can you be to hard on your self?

[MisterSinister]

I should know my opponent better. What I thought would screw with him instead motivated him. The best mental part is when I tell them I'm going to ruin their line during warm ups then do it only to change balls and lines when we start keeping score. Even if I didn't succeed in burning up the line the change I make leaves that thought in their head.

I've done that too. I've pulled out a heavily sanded ball, and practiced with that. With my high rev rate, I just chewed up my opponents oil, and let them know what I was doing. Then I pull out a different ball, and move inside of my practice line. Either it works cause you are in thier head, or I do eat thier oil, sometimes both. All I know is in my league i am among the league leaders in matches won.

[J Anderson]

To get back to the original question, yes you can be too hard on yourself but its hard to say where that line is. The truth is that we need a certain amount of stress in our lives, and to bowl really well we need some amount of pressure. How much is too much may change from week to week. I've seen the same person spiral into worse and worse shots after not carrying a few tenpins, yet other nights a missed spare will inspire him to strike out the rest of the game.

As to Billf and MisterSinister, there have been times when I've been tempted to play mind games on opponents. I don't really have the revs or the equipment to screw with somebody's line, but I do know how to get in some people's heads, how to push their buttons and make them lose focus.
I don't do it because I want to beat you when you're playing your best. It's not like I need to win to put food on the table and any advantage could be justified by that need.

[billf]

John, I've been doing it with the kids in youth league. The 12 and up bunch. They talk trash so I've been using it as a tool to teach them how to block junk out and focus. My project the last week bowled a 181 with a 130 average her first game with me taunting her. Her brother loved it until it was his turn. He averages 170 but only shot a 113 under the same conditions. Now she knows she can handle the pressure of a school match and he is meeting me Mon and Tue at the center for help with his mental game while observing an adult league. BTW, she is 15 and he is 17.

[MisterSinister]

If you can teach kids to block out distractions at an early age it will benifit them greatly in the end. I will go bowl practice games on a Saturday afternoon. My house knows me, and they know I'm pretty good, and I take my bowling fairly serious. When I show up they always tell me that they can't put me by myslef, there's so many kids that they have to put me next to children. I tell them "I know, that's why I come down at this time." It help me concentrate. If I can bowl well with 25 brats running around screaming, throwing balls when the gate it down, and messing around, then I can bowl well anywhere. It's great mental training, block out the distractions. Don't let anything in your head. It may be a little off topic, but in the end it's all about the mental game. Don't let it be your enemy, you need it to be an ally.

[noeymc]

i wish people would talk crap to me it makes me do everything better but there alll so nice and are like you got it shake it off dang nice people

[billf]

Then do it to yourself. Just picture somebody you don't like so well talking trash to you or about you. It works for me. I do better with pressure and always have. I practice during the birthday parties to gain focus so all I hear on the approach are the voices in my head. Nobody can taunt you like you can taunt yourself.

[MisterSinister]

Then do it to yourself. Just picture somebody you don't like so well talking trash to you or about you.

Like the Waterboy. Water sucks, it really really sucks.

[75lockwood]

this is an interesting idea, being able to focus and bowl well under pressure is a great skill to have.

i have been personally been dealing with a similar situation in my youth league this year, there are a bunch of new young bowlers this year, keeping them on track and teaching them while trying to focus on my own game has been a challenge, but i think if i can master it my mental game will be better than ever

[noeymc]

noise and stuff dont bug me its my self i put my self down if i let my arm go right ill like yell at my self i need to figure out how not to yell at my self

[billf]

Don't do it out loud. You will still hear it in your head. Instead of getting mad at yourself change it around and tell yourself, "that was a mistake, do it better next time."