Building a Championship Bowling Program: Equipment & Lane Play

2012 National Coach of the Year, Gary Sparks provides insights into how you can make your bowling equipment work for your team and not against you.

Grip and Fit
You can't out-coach a bad fit! The fit of a bowling ball is imperative for ball control and injury prevention. Coach Sparks shows how inserts (versus regular holes) can make every ball in a bowler's arsenal consistent. He then discusses sizing and the use of tape to assist with the fit. Pitches are an important aspect of the holes and Sparks shares key areas to consider for maintaining proper pitches.

Lane Play
Bowlers face a variety of lane surfaces. Having the proper ball to match the lane conditions is critical to successful play. Sparks teaches you how to match up the proper ball with your lane condition, whether it be a house shot or a sport pattern. Sparks details all aspects of ball construction and how that construction applies to developing an arsenal.

House shots vs. sport patterns, long patterns vs. short patterns and pattern transition are all elements essential to lane play success. In these demonstrations, you will see the factors that shape lane play strategies and how to choose the best equipment to manage them and consistently hit the pocket.

This presentation will help coaches and players get the most from their equipment and refine their lane play strategies - and that translates into better scores for your team.

68 minutes. 2013.