How do you silence that "little voice" in your head?

[Gordon325]

So today was my second day at league.. after the first day my average had been set at 167.

Today I show up head high and feeling good.

First game I throw a 213 which include a 5 bagger and a total of 6 strikes and only 1 open.

Second game I throw a 237 which included a total of 8 stikes and not a single open frame.

Of course being a the "math wizz" that I am I can quickly see that I only need 150 pins to hit 600 a series that I have not hit in over a year at league... last year I struggled greatly with my average and came close with a 585 (give or take) as my top series. The year before that I had 3 600's (including my first ever).

ANYWAY... 150 pins, I say to myself, is like shooting pins in a barrell.

But thats what echo'd through my mind the entire 3rd game. I struggle the entire game fighting off the voice in my head. and of course I find myself in the tenth frame looking at 134... I of course know that if I get a strike or pick up a spare the odds of missing the 150 are slime to none... I throw the first ball .. hits a tad high and leaves me witht the 6 pin....the 6 pin...this is a cake shot... I could throw my strike ball and hit it or throw my spare ball and hit it just as easy. ( I had picked up a 6-10 early in the 2nd game, and a couple of 6 pin pick-ups as well)

I line up my shot...throw the ball... and know instantly its gunna soar right past the six and run over the ten spot and I will be ending the game with a 143 and the night with a 593...

I am still happy with the overall performance..but would love some ideas on how to kill the voice that tortures you when you are so close to a make-able goal like that


Thanks


-Gordon

[AngeloPD]

Great scores on the first two games, maybe you can try not looking at your score and concentrate at your target.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIwuxbfOVs&feature=plcp

[Keithalw]

Gordon I have yet to shoot a 600 and trust me I have been so close so many times and buddies of mine say that I should have had it so many times... I know for a fact off top of my head I shot 3 599s 2 596s and some 580s... one of the 599 I wasnt practicing wasnt really worried with score and ended up with 599... I know part of my problem is spares but I also know its amental thing of that voice in ur head. it sucks majorly lol... Im going to have to take the tips from the video angelo posted

[J Anderson]

I've been reading The Handbook of Bowling Psychology. One of the authors suggests that when you have set a goal of say 600 for the series and your first two games are really good, you should amend your goal higher, like to 650 so you still need to throw a 200 to make it.

[Gordon325]

J Anderson... I don't know why I have never thought of this.. I was sitting on a 450... weith 2x 200+ games down.. I should have set a goal for 200+ not 150+ .. wow... Thanks..I am honestly stunned that I set my own bar so low I was so focused on the total outcome of 600 I didn't see the opportunity I had to go 650 or 675.

Keithawl...Been there, before I ever threw my first 600 I threw a 599 and was devastated, that was the year though when I finally hit it and was able to 2 more times.

AngeloPD...Thanks for the video! I will try not to focus on scores!

Another thing I am going to look into, since I use a Storm Vivid, is bringing a couple of my other balls with me to practice and learn the different breaking points of each..cuz I noticed towards the end of the second game the Vivid is just murdering the oil and becomes difficult to control. I typically only bring 2 balls with me... strike and spare... but I notice alot of the best bowlers on the league usually have 3 + with them at all times.

[Hampe]

I bowl anchor for my team so I'm in this situation fairly regularly. For me, what works best is to think about the situation while I'm standing at the ball return. If necessary, take your time....there's no need to hurry up and try and get the spare, just because it's a spare you pick up 90% of the time. Once you get on the approach, you should only be focusing on the shot your taking (and no longer thinking about how important it is). Don't worry about what you "need" to get. Only think about the shot and how you are going to execute it.

It's also important to remember that it's not the end of the world if you miss. It happens to everybody :). There will always be another chance next week, next tournament, next season, whatever.

[Davec13]

I don't look at the scores til the end of the third game. I typically know where I am but I don't pay attention just to avoid these situations.

[billf]

I scoreboard watch (I say shamefully). What has helped is bowling in a scratch league. I don't have as many opponents with open frames so even though I know the score, I can just focus on hitting my target. What style, line, ball, speed, release, etc is decided before I step on the approach. I know think about how each shot will be a quality shot. I already know my marks for each spare so no real thought goes into them other than focusing on the target.
It's working. I shot a 780 the Saturday before last (that league is every other Saturday), it's team handicap and we won before I even stepped on the approach in the tenth frame all three games. I actually do better having to bowl well. It's the lower average bowler's (higher handicap is deceiving) that give me the most trouble due to not focusing enough at the beginning of each game. I know I can finish with a 4 bagger for 60 pins and match/beat most handicaps. Knowing you can screw off and still win is a bad habit to get in to. Those 7-10s can bring you back to reality, and a loss, real quick.

[Gordon325]

Thank you everyone I now have a few new things to try next time I hit the lanes

[The German Shepherd]

Thank you everyone I now have a few new things to try next time I hit the lanes

It helps to to remember that it is a team game and that my job is to help the team win. This takes my attention off from self and focuses it on my team mates and encouraging them do better. I silence the voices in my head by getting my mind OFF ME on on others...

Jay

[Gordon325]

Thanks TGS

[Tampabaybob]

Many good points made here for you Gordon, and probably the best one was from Hampe. Don't get inside your own head on any of the games, just take the shots one frame, one ball at a time.

What I see a lot of guys do after they throw the first ball, they'll come back and talk to someone in the pit or the guy getting ready to bowl next to them. Those guys are wasting very valuable time that they 'SHOULD' be looking at the spare shot "CONCENTRATING' on where they'll throw the next ball, and not BS'ing. I've call ed attention to this many times to the guys I bowl with and pointed out bowlers that do this and tell them to watch the guy get up and blow the shot. Sure enough most times that will happen, and then they com back and complain about the ball or the lanes. Use that time to your advantage to stay FOCUSED.

Remember when you step up on the approach, it should be just you, the ball, and your target. Nothing else, then just make a good shot.

Bob

[Gordon325]

Sure enough most times that will happen, and then they com back and complain about the ball or the lanes.

This is one thing I do not do, most of the sports I play (besides hockey) are "singles" sports where you rely on your own technique (Bowling, Tennis, etc..) and I learned real quick that blaming the condition of the [lanes or court] or blaming the equipment, is a real fast way to make yourself look like an ***.

:)