Mental Game Help

[Marty]

This is where I was about a year and some change back. Always close and distractions got in my way. From the bowler a few lanes down out of my peripheral vision or the sound of a cackling beer drinker behind me, I would tune in on those things and just blow pressure shots. There are some good tips on here, and if you don't mind, I'll just add my 2 cents. I have been bowling tournaments since the age of 19, but never won the big dollars until I learned how to focus and relax on the lane. Since I read some mind control tips, I have an Amateur Bowling Tour championship, 4 top 5's, and a few big dollar strike shots during special events. That was in 2010 and I am 50 now and at the peak of my game with a 210 average. Not the greatest, but I jumped from a 185 in one year.

So, with that said, here is how I focus. It's all about routine. I rarely look at the score or my competition when I am up to bowl. I clean off my ball and think about relixing my body. I don't look at the lanes until I am at my spot on the approach. I have learned to look down the lane at my break point, and then I bring my eyes in to my board / arrow and visualize my line to get back to the break point. Once I am set, (as mentioned earlier in another post), I take a deep breath through my nose and out my mouth. Now here is the key ... most of the bad shots we take are the ones we pull. Pulling a shot or tugging it means we rushed the shot by pushing the ball forward from the backswing too soon. So after you have taken your breath, try to place your mind on concentrating where your ball is during your backswing. Even though your mechanics are good, paying attention to this keep your mind in a good place. Once you reach the peak of your backswing, concentrate on keeping your arm and hand as relaxed as possible through your shot towards your target. Key word: relax.

Little kids can run up on me, music can be on, and someone could drop a ball on the approach and I am not phased. Relax, deep breath, focus on backswing, relaxed your arm and hand, target your board. This gets you in the zone. I hope this helps at least one reader as it helped me. Good luck and knock em dead!

[ursus]

Lots of good advice. I find myself easilly distracted. One good trate I have is not letting a bad shot affect the next one. I have such a poor memory that I have completely forgotten by the time I get up to the line again

[billf]

I practice on Saturdays during the birthday parties on the lane next to them. Giving all that ruckus I have learned to focus more. Luckily so far I haven't been hurt or hurt an errant child. Mean but short of serious injury I wouldn't feel bad about it. The parents seem to think that the alley is a baby-sitting service and let the kids RUN every where.

[eugene02]

I practice on Saturdays during the birthday parties on the lane next to them. Giving all that ruckus I have learned to focus more. Luckily so far I haven't been hurt or hurt an errant child. Mean but short of serious injury I wouldn't feel bad about it. The parents seem to think that the alley is a baby-sitting service and let the kids RUN every where.

i bowled last week when 10 ppl about 5 kids came to play beside my lane.. when i was on the approach, i took a first step.. suddenly a girl run it.. i was like WTF! thn i moved down.. on the approach they can stand as many as 5 ppl on the approach... -.- damn bloody stupid..

[aussiedave]

i bowled last week when 10 ppl about 5 kids came to play beside my lane.. when i was on the approach, i took a first step.. suddenly a girl run it.. i was like WTF! thn i moved down.. on the approach they can stand as many as 5 ppl on the approach... -.- damn bloody stupid..

One thing you can try eugene when you get a crowd on the adjacent approach is drop a bowling ball close to someone's feet. You have to be sly about and and make it look like an accident, but I bet it has the desired effect.
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[GeorgiaStroker]

One thing you can try eugene when you get a crowd on the adjacent approach is drop a bowling ball close to someone's feet. You have to be sly about and and make it look like an accident, but I bet it has the desired effect.
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Even better sit and talk to your bowling ball, tell it how much you love it, give it a little kiss, offer it french fries, etc... Pretty soon the kid's mothers would be dragging them out of there.