Guys, I don't know how to really put this in to words. Is it a mental thing, the competition I'm facing or what?  But, I find myself bowling harder and being more focus, when I'm bowling against real competition that bowls extremely well.  Then there are times I find myself bowling against bowlers, who are not much of any competition and I tend to be less focused.  

Well, my question to all of you guys are how do you keep yourself motivated to bowl at the peak of your game when the competition is not there;  Whether it's bowling on scratch and/or handicap leagues, or while practicing on a pair of lanes by yourself? What are your strategies and mental thoughts to keep yourself motivated to perform at your best as in the little cliché, "bringing your "A" game"?

--------------------
2010 is the first time joining a league since 1999.  Over a 10 year lay off and haven''t lost much of my game.   This year currently HG-279, HS-733.

If your motivation is external (I want to beat that guy) rather than internal (I want to do as well as I can) you're always going to be limited by what that guy does.

I know it sounds like a bit of a truism, but you can't control what your opponent does. All you can do is make the best shots and choices you can and hope that you make better shots and choices than the next guy. It sounds like as much of a cliche as "bringing your A game" and that's because it is.

When I get ready to bowl, I aim to put in the best performance possible. The reason why it's easy to lose focus against a less-skilled player is our perception that we don't have to be as good to beat them. Again, if you derive your motivation from your relative performance, you'll aim to do "just enough", rather than "as much as you can".
--------------------
Reporting from England

My personal experience, too, is that I play rather well when I am in a "real" tournament situation, esp. when playing with the "big guys". I think it is for some part the "seriousness" of the whole situation and the flow of action, but also the sportmanship atmosphere. Everyone is trying his/her best, and this is somehow pulling me along.

League is different, because I get to see the same faces a couple of weeks. You get to know each other, and while everyone is trying to mplay well, the atmosphere is much different - at least in the lower divisions where I normally play.

From another point of view, I found that for any bowling occasion, finding a good flow and read from the lanes helps me a lot to get into the "zone". It is - among other features - a situation when I can play effortlessly, when game adjustments come natural. For me, this is or feels very "businesslike" and can hardly be forced, but it occurs, esp. in tournament situations where I think the overall atmosphere is beneficial - more than a dozen kids on the neighboring lane having a good time, or what they think it is.
--------------------
DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

I try to stick to that boys scout motto "always be prepared". No matter who I'm up against, I keep my mental focus as high as I can without being overconfident but at the same time not thinking about the bad things. Just keeping it in a zone that I can do my best to perform.