Keep on playing those mind games: when it comes to the mental side of bowling, approach and preparation make all the difference - A Pro's Approach

Bowling Digest, Feb, 2002 by Parker Bohn, III

LAST ISSUE I BROKE DOWN THE physical aspect of bowling, which makes up about half of the game. Being in the proper physical condition will help you obtain success at any bowling level. But the other half of your bowling success comes from your mental game. Mentally, you have to be fit at all times--not only to maintain your current skill level but also to improve and advance to the next level.

STARTING OUT

The beginning bowler likes the game and is starting to find out bowling's not just a game, but a sport. Beginners feel like they're in good mental condition to play successfully, but they find out that after three games in a league they are mentally exhausted, mainly due to the fact that they're thinking about trying to achieve success in an area where they've never achieved much success before.

If you're a beginning bowler and want to improve, you need to think about where you're standing and focusing, your steps up to the line, and the target you're hitting. And if you don't strike, you need to think about those same things on your spare shot, in addition to figuring out how you are going to attack your spare.

But mental success for a beginning bowler starts before he or she even steps on the lanes. First, beginners should get their own ball, properly fitted to their hand. The custom fit of your own ball will give you the best chance at repeating shot after shot. When you own a ball, you're not worried about whether or not you have the right weight or fit. For that matter, during open play with friends, having your own ball puts you one notch ahead of anyone who doesn't own a ball. And having a ball that fits you is much better than running into the bowling center a little late and having to scramble for a ball off the rack to bowl your league.

Also, buy your own bowling shoes. You'd be surprised at how good it feels to have a pair of shoes that fits you, contoured only to your feet and not all the other 9s or 10s who play at the center. Proper-fitting shoes can give you the correct balance you need not only in walking to the line, but also when you slide at the foul line. Physically, the correct footwork means you have your feet underneath you properly; mentally, you're more at ease. Like with your own ball, when you walk into the center with your own shoes you face no worries about scrambling for something to slide onto your feet.

Wrap up your ball and shoes in a bowling bag. I watch a lot of kids and adults walk into centers with a ball and shoes in their hands. It's just so much easier with a bag. Your outlook--and your confidence--will improve in a big way.

GETTING THERE

A medium-to-average bowler is someone who's been bowling for at least one year, enjoys bowling just for entertainment, but is always looking for a simple way of getting better without putting a lot of work into it. This middle-level bowler could have an average of anywhere from 100 on up. In the case of a higher-average, mid-level bowler, he or she might just be looking to get one step better.

Most mid-level bowlers can get better by learning how to pick up one or two spares. You'd be surprised at how imperative it is to fill frames and make spares to be a success playing at any level. That spare you have to pick up could be as simple as a 5-pin in the middle of the lane to any of the combo spares and/or splits that could be left--they all require thought. By going hard and straight at these spares, and with some help from your pro shop operator, you can improve your game without putting a lot of practice into it. (But c'mon, you should always try to put some practice into it.)

At the middle level, bowlers have added some items to their game bag: a towel, rosin bag, wrist brace, and other accessories that someone has suggested they use to help improve their game. And although there's a rule of thumb for each accessory acquired, remember that you don't have to use every tool on every shot. For example, you use your rosin bag when your hand gets sweaty. But there are plenty of times you won't be using it because your hand is already dry.

For mid-level to higher-average bowlers to achieve more success, equipment is foremost. They might add a second (or third) ball to attack ever-changing lane conditions. With one ball, it's hard to know exactly how your game is going to play on the lanes, and having more options with which to attack those conditions--namely, having more bowling balls to roll--is paramount to improving your bowling.

THE TOP SHELF

Advanced bowlers are always looking for a way to improve their games, constantly thinking of how to move to an even higher level. Whether it's obtaining a new ball for the lane condition they're currently bowling on, getting a new ball to fill spares, changing a surface on a ball to bowl better in the morning or at night, or testing brand-new equipment, advanced bowlers are always working on their game to refine it one notch higher. This level of bowler is using his or her head to figure out how to get better.