Author Topic: How young is too young? (Read 1819 times)

myrddin97 · « **on:** March 06, 2007, 12:03:16 AM »

I've been around bowling alleys pretty much all my life and after readying a post about a guy who has a kid on the way and a two year old, I started thinking how young is too young to start bowling? My Dad, who owned a center for about 20 years, basic rule was if you're too small for shoes and can't pick up the ball, you're too small to bowl. That's always seemed reasonable to me.

Now that I've moved to a larger town and my brother works at a local center I've come whiteness too a number of kids and parents who can't say no to their kids bowling that according to my Dad's guidelines, shouldn't be bowling. When I see a 4-5 yr old who can't even push the ball down the lane without help I think there's a issue.

And on a side note, what about bumpers and ramps? In all the time my Dad owned the center, he never once considered installing bumpers. The philosophy I believe he had was it was better that a kid actually learn how to keep the ball on the lane, then their sense of accomplishment will go up and so will their enjoyment of the game. Don't get me started on seeing kids use the handicap ramp along with the bumpers mean, what's the point then?

ThongPrincess · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:24:03 AM »

My daughters started at 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 without bumpers. Our Jr director refused to allow them at the time.

A child should be allowed to bowl once they express the desire. There is no problem with bumpers if they are used properly. The idea is to make bowling fun so they get hooked. As they get older and are able to really learn the basics, then you wean them off of the bumpers by offering incentives and lots of praise when they deliver the ball without touching the bumpers.
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"I cannot change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination." Jimmy Dean
http://www.allbowling.com/journal/public.php?uid=156&leagueid=53

sdbowler · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:32:31 AM »

My son is 2 1/2 and has bowled a lot. That I know of he is probably has about a 50-55 average out of everything he has bowled. He is able to pick up a 6 and even and 8 pound ball and can get the ball down the lane with no problem. Sometimes he does better standing at the back of the approach then he does at the foul line. All day long he talks about bowling wants to watch it on tv when it is on. I know what a lot of you are going to say that I am pushing this on him. I have not pushed at all he has showed interest in the sport from an early age. I will probably get him going in league whenever he is old enough to get in the leagues around here.
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Brunswick

crackkills · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:35:00 AM »

That is a good point that it creates a dependency. But, when you train a child to ride a bike, do think that the training wheels create a dependency as well? Kids need something to help them along the way and if you are that young, throwing it in the gutter so many times might discourage them from wanting to continue to learn to bowl.

DanH78 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:35:28 AM »

We use bumpers in the junior program where I coach. The first goal is to everyone throwing the ball hard enough to get it down the lane. After they've mastered that, the coaches/parents keep track of how many times the kids actually use the bumpers. By the end of the season, most of the kids barely need the bumpers.
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What are you gonna do? Beat me with your Jesus stick?

PUGIDOGS · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:29:08 AM »

I set goals for my kids. My youngest is now 7 years old. He started bowling when he was 6. At first with a house ball and bumpers.
First goal was he could start junior league when he could get it down the lane without having to rely on the bumpers. That took about 3 weeks. So he starts the junior league no bumpers and house ball, he still throws it with 2 hands.
Next goal was when he could throw it with one hand I would buy him his own ball. This took about 2 more months to develop the strength needed for one hand release. When he first started one handed it was a back up ball.
He has now been throwing one handed for about 3 months. We have worked hard to throw a proper hooking ball not a back up ball. His form is actually really good and constantly scores between 80 and 100. His high game is now a 137. Not bad when you consider it is a 6 pound ball going 8 mph.......Doug

PS> This whole time frame is only 7 months. Start to current.

MaineLefty · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:40:01 AM »

My daughter started when she was five. We got her a 6lb. plastic ball drilled to fit her and taught her to bowl using one hand and a four step approach. It takes a lot of patience, but if you put in the time kids will surprise you!!! She now is 6 and has a decent four step approach with a good push away and bowls consistently in the 65-75 range with no bumpers. I also feel that if a kid can not even hang onto a ball that it is probably too young, but only each individual parent can make that judgment based on the child involved.

-MaineLefty

PUGIDOGS · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:49:14 AM »

My youngest got invited to a bowling birthday party a couple of weeks ago. They used bumpers. When I picked him up from the party he told me " Dad, we had to use bumpers..it really sucked"...Doug

shelley · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:50:04 AM »

The OP is missing the poing. Bowling is supposed to be fun, and there's nothing that says you have to throw the ball a certain way or you can't have help. As crackkills said, you start them out easy, with training wheels so they don't get discouraged.

Every third post is about how adults don't know what the conditions are doing to help their games, what makes anyone think a kid is going to be able to appreciate how much the bumpers help theirs?

Get them used to the things that bowling involves: picking up the ball, carrying it to the foul line, releasing it, knocking down pins. There's 70+ years for them to learn that the bumpers aren't supposed to be there, and if you start them off doing it the hardest possible way, they're going to get pissed off a lot sooner than they're going to have fun. If they're not having fun, what's the point?

SH

DerHornen · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2007, 10:52:29 AM »

Kids certainly need to be weaned off of bumpers when they're ready, but you have to make sure they have fun before they can handle the gutters. I can see a kid learning to hate bowling because it's hard to have fun when you never hit any pins. I'll leave it to the parents to decide if their kid is old enough to bowl, but it's not that bad to have the option there so they can enjoy themselves.

ccrider · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2007, 10:52:37 AM »

Amen Shelley. I have 9 year old and 11 year old sons. We hunt, fish and shoot firearms regularly. We started bowling a few months ago. They used bumpers at first, but, wanting to do like dad and the other adults, now they would rather not bowl then to bowl with their younger cousins using bumpers. They have their own balls, bags and shoes. In the long run, its a lot cheaper than renting each time, and for sure, more sanitary.

I am learning correct form from a coach and try to teach them as I learn. My youngest is receptive to teaching, and averaged 93 Saturday night. My oldest wants to do it his way and averaged 89. They both had fun,and that is the most important part. They are competitive by nature and in time, will both learn the proper way. Until they decide they want to, I will let them bowl like their mother.

myrddin97 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2007, 11:47:07 AM »

quote:
The OP is missing the poing. Bowling is supposed to be fun, and there's nothing that says you have to throw the ball a certain way or you can't have help. As crackkills said, you start them out easy, with training wheels so they don't get discouraged.
SH

I'm sorry if I don't conform to your view, and I'm not saying my view is absolute, that's why I posted the topic to begin with. That's just the way I was raised. I've been bowling for as long as I remember and I have never bowled on bumpers and I don't think my enjoyment ever suffered. That may have been because scoring was never really emphasized as I was learning. It was more about throwing the ball correctly and the biggest thing just having fun with your friends.

I'm not sure the training wheels analogy really works in this case, at least after a point. Part of the reason you put training wheels on a bike is so they don't get physically hurt while learning. Throwing a ball in the gutter isn't going to hurt you outright.

Why is making a mistake automatically going to take away from a kid's enjoyment? In little league, I had one season where I did not get a single hit. I don't even think I hit the ball fair. According the that logic, I would never have played baseball again. But I did, I didn't improve at the plate that much, but I still loved to get out there to play.

Just to make sure all my cards are on the table, I don't have any kids, so this decision for me is no where in the foreseeable future.

Leftyhi-trak · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2007, 06:36:13 PM »

My five year old just got into it because at 4 i thought he wasn't physically ready. We drilled him a ball and after only bowling about 7-8 games he is rarely hitting a bumper. I have left the decision of bowling up to him as his interest. My 2 yr olds already all watch bowling and emulate it in the house. I don't believe bumpers hurt anything and at first probably keep the young ones less frustrated. I can only hope my kids love the game as much as i did. I did not start until 11-12yrs old. But I also didn't burn out on it like some of the kids who started early and were always pushed. I get a ton of enjoyment with the look on my sons face when he does something "thats cool, dad".

jasonwilks · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:07:44 PM »

I think you can bowl at pretty much any age, except you may have to compensate with smaller alleys, balls and other things. As far as regular bowling is concerned, i would say about the age of 12 or so is good.
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My Bowling Article site: http://www.timsbowling.com/

kjw · « **Reply #14 on:** March 06, 2007, 09:25:11 PM »

my son is 8 now, been bowling since he was 2.
thats how got him potty trained.
never pushed him by no means, this kid eats sleeps and craps bowling.
has 3 balls already, helps knowing proshop owner for 25 years.
has been to last 5 pro tournys in chicago,bowled in last 3.
he has pictures with all the pros. but i figure if he wants to do it i let him.
if he stops he stops. but hes going strong for 5 years now. he has all the autographs and the last 5 -6 years of the PBA on tape.
rather see him watch that than sponge bob.... then again dale traber could give a kid nightmares....................

Author Topic: How young is too young? (Read 1819 times)

myrddin97

How young is too young?

ThongPrincess

Re: How young is too young?

sdbowler

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crackkills

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DanH78

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PUGIDOGS

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MaineLefty

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PUGIDOGS

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shelley

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DerHornen

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ccrider

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myrddin97

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Leftyhi-trak

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jasonwilks

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kjw

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