Find The Groove
You can have the best game plan in the world, but things don’t always go as planned.
Getting into a rhythm early in a game of a bowling competition is critical for bowlers. Some days though, things may be a little off. The environment on the lanes might be challenging, the approaches tacky or slippery, the thumb hole in between sizes, etc.
In some bowling competitions, you just don’t feel right. In those instances, it may take a few or many shots to get into the flow of the event.
However, starting slowly may be costly early in the bowling event. Giving up pins early in the event may make it more difficult to find your groove.
For example, when you start slowly, you start thinking, “If I don’t start getting lined up quickly, I’m going to dig myself a hole that I can’t get out of.” You feel a little more anxious and tense on the approach.
You grip the ball a little tighter and try too hard to make perfect shots instead of focusing on your process (the 4 quadrants). You try to force yourself into a groove instead of relaxing and letting the game come to you.
Finding your groove is not a physical adjustment but a mental fine-tuning. Getting into the flow on the approach is based on three mental aspects:
1. Think less– Having long internal conversations complicate mechanics. The key is to step out of your head and immerse yourself in the game. To be succinct, just make the shot instead of thinking about how you should make the shot.
2. Focus on the present shot - Bowlers sometimes fall into the trap of outcome thinking: “If I pull another shot inside of my target, I will split again.” “I’m going to shoot another bad game.” The only thing that matters is the present.
3. Release physical and mental tension – Forcing yourself to make great shots and/or striking never works. Fluid mechanics and accuracy result from minimizing distractions and releasing mental and physical tension.
Focusing on the four quadrants that we have discussed on Mental Monday will help you settle your thoughts and find your tempo.
Getting into a physical rhythm will help clear your mind and immerse you in the game.
Look for signs the momentum is in your favor.
Hunt Your Way
In an interview with LeBron James in ESPN the Magazine LeBron was asked by ESPN the Magazine’s Chris Broussard about the media’s portrayal of his lack of a killer instinct despite his incredible success. His response was very insightful referencing the animal shows that he watches on the Discovery Channel. LeBron explained like animals, athletes hunt differently as it relates to obtaining prey or in sports, attempting to dominate an athletic competition.
LeBron said the following:
“I’ll just put it this way, man. There are different ways to hunt. I watch the Discovery Channel all the time, and you look at all these animals in the wild. And they all hunt a different way to feed their families. They all kill a different way. Lions do it strategically — two females will lead, and then everybody else will come in. Hyenas will just go for it. There are different ways to kill, and I don’t think people understand that. People want everybody to kill the same way. Fans want me to kill like MJ or kill like Kobe. Magic didn’t kill the way they killed. Does that mean he didn’t have a killer instinct? Kareem didn’t either. But does that mean Kareem didn’t have a killer instinct? The same with Bird. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a killer instinct. Tim Duncan don’t kill like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but I’ve played against Tim Duncan twice in the Finals and I know for sure he’s got a killer instinct.”
We can learn a lot from this mindset. While we are coached to have a killer instinct and get after our opponent or finish off a bowling competition, not everyone approaches this the same way. As athletes we need to be mindful of individual differences and make sure we stay within ourselves and understand our self-image to achieve success. Thanks LeBron
Hunt your way to Win the Day!
Hunt your way to Win the Day!
WIN
WIN is an acronym for What’s Important Now. This acronym is used by sport psychologists and performance coaches to help athletes stay focused on the most important thing in the present moment. By reminding yourself to WIN you begin to focus on the next shot, and not on the most recent blunder, mistake, or future shot, etc.
The WIN approach works like this:
Before each shot or if you find your mind wandering tell yourself to WIN. Take a deep breath, quickly review the situation, think about what you need to execute and visualize yourself being successful. Consider the steps or process and not the outcome. If you focus on the process, the outcome will take care of itself.
Keep your head and feet in the same spot to Win the Day!
Learn How To Visualize
Some of you have reached out about Chevreul’s Pendulum. I think it is a great exercise to develop improved visualization skills for mental recall and mental rehearsal. This practice can have a dramatic effect on improving your overall bowling performance. It was a game changer in my career!
Sit in a chair and grasp the pendulum between your thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand. Rest your elbow on your leg with the pendulum handing down about ten inches from your hand. See Figure 2-1. (You can make your own pendulum by tying a ring to a string.)
While keeping your eyes open and watching the pendulum, focus your attention on the exhalation phase of your breathing rhythm and allow your body to relax…
Watch the pendulum closely and remain relaxed, but picture in your own mind the pendulum swinging freely toward you and away from you (Figure 2-2). After 10 to 20 seconds the pendulum will begin to swing in this direction without you consciously moving it.
Now imagine or visualize the pendulum changing directions and swinging from side to side (from C to D in Figure 2-2). Visualize this in your mind (with the eyes open and watching the pendulum) until the pendulum begins moving in this direction.
After it’s swinging freely in this direction, imagine it moving in a circle in a clockwise direction until the pendulum moves in the circle. Then take a deep breath, and flex and stretch as you complete the exercise.
When doing Chevreul’s pendulum, the pendulum changes directions as you visualize the change yet you are not consciously making it move. What is actually taking place is an unconscious response which is called subliminal motor movement. The muscles of the arm are contracting in the same sequence as if you are consciously moving the pendulum. But what is actually happening is happening on a subconscious level. You are thinking about the movement – and visualizing it – but the movements are taking place on a subliminal level which is too minor to perceive. The hand and fingers may not be moving enough to be seen. However, the length of the pendulum chain magnifies the movement so we can see it.
When doing mental practice to improve a specific bowling skill such as your swing, footwork, release, you are imprinting your mind, the nervous system and the muscular system with the proper blueprint of how to do the skill. As long as you visualize the movement from your own eyes – from within – and feel what is taking place within the body as well as visualize the end result such as the bowling ball following the perfect ball path down the lane, the body will actually perform the exact motions needed to achieve the end result; but the body will do so on a subliminal level.
Your Personal Philosophy
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t set outcome goals. I think you should know what you are working towards, why and how you are going to achieve it. Time is precious and we need a plan to allocate our time most effectively. Goals can be inspiring and motivate us to put in the effort each day.
However, if the only goals we have are results based goals, there are drawbacks to the approach, such as:
1. It takes us away from the present
2. We can tie our identity in with the achievement of the goal
3. It can cause frustration and a loss of motivation if you don’t achieve them
4. It can leave a hole once we achieve them
A Better Approach To Goal Setting: Living by A Personal Philosophy
An outcome goals approach should be combined with a values-based approach. Values are unlike outcome goals in that we don’t achieve them, instead we live by them.
When I begin working with a bowler and ask them the question “Why do you bowl? What are your goals in bowling?”, more often than not I get a list of tournaments they would like to win or “to become a Tour player”. To be honest I find the most refreshing answer to be “I love the game and I just want to keep getting better”.
A values-based approach to goal setting will make your outcome goals in line with the bowler or person that you want to bring to each day (in the present), rather than chasing results in the future.
Don’t get me wrong, choosing value-based goals doesn’t mean that you want to be a great bowler any less than you currently do. If I was to say to my elite players, “score doesn’t matter, success is about values”, they might take issue with it. My view is that if you keep living by the philosophy of being a better human and a better athlete, you will improve and bring these more commonly thought of measures of success (tournament wins, higher average, etc.) closer towards you.
Let’s turn the goal setting process upside down. Instead of thinking about the outcomes you want to achieve - let’s think about the values and purpose first (that will really make you feel more fulfilled) and set outcome goals that support you developing those values. This means that every thought and action that you take will be in accordance with those values. Let’s find a deeper purpose for bowling than making this the year that you win your league championship, local scratch tournament, USBC Eagle or professional tournament. Results will come and go but values will stand that test of time.
Being an extraordinary human being should be your number one goal. Who is the person/bowler that you want to be? What is the philosophy that you want to live each day, game, tournament and practice session by? Write it down. Here are a few examples of values: curiosity, focus, integrity, acceptance, growth mindset, work ethic, kindness, being class on and off the lanes, compassion, preparedness, gratitude, patience.
Put together a statement which encompasses the values that you want to uphold and do so in every day and every game you bowl. You always win when you live by your personal philosophy no matter how you bowl or how the day goes. Winning trophies and tournaments is great but developing values is the most rewarding thing we can take from the sport of bowling.
Develop your personal philosophy today to Win the Day!
Develop your personal philosophy today to Win the Day!
Building Muscle Memory
A second way in which a solid mental game plan augments bowling performance is through the influence it has on your neuromuscular system. Vivid mental images actually enhance muscle memory. Your body responds to the image in your mind, not only at the muscular level but also in the nervous system. When you visualize a movement, you map a neuromuscular pattern that will increase the chance of repeating the movement you imagined. The process is called subliminal motor movement. We’ve discussed the power of visualization on many Mental Monday’s.
This powerful concept can bring you consistent bowling performance or cause inconsistent performance if you don’t take control of it. To demonstrate just how sensitive subliminal motor movement can be, take time now to watch the video clip on Chevruel’s Pendulum. Dr. Jack Curtis practiced this technique with me on my very first visit 30 years ago and from that moment on have realized the power of the mental game. This technique emphasizes the mind/body connection and illustrates how visualization, regardless of where you do it, can improve or hinder performance in the bowling center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxoP4zKbZ74
Start using visualization to Win the Day!
Start using visualization to Win the Day!
Potential vs. Performance
The graphic I included in today's blog is a simple diagram that illustrates how potential - your God given talent - is prevented from being released. On the top , Line A represents your potential. Below that, Line B indicates the false ceiling that prevents you from reaching your potential.
This invisible ceiling is what you must break through to bowl up to your potential. So what is this false ceiling? What is it made of? One word: beliefs. What's holding you back are the false beliefs you've developed over the years. These beliefs shape your current habits, attitudes, behaviors and expectations - all of which combine to make up you self-concept. It's these beliefs that cap your performance and prevent you from bowling up to your potential. No matter what you do, you can't outbowl these inner beliefs, your self-concept. But you can change it, and you must change it before you can permanently expand your success zone.
The goal of the mental game is to raise the invisible ceiling and close the gap between your potential and your performance.
Start closing the gap today to Win the Day!
This invisible ceiling is what you must break through to bowl up to your potential. So what is this false ceiling? What is it made of? One word: beliefs. What's holding you back are the false beliefs you've developed over the years. These beliefs shape your current habits, attitudes, behaviors and expectations - all of which combine to make up you self-concept. It's these beliefs that cap your performance and prevent you from bowling up to your potential. No matter what you do, you can't outbowl these inner beliefs, your self-concept. But you can change it, and you must change it before you can permanently expand your success zone.
The goal of the mental game is to raise the invisible ceiling and close the gap between your potential and your performance.
Start closing the gap today to Win the Day!
Falling Short of Your Potential
We have all fallen short of fulfilling our potential. Regardless of how successful you've been, at some time during your career, you've been frustrated because you know you haven't bowled up to you potential. You know you have the talent to bowl at a higher level, and you've done everything imaginable to unleash your talent.
You have set goals and outworked you teammates and competitors. You're driven and have the passion and the desire to be great. You get "locked in" for short periods or maybe even for extended periods, but you can't sustain that momentum. You constantly tweak your bowling game - but at the end of the day (or the year), the results are the same. You've seen other bowlers with less talent excel. They seem to get all the breaks and all the accolades. It's as if your foot is on the gas and you're revving your engine - but it feels like the parking brake is on. How do you release it?
The process is not as daunting as you might imagine. You won't even need to make any major changes - only a slight shift in your approach.
You've been successful because 95 to 98 percent of your behavior has been correct. Those skills go you where you are today. It's the behaviors that fall into the remaining 2 to 5 percent that have placed a false ceiling on your talent, thus capping your success. It is only the small percent of your behaviors that needs to be identified and addressed.
We're not talking about making major changes. You don't need a complete makeover. What I'm suggesting is that you make minor changes MENTALLY, much like you do when you are tweaking your swing, footwork, etc. It's these minor changes that can make a major difference in your results.
Make a small mental change to Win the Day!
Attainment
If you want to reach the top level of your bowling ability, you must focus on attainment.
Becoming great at what you do doesn’t stop at learning the craft of bowling. Attainment means mastering your craft, being able to focus consistently in pressure situations, having the confidence that you can succeed, and setting and reaching your goals.
If you focus on the success points, build on your ability and incorporate these strategies in your plan, success becomes probable, not just possible.
Keep mastering your craft to Win the Day!
Relentless Focus
Jason Selk is one of the world’s leading mental toughness coaches. He tells us that the best among us athletes have a “relentless solution focus.”
Here’s the game he tells his elite athletes to play:
When something goes sideways, give yourself 60 seconds (that’s it! 60 seconds!) to feel bad about it, blame someone for it, etc.
60 seconds. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
DING!
Whining over.
Now, it’s time to find a SOLUTION to your problem.
You don’t need to solve the whole thing—and you shouldn’t try to. Just find one TINY thing you can do right now that would move you forward in a positive, constructive direction.
So… What’s your #1 bowling stressor right now?
Give yourself 60 seconds to whine/complain. Find something Tiny that moves you forward and move on.
Be Relentless to Win the Day!