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Domination E.J. Tackett,kkttittt Liz Johnson h soar as 2016-17 BJI All-American Team captains
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Pro Tips And Ball Reviews
THE PRO APPROACH BY BILL SPIGNER { [email protected] }
Left-Side Lessons from a Star SHANNON PLUHOWSKY has been one of the best left-hand- but not quite the rigid application of ed bowlers — if not the best — in women’s bowling for a them that you see with some of Bill’s students. I asked her about it, and she long time. Her resumé is outstanding. Although she is listed said that he basically let her do what she as a non-champion in the PWBA’s program book,she does was doing and kept working on making have two major titles to her credit — the 2006 USBC Queens what she did better. One of the Straub-instilled things on and the 2014 BPAA Women’s All-Star, which replaced the which she concentrates is her push- U.S. Open that year. away, making sure it doesn’t get too She also has three PBA Women’s At 35 years of age, she has had a phe- short — which is the opposite of many Series titles from tournaments that were nomenal career, and it’s far from over. players today who work on an abbrevi- run in conjunction with the PBA Tour Shannon bowled for Nebraska in ated push-away. for a couple of years. In my book, she college under the tutelage of one of the Another involves working at not has fi ve professional titles, including all-time great collegiate coaches, PBA pushing off hard with her trail leg into two majors. champion Bill Straub. Because of Bill’s her last step. To this day, Shannon con- Before turning pro, her youth, col- teaching methodology, when you see sults with Bill whenever she’s struggling lege and amateur careers were stel- his players, you know where they came or needs to talk out something. Bill is a lar — among the best ever. She was a from. All exhibit very good form with great coach to have in your corner. three-time Junior Gold champion, USOC solid fundamentals. There is one aspect of Shannon’s World Bowler of the Year in 2004, and Bill highlights a big push-away, a very delivery that I asked her about, wonder- was inducted into the World Bowling loose and straight swing, and a rock-sol- ing if anyone had ever tried to change it. Writers’ international Hall of Fame in id fi nish position. You can’t argue with She doesn’t slide; instead, she “heal- 2014, based on her outstanding record any of that, and he defi nitely puts his toes” the last step and plants the foot. in tournaments while representing the signature on the games of his players. Many times, coaches (myself in- United States. Shannon has very solid fundamentals, cluded) will try to get their students to
Just as her heal is making contact with the fl oor, After her foot totally lands, Pluhowsky’s swing is rather Pluhowsky’s leg still has some fl ex to it unlike many plant- late relative to the completion of her last step. She has ers who have their leg totally straight. This is something all trained herself to get the ball to the release position planters should strive for to avoid the wear and tear on the without pulling it, which is common with late swings. hip and knee that planting can cause.
Reprinted/Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. 74 Bowlers Journal International | September 2017 www.bowlersjournal.com
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Pro Tips And Ball Reviews
slide if they have this planting style. For the majority of bowlers, this type of LESSON PLAN last step prevents them from being fl uid and, in many cases, limits their range of Shannon Pluhowsky’s ability to be smooth and not muscle her swing allows her lane play. Interestingly Shannon is quite to play anywhere on the lane, from the gutter to the fi fth arrow, and she has made smooth and has a wide range of shots TV shows from all angles. Being able to play multiple angles is a key to success at and places she can play on the lanes. any level of bowling, but it’s particularly important for left-handers. The typical “planter” will totally With the very fl at patterns used on the PWBA Tour, the bowlers often have to play straighten out the leg on their last step the middle of the lane, which means the left-handers and right-handers cross each before planting the foot. Shannon keeps other’s streams in order to stay close to the pocket so their misses are smaller. some fl ex in her leg, which makes the Last year, Shannon led the U.S. Women’s Open playing the middle of the lane, and landing of her foot much softer. When was the only left-hander to make the top 24 (only one other lefty even cashed). It was unfortunate that the lanes played very differently on the show and she wound the leg straightens out, the upper body up in second place. lags behind the leg. When the foot lands Still, just getting there was an amazing feat, and served as a good lesson for all and comes to an abrupt stop, the leg bowlers: Practice playing different angles, because versatility will always give you starts to fl ex and the upper body will an edge. lean forward to get over the leg. — Bill Spigner The drawback to this is that it causes the swing to become very late and steep, making it hard to release the ball paral- will help you be smoother and land that where to stand, normally starting on lel to the lane and stay down. History step smoother. It’s tough to change to board 10, to go cross-lane to the 10-pin. has shown most “planters” will muscle sliding when you have been a “planter” Then, based on how the ball hooks the ball a lot and loft it more than some- for a long time, but you can still work on going across the lane, she’ll adjust her one who slides. Shannon is the rare being smoother and more effortless. feet and/or target to get the ball to the exception to the norm, as she releases One unique thing about Shannon’s 10-pin. She adjusts her other right-side the ball smoothly and without muscle in bowling is the targeting method she uses spares off her 10-pin line. It’s a good her swing. on her strike ball and some spare shots. system, but you need to stay in tune Even so, she says she is always work- On her strike ball, she does kind of look with how the lanes change, and you’d ing on being smoother, which is a good at the arrows, but never sees the ball have to adjust your stance and targeting thing for any “planter” to work on as go over a target. She also doesn’t play a on the fl y just like you would with your it will provide greater consistency to break point, which is the big thing that strike line. their release. Take a page out of Shan- so many players today think about. For her left-side spares, Shannon does non’s book and work at keeping your Instead, she “feels out” the lane, posi- roll the ball straight. She is deadly accu- knee fl exed throughout the last step. tions herself where she feels she needs rate, and her way demonstrates that you Don’t push off hard with your trail leg, to be, and doesn’t worry about what can play outside “the book” and still be as Coach Straub recommended for her, she hits, instead concentrating on the profi cient. and don’t pull on the forward swing; it visual motion of the ball and the feel of Shannon lives a complex but fulfi ll- her release and ing life. She is the General Manager at form. Capri Lanes in Dayton, Ohio; bowls The other full-time on the tour (thanks to her boss, thing Shannon Mike Irwin); and is raising her daughter, does differently Autumn, with her partner, Megan Kelly. than most play- Her dad, Nick, travels with them on tour ers involves so Shannon and Megan can bowl. hooking the I saw Autumn last year at the U.S. ball cross- Open, and every time I ran into her, she lane at most was with a different bowler. She has lots of her right- of “moms” on tour, and she is the hap- side spares piest little girl you’ll ever see. Today, the (the same as women’s tour is like one big family, and right-handers Shannon Pluhowsky — offi cial titles or Pluhowsky’s release position is as good as it gets. hooking the not — is one of its top players. Her upper body is remarkably stable throughout the ball at left-side Bill Spigner is a Gold-level coach and last step, which is no easy task for planters. All players spares), even on a Team USA assistant coach. Archived should strive for Pluhowsky’s upper-body stability Sport condi- “Pro Approach” columns can be viewed because fewer moving parts enable greater consistency. tions. She fi nds at billspigner.com.
Reprinted/Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. www.bowlersjournal.com September 2017 | Bowlers Journal International 75
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