Sport Bowling helps bowlers improve, stay sharp for Open Championships
The 43-year-old right-hander recently competed in the USBC/Storm Bowlers Journal Championships and grabbed the top spot in the 180 & Under (Pins Over Average) Singles by bowling 142 pins above his average.
Swaim topped his 170 entering average in all four games, posting scores of 192, 188, 211 and 231 for an 822 total. Leroy Wotle of Detroit Lakes, Minn, previously held the lead with +97.
A letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, Swaim also made his fourth appearance at the USBC Open Championships and turned in the best performance of his short career. His 1,667 all-events total included 591 in singles, 561 in doubles and 515 in team.
"Every year I continue to improve, and compared to my first year at the Open Championships, I really feel like I belong out here now," said Swaim, whose Sport league average is 164. "My scores are better, my spare shooting has improved 100 percent and the better I get, the more I enjoy bowling. My goal is to keep working at it and hopefully make it into the Regular division. That's where I want to be next year."
In 2005, Swaim's teammates talked him into bowling in the Bowlers Journal for the first time. He bowled well and had a good time, and the experience helped light a competitive fire under him. It also sent him home looking for a challenge that would help him continue to improve.
"The tougher condition I bowled on in the Sport league this year really helped improve my concentration," said Swaim, who also bowled one standard league this year and spent his Sunday afternoons practicing on difficult conditions like the patterns from the U.S. Open and this year's Open Championships. "I've also been working a lot on my approach and my form from the time I pick up the ball, until I let it go. I did all of that work so I could do better at the Open Championships, since that is what we bowl for all year long."
Swaim is just one of thousands of Open Championships competitors who have benefited from the challenge of Sport Bowling.
Since the Professional Women's Bowling Association ceased operations in 2003, long-time pro Jan Schmidt of Rochelle, Ill., has used the challenge of Sport Bowling to remain at the top of her game.
This season, the 47-year-old right-hander led all females nationwide with a 213.77 Sport average for 27 games, although she will not be eligible for the national high average award because it is based on a minimum of 48 games. Schmidt recently tested her progress when she made her seventh trip to the Open Championships.
"Competing on Sport Bowling conditions is the only time where I feel like my skills are still being tested," said Schmidt, who managed 675 in doubles, 600 in team and 575 in singles for a 1,850 all-events total at American Bank Center Exhibit Hall. "I know that bowling on a house shot won't help my game. In fact, it only becomes easier to make mistakes when you don't need to be accurate."
Schmidt, who was the 1993 USBC Queens champion and claimed the Classic Singles title at the 1997 USBC Women's Championships, knows that the ability to repeat shots and consistently hit a target aren't the only elements of bowling success. A strong mental game is what helps her keep an extra edge over the younger players.
"Most of the time, being able to keep your head on straight can be tougher than making adjustments," Schmidt said. "Learning how to read a lane is important, but experience also plays a huge role when you bowl on a challenging condition. I've learned that it can be equally difficult to execute when you're pumped up from bowling well or upset from making mistakes. The key is to find a good mental balance."
The Bowlers Journal, presented by the PBA, is in its 60th year and is being held in conjunction with the Open Championships. The event is being conducted at nearby AMF Saratoga Lanes and will run until July 3.
Presenting sponsors for the 2006 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Texas State Aquarium, Majestic Ventures Yacht Charters, Inc., USS Lexington Museum and Texas Treasure Casino Cruises.
For more information on the USBC Open Championships, visit USBCOpen.com.
6/3/2006
By Matt Cannizzaro and David Ellis USBC Communications