Use the stats, Luke!
Using statistics to improve your sport
By Alan Brizee © '97 Rev. '19. Author of The Path to Excellence and From Excellence to Success
Stats are imprtant- What are they? What do they mean? How to use them to improve your game? Most bowling leagues use just 4 statistics; total pins, number of games bowled, average (usually a whole number) and handicap. If I printed out standing sheets with just this information, would it help your overall game? The only useful stat is your average, which will not tell you if you're close to raising your average.
How can statistics improve your bowling? Stats can be used to set short-term goals as well as long term goals. Statistics can be just a bunch of numbers to most bowlers, but knowing how they effect other stats can be the key to open your awareness to areas of your game that need improvement. One of the reasons other sports use a variety of statistics is to show team and player strengths, weaknesses and tendencies. This can also be said if league secretaries would post more statistics that each bowler could use and learn from.
Some of the statistics I use in the Traveling Masters are Average (with tenths), 4 week average, average at each center, opens per game, strikes per game, clean games and 5 baggers. The purpose of these stats are: Average (with tenths) to show bowlers how close to raising their average so they can get psyched up when they are at 209.9 and know that a 650 will get them to 210.0. 4 week average tells you if working on your game has helped and how much you have improved over the last four weeks. Average at each center to show which center or centers you may need improvements at. Opens per game to indicate a how well you shoot spares and if you should practice on them because SPARES STILL WIN GAMES, 1.0 open per game is a goal I shoot for. Strikes per game is really another indicator of average, as 5.5 strikes per game is needed to average 200 and could also determine who you would want to anchor the team. Your opens and strikes per game will be a good indicator of what you average and tell others what kind of bowler you are. Clean games show bowlers that hit around the pocket leaving routine spares to fill marks in all ten frames. 5 baggers show you can put strikes together and keep the pressure on the other team.
To average above 210, you must average about 6.0 strikes per game and have no more than 1.3 opens per game. With 1.0 open per game, you could average 200 with about 4.8 strikes per game. (You need a turkey to make up for an open.)
How important are Spares? Most of you know the answer. With very few opens, you’re not beating yourself, you’re making your opponent beat you. Teams with the least opens over the season are the teams to beat in the Roll-Offs. In match play, individuals with clean games win about 80 percent of the time with half the losses being to other clean games bowled against them. You also will want to drop your opens per games to around 1.4 per game. Under 1.0 open per game is excellent as you will not have to strike as often to keep that high average. The difference between 1.3 and 1.0 opens per game is at least 5 pins in average.
You already know the importance of strikes, so naturally you want to keep your strikes per game as high as possible. If you’re at 5.5 strikes per game, set your next goal for 5.7 and so on. These goals will not only result in confidence to throw strikes, but when games are on the line, will almost become repetition. It's like throwing 300's, the first is the most difficult and the rest becoming a little easier.
If you bowl a lot of tournaments or bowl in a traveling league, using a notebook to keep your average each game can tell you what adjustments need to be made. I don’t keep each bowlers average per game except on their individual card but most bowlers have an idea of what it is. A lower average in the opening game can be that you need to change equipment or that you are playing the right area but not the right angle. It could also be that you arrive late a few times and are not lined in soon enough. A low 2nd game could indicate lanes breaking down and you’re not adjusting fast enough. Try to avoid that low final game as this shows that you need to make faster adjustments, change equipment to combat the changing conditions, that you are physically tired or that you may be mentally burnt out or frustrated by the conditions. (Don’t fool yourself when you’re timing is off and blame it on the lanes.) Also charting which ball works at what centers would be very helpful as well as noting starting points and the area you're playing so you have a starting point next time there. Knowing what ball to use is sometimes half the battle. I have averaged over 215 a couple of times in the Traveling Masters using the same equipment except for about one or two weeks. You should also keep track of adjustments made during the evening to help indicate as to when adjustments might need to be made the next time there. With some lanes the track area dries up and you might need to move inside into the oil. Other times, the oil carries down and you might need to play a little more outside. With the reactives, the oil might carry down one week and then next week, evaporate.
This explains why I keep the statistics that I do and hopes that it helps you improve your game. I enjoy using numbers and it keeps the league more enjoyable. The stats show what it takes to record those wonderful averages so use the stats to chart your progress and to improve your shot making ability.
GOOD LUCK &
See you in the ZONE!
Shooting 300 can happen when keeping logbook on your adjustments!
Reading my first book will help you know how to make correct decisions in competition. Positive attitudes by team members creates good chemistry.
Are you positively sure you don’t need an attitude adjustment?
By Alan Brizee © 2014, rev. Feb 2024 Author of The Path to Excellence and From Excellence to Success
This article isn’t just about bowler’s attitudes, it’s also about how your attitude could negatively affect your team and items of importance you may not have really took the time to think about. It will be obvious that this is geared more for bowling, after all, life really is a game and bowling at least for me, is somewhat serious. I know most teammates I have bowled with, are or were serious that losing sucks. You didn’t sign up, just to donate to the other teams. Your attitude can and will determine how successful you’ll be, not just in sports, but also in life. Sports isn’t life or death as some seem to make it.
It's virtually impossible to have fun and have a negative attitude. I feel being negative and winning requires a lot of luck. YES, it can happen, but depending on good luck will only take you so far. Staying positive and having fun are qualities you can bank on. If you compete, you should try to have as much fun as possible. Life and sports are full of choices and the reason why we have world class athletes. They obviously made the correct choices early in their career. Choices need to be made almost every day and those decisions can affect other activities and other people you interact with. If you compete in sports, I’m sure you want a chance to win. So, if you want to win and enjoy your sport, your attitude should match your desire to win. I don’t know anyone who enjoys losing. It’s best to have a positive attitude no matter the situation you’re facing. You may be surprised at how having a more positive approach to sports and life, can transform events in both. It’s not just about expecting good things to come your way, it’s about using the opportunities that unfold in front of you, knowing that good things can happen and then focus on goals set, to make your hard work a reality. You and your teammates will determine what the future holds, by the way you interact with each other and how motivated your team is. A positive athlete will plan events to become better, while some athletes with negative attitudes seem not to care and let others know they could care less. Any bowler who has shown me a very negative attitude wasn’t on my team for more than two seasons and the reasons will be explained in this article. They bring the whole team down with their whining about why their ball didn’t carry, kick equipment and slam their balls while their teammates are on the approach. Frustration is one thing for a couple of weeks during the season, but for it to happen every other week is a different story. Everyone should take some time to reflect on past positive experiences to gain valuable confidence in your own game!
I will tell you a short story of my positive attitude, 50 years ago before I get to the meat of this article. In over 60 years of bowling, this segment of my career just starting to bowl for money, is my most memorable moment. I was in the parking lot getting my balls from my van to go bowl the city doubles and singles tournament at Lucky Strike. A friend saw me and asked me how it was going. I told him, “I’m shooting 700 today.” I just started to finally bowl good and couldn’t believe I actually said this to him. You know the old story of opening your month and inserting foot. This should tell you how focused I was at shooting some good scores. He replied to me, “I hope you do.” I just shot my first 700 ever, about a month ago. My average at the time was finally in the 180’s. What made me think I should shoot 160 pins over my average for three games? I never bowled a league at Lucky before but had some good score there for several tournaments. My friend came to ask me how I did and couldn’t believe I made good on what I told him. Positively amazing. This is about dreaming, setting a goal and making it happen. Because I was having so much fun in my very first adult tournament and not pressuring myself on what I want to shoot, I went out and showed to myself and others, that you can reach the goals you have set for yourself. It’s when you dream and believe it can happen, you’ll discover the magic of having a positive attitude. 😊
The following nine reasons are evidence that having a positive attitude can be a magnet for positive outcomes:
1. A positive attitude. (Notice, I listed this first and bolded it!) It is also a winner’s attitude! When
you’re bowling well, you automatically expect good things to happen. It will help in remaining
composed and reduce stress.
2. My confidence was at a high level since shooting my first 700 a month ago.
3. I wanted to accomplish my new goal of shooting two 700’s in a season after never shooting a
700 before this season. After reaching a goal, it’s time to set another.
4. I was bowling doubles with a teammate from league who also liked to have a good time while
bowling.
5. My dedication to excellence showed as I practiced two days before and threw the ball well for
five games.
6. I knew was going to be challenged as more eyes would be watching our pair, because I was on
the same pair with two Hall of Fame bowlers and didn’t want to embarrass myself. I didn’t have
many opportunities to bowl with some of the best bowlers in Tucson because it was just my
second season of adult bowling.
7. I just received my 700 patch for my first ever and I wanted to win another patch because the first
patch was lonely and needed a partner in crime. The reward of an award was what made
bowling a great sport.
8. I dreamed I rolled a 300 game about three nights before the tournament. (My first 300 would
come ten years later.) Visualizing is another important tool for the mental game. This is actually
visualization before you sleep, and it can and will strengthen your mental game.
And 9. I was having so much fun throwing more strikes than I usually throw, that I didn’t worry so
much about my score. Well needless to say, I did shoot 704 with games of 248, 236 and 220. I
then shot 598 for singles. My doubles partner wasn’t surprised as he knew I was getting better
and being more consistent with higher scores. Having fun and staying positive almost
eliminates stress and pressure. This was the start of having a solid mental game, while still
throwing some great scores from time to time and winning many leagues as well as
tournaments in my career. ONLY when you believe it could happen, you’re 2/3rds of the way to
make it happen. Remember that your brain is a powerful weapon. Use it to your advantage
during competition!!
Better awareness (ball reaction), comprehension(understanding when adjustments need to be made), analysis (making adjustments at the right time) and wisdom (making the right adjustment that CAN destroy your opponent), happens more often because of remaining positive. A positive attitude isn’t a routine where you do it only when competing. It’s something that should happen every day and even take it to work. There may be a few of you who fabricate it only when you think you need it. There are plenty of ways to jump start a potential awesome day and several things to keep that positive attitude going strong all day long. There is no substitute for remaining positive and being positive should solve most problems. Your body language can be a tell like in poker as to how confident you are when on the lanes. Keep your head high, no matter the results, focus for the upcoming shot and always stay in the present. Being a member on a team has some responsibilities. Remaining positive creates GREAT team chemistry. Teamwork along with good results will happen when everyone works together, no matter what their average is.
Your mission is to see how many of the following ideas you do on a regular basis, because you should take pride in what you do, not only in life, but in sports as well. This will transfer to more positive outcomes during competition. I have done them all at some place in time, but because of events that occur from time to time, they may not occur every week. For those of you that want to start a more positive daily routine, my suggestion is start slow and add others in the future. Your positive outlook will help reduce stress in your life and could be a game changer for your overall health as well.
I’ve seen too many bowlers destroy a good night by their lack of having a good attitude after missing a 10 pin or leaving a split. They won’t accept the fact that they didn’t really throw the ball as good as they could, and it continues till bowling is over that night. Some of my old teammates were like this, which is why I wrote this article to help my own teammates from self-destruction and to help some friends. GOOD THINGS can happen after a bad result, so don’t let a few outcomes get in the way of having fun and remaining positive. Soom of these following ideas, I know you are probably doing. GREAT!! You’ll understand most of these ideas I’ve outlined. I know you might need some help in other areas. I’ll be happy to answer questions you have. It is this knowledge as well as other ideas that will help you and the team in future competitions.
The following 16 ideas are helpful items for your mission to enjoy competition as much as possible and to create a winning atmosphere for you and your team. They will help raise your awareness and suggest ways to not just help yourself, but your team so everyone CAN ENJOY competition better.
1. Get your wonderful day off to a good (or maybe a great) start.
A. Start your day a little earlier. Get up when your alarm goes off, don’t hit the snooze button,
and drag yourself out of bed and be rushed getting ready. This can carry over into
competition as your decision making may also be rushed. You want your day to start off with
good habits and also help you to handle most situations the day has waiting for you. Listen to
your favorite group or music that you enjoy. It will make the day go by quicker, so you can
enjoy life better.
B. Think about something positive and smile. You should feel happy to be alive and wanting to
make today, a great day. If you’re not looking forward for today, you opponent will be and use
it to their advantage. A smile does so many good things, like eliminating stress and possibly
the flu. It will help you be grateful for the day and looking forward to any situation that occurs.
C. Get your bed made. This little thing will help you get more big things right and give you
satisfaction of pride. Once this first task is accomplished, it will be easier to tackle other tasks
for the day. At the end of the day no matter what happened during the day, when you’re ready
for bed, this will remind you that you at least completed one task for the day and that
tomorrow could be better.
D. Have a stretching routine or do some yoga. (This isn’t about going to the gym. This is more for
seniors to prevent injuries.) It will loosen your muscles after sleeping and increase blood flow.
Just five minutes will connect mind and body for any exercise and when going to the gym later
that day.
E. A three-minute meditation. It starts the day improving your focus, reducing stress and
improve emotional stability. Sit in comfortable position without distractions. Close eyes and
focus on breathing. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for eight. (These 3 minutes
could be your best minutes of your day. Being able to relax for just a little while could pay huge
dividends later in the day and for competition night. With this rush-rush world and idiot drivers
on the road, a stress reducer is what the doctor would order.)
F. Make sure you have a healthy breakfast. (At least on the days you will compete.) You will be
less hungry throughout the day, have more energy and have better focus and concentration.
Not having breakfast could lead to being overweight as you’ll probably snack more on junk
foods during the day and can cause physical problems which could interfere with league
bowling. (This morning routine should help on days when competing. It should also help you
get a better night’s sleep.)
2. Don’t worry, be happy!! This attitude can influence many things going on around you. Being
happy isn’t about a situation that makes you happy. Just be happy that you’re able to enjoy life
and able to play a sport, no matter the results, because not everyone can. Just the thrill to
compete can reduce stress and pressure. The interaction with others and showing you care are
also health benefits. Teammates may be able to help or solve problems with what happening at
work or at home. I watched the PBA tour and about 25 years, a first-time bowler to TV made the
finals. He was smiling the entire time on TV. He qualified 2nd and would have to bowl 2 games for
the title. He took the hardware home partly due to having the most fun. He came relaxed and
ready to bowl and let whatever happen unfold. Having fun has advantages!
3. Say cheese! Smiling will give athletes an instant attitude amplification and releases the feel-
good hormones. It should also bring a memory of a happy moment that should reduce the
pressure of the match. Note: Smiles can be contagious and can show that you’re not feeling the
pressure. Anything that reduces stress and pressure during a match is a useful weapon. It is
these types of weapons that some athletes don’t consider during competition. Champions do
whatever is necessary to win titles to defeat opponents. Never underestimate a smile when an
athlete is having fun!
4. Enjoy all small accomplishments. This is celebrating your short-term goals. Your long-term
goals and other big achievements won’t happen that often. It’s your time for jubilation as you
took the time to set a goal, plan how to go after it and achieve someone you’ve work on.
Reward yourself, like going to a nice restaurant, so the event will have more significance. Write
down these accomplishments in your journal as a reminder of all the good things that
happened so you can try to have more in your future.
5. Take responsibilities for your actions. After a night of not sleeping well or getting in late due to a
party you went to, could set you back for the day as you may run out of gas later. Realize that
stuff happens from the decisions you make, and then you must deal with it. Remaining positive
should help you get through the day and remind you why routines are important, especially on
game days and the previous night. Problems at home and work are your responsibility and
should be left there when you leave for competition. Being upset about your wife, girlfriend or
your boss isn’t going to help you carry more strikes. Leave the past behind when you arrive at
the center so you can dedicate yourself for the match.
6. Optimize your brain. Upload anything positive into your brain. It’s like the use it or lose it scenario.
After all, your brain will be tested during competition. Making the correct adjustment,
determining how much to adjust and the actual adjustment, feet, target, speed and hand, is
what your brain will determine based on past experiences. So do some puzzles, watch movies
that overcome barriers and read books about motivation or have positive messages. Keeping
your brain active with these activities will help your brain stay sharp for decision making. Mental
game books have powerful messages in them and can help you in future battles. The last PBA
show had Kyle Troup reading Mind Gym which is a book in my mental game library. Troup went
on to win the tournament, so it shows that trying to improve your game with knowledge can be
a HUGE help. I just never thought that a bowler would be reading a book on TV. This shows that
when you think you seen it all, you haven’t. Keeping your brain active will also help you later in
life when you become a super senior.
7. Tweak your attitude! Life and sports aren’t easy and are learning experiences. Any challenging
situation and event should teach you something. Don’t ever ask, “What happened?” Instead
use the time to grow from the results and how to become a better athlete for future matches.
Sports will have plenty of painful moments as bad breaks happen. You can’t get down on
yourself because your opponent got a lucky break in a close game then went on to win. The
sooner you put your bad breaks, their good breaks, a machine break down, what your
opponents said that distracted you and any other disruption behind you, the sooner you can
focus on your situation to make good decisions to keep the match close or to come from
behind for the W. Your positive attitude can deal with whatever sports has in store for you.
8. Make some lemonade. Even if life or sports throws a few lemons at you, relax, you can make your
drink. A positive athlete decides what must happen, even when they’re behind in the match. A
positive athlete also knows that to compete in sports, there’s always work that will be required.
This work will reap the rewards either that night or sometime in the future. Some weeks will be
struggles and the results may not be on your side. After losing the first two games, I tell my
team to win at least one game, so the week won’t be a total waste. Getting swept all three
games isn’t always acceptable, but as the saying goes, there’s always next week. Last season
we got swept five straight weeks in the 1stquarter. As much as I liked our team, almost no good
luck happened during those weeks. We kept grinding until the final quarter. The last quarter
was when the team believed we could compete and started winning those close games
instead of coming up short. We needed all 8 wins close games, because for position round, we
would be bowling with two bowlers missing. We had to win two games to get into the Roll-Offs.
Because we didn’t beat ourselves, we won the first two games for that Roll-Off spot. The Roll-
Offs were across three pairs, which made it more possible for our team to at least finish in the
top three. We threw some needed strikes, but because we’re picked up most of our spares, we
won the Championship. A down then up season for sure, but that’s why you never give up!!
9. Thinking to change the results. Positive thoughts are a must or your game is a bust. They create
your positive attitude. Thinking on all the good situations in past matches will help keep you
focused to accomplish your goals while reducing pressure during any match. Experiences can
be a wonderful thing. Thinking back to episodes that were a loss until you turned it around, will
remind you it can and will happen again. Thinking back into past where you almost gave up
because nothing was good was going your way, and then you were able to relax to where
strikes were finally on your side, but the outcome came up a little short of desirable. Thinking
outside the box is what some Champions have done to win tournaments. Thinking is what
separates good bowlers from just average bowlers. Bowling really is a thinking man’s sport.
When transition starts happening on the lane or an adjustment is required, should get you
thinking so you can get back on track. If you keep leaving 10 pins, think about how not to leave
them. Remember that not all 10 pin spares (7 pin for left-handers) happened the same way. A
light hit, pulling the ball slightly into the oil, your hand doesn’t stay behind the ball (hand comes
over towards the top to spin it) and of course there will be some instances of having a bad
rack. (Remember that you may not see a bad rack due to any pin or pins off spot, either slightly
in front or back of the spot where it should be. Until they put a camera for the pin deck, you can
only concern yourself with pins off spot to the right or left.) Adversity has a way to make you
think into why the situation is happening. At times, your usual adjustment won’t work and now
you got to think about what you need to do next. Whoever finds it first wins! This means
matching the correct ball reaction for the condition, as strikes will come easier. Just because it
may be a house condition, doesn’t mean that the lanes will always seem easy. Some oil is
moving or disappearing after every shot, so keep your brain involved until the very end!
10. Passionate purposed people. (Most teams I’ve been part of love bowling as much as I do, which
make competing more fun and usually adds up the wins and keeps the team more
competitive than many other teams.) The athletes that truly love their sport will find ways to
keep up their enthusiasm up even when things aren’t going as planned. Passionate bowlers just
love to compete and will always give their best when showing up to bowl. Just being able to
compete due to whatever is going on their life has dealt them is a positive. Sports will drain
energy from athletes when winning keeps slipping through their fingers. A passionate athlete
will know that minor setbacks will happen and are just experiences to learn from. Only when
you show up and know that your opponents will have to bowl well to beat you is a positive,
because some teams can’t seem to handle the pressure for the come from behind victory.
There will always be teams that HATE TO LOSE, because of the prize funds in some leagues. A
close loss isn’t their best friend. With every week being a clean slate, getting enjoyment and
not getting swept out on the lanes is all you can ask from your team.
11. Open your eyes and your mind. (Watching ball reaction, not just your ball, but everyone on the
pair, can alert you to the transition happening out on the lanes. It can also help when it has
rained, and the lanes are a little different that week.) You must be able to welcome every
situation, that bowling will give you. Every week is another chance to excel and learn from. The
normal shot maybe slightly different and decisions for the evening could have you thinking
about past experiences when it’s happened before. When you have a dependable delivery,
adjustments always come easier. It will be those few weeks every season when you’re not 100%
on your game, that thinking more into what is going on will be needed. The more situations
you’re exposed to, will add to your overall experience level, and show you parts of your game
that need a little more work. Keeping an open mind will let you learn from setbacks and will
help keep your head in the game.
12. No cheese please! (I don’t need cheese to go with your whine. It doesn’t make for good team
chemistry.) Certain situations will happen when you least expect them, and bowlers can’t
change the results. Accept it for what it is, another time to learn. Nobody including your
teammates, wants to hear constant whining about anything. Everyone will have a few off
nights and the rest of the team will have to make up the difference to win. They want to be able
to focus on the match to help the team win. At least, cheer on your team and try your best.
Finding solutions to the problem can change the attitudes of your teammates and create a
bond among team members. Think through the situation and present a couple of solutions to
move forward. Just one bowler’s attitude and the way a team performs, can change the
direction the team is going. I have had a few teammates who only care about how they are
bowling, not what the team is doing. You can’t let teammates or your opponents keep you from
having a positive attitude and having a good experience.
13. Words of wisdom. (NEVER LOOK INTO THE FUTURE!! What might happen can’t happen yet. You
can’t throw two strikes with one delivery legally. Focus only on the shot you’re about to throw
and only then can you focus on that shot.) Your self-talk can psych you up in all situations
and raise your determination. Your self-talk can also help you refocus when distractions occur.
It will be your refocusing that will get you back to the zone. It is those positive words that will
get your brain to process your thoughts into believing you’ll have more favorable results. I’ll
give you a heads up into what an anchor bowler goes through, since I’ve been an anchor
bowler for the last 30 plus years. One of the reasons why this keeps happening is I rarely beat
myself. As some of you know, I throw down the boards for a house pattern and 90% of my shots
are strikes or single pin spares because of being around the pocket almost as much as any
other bowler. This is because of my right-hand injury before I ever started bowling. I’m able to
at times repeat shots and just last month threw an 11 bagger. I’ve told many teams that if they
give me a chance to win the game, that is all I can ask from my team. Around 80% of the time,
my team will get the win. While the rest of the team finishes their 10th frame, I’ll know what
must happen within 5 pins. (The reason is I break the game down to marks, that’s 10 pins, with
doubles being two marks, is because all I can try to do is throw a great shot. I don’t need my
team telling me what has to happen to win the game. Great shots seem to happen more
when your less concerned about your score. I’ll try one strike at a time and pick up all spares.
Even if my team can’t win the game, I want to keep totals close as every point can get your
team closer to making the Roll-Offs. I have told myself many times after helping my team win
the game, “It’s my job to help the team win.” Being in a focused state of mind and throwing
great shots comes from my experience of knowing what MUST happen and knowing how to
reduce pressure because of being in the zone.) I have seen anchor bowlers study the telescore
for several minutes only to throw a shot that doesn’t help their team win. They get too wrapped
up in what they must do, instead of being in a relaxed state to throw a great shot. I will tell
teammates to start us off so they may relax and throw a great shot.
14. Pair up with other positive people. (This is how many teams create energy among themselves
by having a common agenda.) One athlete who only cares about themselves or who is
constantly negative can bring down a team. Those that know that a positive attitude can
overcome adversity, can and will come back to win games that nobody gave them a chance
to win. They didn’t give up and kept fighting till the very end of the match. A positive person
knows that if it happened once, it can and most likely will happen many more times down the
road. Their attitude will bond with you and your teammates to make competing with them,
one of the most enjoyable events of the week. It’s not always the best team that wins. You
know the Cinderella story and March Madness. Upsets WILL happen and happen all the time in
sports. A team that works together giving suggestions on adjusting, having loads of fun once
practice is over, encourage each other without regard to the situation, able to handle a few
setbacks during the season, CAN be a team that is hard to defeat.
15. Take time for home movies. Every month, look at the goals you set and see if any need to
change. One of your goals could be to accomplish more positive situations. You should
visualize one of your goals and enact it, so it feels like you’re actually competing. If you do this
several times, during the actual event, you’ll feel like you’ve done before and feel less pressure.
The more natural the situation is, the better you’ll be able to perform. Visualize seeing your
target and hitting it. Visualize your teammates and crowd after the shot or play. The realism
of these “movies” can make reality a possibility. This visualization during competition could
be a fast forward replay to let your brain know what you want to accomplish. Earl Anthony is
one PBA member who did this and is one of the top three bowlers of all time. You see PGA
golfers do this every week. Why would you not want to do something that can make a huge
impact on your own game? Seeing instant results may not happen to everyone. Changing
anything in your game will be a learning experience. Every bowler is different and the way
they visualize themselves could be different. I suggest your vision from your own eyes being
used, instead of a camera from behind you. I have tried both. The more your brain get
adjusted to your regular routine, the sooner you can start to see better scores and hopefully
more wins.
16. Get out and get to a gym. The more competitive you are along with bowling on more
challenging patterns, the more important it is to regain your physical endurance. For this
revision, I have lost 50 pounds since weighing more than 215 seven years ago. It’s amazing
how much more energy I have now, after getting back to the weight I should be at. Along
with the gym, eating healthy, watching your calorie intake, strengthen your abs and doing
cardio exercises, increases your overall health. With my last car accident, I been advised to
never jog. I use the incline and speed walk to vary intensity, so I sweat enough to keep the
pounds off. Legs are a bowler’s best friend. You’ll be able to bowl tournaments with more than
six games much easier and not feel too tired. With your legs in shape, walking a straight line to
your target will also be easier. Slimming down your midsection will help you from losing your
balance, which also helps in walking straight towards your target. Being more physically fit,
you’ll be able to bowl a lot later in life and still be competitive. It will also help you from
becoming diabetic. My Mom who was over 80, had diabetes and then had kidney failure to
where she had to go to dialysis three days a week. After two years of dialysis, she passed
away. She might have been living, but she didn’t have a life, as I was taking here there and
saw what she had to go through. I’m a super senior and not on any meds currently. I’m saving
money by not having to buy meds, which I can use towards going to the gym to be in the best
shape in over 30 years. Getting fit will have rewards in the future and may even help you get
back to bowling sooner, should an accident happen. It’s really a WIN- WIN, except you might
have to buy smaller clothes 😊. Gym has several rewards, your health, using a trainer and the
scenery (younger and sexier people also working out). You can do almost anything you want
to do, and for some of you, the gym is the last place you want to be. Remember that you’re
only as old as you feel, and the gym can make you feel 20 years younger. I know some of you
still must work to be able to bowl, but I suggest you MAKE TIME so you won’t regret it later.
Being in better health should help you retain the positive attitude which is why you’re still
reading this article.
NOTE: I don’t know many bowlers who like to lose. Why not create a more positive, so you can help your team win more points and hopefully make the Roll-Offs. You could even receive a little more prize money because of those close games you won during the season. People have said it’s the little things that add up. Having and keeping a positive attitude isn’t just a little thing, it should be the main thing. This six-page article started with three pages, and I have explained many of the ideas in more detail. I also wanted to add some short stories to why I have always been positive, and how much it helped me with over 60 years of bowling.
As always, I must acknowledge my mom for getting me started in bowling. The one good thing while I was growing up, was that my parents never pressured me into performing to a particular level. I was able to just have fun and realized it was more fun to bowl with others on a team. Having fun and keeping a positive attitude is why I was able to steadily improve my game. The accident to my fingertips at age five was maybe one reason I was never pressured into being a top athlete earlier in my life. My mom helped in many ways and told me to never quit. She also congratulated me on my accomplishments when I was a kid and didn’t realize my full potential. But before she passed, she saw me win the 2014 Tucson Metro USBC Senior Masters and finally witnessing a 300 game in person.
I can only hope that you read something to help you or your team. Whatever happens in sports, it’s not life or death. There will be another day to show others what you’re capable of doing. It might be a grind at times or a period of good fortune where it seems like you can’t lose. Competing without a positive attitude isn’t the way I want to finish my career. This article wasn’t written for anyone on my team. It’s just to get everyone on the same page to have fun and stay as positive as can be while chasing chances at championships.
I hope you’ll still having fun, so you can set off your own fireworks!!
See you in the Zone!
My first book arrived & the awards behind me show why positive attitudes help reach your goals!
What, why worry?
By Alan Brizee © Jun 2024 Author of The Path to Excellence and From Excellence to Success
Why worry when you can forget about it and have more fun doing it? Free you mind. It was “just” one shot. You’ve been there before, and it happened again. So, you get ticked off again. Only you can possibly change the outcome of the shot. Only you can be honest with yourself and determine if it was a just mediocre, a good or a great shot that didn’t get the desired result. Only you will know if the shot was rushed. Only you will know if your pre-shot routine needs a little tweak. Only you will know if you lost focus just before executing the shot. And of course, it’s you who should know what must happen in your must win situation. Forget about it! I hope you’re happy now. That weight on your shoulder is no longer there after you forget about the shot you just threw. You can’t keep kicking yourself after any result. Why and for what reason? It’s in the books and the match isn’t over until the fat lady sings! Get your head back into the match or it will be over before it must be. Remember that one below average shot usually won’t determine the better player. Two not so good shots could be a different matter and hopefully that third bad shot won’t bite you in the behind. No matter what sport you participate in, you’re not going to have a career day, every single day. All you can accomplish on any shot is trying your best. Trying your best when repeating great shots while in the zone is the way I want to compete.Getting frustrated over several results is NEVER the best way to compete. But, that is the way some let happen to them as they keep trying and wonder why better results don’t occur. Competing is about using the 345 factors listed in my first book, The Path to Excellence, and using the factors to your advantage. It’s really about the BIG PICTURE and focusing on the little things that keep you competitive and, in the position, to secure the win. This article is also more for amateurs, but as always, some pros could use a wakeup call for their mental game.
Amateurs who play or compete on a part time basis may not realize their mistakes as they won’t get into as many situations as those who practice and compete three to four times each week. They make it easier to deflect criticism about them because there’s NO WAY they could have not thrown it better. One time maybe, but seeing the same results after several shots is a different story. Those that compete no matter how often they play, have to be honest with themselves so they can continue making correct decisions about the correct adjustment. And making the correct adjustments is about knowing your game, what works for you and usually keeps you in your comfort zone. Making adjustments is an article I wrote and is on this website. Even when you made the right adjustment, inform your team so you’re working as a team. Hold your head high and keep your composure. This is more about letting your equipment do the talking. You should not rub it in to your opponents by taunting or mocking them. Keep your routine as rubbing it in has backfired for many athletes as opponents will now be focused to defeat you.
Unless they have mulligans in your sport, you can’t change your last shot. Keep your head in the game, refocus on what you must do. Post-shot analysis (PSA) should be done when less than desirable results happen to make any adjustments needed. After your PSA, you make the best decision for your adjustment and live with whatever outcome happens. Those negative results will happen and the sooner you do your PSA, the sooner and for the better, you can work on getting positive results. The more positive attitude person should know that it will reduce stress and pressure to put any bad shot behind you before it keeps eating at you. A positive attitude will keep you more relaxed and able to repeat great shots, because muscles that tense up are shots being forced. Examples are pros that don’t come close to the intended target (or as most would say, they chocked). It’s not chocking if you threw a great shot and slightly missed. (Since each sport is different, most sports do have shots, swings, throws, kicks or plays, and I combined them with the word shot.) This is a good time to bring up that this article is more about offense and not so much on defense. Baseball’s defense does have throws and defense is mostly a reaction to the actions of the offense. Some sports don’t even have a defense and some sports have players playing both offense and defense. Defense will also adjust so that successful offensive plays will be reduced. Because of player substitutions to keep players fresh for when they return to the game, mismatches may happen. Injuries also play a huge part in many contests and a team may be without their biggest star for several weeks. The team must keep going and might even find that diamond in the rough. Adversity will show what type of team you have when you’re not at full strength. Even defense will have to put minor setbacks behind them so their offense can be more effective when they score.
FORGET ABOUT IT! Now I said it. You can’t let one shot dictate who will win the match. There are times when one shot will determine who wins and even if it would happen, your never quit attitude should still be around. Make an adjustment, focus on throwing great shots so more positive results can happen in the future. The next time you’re in the same situation, you’ll be able to make better decisions because you kept trying and maybe learned several things in the process. Most athletes want instant success and as most of you know, that is unrealistic. There may be times it seems like a lucky break puts an athlete or team over the top to grab the win. Only when you look at the BIG PICTURE, will you realize that most good breaks happen to those more focused and playing even slightly better than their opponents. If you’re part of a team, the team must bond together and trust their teammates, so the team can make proper adjustments and keep fighting for the win. That one play or one shot just happened, and no one can change what happened. You can only regroup on any negative result or continue to focus on positive results. You came to the fork in the road and now have a choice. Get mad or get even. I’d choice getting even, because getting mad is never the answer in sports. It takes you out of your comfort level and won’t help you make sound decisions when adjustments need to be made. Rarely does getting mad help any athlete as muscles tighten up and now their routine is disrupted and decisions may now be rushed because of all the smoke coming form their ears. Getting even shows an athlete that has been there before, and knows that keeping their head in the game is by far the best response for whatever result occurs.
So, what’s next? Worry and stress create panic! Putting more self-induced pressure on you isn’t the answer. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by worrying about past results including the one you just threw. Being a super senior has moments where walking straight may not happen every shot. Even being a senior, some “kids” try to throw you off your game with trash talk or other kids games and you need to better than that. Your experience can defeat them, so go back out there to show them that you have game. When they figure that their tactics won’t work on you, they could psyche themselves out and could have a bad experience against seniors. Distractions are all around us don’t point fingers at who caused them. Mentally strong athletes know that focusing can eliminate 99% of distractions.
Who’s to blame? The question should be why did it happen? It happened, and now you play the blame game. You could blame the fans. You could blame the opponents. You could blame the equipment you’re using. Why would you blame yourself if you really felt that it wasn’t you that got the desired result? Champions know they can’t throw great shots on 100% of the shots they take. The many variables involved in repeating great shots shows why perfection doesn’t happen often. Champions also know that great shots may not always get the desired results you wanted. It seems the athletes who are quick to blame everything but themselves, lack some confidence in their ability to be competitive.
Why do I compete? Because I can, because I’m still able to shoot some good scores and because competing is enjoyable. (Not so much when you lose, but remember, it’s hard to win them all.) So, if you can compete, why not have more fun doing it? I know I have said it a thousand times, but I’ll say it a thousand more if it helps someone on my team, “If you’re not having fun, why waste time competing?” Can you have fun and not win? I competed on different sports teams as I was growing up. It’s now down to bowling and golf and they do have team events and leagues.
See you in the ZONE!
GO GET "EM!! Only "Dummies" won't want to improve their mental game!
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