Customer Reviews

Bowling: How to Master the Game

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Worth the price just for the photographs. Unlike other books on bowling, each of the 160 8-1/2 x 11 pages is in full glossy color (watch out for fingerprints on the paper!), including many excellent photos and graphics. The layout makes it easy to flip through the pages and get a feel for the sport of bowling without even reading the text.

As for the subject matter, this book is also very different. The two best books on bowling that I'm familiar with (Par Bowling and Knowledge is the Key) take a systematic approach. This book reads more like a personal lesson on bowling by Parker Bohn III, along with other top professional bowlers. Of course it is also more up-to-date, focusing on the issues that are important to today's bowlers.

The book's coverage is broad, including equipment, strategy, and the mental game, along with fundamentals and an interesting history of the sport. The section on spare shooting is particularly useful, since it focuses on the hard-and-straight method used by most top players, as opposed to the strikeline-relative approach presented in other books.

The downside is that the discussions do not contain the kind of detail that would be necessary to learn to bowl from the text alone, making this book best suited for intermediate players. Then again, the best way to learn to bowl is from a coach, not a book. Advanced bowlers may learn a few things too, but are probably better served by specialized publications such as "Bowling this Month" magazine.

Finally, this is a must-have for left-handed bowlers. It is the first book I have seen that gives lefties equal treatment in discussions and diagrams, instead of telling southpaws to "just reverse it in their heads" (Parker is a lefty himself).

Bottom line: if you are looking for a textbook on bowling, this is not it. But, if you want to learn about the sport as it is played by the best in the world, buy this book!

Disappointing.

I am not sure who the intended audience for this book was. I not sure the authors knew who the intended audience was, either.

I bowled some as a young teenager. I'm in my 50s now and I have started to bowl some again. What I wanted and needed was a book of basic instruction on the proper techniques and strategy of bowling. Having read some of the reviews that is what I thought I was getting.

If I had been able to pick this book up in a bookstore and flip through it I would never have purchased it.

A big portion of the book is the history of bowling, bowling balls, pin boys, pin setting machines, and why there are 10 pins and not 9. It also devotes far too many pages to anecdotes of PBA pros. I wanted instruction.

I work in a technical field and I am used to reading manuals and sometimes obtuse material. I found myself skimming through this book trying to pull out some useful information.

Add to that endless page after page of spare diagrams with little explanation. Lane oil conditions may be where it is at on the pro bowling tour, but by the end of the book I was ready to sell my stock in Crisco.

Bottom line, if you want a good instruction manual save your money. If you want a nice coffee table book buy it.

I have been bowling for 30 years, I have been a regional PBA bowler for 14 years carrying over a 210 average for many years. This book gives you much insight on how to develope your own game. He teaches you HOW to practice and when to stop practicing. Think about that, how many times at practice do you just throw the ball without thinking much. He instructs you to go practice with a goal and purpose. He goes into stories on how when he was young and met Mark Roth; Mark told him he is good, but he needs to make spares. Parker tells stories on how he made the TV finals by less than 10 pins because his competition got lazy and missed spares. Parker shows you how to best line up to make spares. He also goes into ball drilling, weights, pin placements, etc. Experiment and find what works best for you. Many great 1 page inserts from other bowlers; example-Chris Barnes on how he barely made the college bowling team. Just a great book, many awesome pictures, definately worth the price.

very informative book with great diagrams and pictures. even though parker is a lefty the book really explains bowling from both hands. one of the better books i have read so far.

I put this on my wishlist thinking that I would eventually pick it up once I started going to a weekly league again, but I received this book as a Christmas present recently. Now that I have read it, I am doing everything I can to hold myself back from joining the very first league that I find. It has lots of information ranging from historical to scientific, gives practical advice and even encouragement! By the time I finished this book I was confident that I wanted to get back into bowling after my 7 year absence and feel that I will be able to quickly work my way back up to my old average, if not entirely beat it!

As a right handed bowler I found the advice to be sound and practical, even though the book is written by a famous left handed bowler. I'm looking forward to using the practice techniques outlined in it.

This book is for intermediate to advanced bowlers. The Hall of Famer goes into a lot of detail and explains the nuances of the game. Leverage and rhythm are key to good bowling. Relax the hand in the ball. The equipment, we use and the lane conditions we face- are all things to be constantly monitored. You will enjoy bowling more and will have higher scores, if you read and learn some of the concepts in this great bowling book.

My stepfather really liked this book, and it looked very well written. He's still reading it every now and then so I think its safe to assume that this is a pretty good reference for your average bowler.

I found this book to be a valuable resource. It would seem to be intended for the serious bowler who has mastered the basics and is looking for more information.

The first 35 pages (Preface) covers the history of bowling in the U.S. which is fascinating and I don't recall seeing in any other books on bowling. The pictures of early players and facilities are great.

While it has the look of a coffee table book, it is one that, for me, will be a valuable resource. The only item I found detrimental is that it seems more difficult to read. I don't know if it is the font or the point size but larger would have been better.

I really enjoyed this book, "Bowling: How to Master the Game," written by Parker Bohn III, and published by Universe. Parker was the 1999 Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year, so he is very knowledgeable about the numerous different types of bowling styles and skills.

This book clearly explains everything you need to know in order to bowl at your maximum potential, from equipment, to mental preparation, and practice regimens to stroke lines, spare conversions, and strategies for different lane conditions. The key characters in the book are among some of the most famous bowling professionals, such as Mike Aulby, Chris Barnes, Mark Roth, Kim Terrell and numerous others.

I agree with the countless positive reviews "Bowling" has received from other readers. The book was extremely detailed and informational, yet simple and understandable, which keeps the reader interested and made for a fun and easy read.

This book was intended for the average bowler who wants to take his game to the next level, as well as for anyone who wants to learn about stance, push-away, arm-swing, and much more. The simplicity of the book and the information within the book for amateur, college and professional-level bowlers makes the book appropriate for bowlers of all ages. Parker wrote so that the book read more like a personal lesson on bowling; he makes you feel more like you are getting a lesson in person with a professional bowler than reading how to bowl in a book, which is exactly what you are doing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bowling, from those who are just starting out and are seeking fundamental bowling skills, to the much more advanced bowlers who aim to sharpen up their game.

Senior English Student 2011

While this book is getting older and some of the material is dated, the vast amount of the book has great tips that are practical and can be applied to anyone's game even today. The pictures are amazing and it's one of the nicest bowling books out there in terms of quality. Any bowler can pull a few tips from this book that will make it well worth the price tag.