I just threw my first 300 game last year. Ever since my average has dropped 20 pins. I haven't changed any of my equipment or my style. But right now everything seems to be off. Please help! I am getting very frustrated.

Stop it! I'm still seeking my first 300 game, and if this is what comes with it, I don't want anything to do with it!

Actually, your "slump" may be attributed to the fact that you have gotten complacent since achieving perfection, and while you may not have noticed any changes, your game and mental approach may have been affected. A lot happens mentally when you approach the 10th, 11th and 12th shots for a 300 (my best is 296, so you can see where I went ...), and that can have a lasting effect.

Perhaps if you put your 300 out of your mind, take a little more time on the approach and relax, things will fall into place as they did before you hit the big 3-0-0. The key: go back to the basics, and remember it's a game. :p

Slumps can and do happen, and they happen to everyone. Even the best players in the world do not bowl well every single time they step out onto the lane surface, so don't have a breakdown just yet. There are a couple things you should look at though on the physical side:

1. Have you been keeping the surface on your equipment? Bowling balls can Track out, especially these new hook in a box ones. They can lose their punch on the back end of the lane, and this can cause weak 10's where there used to be strikes.

2. Has the lane conditions changed? Even though house patterns are generally easy, changes in weather and humidity can and will change the way bowling balls react. If you are dead set on one specific way to bowl in your house, these changes can effect you tremendously. Don't be afraid to move.

As far as the mental side goes, it's just something you have a get through. 300 is just a number, and should not translate into the skill of the player. a guy with 10 300 games is not necessarily better than a player with 2. I've seen guys with 15-20 perfect games that were just terrible once you took them out of house conditions, so don't let "300" make you crazy.