Comments on: Bowling: How to Master the Game http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game All About Top Bowling Ball Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:29:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David S. Rush http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game#comment-345 David S. Rush Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:09:25 +0000 http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game/#comment-345 Disappointing. <br /> <br />I am not sure who the intended audience for this book was. I not sure the authors knew who the intended audience was, either. <br /> <br />I bowled some as a young teenager. I'm in my 50s now and I have started to bowl some again. What I wanted and needed was a book of basic instruction on the proper techniques and strategy of bowling. Having read some of the reviews that is what I thought I was getting. <br /> <br />If I had been able to pick this book up in a bookstore and flip through it I would never have purchased it. <br /> <br />A big portion of the book is the history of bowling, bowling balls, pin boys, pin setting machines, and why there are 10 pins and not 9. It also devotes far too many pages to anecdotes of PBA pros. I wanted instruction. <br /> <br />I work in a technical field and I am used to reading manuals and sometimes obtuse material. I found myself skimming through this book trying to pull out some useful information. <br /> <br />Add to that endless page after page of spare diagrams with little explanation. Lane oil conditions may be where it is at on the pro bowling tour, but by the end of the book I was ready to sell my stock in Crisco. <br /> <br />Bottom line, if you want a good instruction manual save your money. If you want a nice coffee table book buy it. <br /> Rating: 2 / 5 Disappointing.

I am not sure who the intended audience for this book was. I not sure the authors knew who the intended audience was, either.

I bowled some as a young teenager. I’m in my 50s now and I have started to bowl some again. What I wanted and needed was a book of basic instruction on the proper techniques and strategy of bowling. Having read some of the reviews that is what I thought I was getting.

If I had been able to pick this book up in a bookstore and flip through it I would never have purchased it.

A big portion of the book is the history of bowling, bowling balls, pin boys, pin setting machines, and why there are 10 pins and not 9. It also devotes far too many pages to anecdotes of PBA pros. I wanted instruction.

I work in a technical field and I am used to reading manuals and sometimes obtuse material. I found myself skimming through this book trying to pull out some useful information.

Add to that endless page after page of spare diagrams with little explanation. Lane oil conditions may be where it is at on the pro bowling tour, but by the end of the book I was ready to sell my stock in Crisco.

Bottom line, if you want a good instruction manual save your money. If you want a nice coffee table book buy it.

Rating: 2 / 5

]]> By: Blaine K. Masumoto http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game#comment-344 Blaine K. Masumoto Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:08:51 +0000 http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game/#comment-344 very informative book with great diagrams and pictures. even though parker is a lefty the book really explains bowling from both hands. one of the better books i have read so far. Rating: 5 / 5 very informative book with great diagrams and pictures. even though parker is a lefty the book really explains bowling from both hands. one of the better books i have read so far.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: M. Wilk http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game#comment-343 M. Wilk Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:47:56 +0000 http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game/#comment-343 I have been bowling for 30 years, I have been a regional PBA bowler for 14 years carrying over a 210 average for many years. This book gives you much insight on how to develope your own game. He teaches you HOW to practice and when to stop practicing. Think about that, how many times at practice do you just throw the ball without thinking much. He instructs you to go practice with a goal and purpose. He goes into stories on how when he was young and met Mark Roth; Mark told him he is good, but he needs to make spares. Parker tells stories on how he made the TV finals by less than 10 pins because his competition got lazy and missed spares. Parker shows you how to best line up to make spares. He also goes into ball drilling, weights, pin placements, etc. Experiment and find what works best for you. Many great 1 page inserts from other bowlers; example-Chris Barnes on how he barely made the college bowling team. Just a great book, many awesome pictures, definately worth the price. Rating: 5 / 5 I have been bowling for 30 years, I have been a regional PBA bowler for 14 years carrying over a 210 average for many years. This book gives you much insight on how to develope your own game. He teaches you HOW to practice and when to stop practicing. Think about that, how many times at practice do you just throw the ball without thinking much. He instructs you to go practice with a goal and purpose. He goes into stories on how when he was young and met Mark Roth; Mark told him he is good, but he needs to make spares. Parker tells stories on how he made the TV finals by less than 10 pins because his competition got lazy and missed spares. Parker shows you how to best line up to make spares. He also goes into ball drilling, weights, pin placements, etc. Experiment and find what works best for you. Many great 1 page inserts from other bowlers; example-Chris Barnes on how he barely made the college bowling team. Just a great book, many awesome pictures, definately worth the price.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Geoff Nash http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game#comment-342 Geoff Nash Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:35:16 +0000 http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game/#comment-342 Just saw Parkers book for the first time and it is a great book. The pictures are alone worth the price of the book. Having met Parker is class with a capitol C. Parker is the nicest person you will ever meet. I can see why this book is written so well it does come across as being cocky or do it my way or the highway. I feel this book took time to write and is written very well. Hope you feel the same way as well after you read the book. Keep winning out on tour Parker. Rating: 5 / 5 Just saw Parkers book for the first time and it is a great book. The pictures are alone worth the price of the book. Having met Parker is class with a capitol C. Parker is the nicest person you will ever meet. I can see why this book is written so well it does come across as being cocky or do it my way or the highway. I feel this book took time to write and is written very well. Hope you feel the same way as well after you read the book. Keep winning out on tour Parker.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Marc Friedman http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game#comment-341 Marc Friedman Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:16:31 +0000 http://top-bowlingball.com/bowling-how-to-master-the-game/#comment-341 Worth the price just for the photographs. Unlike other books on bowling, each of the 160 8-1/2 x 11 pages is in full glossy color (watch out for fingerprints on the paper!), including many excellent photos and graphics. The layout makes it easy to flip through the pages and get a feel for the sport of bowling without even reading the text. <p>As for the subject matter, this book is also very different. The two best books on bowling that I'm familiar with (Par Bowling and Knowledge is the Key) take a systematic approach. This book reads more like a personal lesson on bowling by Parker Bohn III, along with other top professional bowlers. Of course it is also more up-to-date, focusing on the issues that are important to today's bowlers. <p>The book's coverage is broad, including equipment, strategy, and the mental game, along with fundamentals and an interesting history of the sport. The section on spare shooting is particularly useful, since it focuses on the hard-and-straight method used by most top players, as opposed to the strikeline-relative approach presented in other books. <p>The downside is that the discussions do not contain the kind of detail that would be necessary to learn to bowl from the text alone, making this book best suited for intermediate players. Then again, the best way to learn to bowl is from a coach, not a book. Advanced bowlers may learn a few things too, but are probably better served by specialized publications such as "Bowling this Month" magazine. <p>Finally, this is a must-have for left-handed bowlers. It is the first book I have seen that gives lefties equal treatment in discussions and diagrams, instead of telling southpaws to "just reverse it in their heads" (Parker is a lefty himself). <p>Bottom line: if you are looking for a textbook on bowling, this is not it. But, if you want to learn about the sport as it is played by the best in the world, buy this book! Rating: 5 / 5 Worth the price just for the photographs. Unlike other books on bowling, each of the 160 8-1/2 x 11 pages is in full glossy color (watch out for fingerprints on the paper!), including many excellent photos and graphics. The layout makes it easy to flip through the pages and get a feel for the sport of bowling without even reading the text.

As for the subject matter, this book is also very different. The two best books on bowling that I’m familiar with (Par Bowling and Knowledge is the Key) take a systematic approach. This book reads more like a personal lesson on bowling by Parker Bohn III, along with other top professional bowlers. Of course it is also more up-to-date, focusing on the issues that are important to today’s bowlers.

The book’s coverage is broad, including equipment, strategy, and the mental game, along with fundamentals and an interesting history of the sport. The section on spare shooting is particularly useful, since it focuses on the hard-and-straight method used by most top players, as opposed to the strikeline-relative approach presented in other books.

The downside is that the discussions do not contain the kind of detail that would be necessary to learn to bowl from the text alone, making this book best suited for intermediate players. Then again, the best way to learn to bowl is from a coach, not a book. Advanced bowlers may learn a few things too, but are probably better served by specialized publications such as “Bowling this Month” magazine.

Finally, this is a must-have for left-handed bowlers. It is the first book I have seen that gives lefties equal treatment in discussions and diagrams, instead of telling southpaws to “just reverse it in their heads” (Parker is a lefty himself).

Bottom line: if you are looking for a textbook on bowling, this is not it. But, if you want to learn about the sport as it is played by the best in the world, buy this book!
Rating: 5 / 5

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