How do you re-act to open frames?

[Hammer]

I personally don't like them and no one else does I am sure. I don't let it get to me to the point where it ruins the rest of my league night. I have times where an open frame will make me focus more on my next shot. Sometimes you just run into some bad luck the way the pins fall after a shot that looked good. Other times you have a shot that looks bad as it is going down the alley and you get a strike. Go figure! There are times where you just can't avoid those opens. I have seen some bowlers kick the ball return or throw their ball on the floor after wiffing a spare shot. I just shoot out an expletive deleted and that is the end of it. I have had times where I bomb the first game with four open frames and maybe shoot a 150. Then my second game I will shoot a 186 and a last game that will be a 200 plus game. The name of the game is to not give up because of a bad game. You can all of a sudden catch fire and get some good scores. Don't let open frames torpedo your night.

[Ryan1700]

I am not sure if that is a question or a statement or ??? Looks like you answered your own question. I used to throw/kick stuff or even do what you do and shout cuss words. There is no need for any of it and it does nothing but screw up your own mental game and make you look like a jackass. Watch the ball down the lane, see what it does, make mental notes of why it did what it did and calmly turn around and go sit down. Get up on your next turn and make adjustments and do better. I realize that is easier said than done. I quit doing it cold turkey when I saw it from the outside point of view. Was bowling league one night and saw a guy act like I used to, kicking the ball return, throwing his hat, screaming cuss words, throwing little fits. He looked like a moron. It was embarrassing and everyone was talking about him. That's when I realiz that's how I looked. If the pros on tv can contain themselves in a BIG money game, you can control yourself in your $15 Tuesday night mixed league.

[Hammer]

Let me clarify my statement. When I said that I put out an expletive deleted I didn't mean that I shout it out. While facing the pins I say it to myself and not out loud. Then I turn around and walk back to my seat and just say oh well. I don't ever show anger to my teammates or the team we are bowling against. The question I asked was in reference to how others handle themselves when the open bug hits. So my post was more like a question to find out how others re-act to open frames in a league night. On league night I never walk around with smoke coming out of my ears. I just let it go quickly and have fun talking and joking with my teammates and the team we are bowling with. All the folks on our league know one another and just have a fun night together.

[ackwdw123]

On my team, we simply tell each other to shake it off when we miss. We also have the agreement to be each other's extra set of eyes if someone keeps missing, but the bowler needs to ask as we don't start coaching every frame. We all know that there will be nights when the pins fall a little better and nights when a ringing corner pin will just stand and fight.

[bubba809]

It depends on the situation. If it's a split, double wood, a bucket, a chop. I don't get too excited.

But when I go 1/13 the last three weeks on the 10 pin, ya I'm pretty pissed. Last night I go 0/5 for a 596. Cost me three consecutive 600's.



I'm thinking of hiring Marc-Andre Fleury's psychologist.

[mc_runner]

The only ones I get mad at are chops and single pin misses. I keep myself composed (no one wants to be that guy that swears loudly or hits the ball return) but inside I'm angry at myself for missing. Sometimes I'll complain to my teammates - in a "aw man how the **** did I miss that one" kind of way... but the best revenge is picking it up the next time.

[RobLV1]

It depends on the situation. If it's a split, double wood, a bucket, a chop. I don't get too excited.

But when I now go 1/13 the last three weeks on the 10 pin, ya I'm pretty pissed. Last night I go 0/5 for a 596. Cost me three consecutive 600's



I'm thinking of hiring Marc-Andre Fleury's psychologist.

If you went 1/13 on ten pins using a plastic spare ball, then you are either going about picking them up all wrong, or the psychologist is a good idea. If you went 1/13 trying to "flatten out" a reactive ball to pick up the ten pin, then you are just getting the result that you should expect.

[bubba809]

If you went 1/13 on ten pins using a plastic spare ball, then you are either going about picking them up all wrong, or the psychologist is a good idea. If you went 1/13 trying to "flatten out" a reactive ball to pick up the ten pin, then you are just getting the result that you should expect.

I went 1/13 with my plastic spare ball and have tried many things. Flatten my wrist. Move to the left. Move to left some more. Move to the left some more. Throw is harder. Throw is slower. I have admitted I am sucking at the 10 pin Rob, so obviously I am doing something wrong, hence the joking reference to hiring Fleury's psychologist.

[RobLV1]

Maybe not. Our minds can be very powerful tools, whether working for us, or in this case, working against us. This being said, have you paid attention to your feet? When you start to get nervous, as you certainly would after a run of misses like you've had, there is a tendency to get fast with your feet which will play havoc with your timing and accuracy. Try this:

1. Make sure that your first step when picking up the ten pin goes straight, not to the right. While we all tend to drift a little bit to the right when picking up the ten, starting the drift on your first step will kill your accuracy.

2. Make your steps very smooth and deliberate. Resist the temptation to run to the line to see the result faster.

3. Keep this smooth approach through your armswing. Picking up the ten is all about accuracy. Many players try to throw it too hard to keep it from hooking. If you've flattened out your wrist, throwing it too hard just adversely affects your accuracy.

Good luck.

[Jaescrub]

I just shake my head a little. I have a teammate that berates himself under his breath. But really it is sometimes funny when out of the blue you hear yell Oh Shït! From like 4 lanes over. Ha ha ha

[bubba809]

Maybe not. Our minds can be very powerful tools, whether working for us, or in this case, working against us. This being said, have you paid attention to your feet? When you start to get nervous, as you certainly would after a run of misses like you've had, there is a tendency to get fast with your feet which will play havoc with your timing and accuracy. Try this:

1. Make sure that your first step when picking up the ten pin goes straight, not to the right. While we all tend to drift a little bit to the right when picking up the ten, starting the drift on your first step will kill your accuracy.

2. Make your steps very smooth and deliberate. Resist the temptation to run to the line to see the result faster.

3. Keep this smooth approach through your armswing. Picking up the ten is all about accuracy. Many players try to throw it too hard to keep it from hooking. If you've flattened out your wrist, throwing it too hard just adversely affects your accuracy.

Good luck.



Good advice. I am tending to speed up my delivery and not paying too much attention to my first step. I will work on this.

[vdubtx]

I call myself a dumbass for having left it out on the lane in the first place, then again if I miss the conversion.

[Aslan]

The only ones I get mad at are chops and single pin misses.

Agreed.

But if I feel like I'm gonna lose my composure…I have a small doll I keep in bowling bag and I take it out…shake it a bit, etc...

[bubba809]

Agreed.

But if I feel like I'm gonna lose my composure…I have a small doll I keep in bowling bag and I take it out…shake it a bit, etc...



Does this doll look like Santa or Zeus?

[Hampe]

I went 1/13 with my plastic spare ball and have tried many things. Flatten my wrist. Move to the left. Move to left some more. Move to the left some more. Throw is harder. Throw is slower. I have admitted I am sucking at the 10 pin Rob, so obviously I am doing something wrong, hence the joking reference to hiring Fleury's psychologist.Anytime I get in a ten pin slump like that I'll usually spend an entire practice session just aiming at the ten....works every time.

As for how I react to open frams.....that depends on the situation (what point in the game/tournament it is), and what kind of a miss I just made (did I miss a near impossible split or whiff the 3 or 5 pin). My reaction can be anywhere between an upbeat "alright, I'll get the next one" and cursing and hitting a chair with my towel. Of course I try to keep the latter to a minimum :D

[Amyers]

Agreed.

But if I feel like I'm gonna lose my composure…I have a small doll I keep in bowling bag and I take it out…shake it a bit, etc...

I bet it looks like Iceman

[larry mc]

i call myself names and throw a hissy fit , im a jerk

[bubba809]

That's to whom I was referring to Amyers.

[bubba809]

In fact.....

[bubba809]

Anytime I get in a ten pin slump like that I'll usually spend an entire practice session just aiming at the ten....works every time.

As for how I react to open frams.....that depends on the situation (what point in the game/tournament it is), and what kind of a miss I just made (did I miss a near impossible split or whiff the 3 or 5 pin). My reaction can be anywhere between an upbeat "alright, I'll get the next one" and cursing and hitting a chair with my towel. Of course I try to keep the latter to a minimum :D


That's EXACTLY what I was thinking of doing....

[dnhoffman]

A game of low-ball will do the trick for those 10 pins.

I react ... Poorly to most open frames... In well.

[Aslan]

Does this doll look like Santa or Zeus?

It looks like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Jibberjabber.jpg

[Blomer]

After having an open frame, I get upset with myself but I don't show it. I'm not kicking the ball return, hitting the scoring table or anything like that, like some others due. I might come back and mutter something to myself but I'm not going to ruin someone's day with my own issue. It's justa frame.

[bubba809]

It looks like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Jibberjabber.jpg



Nope, not enough gray to be the Iceman.

[Stormed1]

Uually I'll say o myself " nice shot dumb a$$" and then figure out what I did wrond so i don't do it again. If I threw it well and it's just a bad break I just shake it off