Examples of specific things that lead to mental disorientation

[Aslan]

Not a "huge" fan of the mental side of the game discussions. I think many times they get blamed for people just not focusing or making bad shots. I know I'm guilty of getting WAY more upset at cosmic bowlers acting like buffoons when I'm shooting a 137 game versus when I'm in line for a 200+.

BUT...I figured I'd start this thread to talk about SPECIFIC mental things that have really ruined a game or series for you. Not a bad shot and then just bowling bad after that. But SPECIFIC things. Here are my 3 examples:

1) Early on when I started bowling I had a HECK of a time getting my thumb out of the ball. And to this day...even though I've gotten better at getting my thumb out...if I go to release and the ball carries me over the foul line or sticks and goes up towards the ceiling...something like that...I probably can't recover from that. I'll spend the rest of the night worried about it happening...taking too much tape out of the thumbhole...gripping it too much, etc....

2) Speaking of the foul line...my home center doesn't have the foul line buzzers turned on. People pretty much can slide onto the lane if they want and nobody calls them on it. BUT...every now and then...if I go to a center where those buzzers are ON...and I trip one and it goes "BZZZZTT!!" and gives me a "0"....I'm done for at least a game. It gets in my head...I alter my approach, my timing gets "off"...and it takes about a game of not tripping it to forget about it.

3) ..and this happened in practice yesterday...never happened quite this bad before....but I hit my ankle with the ball. Now, I've hit my "leg" before and it doesn't really phase me. But hitting my ankle...with a 16lb ball on the downswing...HURT. It hit my ankle and bounced directly into the channel. For the following game...I was "off"...especially on that lane. I was so conscious of that ball hitting my ankle...that i'd swing too far outside...I'd turn my foot inside...just all kinds of "bad things".

I mean, don't get me wrong...I have bad games all the time...I get frustrated...and it takes me out of my game for awhile. But it's only 1-2 good shots away from being and afterthought. But things like I listed above...those are things that for some reason cripple my already crippled ability to play.

[bubba809]

I tend to be obsessed with looking at my score when I shouldn't. I have trouble going on long run of strikes because I look at score after double..or triple..and continually put more pressure on myself to keep the run going. This usually causes me to force a shot or just try to hard. And I always tell myself not to scoreboard watch and just relax.

[Perrin]

thinking about what could be.... imagining calling the wife after shooting the 300.... never fails the string will break when those thoughts start.

[mc_runner]

Not focusing IS part of the mental game! But yeah for me if I'm going at the same time as someone who has a wonky delivery or something... just need to see it once in my peripheral and if we're going at the same pace that'll throw me off the rest of the game. Aside from that if I start "thinking" about really anything in my approach it totally messes up timing (i.e. thinking about balance arm or lack thereof). Looking at score doesn't really mess me up, I actually draw focus and energy when I know I need to hit a strike for our team to win, for instance.

[MICHAEL]

Complete
and Total
FOCUS

Plus two Gift certificates from Iceman! $39,99! Once you have the gift certificates, (READ THEM), then go to the lanes and FOCUS,,, roll your big games!!
Its in all of you,,,,, you just need the certificate stating you are GIFTED!! Then burn the certificates on a night with a Full moon, while singing the Mickey
Mouse song! If that doesn't give you a 300, then I have one for 49,99, that is even more powerful!!!

[Hammer]

I use to have a problem with my thumb sticking a long time ago. I haven't for a long time though because I learned to keep my hand behind the ball through the release zone and to grip lightly with the thumb and to make sure it stays flat in the thumbhole on the orward swing. If you grip tightly with the thumb the thumb knuckle will raise and will get hung up at the release and kill revs and end up a pulled shot.

Maybe you end up hitting your ankle sometimes because you don't have enough sideways tilt of your upper body to the ball side. If your upper body is too upright I can see where you would have a better chance of hitting your ankle. Also maybe on your backswing your ball stays to the outside of your body and on the forward swing the ball comes inside and clubs your ankle in the process.

As far as the foul line goes I don't slide close enough to it to worry about hitting it. I usually end up about 10 inches away from it at the end of my slide.

[dnhoffman]

Cowboy up

[Bradski9]

I never hit my leg or ankle on the front swing, always on the way back fortunately. I am never afraid to stop my shot completely if I notice something off in my approach. I am still working on keeping from gripping the thumb hole too much, my thumb changes in size so much over the course of 15 frames i am always afraid it will get stuck or fall out or something.

[MICHAEL]

Because of the HUGE demand on Iceman Gift Certificates, I ran out this evening at 7pm! We are in the process of making more! Should be
up and running by Thanksgiving!

[MICHAEL]

NOTHING EFFECTS ICEMAN,,,, I don't seem to have that problem while bowling! Now making love to my Wife,,, that blows MY MIND, and does cause a certain degree of mental disorientation, and maybe some Brain Damage!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I6mhZ5wMw

So before you even say anything, ASLAN, or even Mikeie, in regards to my limited brain damage, just remember This!

"I don't care"!!