What happens in your first bowling lesson

I start with your game, not a speech

Most people walk in a little tight. They have watched videos, bought a ball that did not help, or sat on the same 175 average for three winters. I do not line you up and rebuild your swing from a textbook in the first ten minutes.

I watch you throw. I want to see how you stand, how the ball leaves your hand, and whether you are looking at the pins or the arrows. Then I ask what you want to change. League average, high school varsity, a hook that will not show up, or just stopping the 10-pin from ruining your night. That answer sets the hour.

I bowled on the PBA Tour from 1995 to 2016. I still coach the same way I wanted to be coached: one or two things you can feel, then a way to practice them when I am not standing there.

What to bring

• Your ball and shoes if you own them. If you do not, house equipment at Strike Force is fine.
• A short note in your head about the last three games that bothered you. Opens, early hook, no carry, whatever it was.
• Comfortable clothes you can move in. You will throw, not sit through a lecture.

Leave the six spare balls in the car unless I ask for them. For a first look I would rather see the ball you actually throw on league night.

How the hour usually goes

1. A few shots with no coaching. I need a baseline. If I start talking before you throw, I am coaching a version of you that is already thinking too hard.
2. Video from behind and from the side. You get those clips. Most bowlers have never seen their own finish at the line. The thumb that feels late is often early. The swing that feels straight is often around the body.
3. One or two changes. If I hand you seven thoughts, you will take none of them home. We pick the thing that is costing pins this month.
4. Work you can do without me. A foul-line drill, a spare line, or a surface change. Something you can run on Tuesday night and know whether it landed.

Adult beginners and 210-average scratch bowlers get the same structure. The content changes. The rule does not: I will not bury you in theory you cannot use this week.

Where we meet, and how the hold works

In-person lessons are at Strike Force Lanes, 1539 W Main St, Greenfield, Indiana, a short drive east of Indianapolis on I-70 or US-40. If Greenfield is too far, record video at your home center and we work from that.

On the site, an open time is a request, not a locked appointment. You leave your name, phone, and email. I get that request, I confirm or move you, and you get the outcome by email. If the calendar is empty or you need a custom time, text (702) 701-1494.

Who this is for

Adults who have never had a lesson. League bowlers stuck in the 170s or 190s. Parents of a youth or high school bowler who is serious enough to practice. Two-handers and one-handers. I do not need you to already look like a tour player.

If you want a full rebuild of a two-handed game, start on the two-handed lesson page. If the problem is a house ball that will not turn, read how to hook a bowling ball first so you know whether the issue is the release or the equipment.

Common questions

• Do I need my own ball and shoes?

  No. Bring them if you have them. If you do not, we start with house equipment, and when you are ready I will tell you what to buy and what to skip.

• I have never had a lesson. Is that a problem?

  That is a good first lesson. Bad habits are easier to skip than to unwind. I would rather see you before you have watched forty contradictory videos.

• Can I bring my kid?

  Yes. Youth, high school, and Jr Gold bowlers are welcome. If the lesson is for them, book it in their name so I know who is throwing.

• What if I need to change the time?

  Text me. I run the center and the schedule moves. I would rather move you than have you no-show.