Personally I don't see anything wrong with the guy in the hat! When I've shot mine I didn't change what I normally did with my teammates! I think it helps you to stay loose when you do that instead of everybody not saying anything and stops bowling to watch! Just my $.02, Bruce
I'd agree with this here, especially if they were talking about something non-bowling related. That way, it doesn't make your friend start to 'think' about that next shot. That's where the problems and demons come in. You could stay distracted by something else, especially if that something else keeps you loose to where you just execute. Thinking about it invites hesitation/anxiety. The best antidote for that is to turn the brain off or get it off of that thinking.
That's why I've always said that my best 300 (my first) was in the middle of a tornado warning. After my 9th, 10th, and 11th, I always went to the door to see if it was starting to rain or look for a funnel cloud. It got my mind off bowling, plus allowed me to take my time and calm the nerves. Plus it helped me to gauge how much time I had before power would go off at the alley, invalidating the entire game! Luckily it didn't, and I pured the 12th, which went along with the 11, the previous 6 before that and the 7 afterward.
So sometimes that distraction helps, especially if it is not about your next shot.
BL.
