Competitive Bowling – How to Compete
In every sport, some of us get to a level of ability that leads us to want to be more competitive and try out tournament bowling, or just want to be more competitive league bowlers. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to get out and compete!
Set Some Goals
Decide on your goals, then make a plan to achieve them. Let’s say that your goal is to win an ABT Tournament. Since many ABTs are bowled on moderately challenging conditions, you may want to seek opportunities to practice on tougher shots, or compete in PBA or sport condition leagues to prepare yourself for more challenging conditions. Another approach would be to significantly improve your spareshooting or accuracy. You may want to increase your practice regimen to achieve your goals. Make a plan, and stick to it!
Prepare Your Game
Prepare yourself by allotting time in your busy schedule to get practice, Find a good coach and invest the time and money to improve your game. This will be time well spent as you will improve and accomplish things that were not previously possible. Good practice sessions are generally about 60-90 minutes, broken into 15-20 minute segments. In each segment you should focus on one element of your game, and totally focus on that area.
You must be able to roll the ball consistently to succeed. You will need to repeat how you roll the ball, the direction of the ball off your hand and the speed at which you throw the ball. You will need to develop consistency in all these areas in order to succeed.
Prepare Your Body
To preform at your best, you must take care of your body by eating well and exercising. The sport of bowling has become much more athletic, and the higher the competitive level, the more important it is to get in shape. To prepare your body, there are many very good physical training regimens that have been put together by bowlers for bowlers. For instance, Heather D’Errico has some great information at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3Cy7pQbaLsLIayUREozHA and Johnny DiSantis has information at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAthleticBowler so there are no excuses for you not to improve your body!
In general, the better you treat your body, the better it will perform in competition.
Prepare Your Battle Tools
Get your equipment resurfaced, purchase a key ball to fill that hole in your arsenal, or simply change your grips to get a consistent feel. You can’t compete without taking care of and preparing the tools that will help you achieve your goals. Build a 3, 4, or 6 ball arsenal that will meet your competitive needs, and take care of that equipment by cleaning it after each round of competition.
Prepare Your Bowling IQ
Learn about the tactical side of the game. This includes how to play the lanes under different conditions, having a spare shooting system that will work in different environments, and using your ability to change ball speed and roll to fit the needs of the moment. This is an area where a combination of good coaching and experienced players can help you gain this knowledge.
Prepare Your Mind
Dr. Dean Hinitz is one of the foremost mental game experts in the sport. If you want to compete at your best level, prepare your mind to get the most out of your physical ability. At a recent talk given by Dr. Dean, I captured a few jewels to pass on to you.
The first, and best of these is: Performance = Ability – Interference. That is, most of us get in our own way! All the garbage that goes on around us just drags down our performances. Keep the junk out and get the most out of your ability! Stop being drama queens!!!
Here’s another – “Whatever you believe in yourself will be true.” How many of us self-selected the person to ask out at the high school dance? We all have preconceived notions about ourselves that – really – are more creations of our own fear to take risks than anything else. Don’t be afraid to try and fail – it beats the
heck out of not trying!!!
I’ll leave you with a couple more – “Bowl a game without judgement” – you can’t improve while you’ve got the whip out on yourself! Understand your performance, commit to your best effort, and accept the results – no matter what. You’ll be a better bowler – and a better person – by following this simple philosophy.
Remember to enjoy the journey – life is too short to sit on the sidelines!!!