Bowling Highlights Column 10-15-10

New York Gets
1 PBA Tour Stop

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) 2010-2011 tour season has only two East Coast stops and New York State's Cheektowaga (Buffalo) is again back on schedule.
The AMF Thruway Lanes at Cheektowaga was knocked off the regular tour season in 2009-2010 but this year the popular center will host the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship (formerly held on Long Island) from March 1 through Sunday March 6.
The only other East Coast PBA tour stop this season will be the return of the 68th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open to the Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, NJ from Feb. 21 through Sunday Feb. 27.

Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

The tip this week is for all bowlers but will be especially beneficial to youth and beginning bowlers.
Many bowlers worry too much about their steps and footwork, giving very little thought to their upper body position.
In the past, most new bowlers were told that you must use a four-step approach and push the ball away on the first step. This advise was generally imparted by someone with the word "COACH" lettered on their shirt. Unfortunately this advise is pure rubbish.
First of all, all bowlers have different body types, different flexibility and different lengths to their arms and legs. So how is it possible that everyone can effectively use the exact same four step approach? They can't.
If you look back at the legends of the game, did any two bowlers have exactly the same style? No.
The most important thing is to get the bowler's body in the correct position.....head over the ball with the bowling shoulder tilted to the ball side. In this way, the feet will go where they must so that you do not fall down.
The bottom line is if you are someone who works with new or youth bowlers, you must understand that everyone has different physiology so you need to help them get their body into the correct position and not focus on how many steps they take (or how these steps are taken) to get to the foul line.
Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro Shop Operator and Master Instructor. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is an Advisor along with being involved with Special Events with the Storm and Roto Gip Bowling Ball Company. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by telephone at 435-720-7839 or vie email at milel@stormbowling.com

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a professional public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league or tournament information, Ed can be reached by phone at 845-439-8177, by email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-230-8674. For a more expanded version of our columns, please visit our
Web site at http://bght.blogspot.com. This column is also available on Facebook.