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WHAT MAKES THE PROS SO GOOD?
By Brian Voss
(4/15/2007)
Among the many folks who wish to restore integrity to the sport of bowling, one of the most popular issues I hear is the need to explain just how good the pros are at what they do. The common complaint amongst these people is that most laymen feel that the high-average league bowlers with whom they compete (and perhaps even the high average league bowler himself) are equally as good as the top PBA professionals or, that they could be as good were they simply allowed unlimited access to equipment, coaching and other resources (sponsorship, practice time, etc.) that might allow them to pursue bowling as a career. And in the spirit of sitting on the fence, I'm here to tell those people that they are both right and wrong (but mostly wrong).
Of course, for any athlete to become successful and rise to the highest levels of their profession, they must have massive time, resources and a support network in order to help them reach their fullest potential (which is usually required to compete at the highest level unless the individual's talent is so enormous as to defy logic). These things are indeed a requirement to becoming one of the best, and it is within the capacity of nearly any ambitious bowler out there to attain it, given a complete commitment and a large-scale sacrifice of other goals, career opportunities, recreations (and often a social life) that most of us who have succeeded in the sport have chosen to make. But when an individual makes a claim that he "coulda' been a contender," while it might be polite and helpful to stroke that individual's ego in the short run, eventually the best answer is, "shoe up or shut up."
And when they do shoe up, what they are likely to find out is that all the asymmetrical cores and particle coverstocks and honor scores and local tournament wins and ego stroking in the world cannot help them win a seven-game match against Norm Duke or Walter Ray Williams or Pete Weber. At least not for several hard-knock years of learning the trade and getting your butt handed to you on a regular basis. It is exceptionally rare for any bowler to have immediate success at the PBA Tour level and the world is filled with stories of the highly touted amateur and junior player who found the transition rudely difficult to make. But why is it so hard and what makes the players out on Tour so good?
I believe it boils down to four things, namely: confidence, experience, focus and adaptability. Indeed, all of these qualities are things that must be acquired over time. You'll notice that I excluded talent (which is a quality that many attribute directly to success) and, while important, is infinitely less important than these other four qualities. I acknowledge that talent certainly has a way of making things easier and is often a deciding factor, but usually only when competitors are equally matched in the other four qualities. Of course, in order to attain these qualities, there is another quality that is required, and this may be the most important of all. That quality is perseverance, without which none of us could achieve any of our goals, especially the ones which will stand the test of time and the criticism and reflection of the experts.
Next time, I will discuss the details of what I mean by these four qualities and compare specific examples of how they are utilized by the top professionals as a means for making them the great athletes that they are today. Hopefully, this will shed some light on why the pros are so good and maybe help those aspiring to those same levels of achievement on their own journey to success.
Till next time,
Brian Voss
WHAT MAKES THE PROS SO GOOD?
By Brian Voss
(4/15/2007)
Among the many folks who wish to restore integrity to the sport of bowling, one of the most popular issues I hear is the need to explain just how good the pros are at what they do. The common complaint amongst these people is that most laymen feel that the high-average league bowlers with whom they compete (and perhaps even the high average league bowler himself) are equally as good as the top PBA professionals or, that they could be as good were they simply allowed unlimited access to equipment, coaching and other resources (sponsorship, practice time, etc.) that might allow them to pursue bowling as a career. And in the spirit of sitting on the fence, I'm here to tell those people that they are both right and wrong (but mostly wrong).
Of course, for any athlete to become successful and rise to the highest levels of their profession, they must have massive time, resources and a support network in order to help them reach their fullest potential (which is usually required to compete at the highest level unless the individual's talent is so enormous as to defy logic). These things are indeed a requirement to becoming one of the best, and it is within the capacity of nearly any ambitious bowler out there to attain it, given a complete commitment and a large-scale sacrifice of other goals, career opportunities, recreations (and often a social life) that most of us who have succeeded in the sport have chosen to make. But when an individual makes a claim that he "coulda' been a contender," while it might be polite and helpful to stroke that individual's ego in the short run, eventually the best answer is, "shoe up or shut up."
And when they do shoe up, what they are likely to find out is that all the asymmetrical cores and particle coverstocks and honor scores and local tournament wins and ego stroking in the world cannot help them win a seven-game match against Norm Duke or Walter Ray Williams or Pete Weber. At least not for several hard-knock years of learning the trade and getting your butt handed to you on a regular basis. It is exceptionally rare for any bowler to have immediate success at the PBA Tour level and the world is filled with stories of the highly touted amateur and junior player who found the transition rudely difficult to make. But why is it so hard and what makes the players out on Tour so good?
I believe it boils down to four things, namely: confidence, experience, focus and adaptability. Indeed, all of these qualities are things that must be acquired over time. You'll notice that I excluded talent (which is a quality that many attribute directly to success) and, while important, is infinitely less important than these other four qualities. I acknowledge that talent certainly has a way of making things easier and is often a deciding factor, but usually only when competitors are equally matched in the other four qualities. Of course, in order to attain these qualities, there is another quality that is required, and this may be the most important of all. That quality is perseverance, without which none of us could achieve any of our goals, especially the ones which will stand the test of time and the criticism and reflection of the experts.
Next time, I will discuss the details of what I mean by these four qualities and compare specific examples of how they are utilized by the top professionals as a means for making them the great athletes that they are today. Hopefully, this will shed some light on why the pros are so good and maybe help those aspiring to those same levels of achievement on their own journey to success.
Till next time,
Brian Voss
