What do you say to yourself?

[The German Shepherd]

After I pick up my ball from the ball return, there are a couple of things I say to myself as reminders. I say "low and loose." That reminds me to stay down and balanced at the foul line and also to keep my arm-swing free and relaxed.

Do you have anything you say to yourself?

Jay

[Tampabaybob]

Jay, I'm with you. Usually the last think I say to myself is "bend and reach". I have a habit of standing up at the line too much and lofting the ball out. That's mostly from the days of wooden lanes, where you had to get the ball over the worn out heads to get the ball to slide a little. When I do stay low I have no problem shooting 230's and up. It's the positive self talk that many bowlers should learn to do.

[JDHamm85]

Usually some 4 letter words in an angry tone :cool:

I don't say anything on my approach, unless I forgot what happened last time I was on the lane, then I'll remind myself with a "Came in high" or "came in light".

I usually start talking after the throw. Usually to remind myself to throw it faster, or to move a board .

[budda]

While I am standing there with my hand on the fan, I always tell myself to make good shots. Stay loose, that kind of stuff.
But once I step on the lane its all about the breathing..

[JJKinGA]

I like to key on "long arm" and "breeze the ankle" That helps me keep the ball on a line in-line swing.

[vdubtx]

While I am standing there with my hand on the fan, I always tell myself to make good shots. Stay loose, that kind of stuff.
But once I step on the lane its all about the breathing..

I do the same. When I am up on the approach it is all about just breathing and letting muscle memory kick in and make a good shot.

[stumblintowards100]

My "self remarks" tend to be more like... "Hit your mark this time Dummy!" ;)

[Judy clemons]

its just me, my ball, my target, follow thru

[GeoLes]

I tend to overthink, so I do detailed thinking before I pick up the ball. Once I pick the ball, I think.

"Smooth, low swing and put it on the mark".

"Go."

[billf]

Quality shot as I grab the ball. Until the release all it blocked out. Turns out I call out the shot just after release and from what I'm told, I will call out the strikes when stringing them together like, "turkey, 4 bagger, six pack" I'm guessing I look super stupid when I leave a stone pin.

Speaking of stupid, the name I gave my Tuesday league: sweating stupid

[Tampabaybob]

I see you finally made the 5000 mark. Congrats !! Don't let the "BOWLING GOD" thing go to your head though !! LOL

[Gunz1911]

Well on Sunday, after doing terrible the first game and half of the 2nd, I said to myself, "I need a beer." Got my beer, Didn't do any better. But atleast I wasn't thirsty!

[JDHamm85]

LOL, Gunz. If you are going to suck, at least be drunk while sucking.

[Tampabaybob]

LOL, Gunz. If you are going to suck, at least be drunk while sucking.

That's what I told my wife !

[the_halfie]

Sometimes I have to remind myself to "RELAX!" When I start messing up, it's because I get mad at myself for making a bad shot, having a horrible release etc. When I tell myself to calm down and relax, I usually do well.

[Perrin]

I have a bad habit of rushing my shots. I don't say anything I just take a deep breath then blow it out and bowl before I breath in again. helps me to focus and take my time.

[DLP]

"Don't look at the pins" and "Slow the <insert explicative here> down"

[classygranny]

I usually take a deep breath and focus on my mark. - NO THINKING beyond the approach, that should alread be done.

I want to attempt to count my steps to myself in a rhythemic pattern in order to get my footwork more consistent. Has anyone done this? Do you recommend it? I don't want to totally foul myself up trying it, tho.

[DLP]

I don't necessarily count, but I take a few practice steps up to the line before I begin bowling to set my cadence and rhythm. So I guess it's kind of like counting without the numbers :)

I think with the approach change last night, I need to put a big smacking piece of tape on my shoe that reads "THIS FOOT FIRST" ... old habits die hard!

[josheaton16]

My wife tried counting her steps when we changed her approach. She used to just pick up the ball and go now she actually sets her feet and looks at her mark. But as for counting steps it just made it worse for her because then she was thinking too much about her steps and she would take too many not enough etc. Once we figured out where to start and how many steps i just told her to step with her left foot first and don't think about it after that, and its worked great.

[Woodmaster]

Been working on the mental part myself, Always knew it was a huge part of the game but I've never really done anything about it until now. I start out relaxed having a good time and then fade into saying to my self. I have to get this next strike, I need this one for the team, We have to win this one, Don't miss it.... blah blah blah... I get warmer, tense up, throw harder, miss to the left.
What I've done is start a routine from standing up to release. simple basic things to do. But like you mentioned earlier not over thinking it all. and paying attention and reacting to the results. Easy to say, hard to do.. But if it was easy we all would be nailing 300's every game. :)

[Tampabaybob]

I usually take a deep breath and focus on my mark. - NO THINKING beyond the approach, that should alread be done.

I want to attempt to count my steps to myself in a rhythemic pattern in order to get my footwork more consistent. Has anyone done this? Do you recommend it? I don't want to totally foul myself up trying it, tho.

I don't recommend it. I'd rather see you let your muscle memory take over the approach. There are too many other aspects, that you could say/remind yourself to do, PRIOR, to taking that first step. Reminding yourself of your steps, would be like me reminding myself how to walk to the refrigerator! LOL I need to forget how to do that one !


I don't necessarily count, but I take a few practice steps up to the line before I begin bowling to set my cadence and rhythm. So I guess it's kind of like counting without the numbers :)

I think with the approach change last night, I need to put a big smacking piece of tape on my shoe that reads "THIS FOOT FIRST" ... old habits die hard!

Again, you already have the muscle memory to do this. Every time "we" try to inject something like this into our routine, it's going to get in the way of something else more important that you should be reminding yourself to do,
such as, "nice and smooth, WATCH THE BALL ROLL OVER THE SPOT". THAT is more important. The only time I'd suggest keeping track of your feet, is if you're landing on your keister, or falling off balance. Then is a foot speed issue and you need to slow down or speed up.


Been working on the mental part myself, Always knew it was a huge part of the game but I've never really done anything about it until now. I start out relaxed having a good time and then fade into saying to my self. I have to get this next strike, I need this one for the team, We have to win this one, Don't miss it.... blah blah blah... I get warmer, tense up, throw harder, miss to the left.
What I've done is start a routine from standing up to release. simple basic things to do. But like you mentioned earlier not over thinking it all. and paying attention and reacting to the results. Easy to say, hard to do.. But if it was easy we all would be nailing 300's every game. :)

Woody.... It sounds like you have a pretty good pre-shot routine going for you, but what I hear you saying is that somewhere along the line , within your 3 games, you go off track and start to lose the concentration that you started with. Right? So how do you fix it ? Consistency, in your self talk (routine), telling yourself, things such as,
nice and easy" or "just make a good shot" or a one word comment that I use is, "smoooooth". Stop beating up your thought process by saying "I have to have this one for the team" or "have to have this turkey to win". TRUST your muscle memory. Just say the more easy and more complimentary things and not the pressure ideas. And I agree with you, that it's easier to say than to do, but practice makes perfect (sometimes!! LOL) and you'll eventually get it. The big thing is to get those pressure ideas out of your head. That only will make matters worse. Also try taking a deep breath (unnoticeable to the bowlers behind you) when standing at the ball return, and before you pick up the ball, hold if for a couple of seconds and then release it. That will help to relieve most of any tension you might have. Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

[JerseyJim]

:-) I am a leaf in the wind