Superstitions

[fokai73]

I used to be superstitious. About 6 years ago I decided all that was just more of a distraction than a benefit for me. So I bowl when there's a split in the next lane. I don't mind ppl touching my stuff on the rack, if my towel falls onto the ground I don't refold it.

What's yours?

[foreverincamo]

Never bowl next to a split. Always tuck in my shirt before a shot.

[RobLV1]

Never bowl next to a split. Always tuck in my shirt before a shot.

Bowl with your shirt however it is, and quit worrying about what's next to you! It keeps getting dumber and dumber...

[classygranny]

Bowl with your shirt however it is, and quit worrying about what's next to you! It keeps getting dumber and dumber...

Not only that, but if these things distract your bowling, where is your focus?

[mc_runner]

I just make sure my hand is dry I guess. Wipe down the ball. Both have practical purposes, though. When it's my turn I get up and go, however I know that distractions can certainly play a role mentally in a shot. I've tried to eliminate that stuff, sometimes it goes better than others.

[chrono00]

Done the not bowling next to splits but not really anymore. If I look at the lane next to me and see a pocket 7-10 leave that's about the only time I'll put my ball down and go take another sip of beer

[fortheloveofbowling]

Bowl with your shirt however it is, and quit worrying about what's next to you! It keeps getting dumber and dumber...

All athletes have negative thoughts that creep into their head. If waiting on a split helps some bowlers avoid that then do it. Pre shot routines whatever they may be including if you want to tuck your shirt in are very important to consistently making good shots.

[got_a_300]

I personally have no superstitions when it comes to bowling
anymore. I used to do the not bowling next to a split but it
seemed like most of the time I split anyway when I got up
to bowl after waiting on them to shoot at them.

I realized that while waiting on the lane(s) next to me to
shoot if they had splits I'd stiffen up and then over think
what I wanted to do when I got up, so now days I just go
ahead and get up there and bowl no matter what is left on
the lanes next to me.

[Tony]

I don't really follow any superstitions, I have let people clean up their splits, but don't have to wait for them, if they aren't ready I will go up and bowl. I don't care if people touch or even use my towel, once recently a guy used mine by accident and I noticed and said, hope it doesn't give you my bad luck, he got up and threw a split.

The one thing I will do it is try to time my arrival at the ball return to minimize standing and waiting for others to bowl, I find it's easier to remain focused if I can just walk up, pick up the ball, get set and bowl.

[foreverincamo]

Just thought of my other big one : lucky shirts. I try different shirts all the time. If I bowl a bad series with one, I retire it.

[fokai73]

In others sports I've been in, distractions didn't bother me much. I've been in bigger stages than bowling, but when I returned to bowling, I seemed to follow the actions of others. My mental game was somewhat weak believing in bowling voodoo.

Accepting distractions helps me in pressure situations and forget last frame mistakes.

[AlexNC]

I'm not sure I can call it superstition, but part of my pre-shot routine involves me holding my hand over the fan on the return. I like the dry, cool feeling it results in. There are several pairs in the house I bowl in where the fans aren't working right now, but I still hold my hand over it before every shot even though I know it isn't doing anything.

[fokai73]

Don't confuse superstition vs pre shot....

Superstition is a belief of something with power or having unseen power, having lucky charm...on the flip side, something with unlucky outcome..splits for example....

Pre shot routine is a preparation to perform..

[Tony]

A couple of other superstitions that seem to be widely followed are not talking to the guy going for a 300 and clearing the pairs next to him as he goes to shoot the 10th

This one goes way back.....when hand scoring you were never supposed to fill in the scores of a guy with multiple strikes until he missed or finished out the game.

Another one that might be considered a superstition, if your lead off bowler doesn't go up to bowl until after your anchor has finished.

[J Anderson]

A couple of other superstitions that seem to be widely followed are not talking to the guy going for a 300 and clearing the pairs next to him as he goes to shoot the 10th

This one goes way back.....when hand scoring you were never supposed to fill in the scores of a guy with multiple strikes until he missed or finished out the game.

Another one that might be considered a superstition, if your lead off bowler doesn't go up to bowl until after your anchor has finished.

The not talking about a possible 300 in progress is definitely a superstition. The clearing of adjacent pairs is more of an exagerated lane courtesy, an "I don't want to do anything to mess this guy up." The not filling in the numbers on a string of strikes is a superstition that has been incorporated into at lt least some automated scorers.

I have never thought of having the lead off bowler waiting for the anchor to throw a ball as superstition. It has more to do with keeping the pace of the game steady or making it easier to compare how your team is doing to your opponent.

[chip82901]

I wouldn't say superstitious, just like a routine. For instance, I wipe the ball off, make sure my hand is dry with rosen, make sure my sole doesn't stick when I step on the approach, and go. There are certain bowlers in my league that are a distraction if they are up on the approach a couple lanes over, so I will occasionally wait for them. I shoot a lot of tournaments and have grown accustomed to 2 lane courtesy, although it doesn't bother me as long as I have 1. There are just some people I don't mind waiting on lol

[J Anderson]

Never bowl next to a split. Always tuck in my shirt before a shot.


Bowl with your shirt however it is, and quit worrying about what's next to you! It keeps getting dumber and dumber...

If your mom or dad nagged you about keeping your shirt tucked in, doing so before bowling is not a superstition.

I never used to worry about what was left standing on an adjacent lane until a couple years ago. I had thrown a split on an odd numbered lane. Afterward, a friend who happens to be a bronze level coach asked me why I had thrown my first ball when there was a split standing on the lane to my left. The truth was that I had not noticed because it wasn't on my pair of lanes. Until then I had never thought about the possibility that what was standing on the other lane could have an effect on what I'm doing. Now, when I happen to notice a split on the other lane, there's that little bit of doubt as to whether I should go or wait. Gee, thanks a lot Tim!

[Tony]

The not talking about a possible 300 in progress is definitely a superstition. The clearing of adjacent pairs is more of an exagerated lane courtesy, an "I don't want to do anything to mess this guy up." The not filling in the numbers on a string of strikes is a superstition that has been incorporated into at lt least some automated scorers.

I have never thought of having the lead off bowler waiting for the anchor to throw a ball as superstition. It has more to do with keeping the pace of the game steady or making it easier to compare how your team is doing to your opponent.
True, the automatic scoring does wait until the string ends.
On waiting until the anchor bowls and keeping pace, just keep in mind you can only get so far ahead unless you start skipping bowlers on the other team..lol
The way it was put to me was waiting will slow the game down, for the most part it really doesn't make much of a difference either way. When I bowl certain teams I'll keep the pace up or let it slow down depending upon how my team is doing, or theirs. If they are throwing all strikes and keeping the pace fast, after a couple frames of that I'll start to wait until my anchor is done and see if that throws them off......if they are bowling poorly with the pace as fast as it can go, I'll keep right about there.
We used to have a guy on our team who would wander off and not be ready for his turn, it drove one team crazy, they would yell and go look for the guy, it got them so flustered they could never beat us......so it became a regular event and the results were always the same, it got them so worked up they couldn't bowl .......

[foreverincamo]

If your mom or dad nagged you about keeping your shirt tucked in, doing so before bowling is not a superstition.

It's a superstition. Gotta have the shirt tucked in just right.

[foreverincamo]

Almost forgot the high-five to the bowler before me if he marked, and a fist bump if he opened.

[Tony]

Almost forgot the high-five to the bowler before me if he marked, and a fist bump if he opened.

I think this one can be a superstition or not, depending on how committed you are to it, for sure this is a super common event on many / most teams but if you absolutely HAVE to do it with every team member on every single shot then it's an obsession and superstition !

I can take it or leave it, I'll do it with my team mates some of the opposing team, and friends on adjacent lanes, but not all the time, I don't have to do it so it's not a superstition, in my case.

[Tony]

Almost forgot the high-five to the bowler before me if he marked, and a fist bump if he opened.

What about a rabbits foot, or having to keep some change in your front pocket, I've bowled with a few guys that have to do those things.

[chip82901]

Almost forgot the high-five to the bowler before me if he marked, and a fist bump if he opened.

Also known as not being a d**k lol

[fordman1]

I take up jackpots, the money comes back to me in envelopes. Twelve or thirteen hundred dollars. I turn every bill face up all turned the same direction. I can't stand it when it on bill one way and the next another.
Other than that I have no superstitions. Yours is silly mine is real..... Ever heard that before?

[Tony]

I take up jackpots, the money comes back to me in envelopes. Twelve or thirteen hundred dollars. I turn every bill face up all turned the same direction. I can't stand it when it on bill one way and the next another.
Other than that I have no superstitions. Yours is silly mine is real..... Ever heard that before?

I bowled with a couple of guys that were bankers, the money in the envelope had to be the same way, arranged by denomination, all faced up and in the same direction....no exceptions! They always counted it at least twice too ......

[fordman1]

I started doing it when I was 12 years old in 1958 and delivered newspapers.
I don't expect others to put their money in any curtain way I just do it for myself. I have had people laugh at me for doing it.

[chip82901]

I started doing it when I was 12 years old in 1958 and delivered newspapers.
I don't expect others to put their money in any curtain way I just do it for myself. I have had people laugh at me for doing it.

I can't stand my money not being in order. All facing same way, all in order by value. Makes it easier to know what I have