being in a slump

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bigjim300
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being in a slump

Post by bigjim300 »

im in a terrible slump im getting angry every week for the last 5 weeks missing easy spares making bad shots at bad times in the game I avg around 185 to 190 but only avg 176 so far I feel im letting my friend jim down he is the anchor he avg 215 the other 3 guys they avg around 140 or so . the 1st wk of the season I had a 268 could not break a 600 set that's sad. I try to calm myself down but I get more anger inside where I want to blow up .and I know if something happens I could get kicked out of the league. im at the point I just want to quit .this is not the 1st time this happen I just got back into bowling 2 yrs ago after a 7yr layoff .I have good equipment a guru master and a verdict pearl . so how do you fix a mental game before I lose my mind.
RobMautner
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Re: being in a slump

Post by RobMautner »

A majority of slumps are caused by bad timing. Bad timing affects your accuracy, your release, and your consistency. The easiest way to correct your timing is to focus on posting every shot you throw. Posting means holding your follow-through with your trailing leg behind you, until the ball has exited the pin deck. The concept is simple: if your timing is off, it is impossible to maintain your balance at the line. By focusing on maintaining your balance, your timing will correct itself and you will see the results in all aspects of your game. Good luck!
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Re: being in a slump

Post by TomaHawk »

Posting a shot is a good idea, but what you do and how you get there have to be considered also.

First, forget about what you used to do, that only serves to make matters worse. Nothing creates more issues than trying to emulate the "other" you. It is time to step into the present, really let it all go.

The main thing to focus on is the initial movement of the ball. It is such a basic movement, we tend to overlook this fundamental element of the bowling approach. Moving the ball at the right time is crucial to the creation of good timing and we all know, timing is everything.

Then, walk. Bowling is nothing more than a walk in the park with style.

While all of that is going on, resist squeezing the ball. Nothing will hinder the armswing and footwork as much as holding onto the ball too tightly.

Let the ball go. Do not try to hook the ball, steer the ball to the pocket, or throw the ball. Simply, roll it at a target on the lane.

One of the biggest mistakes a person makes when they have been away from the game for awhile, is to let their eyes wander. Pick a spot on the lane, watch the ball roll over the target, then look up to see where the ball is at the pins.

Of course, that is an over simplification of the art of bowling, but it is the very basis of what all great bowlers are trying to achieve.

Practice.......bowling only 3 games a week probably will not get you where you would like to be.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself and your friends, bowling is only one of the reasons you are there.
Last edited by TomaHawk on October 24th, 2019, 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TonyPR
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Re: being in a slump

Post by TonyPR »

When bowling we only get angry because we feel embarrassed, like if everyone is looking at how bad we play... getting angry and throwing a fit will only make the embarrassment worst. Maybe your mistake is mental, could be you’re not loose enough or that you may be overthinking your technique. Your body knows how to bowl, learning to tame the mind will allow your bowling to flow smooth and naturally. I do not follow or identify with any religion but I can say from experience that the practice of daily meditation can greatly enhance one’s life as it trains us to be aware of the present and to become the observer. I particularly enjoy this one:

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Re: being in a slump

Post by krava »

I had a huge thing I wrote but deleted it. I am going to shorten this. TonyPR I have to disagree on the part about why we get upset or at least me. I get upset (only upset during practice) because I feel that I shouldn't continue to keep making the same mistakes and it isn't that hard or why can't I do this or that.) I don't care what anyone thinks about what I do and when I am at practice there is no one there but me. When I get mad at myself when I let go of it wrong or force it or whatever is that I think to myself I am too good to be continuing to make these stupid small mistakes and what is wrong with me. It has nothing to do with being embarrassed. its more about being frustrated. There are different types of frustration though. I was frustrated out of my mind in the summer with these different sport patterns but I liked it. I welcomed it. (I might have to re write this as this is some very bad grammar above. Its 4am and I need sleep )

To the person that posted the original topic. I am trying to understand why you get so upset right now when your in league. First off let me say that I don't know of anyone that could be more upset then when I was bowling. When I was 16-18, I would throw the biggest fits anyone could see. I would throw my red hammer into the pocket and leave a pin and then you would see me either stomp the lane, throw my towel. Try to trip my towl in half, sling the towel as hard as i could on the chair, If I threw a bad shot I would littlerly hit my forearm as hard as I could with my fist with my other hand and leave a bruise. None of that made be bowl any better.

Fast forward until today. in practice if I get really mad I might throw the towel, stomp the lane etc. That usually only happens if I can't understand or figure something out. Like I keep throwing the ball to the right.

Now league is something else. I watch myself like a hawk when I am in league. I can feel everything. I can tell you why I missed or what I did wrong. The most emotion you will see from me is if I miss left and it is bad like 2-3 boards, I will spin around real fast and not even look at where my ball goes. If I leave a solid 8 or 9 or something I usually smile and turn around. When I leave a flat 10, you will see me nod my head up and down knowing what I did wrong there. If I leave like a pocket 7 10 my head my turn and look up like in disbelief. if I miss a 10 pin to the right, you might see my hand swing down toward the gutter pointing to it like I am saying that is what is going to happen. but they are slight reactions. Same when I am doing good. Every 300 I have shot and even the 800 I shot, I didn't show any joy or emotion when I got them.

I see people get mad now when they throw the ball in the pocket and they expect to strike. They have bad rolling balls, high, light hits etc. I want to go up to them and say "you didn't deserve to strike, the ball was …." I am real hard on myself. In league right now when I throw a bad ball or throw it wrong and I strike, I shake my head side to side as saying I didn't deserve it and it was wrong and people can't understand that.

The only reason I am writing this is to tell you from a person that has more rage then you what I do. You have to control it when you are in league, you don't have time to be upset in league, you have to be always thinking, what happened. Why did that happened. what am I doing wrong, how can I fix this etc.

Let me give you a good example. The first 2-3 weeks of this season, I couldn't figure out how to release the ball correctly. That means I couldnt' get the axis rotation or (whatever the other thing is called Tilt I think I am tired). I couldn't get the ball to hook correctly etc and I believe I averaged probably 185-190. I watched a few videos, and then I started to the first time drop my shoulder down and also get under the ball and the ball started rolling a lot better. So for the next 3-4 times since then (that is all it has been since I been hurt), I averaged around 230. That is a huge difference between your small slump there and what I was dealing with.

I don't consider a slump a score, I consider a slump is when I am doing something wrong and I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to correct it. I have had slumps throwing the ball to the right over and over for weeks. I had the slump about nothing releasing the ball correctly. I will tell you about missing spares. I changed over from throwing at the ball from the 3rd arrow to the 4th arrow to get the 10 pin. I was 26/28 or something close to that. Then I went 1/6 or 1/8 or something horrible. The last time I bowled I missed every 10 pin which I think was 2. You have to understand why though. I know why I missed mine and that was because I looked up just before I aimed to throw over my mark. I wasn't looking at my mark when I threw the ball.

Like I said this probably came out long again but I will post this maybe it might help. I will tell you about letting the team down. The 2nd week of this season, all I had to do was spare in the 10th frame. I went into the 10th frame with no confidence at all. (this is when I couldn't release the ball correctly). I ended up splitting and we lost 4 games because of it. We lost that game and total pins and I shot a 158. I am not sure but I think I had a 259 to start it off and a lot of those strikes were pure luck and I didn't deserve. I didn't think I would shoot probably less then 170 this year and it happened.

Sorry about this ending up long again. I spent over an hour replying to this. I can relate to this a great deal.
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kajmk
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Re: being in a slump

Post by kajmk »

TonyPR wrote:When bowling we only get angry because we feel embarrassed, like if everyone is looking at how bad we play... getting angry and throwing a fit will only make the embarrassment worst. Maybe your mistake is mental, could be you’re not loose enough or that you may be overthinking your technique. Your body knows how to bowl, learning to tame the mind will allow your bowling to flow smooth and naturally. I do not follow or identify with any religion but I can say from experience that the practice of daily meditation can greatly enhance one’s life as it trains us to be aware of the present and to become the observer. I particularly enjoy this one:

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tony's advice reminds me of something my father used to give me. Not about bowling, more about being and doing and feeling. He said, "you think everyone is watching you". For the most part they are not. I like the meditation advice. There is much to be learned and gained therein.
There are some good references on the wiki regarding the mental side of sports.
Don't underestimate the effects of your expectations, emotions etc.

Steve Sax Syndrome Edit
Though never regarded as one of the top fielding second basemen in the league, Steve Sax inexplicably became incapable of making routine throws to first base in 1983, committing 30 errors that season.[7] This is referred to in baseball terminology as "Steve Sax Syndrome", the fielder's variant of "Steve Blass disease," named after the Pirates pitcher who suffered a similar breakdown of basic mechanics (also known as "The Yips"). As his accuracy suffered, fans sitting behind the first base dugout began wearing batting helmets as mock protection.[8] (Teammate Pedro Guerrero, an outfielder pressed into service at third base in 1983, once reportedly stated that his first thought whenever he was in the field was "I hope they don't hit it to me", while his second thought was "I hope they don't hit it to Sax.")[9] By 1989, however, Sax seemed to be completely "cured", leading the American League in both fielding percentage[10] and double plays.


Bowl like there's no one watching ;)

Might be a good time to take a few lessons ...

Take care.
May all beings everywhere be happy and free,
and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life
contribute in some way to that happiness
and to that freedom for all.

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Re: being in a slump

Post by boomer »

As far as missing easy spares - relax. I know that I tense up trying to pick up my 10's - I have to take a couple of big breaths and let them out to just relax (now it's routine, but still) and just roll the ball. Focus on taking the tension out of your shoulder, shake your ball-arm to release any tension there . . . then just friggin do it! :)

During practice, make a game out of it. Get a 6-sided dice (well, die) and before each frame, roll it. whatever you roll, that's what you shoot at - a 1 means you shoot the left-most pin (7), a 2 means you shoot the next pin (4), a 3 means you shoot the next one (2), a 4 means you do NOT shoot the headpin, it means you shoot the 3, a 5 means you shoot the next one (6) and a 6 means shoot the 10. Logical, if you think about it.

Be honest. Did you hit that pin? Give yourself a point - now repeat it! :)

I do it straight. Get out the spare ball and make a game of it. Have FUN - that's what this is supposed to be, right? Play skins with your father-in-law or something - a quarter per frame, if both of you get it twice, it rolls over, otherwise the one who got both (or even one) gets the quarters. :)

Combined with the advice given above - post shots, relax, bowl like nobody's watching, etc. - that's part of how I've gotten out of my slumps.
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