11thframe.com
Bowling's digital daily newspaper delivering news, analysis and opinion.

Brad Miller gives blunt, incisive look at life on the PBA Tour

JEFF RICHGELS | Posted: Monday, April 21, 2014 8:00 am
Brad Miller gives blunt, incisive look at life on the PBA Tour
Brad Miller bowling.

I met Brad Miller in the pro-am of the PBA Regional at Laurel Lanes in Raytown, Mo., when he was about 10 years old.

It was clear even then that he had the potential to be a very good bowler, so it didn’t surprise me that he turned into a solid player who went on to bowl in college for Lindenwood and join the PBA.

Miller has yet to find the success he hoped for on the PBA Tour and that makes the lengthy blog he posted this week far more valuable than what you might get from a PBA Tour star writing about their wins and honors.

As a writer, let me say that it’s easy to offer heartfelt feelings and innermost thoughts when they’re positive and about successes, but it’s another thing entirely when they’re about disappointment and failure.

Miller’s work is blunt and incisive, so much so that it should be required reading for every young player with aspirations of competing on the PBA Tour.

Like Miller hasn’t yet, I didn’t reach my dreams when I competed on the PBA Tour in 1987 and 1988, and Miller’s writing totally rings true.

I’ll offer a few passages to give a flavor of Miller’s blog, but I urge anyone who is a bowling fan or especially a prospective PBA member to go here and read all of it.

From the 2012 World Series:
"I’m sitting there pulling my hair out as to why I couldn’t even get a sniff. My ball hooked when I got it inside, and slid when I threw it farther outside. Bill (O’Neill) was able to get his ball to go straight off of the friction, where mine was going sideways. It allowed him to be able to get the ball inside a little bit and still strike. This is something you HAVE to have while bowling a pro tournament, good ball reaction. The best bowlers in the world get their ball to read the lane in a way that makes you think, "Damn, that’s sick."  "

And from the 2012 World Series:
“The top 20 or so bowlers just had it. They did so many things right, and it showed. Coming up through juniors and collegiate bowling, I didn't think it was that big of a difference. The guys who make shows make them for a reason: they’re studs. They train with the best coaches, study lane play, bowling balls, physical game, and anything other variable. All I knew was 1 thing: practice.”

From the 2013 Winter Swing:
“I had always understood that a ball reps job is not easy. People think that being a ball rep is easy. All you have to do is hand balls to their staffers and line them up. Yes, that is true. But you also have to deal with your bowlers when they bowl badly, and we all know a sour bowler is not easy to deal with. Plus they always have randoms coming up to them trying to take advantage of their resources in some way. It can get annoying. So I understood. I also felt that if I had to drill a ball to bowl well, I’m not as good as I want to be anyway. So I was hesitant and hard-headed when it came to that.”

From the 2013 Masters:
“One thing I really enjoy about bowling on tour, is when I bowl bad, I can stick around and watch some good bowling. Half the time I wonder if I like watching high level bowling too much. A big component about the tour is it’s really easy to try and throw it like someone. I’ll catch myself sometimes trying to do what Pete does, which is a really bad idea. I’m myself, there is no possible way I can imitate what somebody else does. Our bodies are different. Even though it might feel like you’re doing it the way they are, you’re not. Therefore it’s important to continue to throw it like YOU. Even if your ball reaction sucks, you have to figure out a way to do it your own way. Too much watching can be hurtful, but at the same time I really enjoy the sport of bowling as a whole, so I watch anyway.”

From the 2013 U.S. Open after missing the cut:
“I stuck around for a few more days and watched part of the match play. …  I specifically wanted to watch what Marshall Kent was doing. He was a college bowler that was having success at the PBA level. He was good, awesome in fact. But never did I think anybody was that much better than me. If they beat me one tournament, I just figured they matched up better, or I possibly had a poor tournament. Not too many people ever really beat me on a consistent basis, until now. I was watching former competitors excel where I wanted to. It solidified that I needed to better, but was still unsure on what to improve. Everybody I watched bowl well this tournament threw the ball fast. Marshal, AJ Johnson, EJ Tackett, guys my age all throw it hard. Was this the answer? Am I just supposed to start throwing it hard because I see most people doing it? Normally, I would say yes. But some of the greatest bowlers of all time don’t throw it hard, like Pete. This is what watching got me thinking about, but I never could find an answer. Like I said, I was struggling. More than ever I thought.”

From the 2013 World Series:
“What do you think when you feel you bowled great, and didn’t score great? This is one of the concepts I wanted to talk about when I decided to write this. What’s the next move? I know what the next move is for a select few on tour, drill. If Barnes would have had the block I had, I know he’s in the truck the rest of the night drilling things. I don’t necessarily think that way though. I’m the kind of guy that thinks I can get it done without a bunch of help. A lot of people have asked me why I haven’t signed a contract yet. Well, I wanted to get better first. I didn’t want to sign an advisory or amateur contract and not get much in return. My goal was to reach a level where I was competing for titles, and then sign an awesome contract with a company because they truly wanted me to represent their brand. With that being said, after this day, I wanted to have a contract. I wasn’t able to drill what I wanted out on tour because it was staffers first. Which I understood, I think that’s a fine policy. At the same time though, I felt having a contract this particular day would have helped.”

Also from the 2013 World Series:
“Outside of my bowling, one thing I noticed is that nobody bowling at that moment was smiling. I didn’t see one person having fun. It got me thinking. Why wasn’t anyone enjoying this? I was bowling poorly, and I loved the fact that I was still bowling. Certain guys were making a run at the show, and seemed liked they hated it. I think there was a reason for it though, the money. We were bowling for $10,000. Majority of the guys I was bowling against grew up in an era where $10,000 was chump change if you were good enough to win titles. Yeah, it great to win another title, but titles don’t make the living. I felt bad. It makes me wonder if the PBA doesn’t change something soon with the prize funds, will there even be a PBA tour? The marketable bowlers that they rely on don’t enjoy bowling for what they can provide. It’s sad.” 

After the 2014 Masters:
“I’ve watched so many people over the past couple years be able to "miss" and still strike. Great bowlers do it all of the time. Guys who hook the ball a lot usually create themselves some room. When I see this, I feel like there is room out there to be had. Ive been sadly mistaken. When you have miss room, it’s because things are going right.  You’re in the right part of the lane, with the right ball, and throwing it well. Since the pros throw it well majority of the time, all they have to do is line up correctly. Other players, like Barnes, make great shots. His physical is sound enough that his bad shots are still decent shots. The thing is, even the guys that hook the ball and create room, there physical games are now just as sound. Belmo is dominating the tour for no reason. He has slowed his ball speed down, got balanced at the line, and became accurate. Making your physical game sound is an extremely important aspect of the game. I don’t care if you walk sideways to the line, if your sound enough to do it the same way every time, you will have the ability to make good, quality shots.
The one thing I have learned from bowling on tour is to get better. Work on things. Become a student of the game. If you think your good enough, there is somebody that will make you think otherwise. Bowling on tour has been an awesome time. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. The only thing I plan on doing differently is working harder than I ever have.”