Last night in my PBA Experience league, I shot the highest game in my life and a halfway decent set. We were bowling on the Scorpion pattern, which is one of my best patterns since it is one of the long patterns.
I started off with my Hammer Jigsaw Corner and was playing the lanes pretty straight, and the ball still had a 2000 abralon finish with a little polish. It was going ok until the end of game one where I started coming up high and could not seem to adjust. I decided to switch to my Hammer Psycho, which is much more angular, and I moved two arrows left with my feet and played much deeper. After a few shots and getting lined up, it was time to bowl. I put on quite the display, striking 9 times out of 11 and shooting a 240. I started the game with a 4 pin on a ball that I slightly pulled, then threw two strikes. Next, I pulled yet another, but got a break only leaving the 5 pin on a brooklyn shot. Then I struck out until the second ball in the tenth, where I pulled it yet again.
It was a great game and as much fun as I have had in quite a while. I cannot wait for next week to see if I can continue this new found skill.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Strengthen Your Bowling Mental Game
I am sure everyone out there has heard cliche comments in all aspects of life, not just sports. But there is a reason this is heard so often, and that is because it is a universal truth. If you want to succeed at anything in life, you must have a good head on your shoulders. Bowling is no exception to this rule. However, how do you keep a strong head game when you are struggling? This question may not be easy to answer, but here are a few tips.
One of the biggest mistakes I see other bowlers make (myself included) is that they do not have a good game plan. Your head needs to be clear of clutter and if you are overthinking every shot, that does not leave much room for confidence and concentration. There will be times when the lanes will transition and you will have to think about your adjustments, but if you are changing balls, lines, etc every shot, most likely you will lose concentration and will not execute as well. Try and put together a good game plan of how you want to play the lanes during practice so you can reserve all that precious brain power on the fundamentals and throwing a good shot.
Another way to keep your head on straight is to smile. I know it is easy to get fired up over that ringing 10 pin, or especially that solid 8 that you just left, but it only makes matters worse to throw your spare as hard as you can and miss it. Remember, no one on the planet averages 300. You are not going to strike everytime you hit the pocket. Just pick up your spare, and make your minor adjustments to get your bowling ball to carry.
The final way is to try and have fun. Many of us out there take bowling very seriously, some may even bowl for a living. But most of us just enjoy the sport. I have always found that my best games and best series have come when I was in a great mood and talking and interacting with other bowlers. If you walk into the bowling alley with any doubt f whether or not you want to be there, chances are you may not bowl as well as you could. Head in there with a smile on your face and confidence on your mind, and if you bowl bad, there is always next week.
One of the biggest mistakes I see other bowlers make (myself included) is that they do not have a good game plan. Your head needs to be clear of clutter and if you are overthinking every shot, that does not leave much room for confidence and concentration. There will be times when the lanes will transition and you will have to think about your adjustments, but if you are changing balls, lines, etc every shot, most likely you will lose concentration and will not execute as well. Try and put together a good game plan of how you want to play the lanes during practice so you can reserve all that precious brain power on the fundamentals and throwing a good shot.
Another way to keep your head on straight is to smile. I know it is easy to get fired up over that ringing 10 pin, or especially that solid 8 that you just left, but it only makes matters worse to throw your spare as hard as you can and miss it. Remember, no one on the planet averages 300. You are not going to strike everytime you hit the pocket. Just pick up your spare, and make your minor adjustments to get your bowling ball to carry.
The final way is to try and have fun. Many of us out there take bowling very seriously, some may even bowl for a living. But most of us just enjoy the sport. I have always found that my best games and best series have come when I was in a great mood and talking and interacting with other bowlers. If you walk into the bowling alley with any doubt f whether or not you want to be there, chances are you may not bowl as well as you could. Head in there with a smile on your face and confidence on your mind, and if you bowl bad, there is always next week.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Twitter is Over Capacity: Too Many Tweets
Twitter is one of the most popular social websites out there today. If you have tried to use it recently in the past few days, you have probably noticed the large, blue whale telling you that there are too many tweets and come back later. I did a little digging and on their blog they state they had a small issue this morning and they are not back to 100%. However, despite any issues they have, it is estimated that the website gets 190 million visitors a day, with roughly 600 tweets per second. That is quite a bit of traffic to handle. In any event, hopefully it will get better soon, and if you are on twitter, follow me here.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Once a Week Is Not Enough
I have been bowling for many years now, and over the years have gotten pretty good. However, the past two years I have cut myself down to bowling once a week in league, and I do not practice at all. I did this to save money because I am now a father and his diapers and food come first. What I have noticed is that bowling is like any other sport out there in that you have to practice.
Bowling requires a great deal of consistency to succeed, and without practice, you will lose that edge. My average has actually dropped in the past few years 10 - 15 pins, and I find myself really struggling in tournaments were shot making is of the upmost importance. How do I get out of this slump? Well I tried buying new bowling balls, which you can check out here, but guess what. That did not work. Plain and simple, I need to develop a practice routine so I can weed out my bad habits and become a more consistent bowler.
Hopefully I can learn from the PBA Experience League I am bowling in right now, and practice a time or two a week so I can be ready for fall leagues.
Bowling requires a great deal of consistency to succeed, and without practice, you will lose that edge. My average has actually dropped in the past few years 10 - 15 pins, and I find myself really struggling in tournaments were shot making is of the upmost importance. How do I get out of this slump? Well I tried buying new bowling balls, which you can check out here, but guess what. That did not work. Plain and simple, I need to develop a practice routine so I can weed out my bad habits and become a more consistent bowler.
Hopefully I can learn from the PBA Experience League I am bowling in right now, and practice a time or two a week so I can be ready for fall leagues.
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