I just wanted to share my experience with everyone. I started bowling after a 20+ year lay off in 2002. Over the course of that time, my average peaked at 187 for the last couple of years. My delivery was inconsistent, and I had started to double dribble the ball. I had taken lessons from a couple of different coaches, but with no positive results. So, in June of 2007 I decided to attend Dick Ritger's 5 day bowling camp that was held at Hawthorne Lanes in Vernon Hills, IL. The Ritger website advertised an average improvement of 10-15 pins for their students. My goal was to get into the 190's.
There were three instructors for 16 of us. The course was very detailed; the instructors and the techniques taught were excellent. All facets of the game were covered to include but not limited to stance, push away, approach, delivery, balance, spare shooting, adjusting for conditions, etc. The classes were about 6 hours/day for 5 days; the majority fof the time you had your hands on a bowling ball. It seemed as if you had your own personal instructor the entire time. I willingly completely changed my game, and the lead instructor even paid to have my ball redrilled in attempt to get a more consistent delivery.
I practiced the rest of the summer (about 150 games) trying to perfect my new found knowledge, and assuming that I would average in the middle 190's. My first week of the regular season fall league I shot 430!! The next week I shot 620, and the week after 450. I was so disheartend and disgusted over my inconsistency that I quit bowling!
In late October, another team asked me to sub for them because they had 2 guys off. I reluctantly agreed. In the last, 14 weeks that I have bowled for them, my average has just hit 206. I haven't shot lower than 580. My total game has become very consistent, and shooting spares is a non-issue. I don't know what the two month lay off fixed, but whatever it was obviosly worked. I am just now getting confident that this is not a fluke, and that I will be able to maintain this level.
I can't say enough about the positives for attending a bowling camp(especially Dick Ritger's) to improve your game. If you have the time it is well worth it. For me at least, attending Dick Ritger's bowling camp was much more beneficial than a one hour lesson because you can repeatedly practice new techniques until you have them perfected.
From my personal experience, don't expect over night miracles from bowling lessons, keep a positive attitude, and practice, practice practice..

1mrdad - Welcome to the site. Thanks for telling us about your story. Thats great! I wish i could find bowling camp near me i would love to attend one.

Maybe the two months off just cleared your head and relaxed you mentally. So when you went in after two months you didnt put your self under too much pressure you just bowled and remmebered everything that was taught to you.

You probably left the camp with your head swimming, full of all of the new things you had learned. With a cloudy mind, it's hard to just relax and execute shots. The 2 months probably gave your mind some time to clear itself up. Now, your muscle memory is able to take over, and your mind is able to focus on the shot at hand without thinking about everything you picked up at the camp.

I would like to know what something like that would cost. I think taking a full week to work on my game 6 hours a day would be great. My wife may get a little upset at me but, won't be the first time or the last.

Coming out of the camp, it sounds like you had enormous expectations. When you came out, you were probably trying so hard that you were not letting yourself just bowl. After taking the 2 months off, you stopped thinking and let yourself do what you were taught for those 30 hours.

Not sure what this particular camp cost, but I am considering attending a camp this summer - the cost is some where around $400. I am pretty excited about the possibilities as I have no doubt it will help my game.

I did a search for the Dick Ritger's camp and for the 5 day camp it about $499

About 5 or 6 years ago, I took the Bowling This Month three day (actually 2.5 day) clinic. At that time it was, I think, $375 early bird registration. Now I think its like $570.

I was averaging over 200+ at the time. And I can say honestly that I did not get much, if anything, from the class. The students were broken up into groups and since I had no prior clinic experience I did not put down a preferance for coach. I got Suzie Minshew and I was really looking forward to the clinic. At the last minute she could not make it and I ended up with a Silver Coach (I'm not going to name him) that spent most of his time on his lap top, rather then on the lanes with us. We were not allowed to go from group to group, coach to coach. Once you were given a coach that's where you stayed for two of the three days. I already knew how to do the one step drill so the hours we spent on that was wasted for me. I enjoyed the onlane time with Dr. Dean Hinitz who had a couple of mind of manner games concerning targetting and the gutter. Most of the class room time was spent talking about drillings (which I knew), and some lane surface differences. I was disappointed that there was no lane transition or spare shooting. It was just kind of a waste for me. My average did not go up nor did it go down. I think the clinic was geared more for those under 180.

I did do a two day clinic at a local center that has CATs. I got more out of those two days then the BTM clinic. We had 6 different sport conditions and were tutored on how to play them by many coaches. You could go from pattern to pattern whenever you wanted as long as the pair of lanes didn't get over X number of people on it. We also had the CATs done and analized, which was really fascinating. We again had Dr. Dean Hinitz for lecture. That clinic at $225 was much more informative and valuable to me.

I have not been to a Ritger clinic or Ron Cliffton clinic, but I think they might be a lot more productive. Or at least I would hope so. For me personally, I got more out of hourly lessons even at the high rate of $65/hr. I had a silver coach that had been on tour and had actual experience in being over 200 and how to improve at that level. After a year or so of lessons from her, I edged over the 205 mark closer to and sometimes at the 210 mark. Today the clinic is $570 and that's over 8 lessons with my old coach at $65/hr. I KNOW I would get more information and better coaching for my money from her and 8 lessons.

Bottom line, I still advocate private lessons from a good coach, and the CATs analysis if its available to you. Everybody learns a different way. And I don't regret that BTM clinic except that I wish I had had a better coach and that the coaches were more flexible in the created groups. I'm glad the Ritger clinic was good for you. At this point I would not recommend the BTM clinic. But its nice to know that there are some clinics out there that are more beneficial.

Erin

Ron Clifton's Southern California clinics are coming
March 28-29-30 in San Diego and April 4-5-6 in San Bernardino, check www.bowl4fun.com for details.

Erin I think you might have had a different opinion of the BTM clinic if you got to spend 5 days with Suzie Minshew, however it does sound like they should have given you your money back if she wasn't available, that is a lot of money for a so so coach.

I wish I had a place close to me that had the cats system.

Pounder, I see we are from the same town. Here is the link to Dick Ritger's Bowling Camp . They come to Hawthorne Lanes, in Vernon Hills in June every year.

1mrdad, I currently bowl at Hawthorn. Thanks for the info.

I think I would have had a better experience too had Suzie Minshew been there. I took my Bronze level coaching class from her and I know I would have gotten more from being coached by her for 2.5 days. We didn't find out until we arrived at the center where the clinic was being held that she had been replaced. And for me that was a two hour drive away. So at that point, with having driven there, pre paid, and hotel reservations; I stayed. The idea of a refund was never mentioned. But at the end of the weekend, I didn't give them a very good review either.

Erin

I would love to get coaching from Suzie Minshew. I love her articles in BTM. I also tried to get Ron Clifton to come out to Long Island. Couldn't guarantee enough people to justify the trip. Lineage was also a bit high.

I know I would have Smooth. And when they told me I was in Suzie's group I was excited. So much for that. The off lane lectures, with the exception of Dr. Dean Hinitz were pretty much useless. Time would have been better spent on the lanes. I was shocked at the lack of attention to spare shooting. In both clinics there was basically NO spare shooting advise. And neither touched on lane transition and how to adjust when lanes broke down. In fact one lecturer (Gold coach) said there's no such thing as carry down. Doesn't exist.

Erin

1mrdad:

Thanks for the info and the PM. I will definately look into it. I have done searches on bowl.com for a coach in my area. There are 2 Silver coaches close to me (only one with contact info posted). There are more silver level coaches the further out I go. I would need to look at pricing before I make a decision one way or another.

Does Bill Spigner still coach at Hawthorn lanes? If so he is one of the best coaches going.

CoachJim, I will check that out. Hawthorn is a little ways away, but I frequently sub in their invitational league on PBA patterns. Next time I go there, I will find out about Spigner.

I don't know for sure, but was he part of the family ownership?

I believe he was or is part owner unless he retired, I doubt he would have left there without an outstanding replacement. That house has a tremendous reputation in the bowling community as providing the most professional atmosphere to bowl in with a top notch Pro Shop and excellent coaching staff. It makes me want to move to Chicago, that and the food.

Chicago is colder than New York. I am not leaving NY for somewhere colder than NYC. I don't care who makes the food. :-)

Yep and it's windy too that is why I am staying put.

Funny. The only place that it is actually windy is downtown between buildings. But, you will get that with any city with high rises.

The reason for Chicago being named the windy city is because of back in the 1800's, a newspaper said that Chicagoans were braggarts and blowhards. Basically stating that the politicians here blow a lot of wind when they talk. The term has kind of snowballed since then.

I was just going by watching all of those Bears Packers games where the Chicago fans were sitting in Soldier Field breathing snow on the back of the guy in front of them.

This probably answers the question of the what is in the water in Simpsonville SC too, it is just plain warmer there!

My bowling buddy went to a bowling camp for 5 days and came back with a completely different approach but still hasn't really improved over a 185-190 average that he has carried for the past 5-6 years. They actually forced everyone to go from a five step to a four step approach which would have really messed me up but he went along with it.

We just recently started bowling again together and I can really tell that what he learned at the camp seemed to hurt him.

what camp was it?

I have never heard of a coach or coaches forcing everyone to bowl the same, that is absurd.

That's exactly what I thought. He lives two hours away so we don't talk but once or twice a week. I'll find out and let you know.