TP you are not there yet. I would bet my big toe on that.
If you are thinking of coming to that conclusion you are looking at it the wrong way. You have had a good base for a good game for years and you have had some good coaches along the way to help you build that base. Your problem was (is)you didn't have anyone that could find a few little things that you needed to get to the next level. Those things are there and they could have been found years ago but you can get there.

I saw you stand and throw balls down the ONE board with your EYES closed for an  hour, if you can do that you can get there.

thegame,
If you are not cashing in regionals but are getting close (just 30 to 50 pins out) try to get some help before you bowl too many.

If you are 100 pins out or more you may not be ready yet. You still should seek help but you may have a bigger hill to climb than you think.

The topic in general:
The biggest problem bowlers face with getting better is that they don't know what is wrong...what to work on. More often than not bowlers are trying to fix the wrong thing or they don't know what to fix so they think that if they can just throw enough balls down the lane they will get better.

I will give you a few examples:
A bowler keeps missing his target so he tells me he has a concentration problem.
The truth is, concentration has little to do with it. If your game is well sorted you should be able to clear your mind to zero once on the approach and hit your targets.

Yes sometimes we have to tell our selves to perform a task like bend the knee or something, but burning a hole in the lane with your eyes will not make you hit your target. That is more likely to make you miss them.

I think bowlers would be better served to concentrate on what happens AFTER the ball leaves their hand. That is the weakest link for the most bowlers from Pros on down. After the release is when all the information is telegraphed back to us  information we need to make adjustments, ball changes or line changes.

If we compare bowlers to someone driving a car and you were following along behind them, you would see that most bowlers have to run off the road before they  see that they need to make a steering correction to keep the car in the lane. When you drive your car you make lots of corrections every mile, you sometiems need to do that as a bowler if the lanes are changing rapidly.

Another example is how much bowlers spray the ball at the breakpoint. We get away with spraying the ball 5 to 7 boards on league shots and still strike. In that environment there is little need to train yourself to be aware of what board you are hitting at the breakpoint basically you just have to keep it on the lane.

When a bowler tries one of the flatter oil patterns (like the nationals) it is a whole different world. Spraying the ball 5 boards in that environment produce more 150 games than 250 games. The problems is bowlers don't know how important the breakpoint is. That is where all the action starts to take place on flatter oil patterns not at the arrows.

The game has changed over the years and I am surprised on a daily basis how slow bowlers are changing with it. Even after countless articles that I and other writing coaches have written in all the bowling mags about the importance of the breakpoint very few bowlers are aware of it.

IF you are not using your breakpoint as part of your targeting system and gathering tons of information about the ball from the breakpoint to the pin deck you are doomed to keep running off the road and wondering why you keep crashing at every tournament.

Bowl great!
Ron Clifton

When do I decide I've reached my peak and won't get any better?

That's an easy one: never.

I will always have something more to learn, whether it be about my armswing, different releases, my approach, how to tackle a certain condition, what ball I should be using, what drillings fit with which balls, etc.

Bowling isn't like many other sports. You can still be competitive as you get older. What you will start to lack in the physical game can be made up for in the mental game. That's why I love bowling, it's something you can play, love, and learn about whether you're young or old.
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---Ryan

You can always get better. As the game changes, it leaves things to learn. Look at pros like Walter Ray, Duke, Weber..... you don't compete at that level for that many years without changing anything. All it takes is wanting more!! As to what some are saying about coaches is correct. Some coaches see things that some don't. I worked with a coach a couple of years ago. He helped my game alot then. then following that we started working on the same things over and over. I then went to see someone else and he picked out a few small things that improved my game alot again. And the biggest part is to WANT TO LEARN. To reply to the topic, I will never be at my peak!!
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BRUNSWICK ADVISORY STAFF
VISE REGIONAL STAFF

Thanks for the replies.  I am not ready to accept I won't get better ... yet.  In addition to the 300 post, I was teaching a lesson in health about setting goals.  Two of the things to take into consideration are ability and limitations.  So how does one evaluate honestly their ability an limitations when it comes to bowling?

Personally, I have put coaching on hold because I have not been successful in finding a time I am free and my coach has openings.  I do not have the desire to get out and practice right now, but that is just physical fatigue.  School is drawing to a close and it has been a challenging year, besides the fact I am currently in 4 leagues for the summer, and assisting in running a Learn to Bowl class Wednesdays.

I am sure once school is out and I get to veg out a bit, the desire to practice and work on my game will return.
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USBC Bronze Coach

"I cannot change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination." Jimmy Dean
Quaker 10/93 - 4/07
Quaker