The only thing worse than bad information is wrong information.
As I become more aware of the number of bowling resources available on the Internet today, I'm constantly surprised and frustrated by the amount of information available that is:
- Confusing
- Incomplete
- Directed at the wrong audience
- Incorrect - often blatantly
Confusing Information
Earlier today, I was watching an instructional bowling video that was published on the Internet via YouTube. On it the instructor is speaking about timing. He notes that timing is a "major thing" in bowling. This is true. However, he says it is a "major thing once you get set in your stance". He then goes on to say that it is the "timing of the ball to the approach and the swing".
Huh?
Once you're "set in your stance" you're just standing there, hopefully with nothing moving, otherwise you're not "set". There's no timing involved with one's stance.
"Approach" is not explained as the bowler's movement to the foul line or the physical area of the lane under the bowler's feet behind the foul line. It would have been better to say "footwork" or "movement to the foul line".
I would certainly hope the ball is somehow involved in the swing, since the ball moves with the hand, wrist, elbow, arm, and shoulder. How does that relate to timing, which is stated as a "major thing"? There are no clarifying remarks later in the video which gets even more confusing as it goes on.
I think coaches are great especially coaches like this one who are willing to impart their knowledge free of charge and for no reason other than helping others to become better bowlers. However, if your message is confusing, it isn't going to help anyone and you've wasted your time and potentially wasted the time of the aspiring bowler.
In defense of the author of this video, it appears that he's attempting to keep his lessons short and to the point. That's a good goal, but it leads to another problem.
Incomplete Information
On many bowling sites there is well-worn and often posted equipment advice for competing on sport conditions. To paraphrase much of the advice available:
"You want something controllable"
"Use control equipment, not league equipment."
"Don't use any skid-flip or skid-snap equipment."
Ok. Great. But why?
I seldom see the explanation of why attached. Also, if the bowler is an intermediate bowler, there are also more unanswered questions. What is control equipment? What is league equipment? What is skid-flip or skid-snap equipment? Why wouldn't I be able to control the ball I'm throwing, am I not the one throwing it?
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a life time.
I'll admit to being a "why person" and I understand that not everyone is like me. However, there are going to be enough "why people" reading the general Internet that it is best to include the explanation whenever possible. If one does not truly understand the why and/or can not explain the why, they shouldn't be posting any advice on that topic until they do. Teachers need to be at a higher level of understanding than their students at the beginning of the teaching process.
If the article or post or video clearly states that the article or advice is geared towards advanced bowlers who presumably know the answers to these latter questions, that's one thing. Otherwise, we have another problem.
Information Directed at the Wrong Audience
When I stop to think about it, there is a huge amount of bowling slang and technical jargon in common use today. We bowlers tend to throw that slang and jargon around without a second thought and often times without regard for our listeners. People are often afraid to ask "what do you mean by slang-term?" or in the case of Internet sites, people often aren't given the tools/options to ask the question.
Web-based bowling sites are rife with slang and advice full of terminology that means nothing to the beginning bowler. This is often true even when the advice is written "for beginners". While one may want to lump this into the "Confusing Information" category, there's a subtle difference that is important. When a group of people are using language we don't understand, it can cause us to feel like an outsider, like we don't belong. That's hardly an environment we want to create for new bowlers especially if we're trying to help them.
The same can be said for advanced concepts addressed to intermediate bowlers. Trust me, there are advanced bowlers who don't understand the concept of a PSA (preferred spin axis) and spin time, let alone the intermediate bowlers.
If we consistently speak "above" our target audience's level of knowledge, we should expect that audience to go elsewhere for the information or worse, give up seeking the information. At that point, we've once again wasted our time and our target audience's time.
Bowlers are generally not astro-physicists or rocket scientists. The business adage to write at the sixth grade level is a good idea. It virtually ensures that every audience will understand you.
But wait, there's more... I'm violating my own rules!
I apologize to my english-speaking audience residing outside of the United States and Canada. I'm not sure how the sixth grade level in the United States equates to the school systems in other countries. Roughly speaking, it is 3 school years of english after basic phonics.
Incorrect Information
As the saying goes, the way to hell is paved with good intentions.
There is much information out there on the Internet that is just incorrect, simply wrong. For example, the other day on a bowling site I saw advice on how to make a bowling ball go longer down the lane and hook harder on the back end (the part of the lane closer to the pins). The advice said to use a dull particle ball.
**buzzer** Nope, try again.
It is possible that the person offering the advice was trying to give bad advice, but for the sake of this discussion I will assume that is never the case. People who purposely give incorrect information are outside the scope of this topic.
Some people mean well but just don't know any better. People looking for help certainly don't know any better or else they wouldn't be looking for help! Unfortunately, for many information seekers, they can't distinguish between the people who mean well but don't have the correct information and the people who mean well and who do have the correct information.
I've even experienced "certified" coaches giving out incorrect information. Am I saying that I know more than they do? Most of the time, no, but I can read the USBC rule book to find out what constitutes a legal delivery. If it is at odds with the instructor, who is correct, the instructor or the governing body of bowling in the United States? At other times yes, I do know more than a "certified" coash. I have the first-hand experience that the some coaches do not have or I have the knowledge imparted to me by others who have the hands-on experience. At still other times, I have and understand the science.
As previously mentioned, it is the understanding of the why and the ability to effectively communicate the why that is so important.
Who to Believe?
Earlier I mentioned YouTube as a source of an instructional bowling video. It should be noted that just because YouTube is not a bowling site and contains many silly videos, that doesn't automatically disqualify YouTube as a source for good instructional bowling videos. Each piece of information should be evaluated based on its content, not the web site on which the content is posted.
On the flip side of that coin, just because a piece of advice or an instructional article is posted on a reputable bowling site doesn't mean that the information is clear, concise, and correct. Again, each piece of information should be evaluated based on its content. It is true that reputable sites dedicated to bowling will generally have better content, but that doesn't mean every article is a good article.
The same is true for people. Beware of evaluating advice solely on the person giving the advice. That's known as an ad hominem logic fallacy. Just because a bowler has a low average doesn't mean they don't understand bowling concepts and certainly doesn't mean that low average bowlers can't teach you anything. The reverse is also true. Just because a "big name" or a high average bowler says something is so, doesn't make it true. Ask them to explain the why in terms you can understand. If they can't do so, you can and should seek other opinions.
Moving Forward
By all means, you can and should use the comment section of this site to call me out when I violate my own rules. I'm human and make mistakes just like everyone else. I welcome the opportunity to learn and improve from you. I firmly believe that any two human beings of roughly the same age have the same amount or sum of knowledge. It is the areas of knowledge that are different. We can all learn from one another if we just take the time to do so.
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