Mind Set of High School bowling [Archive]

BubbaRay

01-12-2008, 07:07 AM

Many of us are gearing up for local, state & national tournaments. Here is a little Checklist that will help prepare you for that tournament.......

Before you go:

1. Choose your arsenal. Select the bowling balls you are going to take. Talk to other bowlers who have already bowled in the tournament or are familiar with the lane conditions. Sometimes this may help you determine which balls will work best for you. Be aware of the tournament rules. Some tournaments limit the number of balls you may have in the building at one time.

2. Check your equipment. Look for chips and cracks on the surface of each ball. Replace worn finger grips and/or slugs. Do any of your balls need to be resurfaced?

3. Prepare your accessory bag. Make sure you bring a rosin bag, clean towel, plenty of tape, hand conditioner, skin patch, super glue and a wire brush. An extra pair of shoes is not a bad idea either.

Once you are there:

1. Arrive early to watch the squad bowling ahead of you.

2. Pay attention to what is happening on the lanes. Are most bowlers using shiny or dull equipment. Are the majority of people playing an inside or outside shot? If other bowlers are starting to miss right or left, the lane condition may be changing slightly. Be alert and be prepared to make adjustments in where you normally stand or in the ball you are using.

3. Don’t get caught up in the negative comments of others. Remember it is a tournament, these people do NOT want you to finish ahead of them. A positive mental attitude is as important as making good shots.

4. Relax and have fun. It will much more difficult to make a good shot if you are nervous, worried or concerned. To decrease tension, take a deep breath and exhale before each shot.

5. Get back to basics. Tournaments are exciting and in such an atmosphere, bowlers have a tendency to get overanxious and forget about fundamentals. Focus on the basics to ensure your best performance.

Develop little trigger words and sentences that you can repeat so that the negative thoughts are replaced with positive and confident thoughts.

For example...............

Negative Thought........I need a 200 game

Positive Thought.......Take it one frame at a time, stay in the present

Negative Thought ...Oh no, I hate that corner pin spare!

Replace with Positive Thought...... I've practiced this, it's a simple spare: pick my mark, hit the target and let the ball do the work .

Negative Thjought...........That's the second time I missed the same spare.

Positive Thought..............Ok, the miss is over and I can't change it, but I know how much to adjust to make it the next time.

Negative Thought.........This lane is terrible.

Positive Thought.........The conditions are the same for my opponent
I can play any lane in the world
The harder the better, let my opponent worry about it
Quitters never win, winners never quit!

Get the idea? So always remember these two phrases,,,,,,

1.........Winners see what they want to happen, losers see what they want to avoid
2.........A winner goes through a problem, a loser goes round and never past it

Steve1591

01-12-2008, 07:36 AM

As a highschool bowler myself, i might be able to help you here...

Now theres not really any trick to this, its really quite simple. You need to do remember the following couple things above all else...

~ Dont worry about what the other team/ bowlers are doing!
~ Concentrate on your own game!
~ Dont think about who may be watching

Its simple, pretend you are at the alley open bowling, simple as that. Keep a cool mind and dont let things eat away at you. If you miss a spare, leave a split, foul, so what. Let it go and think about your next shot.

Bowling highschool is of course no different than bowling anywhere else except there is a bit more competition, but competition is goog, sometimes :p

Just keep your mind in the game :rolleyes: