The curse of Game 2!!

[Aslan]

My ball driller and coach who you met when you were in Vegas is also my golfing partner. He's says that I overthink everything, but I pale in comparison to you.

I've decided to take that as a sort of compliment.

[RobLV1]

It can be, but it can also be a curse. Let me give you an example:

I used to be a pretty good golfer. I had a handicap of 5, and could easily score in the mid-seventies. Then I decided to go back to work and become a school teacher. Suddenly I could only play golf during the summer and, once in a while, on the weekends. Now, at a time when any round below about 88 is considered pretty good, I still try to play shots that I am no longer able to hit. When I tell Mike what I was trying to do after a shot doesn't work, he will often say, "Rob, why don't you just try to hit it straight?" When I try to hit a certain type of shot and it works, it's great. Unfortunately, in the long run, overthinking is more of a burden than a blessing. Try to keep that in mind when you're overanalyzing most everything.

[Aslan]

The golf example doesn't work because I think golf is evil and developed by Satan to make people of retirement age want to commit suicide.

I don't know how many times I hit the ball, it goes right or left…and the person says, "it actually went where your feet were pointed." Then I adjust…it goes way too far the other way, and they say "huh. Seems like your feet were still pointed the other way." It's like…"dammit. It doesn't matter which way my feet point…I'm gonna hit it and the stupid ball is going to go wherever…and I just have to accept that.

[Hampe]

From what you're saying and the videos you did...I'd almost change that statement to be..."there really aren't much differences in bowling balls that you can't counter with release/drilling....so buy 3 different coverstocks and it really doesn't matter what the specs are."

And don't get me wrong...it's not just your opinion and videos that make me think that...bowlingball.com in one of their video episodes talked about the effect of cores and essentially said the same thing...cores don't really matter much. I've seen videos of ball manufacturers talking about different cores...but I've yet to see anyone show a difference. It would be interesting to see that USBC robot throw some symmetric and assymetric core balls to get a look at it in a very repeatable way...like they did to show surface differences. And bowlingball.com...siad the same thing in terms of coverstock/surface...that how you surface the ball has far more of an impact than cores/RG/Diff.

Just because coverstock, layout, and surface changes have more of an affect on ball movement, it doesn't mean the core doesn't have one at all.

Rob is right that you are worrying too much about stuff that doesn't matter yet. You haven't even been bowling for a year.....worrying about different ball specs isn't going to help you at all right now. You need to build up your game first, get the fundamentals down, and THEN you can start worrying about which balls/specs you might want or need.

Just disappointing...because it really further adds evidence to the belief that you can buy whatever brand, whatever ball....and there's really no difference. Hammer, Brunswick, Columbia, Storm, RotoGrip...throw a dart at a dart board or just buy the one thats on sale...because they ALL hit "like a hammer"...whether they are "Hammer" or not.

As far as companies go, yea, that's pretty much correct. They all have a ball for every condition, and you probably couldn't tell the difference between a heavy-oil ball from Storm or one from RotoGrip (Ok....bad example, the Storm ball will smell like something ). But, for example, you can't take a light-oil ball, drill it as aggressive as possible and then think your gonna go play on a heavily oiled lane and get the same performance as a heavy-oil ball (even one that's drilled less "aggressively" than the light oil ball).

You can think of the specifications of a bowling ball kind of like it's "maximum potential". For example, a ball with a low differential number will have a smoother arc, as opposed to having a more angular movement. That doesn't mean you can't put a layout on it to make it have a more angular motion, but you won't be using the ball for what it was "designed" for, and it probably won't perform as well for you as a ball with a higher differential number that's also drilled to have a more angular motion. At least, that's the way I understand it....maybe I'm wrong .

[Aslan]

overthinking is more of a burden than a blessing. Try to keep that in mind when you're overanalyzing most everything.

One thing you'll notice if you watch me bowl, practice or league or tournament...doesn't matter...is I'll have 3 things with me: a cell phone with PinPal app, a pad of paper, and a pen/pencil.

You'll see that between each shot, I go to the PinPal app to record the pin fall. You'll notice before each frame, I look at the pad of paper. And you'll notice that occasionally, especially after a shot misses it's mark...that I'll write things on that pad of paper.

MWhite recently bowled with me and asked, "Why do you have to mark each pin fall and not just do it at the end of the frame (because that annoys him)?" I said, "Because I won't remember what I left if I wait till the end." He said, "so you won't remember you left a 6-10 after you knock down a 6-10?" I responded, "Well...for a 6-10 or a corner pin...I probably would. But for other leaves...it's closer to 60% on average."

Now, you can chalk that up to me just not having a very good memory. But the "real" reason is that I'm thinking of so many things between shots that I actaully forget what I knocked down 2 shots ago. That paper is to remind me where to stand and where to target...especially when alternating lanes (league style) because if I don't keep track of it...I'll forget from frame to frame where I was standing.

Like I said, I'm a very analytical guy. In fantasy baseball I had a spreadsheet for drafting prospects that was over 700 players deep and used multiple metrics to produce an overall score that was designed to predict the best performance of a player. It was usually correct...but not always. In Moneyball...I'm the fat kid that tells you who is good even though scouts don't like him. I can tell you who to take first over a more talented guy to take 2nd because the 1st most talented guy will be available in the 2nd round and the 2nd best guy won't.

So yes..you have no idea how many gears are spinning in the cuckoo clock that is my mind...the Tim Burtonish nightmare world that exists there. I have "limited" that machine by imposing restrictions on the number of things to simultaneously think about on my approach to 4 things. Without that self imposed limitation...I've focused on so many things during some of my approaches that I've thrown the ball "back-up ball" style because I forgot to move my hand up the side of the ball on the release. Sometimes, you can tell when I'm "thinking way too much" because I'll start on the wrong foot and stop myself and restart.

If I could vocalize what is going on in my mind...uncontrolled..it would read: "4-step not 5-step...right foot first 8th board target...am I lined up?...how high to hold the ball?...strike shot, ball down...slow and roll...but don't forget release...and point to the target...STEP.....push out...timing...timing...eyes straight, don't look sideways...who is bowling next to me? I wonder how thy're scoring? STEP the waitress is hot...dammit I "hopped" between steps again!...backswing...backwsing too high? Can't tell...remember to release by the ankle...but project the ball! Don't drop it! But slow it down and roll it. You're backswing is too high...too much speed...just bowl like Earl Anthony...set it down....with accuracy...STEP...timing is off...I know timing is off...shoulders square, don't over-rotate!! What target was I aiming for again...8 or 9...dammit what lane am I on...31, okay thats the left side and 8th board...but with accuracyt...missing your mark won't tell you anything...I wonder what my next poker card will be...I need another Jack....I wonder what the pot will be, there's a lot of people playing...crap...I missed a board left...and I didn't point to the target...dang, it's moving too much left....why is my balance leg still up? And did I even remember to use my balance arm...BALL HITS PINS.

You think it's exhausting to READ it....try thinking it while taking 4 steps and swinging a 16lb ball through the air.

[RobLV1]

I can honestly say that's terrifying! Do read "The Inner Game of Golf," or "The Inner Game of Tennis." I think either book would do wonders for your bowling.

[ALazySavage]

100% agree with Rob that "The Inner Game of Tennis" is a great book to read to help out the mental aspects of any sport. There is very little about Tennis in this book so it is not sport specific.

[mc_runner]

Dude, your mental game is a mess. You should be focusing on your mark and letting your body do the work from muscle memory (I'm sure you know this already though). If I get one thought in my mind when I'm on the approach... like "hey, I'm at the top of my backswing!" it breaks my concentration on the mark and I'm almost guaranteed a bad shot. What works for me sometimes is to have a song playing in my head on the approach and focus on that (and my mark...) to try to clear out my head.

It's something I'm working on still. Some nights I have no problem with a clear head, others I can't help myself (see last night's scores for instance). And it builds on itself, too... you get "off" once or twice and its HARD not to start thinking about your mechanics and forcing stuff.

[Aslan]

What works for me sometimes is to have a song playing in my head on the approach and focus on that (and my mark...) to try to clear out my head.

I've tried that. I used to do well if I sang "Hound Dog" by Elvis Pressley...but then Rob said to pick a slower song because I tend to move to fast on the approach. So now I try to pick slower country songs like Don Williams or Merle Haggard...but then I find myself trying to remember the words while on the approach...which then distracts me.

It's something I'm working on still. Some nights I have no problem with a clear head, others I can't help myself (see last night's scores for instance). And it builds on itself, too... you get "off" once or twice and its HARD not to start thinking about your mechanics and forcing stuff.

Yes. That is true...and I think true at every level of the sport. It's very hard to get back in a groove when you know you opened and will likely need to strike out to win.

[Perrin]

Finding a song that matches your natural timing can be a blessing.... BUT only if you can block out other things... like songs playing in the bowling alley... When your timing is dependant on what somone is playing on the jukebox then it could be a rough night