Rhino's Take - Mental Game part 2

Throughout my life, the mental game particularly as it relates to my temper has been something I have struggled greatly with.  I remember as a kid throwing many temper tantrums that ultimately led to my parents either having to pull me out of the tournament or even worse, not allow me to bowl for many weeks or months at a time.  Despite going through these tough lessons, I continued to struggle for many years with my temper. 

One day as I was working with one of my students, I realized a concept I learned in Algebra way back when, can be directly applied to bowling.  In order to solve a word problem, the first thing we want to do is to write down our knowns.  Without the knowns, it is impossible to solve the problem.  So what are the knowns of bowling?  I would venture to say there are 3 really key knowns that if you can accept as a player, it will significantly help your mental game.  

To become stronger mentally, we must UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE KNOWNS of bowling.  

#1:  You WILL make bad shots!

The fact is regardless of what level you are on we are all human and will make bad shots.  The problem lies with how we react to these moments.  Have you ever heard the statement “one bad shot can lead to 3?” That is a prime example of not accepting the fact that you are human and will make bad shots!

#2: You WILL make wrong adjustments!

Even the best players in this game would be considered educated guessers when it comes to this topic.  If you could make the right adjustments every single time you play, you would be the greatest player of all time.  The facts are however, as a bowler you are always competing against an oil pattern that is constantly changing and that you can’t visually see with your eyes.  Always remember even if it’s not the right adjustment, you can still learn something about the oil pattern that will help you make an even better move the next shot.

#3:  You WILL face tough pairs!

It doesn’t seem to matter what bowling center you go to, any person with local knowledge can tell you that certain pairs of lanes are much harder to score on than others.  This can be a direct result of many things such as topography or even the pins being off spot.  There are many variables that may not seem like a big deal, but they are.  I’m sure if you think about your local center, you can name the pairs that people dread when they show up to bowl league.  It is important to understand that these pairs exist and that it is ok.  The key is to minimize your damage on them and move on.  Know that scoring will be lower, adjust the best you can and move on.

Although these three statements may seem rather obvious, it is amazing as players how easy it is to neglect them, especially in the heat of the battle.  I encourage all of you to accept these things, as I know it will help you keep your head on your shoulders and result in great performances.