shaking form the last game. I started off with a wash out and then another washout. I told myself to relax and get focused. I ran off the next 9 strikes to make the cut.  

I am going to wrap this up for the week, but I wanted to take you only a small trip with me on how it was to bowl on the PBA level. Maybe one day you might be sitting in front of your computer writing stories of your experiences. I hope you enjoyed this week and as always you can email me and ask me any questions that you may have.

Until next week, Happy Holidays and hope you get everything you wanted for Christmas. 

T.J. Yeip is the Manager of GLC Bowling and Lead Technical Advisor. You can email him directly at Thomas.Yeip@glcbowling.com