PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR -- 03-09-2019 -- Kickin' It Ol' Skool

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

**** PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING SPOILERS!!! ***

[@mollystatts7242]

Thank you for making these videos and for making a platform for jr bowlers.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I still remember my youth bowling coaches back when I was 8 years old just starting out. I've always loved junior bowling. The youth bowling community is just awesome!

[@gilldaman6259]

I look forward to this every week. I bowled a 777 series tonight in honor of prodigy.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Congrats. That's some awesome bowling. Assuming you did it in three games. If it took more, not so much. ;-)

[@gilldaman6259]

Haha.. best THREE game series I've ever bowled. (279,240,258)

[@taysdad45]

What a great episode. Some mighty fine bowling by those kids.

[@brockhaugland2244]

That third match has to be the best match of all time

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I knew the minute it ended that it was an instant classic.

[@ryanchristopher8007]

This is always so fun to watch

[@zachhutchens]

Yes, I totally agree with you.

[@ryanchristopher8007]

Zach Hutchens yeah I know right

[@zachhutchens]

@@ryanchristopher8007, yep! 😊

[@bingusbobby5012]

yessssssssss waited all week for this

[@MavMPlays07]

31:41 the best and the funniest shot i've ever seen

[@FrostbiteP1ano]

mmmmmmmm

[@brandonkaravite1754]

You can’t really tell but I was dying laughing 😂

[@jameskliewer5809]

Randy, I agree that "all business" Christian is awesome.

[@llbigwave]

The pocket 4-9 (6-8 for lefties) and the pocket 7-10 are the banes of no tap bowlers everywhere.

[@rage7713]

I bowl for Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana and i’m a decent bowler but i really like the way Logan Fossum bowls, when will he be back?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

He has his own channel. Why don't you ask him?

[@DarkDestroyer619]

46:40 possibly the funniest moment on prodigy 😂😂😂😂

[@david-tn2ub]

Coach randy when is the next single or double ball elimator I love those to much lol

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Nothing planned. But we are about due to do another one. I don't like doing them when we have visitors, because it could mean they go to all the trouble of coming over, only to roll one ball and get eliminated. :-( But like you, I love this format.

[@david-tn2ub]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour yeah I can understand that like imagine coming from like California to throw 1 ball get eliminated and pretty much go down there for nothing that would suck but when you dont have any visitors you should do one whenever that is

[@bamaslamma1003]

Hunter is awesome. He's so much fun to watch. He has a lot of fun out there. BTW, I haven't seen Logan F. very much lately. Where is he these days?

[@eatsomefries408]

I bowled a 275 game today. My new high score :D

[@rezi5961]

EatSomeFries nice game

[@mr.aerial1885]

Great accurate bowlers - future winners on the PBA tour.

[@ashtonross7939]

Popcorn time. And who else got notification late?

[@blubb12blubb3]

There were also round robins in ballmaster open but I don't know if its the same

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I don't know what this Ballmaster Open was, but the PBA hasn't used this Round Robin format as its regular, every-week TV finals format since 1966.

[@louiseallen2118]

I’m a league bowler in something called the special olympics due to having disabilities

[@alexformosa]

I bowled in a 4 game no tap tournament and scored 1198 scratch. My Games were 298,300,300,300. It was awesome.

[@zach9930]

alex formosa I’m sure

[@kingcreesto2308]

Can’t bowl a 298

[@alexformosa]

@@kingcreesto2308 Sure you can. Throw 11 strikes and then on the last ball you get an 8 count....

[@rezi5961]

Got like 40 nines

[@calebreaves358]

What all was Christian throwing in the 3rd match?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Motiv Tag Cannon

[@zachhutchens]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour, yes, and the 1st match, Christian threw his Motiv Jackal Ghost.

[@JdmRyan8]

Anyone have an idea where I can get one of those shirts Hunter is wearing? That's pretty awesome. Great bowling guys. Love Christian's bowling style. These kids will go far in the sport I'm sure of it.

[@R1.Quezzz]

Could you guys ever come to Freeport Illinois?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

MarQuez Horton -- We don’t travel, but you’re welcome to come to Atlanta and see us.

[@Jared46290]

hey coach randy, I havent watched the video but I see that its double mulligan. can a player use his mulligan to negate someone using the cutthroat?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Watch...and all will be answered.

[@conniemilhollon7472]

This was a good one. Hunter keeps getting taller soon he'll look like one of the big kids.

[@wiphi245]

Awesome video as always, Coach Randy! By the way, do you have any tips about how to develop a traditional 4-step approach? I’ve had people, coaches, and my dad point out to me that I bowl off the wrong foot, and rightfully so (I’m a left-hander that takes 3 steps and ends up on my left foot). I’ll have to practice it in the off-season.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Start with the one-step drill. Stand about 3-4 feet from the foul line. Swing the ball to the top of the swing. And just as it starts to drop from the top, push off with your bowling side foot and let your non-bowling side foot go into the slide step as the ball comes through. Get used to how this feels first so your body starts to adapt to the feel of sliding on your right foot as your left arm comes through the downswing. Start at the end of the delivery like this and work back.

[@creativebigmac]

Good vid

[@Ichigo1817]

Is Christian using a hammer statement pearl ?

[@Ichigo1817]

Nevermind, i dont think he is :)

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Christian's arsenal at the present time is all Motiv.

[@RichBoiProd]

Great video, awesome production. Coach, what is a good age to get children into bowling on a serious basis? I have a 7 year old daughter that loves watching me bowl at league, but I am not sure if I should start getting her into it with practice and real training.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Richie, I would say that if they're into it, there's no sense in holding them back. The first thing I look for in a kid when evaluating whether they have potential (besides the obvious appearance of whether they seem to have a knack for it, which you can only evaluate to a point at that age) is whether or not they LOVE it. If they do, and if they do show a little bit of natural talent, then chances are good that they'll stick with it. It's the passion that drives most any young person (or old person, for that matter) to keep doing something. So if she loves bowling, and if she shows any signs at all of having the coordination necessary to have a go at playing this sport, I wouldn't wait. Now, to be fair, there's only so much you can do in the way of training at that age. The best thing is to just let them get their feet wet and point them in the right direction. You can give them some general advice, and certainly a coach can do a few rudimentary things like teach them etiquette, how to pick the ball up off the ball return (so they don't get their fingers smashed), how to put their fingers in the ball and start orienting them about the basics like knowing the pins by number, identifying the arrows by number, knowing what "boards" and "dots" on the approach are and this sort of thing. The basics of the physical game are tough at this age because they're so little, the ball is so heavy (and big) in relation to their body, and so much of what they learn about the physical game they will have to re-learn as they grow bigger and stronger. So we focus on the very rudimentary basics at this age. But I can think of no good reason to wait. You might as well get her her own ball while you're at it. And a bag. And shoes. And yes, you're venturing down a rabbit hole that has no bottom. But the youth bowling community is so awesome and you will have other parents who are farther down the road than you who will help guide you as you go. And if your little darlin' turns out to be a tournament bowler, strap in. Because you're in for one of the most rewarding rides you can ever take. And if you're lucky enough to live in an area where there's an active youth bowling community with a lot of youth bowling tournaments, like we have the GYBT and other tournaments here in the Atlanta area, you are in for one awesome time. I'm guessing she already watches PRODIGY. I hear all the time that it inspires kids to either take up the game or get better at it. But the one cautionary word I'll throw in is this: It's too soon to push her. Let her come to it on her own terms. I've seen kids (more than I can count, I'm sorry to say) that get pushed so hard by their parents that they end up hating bowling. Obviously, you don't want that. You'll know when it's time to get really serious. She'll let you know by becoming so good that you'll realize it's time to take her "to the next level." That's when it gets serious.

[@RichBoiProd]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour Thank you for the response and awesome feedback. I will definitely take heed to your advice and give it a try to see how much she enjoys bowling. THANKS!!

[@calebreaves358]

Does Brandon bowl at Roswell?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I assume you mean the Brandon that appears on this week's show. Yes, he moved from Detroit over the Summer and was a PRODIGY viewer when he lived up there. So when he discovered upon moving down here that his family moved into an area that put him in close proximity to our bowling center, it was only natural that he joined our league. So yes, he's a member of our Roswell Varsity league on Saturday mornings.

[@brandonkaravite1754]

Hey that’s me

[@AverageLeagueHack]

@@brandonkaravite1754 You got to trade Detroit for Georgia...….lucky dog. I'm stuck here. :(

[@jamesdunn8893]

@@brandonkaravite1754 I am a big fan of yours 👍

[@travoncordova7798]

I tell you Christian grew up a lot, but his arm swing is still the same I don't think he will never fix it.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

He is as stubborn as a mule.

[@travoncordova7798]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour yeah but the one thing I noticed out of Christian that he's been approving is that he get his ball into the swing in his second step cause u know before he didn't get his ball into the swing until the 3rd step that's what make his timing so late, but as long as he get his ball into the swing a little early his high backswing will be fine.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Getting the ball into his swing late is PART of why his timing is so late. The length of his swing (the size of the arc) is another contributing factor. The longer the arc, the later the timing. There are only two solutions: Either shorten the swing or slow down the feet. His feet are about as slow as I'd ever want to see them, so shortening the swing is his only viable option. Here's the problem it causes: When the swing is that late, when he hits the line, the brain, which intuitively knows the ball ought to be there by now, goes into panic mode and grabs the ball from the top, yanking it down. This invariably causes a pull, as he literally pulls the ball down from the top, rather than letting gravity drop it naturally from the top. When you jerk the ball down from the top, most often the right shoulder moves forward (if you're right-handed like Christian is), and when the right shoulder out-races the left shoulder and gets ahead of the left shoulder, you're dead. The ball is going to miss left every single time. Christian's problem (aside from being so stubborn and not listening to anyone -- I'm not the only one who's been preaching this stuff to him -- there have been several others for years, but he just won't listen) is that he believes deep down in his soul that bowling is best played by ripping the damn cover off the ball. He mistakenly believes that if he takes anything off his throw, I would be trying to turn him into a stroker (as if that's a bad thing, but I'm not trying to do that at all). He has power to burn. What I want to introduce into his game is a measure of CONTROL. Power doesn't do you a damn bit of good if you don't know where the ball is going. Power isn't necessary on spares. When you jerk the ball from the top and miss the headpin to the left, how did your power help you there? He needs to understand that bowling was, is, and always will be a game of accuracy. Power is extra. If you have it, you definitely have an advantage. The more power you have, the more of an advantage you have. BUT ONLY IF YOU HAVE ACCURACY! Accuracy first. Power is the icing on the cake. If he ever embraces that, he might actually become a bowler. But so many in his age group have passed him, I'm not sure he'll ever catch them now. He has days when he's as good as anyone. But he's inconsistent. And it's because these fundamentals we're talking about are just not of any interst to him at all. He wants to focus on ripping the cover off the ball. A few months ago, I thought I'd finally gotten through a little bit to him. I had him focus on one thing. It's something very few coaches ever talk about. I told him to focus on keeping his head steady through the release. No head jerk AT ALL was the goal. Think Earl Anthony's head through release. STEADY HEAD. You can't keep a steady head if you're jerking through the ball and trying to "crack the whip" at the bottom of the swing. But if you don't have a steady head, it is impossible to keep your eyes on the target. ALL THE GREAT BOWLERS HAVE A STEADY HEAD. When he focused on that, he bowled pretty darn well. But the next time he went bowling, he'd completely forgotten we even had that discussion. It's as if it never happened. He's like a dog that you take outside and -- SQUIRREL!!!!!! He has ZERO attention span. Especially when it comes to remembering what the last lesson was about. Sadly, he demonstrates the same characteristics when it comes to his school work. And need I tell you what problems that causes? People ask if I'm his father. I am not. But I am more than a bowling coach to him. I'm something of a mentor. A friend of the family, and someone who cares a lot about him. Way beyond merely the guy at the bowling alley with the coach's badge. I love this kid and wish he'd capitalize on the natural talent he's blessed with...which is considerable. But it just seems like he squanders it most of the time doing everything BUT what would make him better. But there's no getting around the fact that he's a sweetheart of a guy. A great big puppy dog. Who can rev the snot out of a bowling ball. He just can't ever be sure which street it'll be on after he throws it.

[@travoncordova7798]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour I know, that's what I said getting his ball into the swing is what make his timing so late, he jerks it at the bottom of the swing sometimes but he'll get it and eventually stop, but one thing though when I first started bowling nobody didn't teach me I taught myself I am a good spare shooter I throw my ball straighter and faster at them I put a lot of speed on my ball only at like single pin spares I'm pretty fun to watch because I know what I'm doing, I also remember back then when christian used to throw the ball slow at spares u can't do that. This was back in 2016 in one of your videos when prodigy was first created I'm glad he learned his lesson after when he did that.

[@rezi5961]

Very long comments lol

[@rezi5961]

Should have used the original house pattern to be really kicked it old school

[@rezi5961]

Why does he throw his strikes 2 handed and spares 1 handed

[@d3cr1pt3r7]

How can I get On Prodigy?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

You let me know when you're coming. If you're a minor, come with a parent (they'll have to sign a release). Then we can coordinate your visit to make sure you're coming on a day when (a.) we're taping, and (b.) we're accepting visitors. We usually accept visitors. (Assuming you're of junior bowling age.) But there are some dates coming up in the Spring when we'll either be out of town (at Pepsi) or that we'll only be open to our Roswell kids. So just coordinate with me. Contact me through my website at brownswick.com on the Contact page.

[@d3cr1pt3r7]

BrownswickBowling Ok Thanks

[@squarewheel1587]

These lanes do not have the same oil pattern.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Yes, they do. But the characteristic of the end pair (also true on 1 & 2 in this house) is for the end lane to hook about 3-5 boards more than the other.

[@brandonkaravite1754]

Nobody likes lane 40 just so you know

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Except me.

[@AverageLeagueHack]

@@brandonkaravite1754 BRANDON!!!

[@Ichigo1817]

It's a motiv tag isn't

[@ryanmai7888]

I’m visiting the Atlanta area and I wanna see one of these in real life.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Ryan Mai - Let me know when you’re coming. Randy AT prodigybowlerstour DOT com.

[@3476122236]

Which ball was Christian using

[@sworwn]

Winston Vincent against Anthony he was throwing a Tag Cannon but idk what he was using other then that

[@calebreaves358]

Motive Jackal Ghost

[@scooterjp1904]

Brunswick or brownswick

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Brownswick. My last name is Brown. Get it?

[@ItEzraFTW]

Hey Coach Randy. I have two questions. One regarding the show and one about one of the players. 1. When you mentioned how this was the shortest field (4 players), do you think that, maybe some of these players are just losing some interest in PRODIGY? I’m not saying it’s entertaining, but I know from experience (happened once last year) where bowling too much... just isn’t enjoyable. I get if the kids are busy, but was wondering your thoughts on that idea. 2. I know that Christian Mennell (aka... well whatever nickname he now goes by, assuming that he’s not going back to McFluffy) started to wear glasses as of recent. Is he far-sighted (can see far, but not close) or near-sighted (can see close, but not far)? And it looks to me, that he’s trying to start his follow through a little earlier than usual. Appears that he’s getting the ball moving right before his third step is 100% done, while last year it was 100% done when he finally got the ball moving

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

1. There could be a little of that. But on the date when we taped this episode, there was a ball demo day at the nearby bowling center in Woodstock, and a bunch of our regulars live over there. They wanted to go. 2. Christian is near-sighted. We've tried to get him to get the ball into the swing a little earlier because his timing is so late. But I don't go by when it starts to measure whether his timing is early or late. I go by where his arm is when his slide foot gets flat on the floor. He's wayyyyyyyyyyy late and starting the ball a little earlier helps, but there are other things he needs to do to correct the situation. Namely, to shorten his backswing.

[@TehDrewsus]

Maybe one day you'll get to go way old school with a spray gun and squeegee coach Randy! Great bowling by these kids!

[@trevorbott3340]

League was alright tonight. Shot 191-266-189

[@natejohnson3638]

I know it's been said a ton but it looks like Christian still needs to lower his backswing and stop trying to rip the cover off the ball if he wants good accuracy and control.

[@blankk9517]

Kinda annoys me but some people think that's how you become good, I believe Randy tried working with him and he really looked good for awhile before switching back.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Christian lifts the ball to the top of the swing. That's where all the troubles begin. It mucks up his timing, and causes his swing to be so late that he panics and rips the ball down from the top, causing a myriad of problems. When his timing is on, he's good. But he's hot and cold. If he would just SWING the ball, it would get to the proper height at the top (whatever that is for him) and if he'd just let it drop from the top rather than pull it down ("wait" for the ball), his downswing would be more natural. But he tries to rip it as hard as he can at the bottom. As a result, he's as likely to shoot 140 as he is to shoot 240 in any given game. He's too stubborn to change. I've given up. A kid has to WANT TO be coached. This shows up in many areas of his life, not just bowling.

[@blankk9517]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour Welp we can hope, when he's bowling good he's hard to stop, bad thing is that doesn't happen as much as it should.

[@AverageLeagueHack]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour You have said many times he has plenty of hand if he would focus on getting out clean and on time...…….but as long as he has Happy Gilmore syndrome there is nothing you can do.

[@sworwn]

Lol Christian looks like he’s gonna kill someone 49:54

[@brandonkaravite1754]

Apzz lol

[@JoshuaSlosser]

The PBA still uses it

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Joshua slosser - No, they don’t. Not as their regular, every week TV finals format. And I’ll bet you can’t name a tournament in recent years when they have used it.

[@JoshuaSlosser]

@@ProdigyBowlersTour 2017 round robin match play look it up. Maybe not like masters, us open, toc, etc. But they didn't just forget about it

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Joshua slosser - Let me try this again: I just looked it up. It’s not the same format.

[@rippleyplayz3272]

I would love to bowl prodigy with you guys but I'm older to bowl with you that's my excuse

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

As long as you haven't turned 20 by August 1, 2018, you're still of age to be in youth bowling, and we will take you. If, however, you were already 20 by August 1, 2018, then sorry, but you've aged out. However, we do typically have one Adult/Youth event in which grown-ups can bowl with us. It's the Adult/Youth Scotch Double 9 Pin No Tap event that we have traditionally held as our last event of the season, the last Saturday before the 4th of July..

[@josedcarrillo24]

46:38 was so funny

[@anthonylederer8759]

How can I contact you I have a question

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

anthony lederer -- Ask away.

[@anthonylederer8759]

I have a plastic ball and it will get stuck in middle oil sometimes I was wondering if I should get a katana because I heard they have great hook I was seeing what you recommend

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I won't pretend to know all the balls that are out there. I'm pretty familiar with what's in the Storm line, and to a lesser degree, the Motiv line (because so many of our kids throw Motiv). But I'm much more familiar with Storm equipment (because that's all I throw). So I would defer to your local pro shop operator on advice concerning what ball should be your next choice. I believe all the ball manufacturers make good equipment. Building an arsenal isn't so much about "what are good balls," but rather is about the different types of performance characteristics of each ball, and does your arsenal have any holes in it. Some balls hook early, others hook farther down lane. Some hook a lot. Some not so much. You will face a variety of different conditions. Building an arsenal is all about matching up and making sure you have something in your arsenal that will allow you to match up to most any condition you encounter. If, however, you're only a recreational bowler, then it becomes somewhat simpler. Find a good mid-level ball and maybe a spare ball, leaving room for the possibility that later down the road, you may want to add to your arsenal when you realize there are situations where you need a different ball with different performance characteristics. We could be here all night talking about all the possibilities, and it would raise more questions than it answers.

[@ashtonross7939]

Hunter is the coolest 11 year old ever 😂

[@drewdistefano4267]

There are zero benefits to 9-pin no tap. I get it might be fun but practicing spares is one of the most important things for a youth bowler. Especially in competition where the pressure is on

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

That it’s fun and makes for an entertaining show ONCE IN A WHILE (which is all we use it, once or twice a year) is the benefit. Don’t be a H8ER. No one pounds home the importance of spare shooting more than I do.

[@idiotboy4216]

I was looking at Logan's video for junoir gold that he did in 2017 and he bowled in the house I bowl at every Saturday morning

[@AverageLeagueHack]

IMO the icon for the good Mulligan should have been furrier

[@trysephiroth007]

I could see Hunter getting a score over 300 in a game like this with the handicap. He seems to hit the pocket as often as the scratch players but doesn't have the pin action they do.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Troy Moore - For a while I thought there was a legitimate chance we might have a 325-300 game on our hands.

[@jamesarmstred7336]

Good job Hunter... Christian stop crying.... If you was beat by the handicap then understand frustration. You where CRUSHED scratch.

[@vn9official]

James Armstred i understand that, i still shook his hand at the end of the match. i still told him great bowling when we were done. he bowled great. i just saved my good game for the match before

[@rezi5961]

James sometimes it okay to get frustrated. I was bowling in junior gold and I got an 213,233,221 then when I came to the stepladder in the finals I bowled a 167 when I got beat to a 189 game. And I got very frustrated. So I understand where Christian is coming from. Also he is really good when he doesn’t bowl his best he get frustrated. Right now I’m in a Wednesday night league and I’m carry a 206 average and I bowled a 572 series and got pretty frustrated. So I just want you to understand getting frustrated is okay.

[@jamesarmstred7336]

Ok... But u shot the 167.... Just like Christian ... He threw every shot as did Hunter. Blaming anything but his self is disrespectful