Two things I don't need during my league night games......

[Hammer]

I don't need to look at my score until I am done with my game. If I do it puts too much pressure on each shot in each frame. Next thing you know you are steering the ball or pulling shots trying to add muscle to the shot thinking that you will get a strike easier if you do. The other thing is I don't want to have my teammates tell me what I need to get so we can win the game. Doing this to me makes no sense because everytime I go up in a frame I am trying to throw a strike
on my first ball anyway. If I am told what to get before I shoot it only puts more pressure on my shot and takes away from my body working naturally. An example was league night yesterday. I didn't know what my score was or how close the other team we were playing was to us. First ball in the tenth frame I got nine pins on what looked like a pocket hit.
I picked up that pin for a spare. Next ball the same thing nine on a pocket hit. After my shot I heard some moans from my teammates but they turned out to be moans of surprise. My teammate Rick told me we won the game by one pin. So we took two games and the series. The second game we won because I bowled a 214. I am the anchor on our team and have been for years. That is why I don't look at my score during a game or want anyone to tell me what I have to get to win. By keeping my situation like this on league night I have a more relaxed swing which most times makes for the best score I can make that game. I only have a 174 average. I don't practice anymore because of lower body, knees and hips,
that have osteoarthritis. By the time I am in my third game the hips and knees start to get irritated. Before league night
I take ibuprofen starting in the morning and my last one at 6 in the evening. Our house is only 5 minutes from where we live so the ibuprofen is doing it's thing. I am not ready to give up bowling just yet. I like it too much and will hang on as long as possible.

[H3RBSKI]

Maybe I should try this. Usually when I practice I don't check my score untill late in the game and usually get decent scores eg Friday morning I was bowling with my wife and says "thats not bad your on 190 already" this was the first time I looked at the sheet few game s later she says "your 101 pins in front of me at the min " again this was the first time I looked. In league I'm constantly looking Nd trying to work out what we need to win so I put pressure on myself to do well, I pull it left a lot or go to far out and just generally mess up. Gonna give this a try on weds night and see what happens

[J Anderson]

Maybe I should try this. Usually when I practice I don't check my score untill late in the game and usually get decent scores eg Friday morning I was bowling with my wife and says "thats not bad your on 190 already" this was the first time I looked at the sheet few game s later she says "your 101 pins in front of me at the min " again this was the first time I looked. In league I'm constantly looking Nd trying to work out what we need to win so I put pressure on myself to do well, I pull it left a lot or go to far out and just generally mess up. Gonna give this a try on weds night and see what happens

I agree. In fact it was the first thing I advised you to do ( or is it not do) in my last reply to your thread on bowling better at one center than another.http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/15591-bowling-better-at-one-centre-than-another-is-it-pyshcolgical

[Hampe]

That's interesting Hammer.....I'm exactly the opposite. I usually play much better when I know the game is on the line. I love the adrenaline rush of standing on the approach and needing a strike or spare to win the game. The trick is using that adrenaline in a positive way to enhance your focus (not your nervousness :)). If I know the game is on the line, I almost never throw a bad shot (not to say I always come through; sometimes you get a solid pocket hit but no strike)...that's why I'm the anchor :cool:

I also use a stat tracking app on my phone for both leagues that shows the max possible score on the bottom, so I always know what I can get in a game. It doesn't always help though, especially during a bad game when you realize you need 5-6 strikes just to get to 200 :).

[circlecity]

I glance up here and there around the 5th to see if I'm on target to get my average. Other than that I don't pay much attention. I can't even tell you what my previous game was exactly. "oh 223 or something can't remember."

I'm a KISS bowler. I keep it simple and stupid. I don't wear any wrist guards, I don't know the freakin science of bowling, or my pap. I pick up the ball and throw. For me less knowledge cluttered in my brain the better.

[MICHAEL]

I glance up here and there around the 5th to see if I'm on target to get my average. Other than that I don't pay much attention. I can't even tell you what my previous game was exactly. "oh 223 or something can't remember."

I'm a KISS bowler. I keep it simple and stupid. I don't wear any wrist guards, I don't know the freakin science of bowling, or my pap. I pick up the ball and throw. For me less knowledge cluttered in my brain the better.


right off the bat,, your a GOOD MAN Circlecity!! You don't wear any of that girly wrist enhancing dial a pitch devises!! lOL Sounds like with that 223, what ever you doing ,,,,,, it working!! Keep, Keeping it simple!! (:)

[Hammer]

I don't have one of those dial a pitch wrist supports. I have a Robby Plus wrist support. That's the one that has the metal bar that runs from the back of your hand up to 4 or 5 inches up the arm from the back of the hand. I tried bowling without it a few times but my girlie wrist doesn't like it. Some of those arm/wrist devices go up to the elbow sometimes. You can adjust a cock or cup of the wrist with it. Way too much for me. My little Robby device is good enough for me.

[Aslan]

I don't need to look at my score until I am done with my game.

Then....wait, do you just not look at YOUR score? Or anyone's score?

Because I look at the other team's score so I can formulate a strategy of mental warfare that will distract them and knock them off their game. Or which one to go all "Tonya Harding" on if need be?

[Hammer]

Then....wait, do you just not look at YOUR score? Or anyone's score?

Because I look at the other team's score so I can formulate a strategy of mental warfare that will distract them and knock them off their game. Or which one to go all "Tonya Harding" on if need be?

I don't look at anyones score until the game is done. Then I look to see what happened. Keeps my mind on my next shot. One time though a guy on the team we bowled that night tried to put pressure on me. I knew this guy for years. I was the anchor bowler going up last after everyone else finished. He just happened to say loud enough for me to hear that I needed a strike and a spare in the tenth to beat his team. I heard what he said and a little voice in my head said nice try Josh. I bowled 3 strikes in the tenth. Then I heard him say out loud, I don't believe it! Then I said out loud nice try Josh.

[Hampe]

I don't look at anyones score until the game is done. Then I look to see what happened. Keeps my mind on my next shot. One time though a guy on the team we bowled that night tried to put pressure on me. I knew this guy for years. I was the anchor bowler going up last after everyone else finished. He just happened to say loud enough for me to hear that I needed a strike and a spare in the tenth to beat his team. I heard what he said and a little voice in my head said nice try Josh. I bowled 3 strikes in the tenth. Then I heard him say out loud, I don't believe it! Then I said out loud nice try Josh.Exactly! Isn't that more thrilling? Isn't it more exciting? Knowing you need marks to win and getting them? Having someone try to make you nervous and sticking it right in their face? That's not better than just bowling la-dee-da and then "Oh gee....look at that, we won the game, how about that"?

[J Anderson]

Exactly! Isn't that more thrilling? Isn't it more exciting? Knowing you need marks to win and getting them? Having someone try to make you nervous and sticking it right in their face? That's not better than just bowling la-dee-da and then "Oh gee....look at that, we won the game, how about that"?

Yes it is, but there's a difference between shutting up a trash-talking wise guy and constantly checking the scoreboard to see what you need. Hammer was able to take the "you have to strike" comment and turn it into "I will make an excellent shot". I don't think it would have been quite as satisfying if the other guy had kept his mouth shut and Hammer had checked the scoreboard to see what he needed.

For many of us, focusing on the score becomes counter productive. Instead of just trying to make the best shot we can, we focus on getting a certain number. Then instead of reacting rationally to a flat ten, the adrenaline kicks in and instead of making the spare and then adjusting on the next frame, we miss the spare and muscle the first ball in the next frame.

I'm not saying everyone is like this, but many are. Each of us has to learn how we are affected looking at the score or hearing trash talk, and then how to deal with it.

[Aslan]

I'm with Hampe on this one.

One of the most exciting things on league night is when in that last frame you're up by 14 but he's working off a strike...it's anyone's game!!

I've lost total pin counts by 2 pins, 4 pins, 6 pins, 12 pins, 23 pins...when you're in game 3 and not only is game 3 on the line, but so is the total pin count...those are some exciting times!!

[Hampe]

Hammer was able to take the "you have to strike" comment and turn it into "I will make an excellent shot". Well, I do agree with that....it's important not to hang everything on the result. If I'm in that situation and play a nice ball that just doesn't strike for whatever reason, I'm not going to beat myself up or get down on myself.


I don't think it would have been quite as satisfying if the other guy had kept his mouth shut and Hammer had checked the scoreboard to see what he needed.I agree that stuffing it in some jerk's face is more satisfying. But I still think it's more satisfying to come through at that moment when you're aware of the situation, rather than to roll 3 strikes and afterwards look up and and go "oh, hey....I just won us the game....huh". There's no adrenaline rush if you are completely unaware of the situation......but I do also understand that not everyone is like that, and doesn't want to have that feeling while they are bowling.

[Hammer]

Even though I don't look at my score until the end of the game I still have the adrenalin going each time it is my turn. It still is the anticipation of getting a strike on the first ball. I am just naturally nervous in each frame but not in a fearfull way. It is from the excitement of that moment. When I let that first ball go in each frame there is excitement I get watching the ball go down the alley and having a chance of seeing a possible strike. If I do get a strike I get an adrenalin rush from it. I never feel bored to death bowling just because I don't look at my score. I am always amped up when I bowl. It is just a part of me.

[circlecity]

I may not pay tons of attention to all the scores and stuff but I still know what is going on during the game. I will glance up and see if were up or down pins etc.. but I don't fixate on the scoreboard after each shot.

[Aslan]

If you're not looking at the scores...how do you know which lane to bowl on??

It's already happened 2-3 times in my two leagues where people bowl out of turn or on the wrong lane...I can only imagine the chaos if people refuse to look at the display. :confused:

[circlecity]

If you're not looking at the scores...how do you know which lane to bowl on??

It's already happened 2-3 times in my two leagues where people bowl out of turn or on the wrong lane...I can only imagine the chaos if people refuse to look at the display. :confused:
Well, because you follow the same person on your team or the anchor from the other team if you lead off.

[Hammer]

I am the anchor bowler on a 4 person team so I just follow my teammate Trish all of the time. Plus I can see where the team we are bowling against is bowling.

[bowl1820]

If you're not looking at the scores...how do you know which lane to bowl on??

You can look at a display and see where you bowl, without reading the scores.

[Aslan]

You can look at a display and see where you bowl, without reading the scores.

But what if he looks at the display and accidentally cathches a glimpse of the score?? Then hammer'll be frightened and we'll have one additional month of winter.