Attitude Is Everything

The enjoyment of life is largely dependent on your mental fitness.  A weakened mental attitude empties your life of it's strength.  One key quality it takes to be successful is mental fitness ... it may be everything.  This applies to every aspect of your life, and certainly in the sport of bowling.

One of the most overlooked aspects of bowling well is the mental game. Instead, most participants focus on how to perform the physical tasks involved with their sport. Regardless of the sport, having a focused frame of mind is crucial to consistent achievement.

In bowling, and in fact all sports, having a disciplined mindset is essential in achieving the full enjoyment of the sport. In fact, your mental attitude affects your confidence, your execution, your concentration, your comfort and the number of errors you make. Your mental game is of primary importance if you want to improve your scores and enjoyment of time spent in your sport.

You may not think about it, but your mental attitude is important not only while you are executing your approach and release, but before and afterward as well. Whatever causes you discomfort, distracts you, or troubles you directly affects your ability to perform.

How your clothing looks or feels, problems or distractions at home or work, what you ate and when you ate it, how your shoes feel, your ball condition, the temperature, lighting, noise, and most every aspect of your life affects how you will perform while bowling. And, how about that teammate, opponent, or irritating neighbor on the next lane. They are loud, obnoxious, or just plain irritating.  But this is life, and to be successful, your mental fitness plays an important role.  When they are successful in distracting you from your objectives, you lose.

So, what to do?  These issues are an everyday occurrence.  This is your opportunity to include stress in a way that strengthens your mental fitness.

Your mental attitude and focus are important to your enjoyment of life, your sport, and your ability to achieve consistently at a high level. True success in your sport results when you can perform day in and day out under all kinds of conditions

To be at your mental best:

Take nothing for granted. If you are not mentally prepared, something or someone, will knock you down.

Surround yourself with positive people.  Find people who inspire you, believe in you, and challenge you to excel.

Understand the power of discipline.  Self discipline strengthens your power to focus on the things that matter.  The sense of being cool, calm and collected strengthens your ability to achieve.  

Take pride in whatever bowling skills you can apply. The things you do well are the things you enjoy doing.

Take setbacks in stride. Don't brood over reverses; learn from them.  Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than others expect of you.

Make calculated adjustments. To win something, even if it's the battle within yourself, you must risk something.

Visualize and use imagery to help you plan ahead. Think out the shot before you step onto the approach make it. Make it part of your pre-shot routine.

Search out techniques to block out distractions, irritations, and mental burdens you bring to the game. You don’t bowl against the scores or performances of anyone. Bowl your own game, and not the irritations, distractions or pressures brought about by others.

Condition yourself for the long run. Just as any athlete stresses their body to enhance their strength, life stresses can enhance your mental fitness as you learn how to best resolve, control, or walk away.

Educate yourself, and brush off mental interferences. The tested can always take it.

You can do what you believe you can do if you prepare yourself ahead of time.