Coach’s Corner Tip

The Three Phases of Bowling

In football, coaches always talk about the three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams.I’d like to talk about the three phases of the bowling game. Those three phases are the physical game, the mental game, and the tactical game.  By looking at the game this way you will be better prepared to be a successful bowler.

The Physical Game

The physical game is important for obvious reasons. You must find a consistent level of execution each time you compete. It is important to have a clean release, with good direction and speed control. How can your practices contribute to a good physical game each time you compete? During practices, it is important to work on specific portions of your game to improve. To improve your physical game you must take focused periods of practice on a single element of your game until it becomes a part of your game that you no longer think about.  

When you are in competition, your physical game must be solid and be beyond needing to think about it to be successful. You will need to be able to make adjustments to your physical game to be able to change ball speed or release without really putting too much thought into it. You need to practice these adjustments on a regular basis to be successful. For instance, take several games of practice where you make a change in your speed or roll every four frames. This will give you experience in making those changes so that you can do this in mid-game in a competitive situation.

The ability to repeat shots and use different skills to control the motion of your ball down the lane and make consistent deliveries is the goal of developing your physical game.

The Mental Game

Your mental game must also be strong and consistent. You must be able to find a key, or focus point, that will allow you to focus on the shot immediately in front of you, and keep the distractions of score, money, prestige, or any other thoughts out of your head. You need to find a way to hit “autopilot”, or a method by which you are able to stay focused from one shot to the next, shot after shot, game after game. In other words, you need to be able to focus on the process without regard to the outcome.

Portions of your practices should include practicing your mental game. You should role play those situations in which you might feel anxious or unsure of yourself. Develop methods by which you begin to have success in practice, then remember this and carry it over into game situations. For instance, if you are struggling to make the key shot to win a match, play out this situation over and over again in practice, then try some deep breathing, visualization, or other techniques that will allow you to control your heart rate and breathing so that you will have a chance to succeed.

The ability to focus on the process, stay in the moment and stay calm under pressure are the goals of developing your mental game.

The Tactical Game

Finally, there is the tactical game, and you must be smart about your tactical play to succeed. You will first need to decide how you are going to play the lanes. What part of the lane will you start at? What ball will match best to this decision? As you practice, how many options did you look at before deciding on how to start the competition? Once you begin competition, how well are you able to anticipate the changes in the lane condition, and how quickly are you adjusting to the changing environment? Sometimes you need to be creative to get your best ball reaction on the lane. This leads to an attitude of making whatever adjustments you need, whenever you need to make the adjustment.

As you see the lane condition move through transition, make adjustments in how you play the lanes and learn what will work for you. If you don’t practice making adjustments, how will you be able to make these adjustments when it counts?  You can practice this even on a house shot by moving to a less favorable part of the lane with a less than optimal ball for that line.  This forces you to be more precise and use your physical skills to create optimum ball motion for the situation.

The goal of the tactical game is to learn when and why to make adjustments to your physical delivery, including the target line, equipment selection, ball speed and rotation.

How This Helps You

Work to build your ability to develop your own three phases of bowling by making your physical game consistent, keeping your mental game strong and reliable, and developing your tactical ability to make adjustments and anticipate changes. As your practice with the thoughts of this three-pronged approach to bowling, your results will be the reward for your hard work.