The Power of a Pregame Checklist for Bowlers
Every bowler knows that preparation can make or break your performance on the lanes. One of the most effective tools to ensure you're ready to compete is a pregame checklist. This simple yet powerful habit keeps you focused, reduces pregame anxiety, and sets you up for success. Here’s how you can create your own pregame checklist to build consistency and confidence before every league night or tournament.
Why Use a Pregame Checklist?
A pregame checklist helps you:
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Organize Your Gear: Avoid last-minute panic over forgotten essentials.
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Center Your Mind: Shift focus to your process and away from distractions.
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Build a Routine: Create consistency in your preparation, which leads to consistent results.
What Should Your Checklist Include?
1. Equipment Check
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Bowling Balls: Ensure you have an arsenal with different shapes (includes surfaces too).
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Shoes and Accessories: Double-check you have your bowling shoes, slide soles, and traction heels.
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Bag Contents: Verify grips, tape, a shammy, and rosin or grip sack is packed.
2. Mental Preparation
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Pre-Shot Visualization: Spend 5-10 minutes visualizing yourself executing good shots. Picture your approach, release, and hitting the pocket.
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Mantras or Affirmations: Use phrases like "Trust my process" or "Stay steady under pressure" to anchor your mindset.
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Set Goals: Decide on 1-2 process-oriented goals (e.g., focusing on your line or posting your shot).
3. Physical Warm-Up
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Stretching: Loosen your shoulders, legs, and lower back to avoid injury and improve flexibility.
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Practice Shots: Use warm-up frames to find your line and assess lane conditions—don’t worry about scoring yet.
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Breathing Exercises: Take a few deep breaths to calm nerves and center yourself.
4. Lane Condition Assessment
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Observe the Shot Shape: Watch how other bowlers' balls react to identify dry or oily zones.
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Fine-Tune Your Strategy: Confirm your starting position, target arrows, and ball choice based on observations.
5. Nutrition and Hydration
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Snack Smart: Fuel up with light, energy-boosting snacks like nuts, bananas, or protein bars.
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Stay Hydrated: Drink water to maintain focus and avoid fatigue.
6. Positive Reflection
Before the first frame, remind yourself of past successes and why you love the game. Confidence grows when you focus on what’s within your control.
Keep your checklist handy—either on your phone or written in a small notebook stored in your bowling bag. Over time, you can adjust it to better suit your preferences and needs.
A pregame checklist isn’t just a tool—it’s a mindset. By being deliberate in your preparation, you eliminate doubts and distractions, allowing yourself to focus fully on your performance. Remember, preparation fuels confidence, and confidence drives success on the lanes.
Bowling Your Future Self into Reality
“If you want to change the future, start living as if you're already there.” This quote offers bowlers a powerful way to transform their game and mindset.
Picture your future self as the bowler you aspire to be: confident, consistent, and composed under pressure. Now ask yourself, how would that version of you prepare, practice, and perform? The key to reaching that vision isn’t waiting for it to magically happen—it’s aligning your actions and mindset today with the habits of your future self.
Here’s how to start bowling like your future self:
1. Practice Like a Champion
The bowler you want to become puts in deliberate, focused practice. Treat every session as an opportunity to refine your skills. Work on the details—targeting, release, footwork—as if you’re already competing at the highest level.
2. Adopt the Mindset of a Winner
Future-you doesn’t dwell on mistakes or let bad frames define the day. Start training your mind to recover quickly, stay positive, and focus on the next shot. A resilient mindset today builds the mental toughness you’ll rely on tomorrow.
3. Visualize Success
Top athletes often use visualization to connect with their future selves. Imagine your ideal performance vividly. How does it feel to throw a perfect strike? How do you handle pressure? Rehearsing success mentally helps you embody it physically.
4. Embrace Professional Habits
Your future self likely has consistent routines: warming up, analyzing lane conditions, and maintaining physical fitness. Begin integrating these habits into your game now. Preparation creates confidence, and confidence fuels success.
5. Celebrate Growth
Recognize that becoming your future self is a journey, not an overnight transformation. Celebrate small wins along the way—a solid practice session, a new personal best, or mastering a challenging spare. These victories are stepping stones to your ultimate goal.
By living as if you’ve already arrived, you align your present actions with your future aspirations. Each frame, each ball, each day becomes an investment in the bowler you’re destined to be. Your future isn’t something to wait for—it’s something to create, one shot at a time.
Persistence and Flexibility
Breakthroughs often come when you least expect them. The path to improvement is rarely a straight line—it’s full of twists, turns, and surprises. That’s why two traits are essential for success: persistence and flexibility.
Persistence means showing up consistently, putting in the work, and refusing to give up, even when results seem slow or setbacks arise. It’s easy to feel discouraged when you’re not seeing immediate progress, but remember, every practice session, every adjustment, and every shot builds a foundation for your future success.
Flexibility means being open to the unexpected. Maybe you’re chasing higher scores but instead discover a newfound ability to handle pressure. Or perhaps your goal is to perfect a specific release, but along the way, you unlock better lane-reading skills. These are victories you might not have anticipated but are equally valuable to your growth as a bowler.
The beauty of bowling is that success can show up in ways you didn’t plan for. Keep showing up. Stay open-minded. Trust the process. Success might not look exactly as you imagined, but it will come if you’re persistent and flexible enough to embrace it in any form.
Every time you step on the lanes, you’re one step closer to that breakthrough.
The Joy is in the Process: Embracing the Melody of Bowling
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “The end of a melody is not its goal.” This profound thought reminds us that the true beauty of any pursuit lies not in its conclusion, but in the journey itself.
As bowlers, it’s easy to fixate on scores, standings, or victories as the ultimate measure of success. But if we focus solely on the outcome, we risk missing the richness of the process that gets us there.
Think of bowling as a melody. Each practice session is a note, every adjustment is a chord, and each competition is a phrase in the song. Together, they create the music of your growth and experience. The final score may close one chapter, but it’s not the goal—it’s a single point in a much larger composition.
When you approach bowling with this mindset, every step becomes more meaningful. That strike feels satisfying not just because it adds to your score but because it reflects hours of practice. That spare pickup is rewarding because it shows resilience after a challenging frame. Even the splits and open frames have their place—they teach lessons, build character, and add complexity to your melody.
So the next time you lace up your shoes, shift your focus. Instead of chasing a single result, immerse yourself in the rhythm of your game. Appreciate the smooth release of the ball, the sound of pins falling, and the camaraderie of your teammates.
The melody of bowling is always playing. Don’t rush to the end—enjoy the music.
Follow-Through: A Key to Consistency and Character in Bowling
In bowling, as in many sports, the concept of follow-through is crucial for success. Your follow-through is the motion that continues after releasing the ball, completing the effort you started. It’s not just a physical action; it’s a reflection of your commitment to the process.
A proper follow-through ensures consistency in your release, which is essential for accuracy and repeatability. If you cut your motion short, you risk losing the power and precision you initiated during your approach. Just like in golf, where a complete follow-through influences ball contact and trajectory, your follow-through in bowling directly affects your shot’s outcome.
The idea of follow-through extends far beyond the lanes. It’s about finishing what you start, whether it’s keeping a promise to a teammate, sticking to your practice routine, or pursuing a personal goal. When you consistently follow through on your commitments, you build trust in yourself and with others. This reliability becomes a cornerstone of your character.
Here are a few tips to improve your follow-through on and off the lanes:
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Stay Focused on the Finish: Visualize your arm finishing high and steady toward your target after release. This ensures you’re not cutting off your motion prematurely.
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Commit to the Process: Whether it’s a swing, a goal, or a promise, see it through to completion. Half-hearted efforts rarely yield full results.
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Practice Mindfully: Incorporate drills that emphasize your follow-through, such as holding your pose after release to evaluate your form.
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Align Actions with Intentions: Make sure your actions reflect the goals you set. Consistency in follow-through builds confidence and trust in your abilities.
Follow-through is more than a technique; it’s a mindset. It shows determination and resilience, two traits that not only elevate your performance on the lanes but also define your character off them. When you commit to finishing strong in every aspect of life, you pave the way for consistent growth and success.
So next time you step up to the approach, remember: your follow-through is not just the end of your swing—it’s the completion of your commitment. Finish strong, every time.
Perform Under Pressure
Let’s be real—pressure is part of competitive bowling. But how would you rate your ability to handle it? If you feel like pressure negatively impacts your game, then it’s time to dig deeper and understand what pressure is and how you can manage it effectively.
Pressure happens when you feel the need to perform at a high level because the stakes feel meaningful. When you believe the outcome will have significant consequences, that’s when the pressure rises. Imagine being up against your biggest rival in the final frames, with the chance to win a tournament on the line. Those moments create high-stakes situations, and if you let them get to you, they can quickly feel overwhelming.
To perform well under pressure, keep it manageable. Here’s how:
To perform well under pressure, keep it manageable. Here’s how:
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Check Your Expectations – Be mindful of what expectations you’re carrying. Set realistic goals and let go of excessive pressure.
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Focus on the Present – Concentrate on one shot at a time. Stay fully engaged in each shot and let go of what’s beyond your control.
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Reset Between Frames – After each shot, take a breath, reset, and approach the next frame with a fresh mindset.
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Reframe Challenges – Instead of fearing high-stakes moments, see them as chances to grow your mental game.
Pressure doesn’t have to hurt your performance. With the right mindset, you can handle high-stakes frames with confidence and composure. So next time you’re under pressure, breathe, reset, and focus on the shot in front of you.
Relaxation & Freedom
In competitive bowling, feeling relaxed and free can make all the difference. Tension leads to overthinking and self-doubt, while a calm mindset allows your body to perform smoothly, letting your muscle memory take over.
A relaxed approach doesn’t mean less focus; it means removing mental clutter and trusting your game. When you bowl with freedom, you’re not trying “not to mess up”—you’re letting yourself play without fear, which leads to better shots.
Quick Techniques for Staying Relaxed
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Breathing Exercises: Deep breaths before each shot can lower your heart rate and refocus your mind.
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Visualization: Picture yourself making a great shot to build confidence and reduce anxiety.
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Positive Self-Talk: Replace “Don’t miss” with “Trust this shot” to create a supportive mindset.
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Routine: A consistent pre-shot routine helps center you, making it easier to bowl without hesitation.
Rigid expectations can increase pressure. Instead, focus on small, process-based goals like smooth releases and consistent follow-throughs. These simple goals help you bowl freely without the burden of perfection.
Relaxation and freedom are essential to performing your best. Use breathing, visualization, positive self-talk, and routines to stay calm, and keep your focus on process, not perfection. The more relaxed and free you feel, the better your game will flow.
Falling Out of Love with Bowling
We all know the feeling: the game that once brought us so much joy suddenly feels like a chore. That’s exactly what happened to Tom, who found himself stuck in a bowling slump that drained the enjoyment out of every game.
For months, Tom struggled on the lanes. His shots were inconsistent, his spares elusive, and every frame felt like a battle. The frustration built up until one day, after yet another league outing, Tom decided to put his bowling ball away. He wasn’t sure if he would ever pick it up again.
But deep down, Tom knew he still loved bowling. He just needed to find that spark again. So, instead of quitting entirely, he took a different approach. He went back to basics.
Tom started with something simple: journaling. He began writing down his thoughts after each game—not just about his performance, but about how he felt before, during, and after he played. He noted what made him happy, what frustrated him, and what he missed about the sport. It wasn’t about scores or stats, but about reconnecting with why he started bowling in the first place.
Slowly, Tom began to see patterns in his writing. He realized that the pressure he put on himself to perform was overshadowing his love for the game. He remembered the thrill of a perfect strike, the satisfaction of a clean spare, and the camaraderie with fellow bowlers.
Armed with these insights, Tom made some changes. He started focusing less on his score and more on the experience of playing. He practiced with purpose but didn’t overthink his technique. He even took a few lessons to refine his fundamentals, approaching them with the curiosity of a beginner.
And gradually, the slump lifted. Tom’s game improved—not because he was chasing a perfect score, but because he was enjoying himself again. The passion was back, and with it, his performance naturally followed.
Tom’s story is a reminder that sometimes, the best way to move forward is to take a step back. By reconnecting with the simple joys of bowling, he found his way out of the slump and rediscovered why he loves the game. So, the next time you find yourself frustrated on the lanes, take a moment to remember why you started bowling.
How Many Times Have You Failed?
As a player and coach, I’ve seen and experienced it all – great and poor shots, stellar league nights and awful results at league, leaving a tournament as the champion and also leaving a tournament wondering if I knew how to compete, a gutter ball on national television, and everything in between. Bowling is a journey filled with highs and lows. To play any game, you have to start. To win, you need to keep going. If you want to make your dreams come true, get ready for the long game.
Failure and adversity are part of this journey. As we have discussed in previous WTD's, They are not roadblocks but stepping stones to success. Life isn't a one-and-done deal. You’ve got to work for what you want. Think about the game Angry Birds. Rovio, the brand that created it, launched 51 unsuccessful games before they developed the hit. Or consider The Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, who auditioned nearly 600 times before landing his first role. Even the legendary Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. James Dyson, the inventor of the Dyson vacuum, created 5,127 prototypes before perfecting his design. And Picasso? He produced over 50,000 works of art, yet only about 100 are widely recognized as masterpieces.
These examples show that success is a numbers game. The more you try, the more likely you are to succeed. The same applies to bowling. You need to embrace each shot, each event, as an opportunity to learn and grow. Failure is not a setback; it's a setup for a comeback.
So, think about what you really want to achieve in bowling. What’s the one thing you’re aiming for in this phase of your bowling career? Haven’t hit that goal yet? Perfect. You’re on the right path. Every missed pin, every tough game, is bringing you closer to success.
Remember, it’s not about avoiding failure; it’s about using it as a tool for growth. Embrace the journey, stay persistent, and keep enjoying every moment. Your success story is being written, one shot at a time.
Your Top 10
For those who have grown up believing that focusing on your mistakes and imperfections is the key to success, it’s time to rethink that approach. How well is this mindset working for you? Are you gaining confidence daily, regardless of setbacks? To borrow from Bob Rotella’s book, Your 15th Club, "Is your present way of thinking consistent with the level of success you’d like to achieve? Does it help you discover how good you could be? And do you dare to change it?" Let’s take that dare! Start managing your memories and depositing as much ‘confidence’ as possible into your mental bank account.
EXERCISE: YOUR TOP TEN
One of my favorite exercises from this chapter is called “Your Top Ten.” Here’s how it works:
- Grab a Piece of Paper: Put your name at the top.
- Write Down Your Top Ten: List the ten things you’re most proud of in your bowling career.
- Polish Those Jewels: Reflect on these memories, and let their brilliance inspire you.
- Set Your Next Big Goal: Write down your next major goal at the bottom of the page. Visualize how your past successes can fuel your future achievements.
- Display Your Hero Bars: Put this list somewhere you can see it every day to keep you motivated and focused.
This exercise isn’t just a mental boost; it’s a powerful reminder of your capabilities and potential. When you feel inspired, go ahead and complete this exercise. If you don’t feel inspired, that’s all the more reason to do it now!
Start building your mental bank account today and watch your confidence—and your bowling performance—soar.