Technique


WARMING UP YOUR MENTAL GAME


WHILE A strong mental game is critical at the highest levels in bowling, it’s still very important to the average bowler. Recognition of how the lanes are playing, how your ball is reacting, or how your mechanics


are means you’re aware, present and responding.


Even the act of


receiving coaching is a mental game quality. Still, too many


bowlers wait until they are on the approach before getting their men- tal game rolling. Your mental game is equally as important as your physical game, and you should treat it that way.


All athletes know that pre-game stretching is a good idea. Likewise, athletes should warm up their men- tal game, too. Few bowlers will sit quietly before bowling and prepare themselves mentally. Take the time to tell yourself, “Top to bottom, for


lanes? What are you going to do when you make an error? Few people shoot 900 series, so it’s likely that you’re going to have an open frame here or there, or a bad break. That’s when focus and con- centration are so important. How are you going to recover when you miss a spare or suffer a lapse in concentration? You should be prepared to answer those ques- tions before you get on the lanes for your first frame.


10 frames I’m going to be present and focused, and I’m going to con- centrate through the entire frame.” How are you going to play the


LIFESTYLE AND BOWLING TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER


face you don’t get flus- tered, you just focus harder on the sidewalk at that moment. There are a few


things you can do to maintain your focus. You can demand of yourself to be present, to be here right now. That demand can be a verbal command like, “I’m going over the second arrow.” Or, “Keep your elbow in.” Having something to do is important. As soon as people try to not do something, then they’re off their horse. All of your ac- tions are intentional. When you try to make your mind not think about something, your mind is going to go directly to that thing. Accordingly, when you try to make your body not do some- thing, your body does the thing you’re try- ing to avoid because it becomes the focus of your attention.


12 USBOWLER APRIL 2011


There are a few things you can do to maintain your focus. You can demand of yourself to be present, to be here right now.


Think, play, learn Does maintaining your focus mean you’ll always be suc- cessful with your shot? Of course not. That’s where flexibility be- comes important. Focus is just one part of the equation. In the progression of the shot, there is a think zone, a play zone and a learn zone. The think zone, in


which you plan and incorporate what’s going to happen, is where you determine what you’re going to focus on. The play zone, in which you have a single point of focus, is the physical act of completing the shot. Then you have the learning zone, which is what hap-


pens after the ball gets delivered. That’s when you decide where your point of focus is go- ing to be on the next shot. If, for instance, the ball skidded a little longer than desired on the first shot, your fo- cus on the second shot is going to be to slow down your release or be softer with the ball. Bowling, like all


sports, is a feel expe- rience. The mental approach – awareness and focus – has to work hand-in-hand with your physical game if you want to excel.


Dr. Dean Hinitz is a sports psychologist and works with Team USA and Junior Team USA.


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