There's no magic pill: bowlers who want to strengthen their games can draw from the latest technology and equipment—but a good coach makes the biggest difference of all

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFIcant ventures in bowling has been the development and promotion of coaches by USA Bowling. This project was long past due and has followed the path implemented by golf, tennis, and other individual sports.

Most successful coaches are those who are able to exhibit the flexibility and ingenuity to keep abreast of progressions in a sport, modifying philosophies that better conform to modern equipment, advanced techniques, and today's athletes.

During the past 10 to 15 years, bowling instruction has become increasingly important. League bowling, previously beaconed by five-bowler teams, has lost its attractiveness. The game has become an individual sport. With league play sagging from two shifts of five-bowler teams to one shift of five- (or even four-) bowler teams, greater emphasis has been centered on a bowler's individual ability. Despite the fact that the ABC and WIBC national tournaments have been growing, five-bowler competition in league play has sorely diminished among men, women, and mixed leagues.

Conversely, there is no shortage of entries in PBA and megabucks tournaments, nor in weekend tournaments like the ABT and NABI. Since these events are money-driven, more and more bowlers now seek instruction and coaching. This is particularly true among bowlers who participate in jackpots and brackets--they want to inflate their pocketbooks.

Thanks to Fred Borden and his USA Bowling Coaches manual, the number of competent bowling coaches has increased. Prior to the USA Bowling Coaches Program, top coaches were harder to find. Three names from the past, Lou Bellisimo, Frank Clause, and Bill Bunetta gained national fame by weaving their magic in coaching ranks. Today, Dick Ritger, Bill Taylor, Fred Borden, and Tom Kouros are among the top coaches in the game.

The most influential individual in coaching has been Ritger, a 20-time PBA champion who left the tour to spread the bowling gospel all over the world. Ritger has also paved the way for numerous American bowling coaches to flourish around the world. A number of these foreign-based coaches are byproducts of the USA Bowling program. However, the majority of America's highly productive coaches, like Bill Hall, John Fantini, Ron Hoppe, Bill Holt, and Rolf Gauger, have succeeded in their own particular fashion. Likewise, while Rod Ross, Susie Minshew, Carmen Salvino, and Bill Spigner are designated USA Bowling Gold Level coaches, they have combined some USA Bowling concepts with their personal methods to form unique teaching systems.

For many years, video cameras were utilized to study the movements and deliveries of bowlers who encountered difficulties in their games. These cameras featured slow motion and stop-action tapes, and proved to be invaluable to bowling instructors. Recently, these types of cameras have given way to computer innovations that are portable and easy to transport. The majority of these new systems were patterned after those utilized by golf pros.

Don Johnson was a pioneer in utilizing cameras on a large scale. The "Kokomo Kid" built a worldwide reputation in the coaching profession by transposing video camera action onto a large screen. Johnson's system was far ahead of its time. Don was able to record every facet of a bowler's game, including the number of ball revolutions each bowler applied to the ball. Johnson taped every PBA show for his collection, often using the tapes in his instructional work, reviewing and displaying the different techniques of the world's greatest bowlers. Johnson's recording system was the forerunner to modern computer evaluation.

To the best of my knowledge, the first bowling computer system to appear on the market was Pro Trainer. David Ozio, one of the keenest students of the game, spent considerable time promoting Pro Trainer, a computer system designed to detect flaws in improper bowling execution. It was the precursor to several other computer systems displaying the weaknesses and strengths of a bowler's game. Ozio represented Brunswick and toured the world promoting Pro Trainer. Later, he collaborated with Storm Products, marketing the same computer under a new name, Storm Pro. Ozio's computer has one distinct feature: Individuals are able to tape themselves without assistance.

Ozio has curtailed his bowling activities to become the spokesman and representative for Dexter Shoes, now focusing his attention on designing and marketing. Although Ozio devotes the majority of his time to his new company, he not only continues to utilize Storm Pro for personal use, but also shares his expertise with players who seek his advice on the PBA tour and in various Senior bowling tournaments.

Rod Ross, the current Junior USA bowling coach, has devised a comprehensive coaching aid, Bowling Map. Like Sport Pro, Bowling Map tapes a bowler and displays him or her on a large screen that affords greater detection for errors in execution. Ross, Hall, Holt, and Minshew all utilize Bowlers Map in their clinics. I mention this group because I've been fortunate to work alongside these high-profile coaches frequently. I fail to mention other coaches by name not only because of limited space, but also due to the fact I am unfamiliar with all the great instructors around the country. Nonetheless, a majority of these very competent coaches rely on taping technology to get their messages across.