Bowling on Team USA's Level

Bowling on Team USA's Level

 Welcome to the top tier of bowling.

There is no higher honor for an athlete than to wear their country’s colors and hear their national anthem played as they stand on the awards podium.

For competitive bowlers, becoming a member of Team USA or Junior Team USA provides that opportunity. 

The USBC Team USA Trials and Junior Gold Championships continue to draw huge fields, and the re-emergence of the U.S. National Amateur Bowling Championships proves that bowlers want to challenge themselves for a chance to represent the red, white and blue.

If you think you’re ready to give it your best shot, here are a few pointers to help prepare.

Spares, spares, spares

You might have heard it before, and we’re sure you’ll hear it again, but your spare shooting needs to be sharp for these events. Even if you’re striking, a missed single pin or two can turn a 250 game into 200 or 210 game really quick, and you can’t afford to give pins like that away to the likes of a Kamron Doyle or Shannon Pluhowsky.

There are plenty of ways to practice your spare shooting. Be sure to check out the Bowling Academy for some great advice from some of the top coaches in the sport.

Lane play

Speaking of the Bowling Academy, there also are some great videos on how to play and prepare for different conditions. Events such as Team USA Trials and Junior Gold make you perform on long patterns, short patterns and everything in between. You need to be consistent on each, and take advantage of the patterns that play to your strengths.

Know your arsenal

Along with knowing how to play each pattern, it is just as important to know your equipment. Understanding what kind of layouts and surfaces work for you on a particular pattern will give you a head start. Knowing the right time to make a switch as the pattern transitions can keep you ahead of the field.

Tie it all together with a coach

All of the above aspects can be brought together and fine-tuned with the help of a USBC-certified coach. Go to BOWL.com and go to the “Find A …” drop-down menu on the top-right to find a coach in your area.

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