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Some of you are students; many of you were my competition from 1963 to 1986; still others have absolutely no idea who or what Larry Mathews represents. I will endeavor to clear up the "mystery". I was born in 1944, in Mesa, Arizona, the product of very athletic parents. I was involved in sport from infancy. Careers in martial arts and baseball were never realized; though I worked very diligently. It is possible that polio at age 5, and muscular dystrophy, contracted in my teens, were contributing factors to my lack of success. Then again, I may simply have not been "good enough". Fortunately, at age 18 (1962) I was introduced to the sport of bowling. I reached a 200+ average in less than 2 years. By 1969, my primary source of income was derived from my earnings on the lanes. In the subsequent years my physical skills began deteriorating at an alarming rate. In 1975, the year I joined the P.B.A., I wore a brace on one leg and a knee support on the other. By 1981, the year I won a P.B.A. regional at North Valley Lanes, in San Jose, California, I wore braces on both legs and a back support, and was taking codeine for the pain. I was down to 15 pound equipment, and by 1983, when I averaged 237 for an entire winter league season, I used 14 pound equipment and was wearing a batting glove on both hands, for friction, so the ball would not slip in my pushaway. I had shortened my approach 2 feet, and found it difficult to get the ball off the rack, let alone delivering a decent shot. In 1987 I threw my last strike. During the 25 years of competitive bowling I was able to win 150+ tournaments, shoot 16 300's, 16 299's, and 8 800's. I won on a local, state, regional, and national level. As the physiological capabilities diminished, I became much more cerebral in my method of attack. In school I majored in math and science. This background allowed me to create a system of alignments and adjustments that seemed superior to that which my opposition utilized. An understanding of simple physics facilitated the creation of a proper arsenal (weights; shell preparation; etc.). This combination allowed a severely handicapped person to be competitive, on occasion, with the best players in the world. Since the 1970's, I have had the pleasure and the privilege, as a teacher, to work with some of the finest amateur and professional bowlers, male and female, from 5 continents. I advocate the development of a solid physical foundation coupled with an analytical and mathematical understanding ("Come to Larry Mathews to learn to use the math") of various aspects (weights, textures, spare systems, lane conditions, etc.) that are required to become "a complete player". I am currently a feature and column writer for Bowlers Journal and California Bowling World. I also wrote The Pro Approach, reviewed in October, 1996, by Bowlers Journal, as the only one of its kind. I am also available for clinics, seminars, and one on one instruction. Call me at 408-374-3340 for the financial particulars. |
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[Meet the Professor] [Required Reading] [Class Notes] [Take Test] [Q&A Session] [Become a Distributor] [Links] [Special Thanks] [E-mail] [Guestbook] |
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Copyright Larry Mathews 1998-2002. All rights reserved |
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