Warm Up Routine ???

[John_Wendy]

Just wondering if anyone does and/or has any tips on a Warm Up (and maybe Cool Down) routine for bowling. :?:

Do you warm up before you get to the centre, outside or inside? What are the most effective stretches etc?

Have watched countless games and people bowl and have noticed not very many doing any form of warm up at all. We intend to be bowling for a long time to come and would like to be careful about injury prevention -I know we have always had a routine for other sports.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Ash]

the best tip I can give is to stretch, particluarly shoulders, back and legs, a good arm stretch I learnt was to hold your ball in two hands in front of you and then lift the ball stright up and then over your head, once the ball is past your head (your upper arms should be almost to your ears by then, depending on flexibility) hold that for a few seconds then slowly lift back down. as far as over stretches, just the standard ordinary back, arm and leg stretches should do you ok...

hope this helps...

 

[John_Wendy]

Thanks for the reply Ash - will keep all of those in mind - we are doing something similar now but always like to ask those who have been at it alot longer than we have!!

 

[granat]

As I understand it, stretching as a warm up before any sport will not significantly reduce the risk of some sort of muscle strain or worse. A proper warm up should be something that raises the heart-rate and literally "heat" the body up a little (a little bit of sweat never hurt anybody). :wink:

A good warm-up should include a lot of stretching and a little aerobic exercise. No need to over do it ; a couple of minutes should be enough.

Graeme

 

[Griffo]

This is an area that always produces much confusion.
Too many people believe that warming up and stretching are the same thing, and many do not use them correctly.

They are two different things, and must be used in conjunction to gain the most benefit. As stated by Graeme, if you merely stretch before a game, you are just as likely to hurt yourself as what you would if you did no stretching at all.

However, a well planned warm-up and streching technique before you bowl not only has immediate benefits to your game, but will ensure you have less of a chance of injuring yourself.
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Warming Up -

- Increases heat throughout the body
- Reduces the risk of tearing or straining muscles.

How -

2 - 3 minutes of aerobic style movement or activity (arm rotations, waist or leg movement, etc.)

MUST BE DONE BEFORE STRETCHING!

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Stretching -

- Increases flexibility and freedom of movement.
- Reduces the risk of muscle injuries.

How -

Stretch and hold for 10 - 20 seconds.
Repeat each one 2 - 3 times.
Stretch slow & gentle - NEVER BOUNCE!
Select the muscles you are going to use (shoulder, arms, waist, lower back, legs)
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There are a series of recommended techniques and activities if you are interested.

Hope this is of help,

Mike.

 

[John_Wendy]

To Graeme and Mike - thank you very much - this is what I really wanted to know.

Would be very interested in knowing the recommended techniques and activities Mike - if is too big to post - please email me at [email protected].

Once again thanks for the replies!

 

[MoJo]

Heres a quick question around the same subject.

What about adjusting to the lane when actually bowling/warming up? Is there a routine that works best? What I'm asking is do you start on the middle dot then adjust to where the ball goes?

 

[killinginthename]

i usually do arm stretches, sometimes legs, i broke my collarbone in '95 and i still have problems with it (annoying huh?) so if i dont stretch it im in much pain the next day (which is usually the case coz i almost always forget!), so yeah, arm strteches are my thing!

anywho thats my 2 cents worth

 

[Griffo]

MoJo,

Once you have warmed up, and bowled a few "loosen up" shots, you should be releasing the ball the way you normally do.

Everyone should have what I call a "Zero - Zero" position to start with. This is basically a position where you stand (zero) and a target you aim at (zero) which is your default. It is usually the line that bowlers feel most comfortable with, and so they should know what their ball SHOULD do on this line.
Bowl this line, watch the ball, and see what it does.
Adjust the feet or target accordingly to reach the pocket.
If you watch the ball each shot, and execute the shot correctly, and adjust accordingly, you should find the pocket in about 4 shots or less.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[MoJo]

Awesome advice Mike. I'm going to be starting the league soon and I can't wait.

I bowled for 7 years and quit for about 5. LoL.

Thanks again

Chris