In warming up to league in practice I will throw 7 strikes in a row but then when the games start i start to think about my score and I don't do as well. is there anything that people do to keep there mind off the score? i just wish that i could turn it off and someone just tells me when it's my turn haha

Every time I start to count pins I start losing them. I always tell myself one good shot at a time. Don't do the math IF you strike out, don't add up your first 2 games to see what you need for 600-700-800. Train yourself to let go of doing the math and focus on what you do in practice and make it happen during league which should be executing good shots. It's all focus, at least for me and it's nothing you gain over night.

only count pins in the 9th and 10th so you can get the win or knwo what your team needs to pull ahead or grab it on the anchor.

I'm same way in Practice recently when i dont look at score i seem to bowl well but when league night i seem to concentrate on score too much. When i been able to block score out in league i been able to bowl much better.

What i do is tell my self one shot at a time and KISS (Keep it simple stupid) cause i tend to over think shot time to time which gets me in trouble. I try to not look up at score and when im not bowling talk to friends and others until its my turn. Its hard to look away at score sometimes. I have caught my self staring at score and counting quite a few times and usually when im bowling bad.

I'm same way in Practice recently when i dont look at score i seem to bowl well but when league night i seem to concentrate on score too much. When i been able to block score out in league i been able to bowl much better.

What i do is tell my self one shot at a time and KISS (Keep it simple stupid) cause i tend to over think shot time to time which gets me in trouble. I try to not look up at score and when im not bowling talk to friends and others until its my turn. Its hard to look away at score sometimes. I have caught my self staring at score and counting quite a few times and usually when im bowling bad.

it's not BAD to look at the scores but I dont' like staring at them. I'll be talking to friends or if I'm feeling un social then I'll bury my face into my blackberry and read ESPN or forums or something.

You could enter the same type of focused state that you were in practice. That's what I do sometimes. I treat league nights like I'm out practicing and usually I do pretty well. The other thing that you could try is the Braindead technique. If you've ever seen "For the Love of the Game," it's kind of like that. The main character does something called "clearing the mechanism" to distort and/or remove all the distractions around him and concentrate or throwing the baseball. This could work as well for you. It will help you focus on your shots and performance instead of your score and what's around you.

Try not to think about the score or even look at it (which is tough). But there are more important things to be worried about like reading the lanes and staying ahead of lane transition and out of carrydown.

Also what you could do is change your warm-up on league nights. Find the pocket and try to figure out the oil pattern or where how it is spread about (First 6 balls thrown at half speed on different boards). Next throw some normal shots like you usually do or in pratice to find your way to the pocket. Then throw 2-4 balls at the 10 pin and 7 pin. And lastly, throw about 2-4 balls faster and harder than you normally would. This should relieve some anxiety or ampedness (which isn't a word) that bowlers usually feel.

As was said already, it isn't bad to look at score just to see how people are doing, and who's winning the match, but don't start adding things up. Keep yourself distracted from doing that. If you're not bowling great(which would usually be why you're paying attention to the score), ask yourself questions about what adjustments you can make or what you may have to focus on in your physical game to execute correctly. That's mainly what I do, or talk to people. The only time I find myself saying "I need this strike/spare" is sometimes in the later part of a game where the I start thinking about winning and/or to make my average.

I'm going to start working on paying attention only to what my team needs to pull the win, anything else is pointless and sometimes counter productive until after it's over. However, if paying attention to score at all puts pressure on you, I'd say don't pay attention to it and just take one shot at a time like usual, and roll the best ball you can.

When I look at the scoreboard it is usually to

a) see what the score difference is between 2 teams
b) in conjunction with a, see what marks people have in the 9th and 8th, leading into the 10th frame, to figure out how close it is.

I don't really look at the individual score column - if I do, I don't think about what I see there. What's up there is done - it can't be changed. What can be done is to throw a strike on your next ball, and the scoreboard won't help with that at all.

During league, I actually sit with my back to the lanes (due to the way the tables are set up). I will turn around and look when my team bowls. Otherwise, I don't look. We sit and talk about basically everything except for bowling. It works better for me. I don't think about my shot until I am standing on the lane.

I know that I always look at the score and sometimes do a little adding up of scores too. I know you shouldn't do that but it takes time to get out of that habit. I think that constant competition relieves the edge after a while and it might become less stressful the more you do it.

The only time I think the pressure will be really hard after then is in heavy pressure situations. Usually then, you will either rise up to the occasion or (for a lack of better words) choke.

I would think that if you are in this situation often, I would look into some type of meditation.

I know that I always look at the score and sometimes do a little adding up of scores too. I know you shouldn't do that but it takes time to get out of that habit. I think that constant competition relieves the edge after a while and it might become less stressful the more you do it.

The only time I think the pressure will be really hard after then is in heavy pressure situations. Usually then, you will either rise up to the occasion or (for a lack of better words) choke.

I would think that if you are in this situation often, I would look into some type of meditation.

thanks guys this was some great help

What I started doing to avoid this was just follow the person I'm after. I try not to look up at the score at all. I just try to take it one frame at a time and focus on striking in the frame I'm in. It sounds "oh cliche" but it works when I really need to focus.

mkee,

Longtime no hear my brotha.

I know, I've been around, still working on my game as usual. Work and tournaments thru the whole summer. Its been hectic.

I watch the team scores early thru midgame. I rarely watch my own score. I try to focus on one shot, the next one. I have often been reminded that it was the tenth, and I get another 2 shots. And, I have been surprised when others tell me I shot a good game.

In the sixth, I do look at my score and calculate what I can achieve to run the table. Then, I try to do it. And, focus on each shot.

I struggle with this. I still get a rush of adrenaline when that first game starts and it affects my shot. I struggle to try to keep my mind off the score and just execute but it is difficult. I am also guilty of figuring out what I will have if I strike out but only on bad games where I am trying to salvage a decent game out of a mess. I do not do it in good games.

This is something I need to work on, too.

A few weeks ago, I was practicing with a friend of mine. In our first game, I went on a hot streak and threw 4 strikes in a row. I was feeling great. Then I started thinking about what I needed to do to get to 200. I ended the game with a 169...a decent game for me, but it should have been much better.

Three games later, I started out doing poorly, but was just having a good time, talking to my friend, not really paying attention to the score. Late in the game, without realizing it (because I wasn't focusing on my score), I got hot again, and strung a few strikes together. Ended up with a 175. I ended up scoring better than I did the first game, even though I had a chance at a much better score the first game. It's because I started thinking about it and trying too hard.

Tuba,

It is very difficult to not think about. For some reason it seems like you tighten up and do things you would not normally do. The thing to do is just focus on executing your shots lie you know you can. Many times that is easier said then done though.

That is exactly what happened. Looking back at my score sheet, I still had a shot at the 200 game going into the 10th (I struck in the 9th). Then, I dropped the first ball of the 10th, right into the gutter. I got tense and nervous, and had a really terrible release. Need to stop thinking about that stuff when I approach the lane.

First off Scott and Tuba, like I said earlier, take about 3 or 4 shots near the end of practice to really gun the ball down the lane. That way all that pent up energy and anxiety (and adrenaline) can be released and you're good to go.

As for the score, I only look at the scoreboards for two reasons. the first is to see how much handicap my team has to make up. The second is to help with my own seperate score sheet that I record all of my data for later on. Otherwise, I'm more focused on how the lanes are changing and how I need to adjust to them.

You should never contemplate your scores and especially your missed shots or spares. I have teammate that does this on a consistant basis. And while it is good to make a note of it so that you can adjust, it is not beneficial at all to obsess (that word might be a little too strong but whatever) over a missed shot or a shot that you thought was going to put all ten in the pit and didn't. My teammate does this a lot and it hurts his game very bad sometimes.

hopefully i can just put the score out of my mind when i go up to bowl. i hate when i'll have a bad frame and get all angry, i've learned to just try to think about something else and then i remember my team's name - Hakuna Matata!

I used to be really bad at watching scores and constantly calculating... I've gotten better just focusing on one shot at a time like many folks said here.

Hey, lefont, where you been? Good to hear from you.

Hey Dennis,

It's good to be back... I think it's been at least 9 months since I last was around the boards... I was really busy with work... but I have some time on my hands now. Had to cut the bowling down to two leagues but still bowling, so I'm happy about that...