UNLIKE OTHER sports, bowling is "running far behind" when it comes to instruction. The reasons for this are threefold.

First, because over 95 percent of today's bowling participants are recreationalists and not competitive players (dedicated athletes), most bowlers view the social aspect of bowling as their top priority for playing the game. Consequently, many don't want, or seek, bowling instruction.

Second, because lane conditions and equipment have severely eroded the integrity of the game, it has become very difficult to teach the sport effectively. For example, what do you say to a 170-level player who's averaging 203 because of "crafted" lane conditions and the use of "exotic" balls that are drilled with severe (yet legal) imbalancing?

Third, though some progress has been made of late, the sport still suffers from a shortage of qualified instruction. In this column, we will speak to the latter issue.

What makes a good teacher of bowling? Well, with proper training, experimentation and field experience, a bowling instructor learns to recognize many of the positive and/or negative demonstrations of technique. This is accomplished through clearly identifying the technique and, on occasion, through the implementation of an intuitive feeling. Beyond this, we find the exceptional instructor who not only identifies the technique, but in addition is quickly able to prescribe the remedy to correct or eliminate any negative in that technique. What special attributes do such instructors possess? What systems and approaches do these gifted teachers employ so that they can capably demonstrate this highly commendable and effective talent?

For one thing, exceptional bowling instructors share a pragmatic (scientific) approach toward the game. They have a reasonable grasp of such things as chemistry, anatomy and the laws of physics as they relate to bowling. Furthermore, they view and teach along an analytical plan of observance. In this consideration, the following are some principles they use in order to ensure valid determinations. Aspiring instructors would be wise to give them careful study.

1. Establish visual guidelines to aid your powers of observation. For example, you could apply white tape to the ball to better observe the nature of the ball's roll; or, you could place strips of tape on the approach to serve as vivid guidelines for step direction and spacing.

2. An instructor is wise to consider the expression, "Too close to the forest to see the trees." Getting too close to the action often does not allow an observer to discern one movement from another because of the rapidity of movement. Stepping back and viewing the entire performance from a distance will often afford the observer a better perspective.

3. Again, because of the rapidity of movement, it is not easy to clearly observe action in the approach and delivery. Therefore, to aid in this pursuit, attempt to watch and understand what the large parts are doing before you concentrate on the smaller ones. Often, what is true of the whole is true of the particular (part).

4. Trying to view all of the parts at one time can often cause confusion, if not an out-and-out error in judgment. Most often it is best to watch the action one part at a time, thereby giving analytical service to each and every part before making a general analysis of the overall action.

5. A bowler's total execution (performance) should be viewed several times before one makes a final analysis. The reasons for this are twofold. First, the instructor needs to be sure that all of the negative execution has been identified. Second, on occasion a bowler will make a mistake that really is not a habitual problem, in that it will probably not be demonstrated again for some time to come.

6. As mentioned, one motion is usually related to a previous motion. Therefore, it is a good idea when looking for the source (cause) of negative technique to work back through the total movement. For example, one may have to start with the follow-through and work back to the beginning of the approach in order to find where the execution went wrong.

7. It is often advisable to view a movement from different positions... some higher, some lower, some from the rear, some from the front. Many times, a view from a different position will reveal something unnoticed before. For example, hand action in the release is best observed from the front.

8. The human mind tends to be prejudicial. Most often, it favors what is familiar and what it is comfortable with. In this regard, the skilled instructor strives to keep an open mind, thus putting subjective bias aside. Only then can a dedicated coach confidently make an honest and objective evaluation with regard to a student's execution.

The above principles of instruction serve well to underline the challenge and complexities that go with bowling instruction. The successful teacher is one who approaches the task of bowling instruction with a well-conceived "game plan" for diagnostic implementation. Indeed, just as medical doctors have a systematic and effective procedure for physical examinations, so do capable instructors when practicing their craft.