Please add this website, http://www.premierbowlers.com, to your coaching, equipment, and accessories sections.

Thanks!

My greatest memory was 1985 in Clearwater Florida. I had just completed practice before a PBA Regional tournament was set to begin. I noticed a young boy was watching me very closely. He approached me and asked for my autograph. It was the first time anyone had asked me for it. He also said he wanted to bowl just like me someday. I thanked him and proceeded to lead the qualifing block that day. I didn’t win the tournament, but I gained something far greater in return. Respect.

Thanks Paul! I hope everyone will check out premierbowlers.com as it looks to be a great resource for bowlers of all skill levels. Roll on!

Priceless! I wonder what that boy’s name was…is he one of the bright young stars that will be bowling along side us some day? Or is he already one of the young Sean Rash’s out in the field?

I’m glad you asked. That young boys name was Steve Hoskins. Steve was born and raised in near by Tarpon Springs Florida. His PBA carreer is well documented. It wasn’t long after our first meeting that I returned the complment and asked Steve for his autograph. That was priceless!

Motivation.

Some people have it, some people don’t. For some it comes and goes. For me over the years I’ve found motivation in the challenge that no lane condition was going to beat me. I believe that on every pair of lanes on any condition their is a score-able shot, it’s up to me to find it. Recently however, I’ve found motivation in bowling a good friend of mine for a George Washington per game. I never knew a simple dollar could mean so much. Sometimes a simple gesture between friends/teammates can be what sets you apart and gives you an edge. So the next time you’re feeling a little flat with your game and having trouble motivating yourself. All you need to do is turn to a friend/teammate and make a simple wager. (a beer works well in this situation as well) What you take away from the experience is priceless!

Motivation is a tricky topic. You’re absolutely right. It’s easier for some than others.

I’ve seen naturally talented bowlers, those who take to the lanes like a duck to water, who you’d think would aspire to higher levels of achievement on the lanes, yet they just don’t have the desire to take their game to the next level. Then, there are bowlers who try and try and need to work ten times harder to achieve their goals, but have such a determination to do well that no matter what, they just don’t quit. This mysterious thing called motivation keeps them coming back for more…and sometimes they can’t quite put their finger on why.

Most commonly, people would think it’s the bowler with the natural ability that you’d see more of on the lanes…however, I’ve found quite the opposite to be true in my twenty-some years of bowling.

What motivates people to bowl? Like Marty, I too like to ‘beat the lane conditions’ on my own terms. I’m not a cranker or a tweener, I’m a stroker on the lanes. And anyone who is a down-and-in player will tell you many bowlers will ride them for not having any hand or not turning the ball as much as them. Proving to these bowlers that strokers can score as well, if not better than crankers, is high motivation for me. Being a woman bowling on men’s league, keeping up with and/or surpassing the men’s scores, that’s motivation, too. Then, there’s always the simple satisfaction of rolling a ball well, knowing it the minute it peals off of ones palm waiting for the destruction of the pins downlane as the ball turns the corner and plows down the pins. Crack! Sweet satisfaction in the sheer power of the ball continuing through the pins as it lands in the back of the deck. Now there’s certainly motivation to come back for more!

And finally, there’s the motivation to bowl well for others who count on you. Team bowling has got to be the highest motivation for me. Knowing there are three or four others who’ve got your back during a competition and who depend on your skills to get them through as well…well there’s hardly any higher motivation to succeed and keep your chin up if times get tough. This motivation is gained from such simple gestures; making eye contact with your teammates after a fantastic or less than stellar shot, slapping five in celebration, or pumping a fist to say ’shake it off’…it all can contribute to your edge on the lanes and keep you plugging along until you finally get that break you’ve been looking for!