T o o d l e s

[Judy clemons]

t-alking
o-ver
o-nes
d-elivery
l-oudly
e-xcludes
s-trikes

your up on the approach, your focused in on your target, you take your first step, now in your swing all the sudden out of no where you hear yelling behind, beside, or where ever
does not matter what was said, your ball has already gone down the lane with out going
over the intended target due to the startled nerves from the loud shouting from an
obnoxious person who may be doing it intentionally because they want to get into your
mental game to blow your score.

How does one deal with this in league play when you can not afford to have someone
messing with your mind... How does one stay composed and focused when something
like that is going on. It is obviously too late once the ball is in full swing so what
would be the solution ?

[classygranny]

Practice stopping in your approach. I practice at home with and without ball. When walking just force yourself to swing your arm as if bowling and then suddenly stop your feet. When I actually do stop I always turn my body towards the ball and bring my left arm (non-bowling arm) up to support the swing of the ball. It's easier on the shoulder that way.

Otherwise, just try and focus through it. Sometime during practice, if you are with other people, have them be distracting on purpose...the one I'm not over yet, is when I hear my name - it always screws me up.

AND, I love the "toodles" - very creative, such as you are!

[vdubtx]

How does one deal with this in league play when you can not afford to have someone
messing with your mind... How does one stay composed and focused when something
like that is going on. It is obviously too late once the ball is in full swing so what
would be the solution ?

If you know for sure that someone is targeting you and messing with you while you are in your approach, I would confront and call them out on it. If that does not work, certainly speak with league officers as this would be frowned upon.

[Gunz1911]

Definitly takes practice. While blocking out all sounds is good, you sometimes wanna make sure not to block out everything. Point being, when you line up on the wrong approach and luckily your team notices and yells at you to stop. Definitly being in the military helps with tuning almost everything out, but certain words or names will always make you stop dead in about .02 seconds.

[JPbowl]

As long as no one is yelling my name im good, With the league environment there's roudyness, drinking, yelling here and there.
Most annoying when you get on a pair next to people who have to yell and clap for every strike... c'mon

[Gunz1911]

As long as no one is yelling my name im good, With the league environment there's roudyness, drinking, yelling here and there.
Most annoying when you get on a pair next to people who have to yell and clap for every strike... c'mon

I think the only time that annoys me is the people that have high averages and are just show boating. If you're not that good and strikes come few and far between, then yeah go ahead and enjoy it. Like my wife, the only person I know that while trying, has scored a 0 for a full game... now she is doing better and can average close to 100, but she still gets excited at strikes, specially a string of them.

[Tampabaybob]

Judy.....We've all been in situations where someone or even a team is extremely loud. I've even seen some people do it purposely to try to distract someone on the approach. Definitely not a very good situation to be in. Let me tell you what I have done to evade this problem. When I am getting ready to get up and standing in the "on deck circle" (the area next to the ball return), I try to focus 100% on my shot. I completely block out, sounds, movement, and any other distraction around me (i.e.; pin chaser going down the center of the next lane to get a pin out of the gutter). I have at times had to have guys grab me from behind to stop me from going because of this concentration. Once I step on the approach I'm in my own world....don't hear anything or see anything. Takes a lot of practice, but it can be done. Unfortunately, these types of noise distractions will always continue and you either condition yourself or try to wait them out.

[billf]

What noise? I was sleeping on an M-1 tank once when it fired and it didn't wake me so yelling doesn't affect me, not on the approach anyway. And when it comes to trash talking, I've learned to do that with the best of them. Get them back and they will stop.
All's fair in love, war and bowling!

[Gunz1911]

When someone starts trash talking you. Just crush 10 into the pit, turn around and just raise your eye brow. Nothing shuts people up like a cold hearted bad@$$.

[Tampabaybob]

'

When someone starts trash talking you. Just crush 10 into the pit, turn around and just raise your eye brow. Nothing shuts people up like a cold hearted bad@$$.

True, this comes from inner strength. If your mind set is to get up, avoid any and all distractions, you're one step ahead of many bowlers.

The one thing I try to teach is that "It's YOU, the BALL, and your TARGET". That's it. Focus on those three things and it'll be a game changer for you.