I know how you get over it in terms of score. I mean how do you get over the feeling of having failed [again] to bowl that elusive 300?

It was just practice and there was no money or anything else at stake. Just my ego.  But for the 3rd time in less than 2 years (had 298 twice), I had the first eleven, and did not execute the twelfth shot correctly.  By "correctly" I mean just delivering the ball again without thinking. Instead.... I was trying NOT to do anything wrong. Trying NOT to throw too fast or too slow, too long or too short, etc...

I WAS much less nervous than the first two times. In fact ---- I wasn't nervous at all. I was a little tense on the 10th and 11th shots, but actually felt very calm and very much in control before delivering the last ball. But despite the calmness, I was THINKING again. Thinking about how this was so cool and that maybe this time I would do it.  If only I kept everything the same. But of course the meer fact that I was thinking was a huge change. Thinking was BAD, and thinking was enough to cause me to yank the ball just a little, resulting in a kind a part high, part light Brooklyn hit, and leaving a single pin. Not sure which.  Something on the right side toward the middle.  Maybe even the 3 pin, or the 6 pin.  

If I were some newbie or kid, I could look at this as a stepping stone. But I'm in my 50's and nearing not the end of my bowling life, but close to the end of bowling my current style which is basically high speed, low revs. Soon, I will be forced to adjust to a more old-man's finesse style, and may even be MORE successful in the long run. But that will take time. I wanted my 300 NOW!!! Before the transitional period begins with it's likely downturn in production.

The worst part is that there were several relatively inexperienced bowlers around who had started to notice, and they were very excited FOR me about the 299.  To THEM, it was a thrill. To me, the thrill morphed into a disappointment and not getting the 300. And it would have been ok if I had thrown as good as shot as the first 11, and the pin just failed to fall. But frankly... I got what I deserved cause the last ball simply wasn't delivered as well. It almost was through the nose, but getting a split and ending with a 297 or 298 wouldn't have felt any different to me than the 299 does.

So all these people are congratulating me and thanking me for the entertainment side of it, and I AM being gracious and humble (humble was easy... I felt like a bum for failing), but inside I am kicking myself and can't wait to get out of the bowling alley. Hours later it still irks me.

Oh well... I guess the lack of nervousness is a plus. This miss was more one of stupidity, or loss of concentration, whereas the two 298's were clearly a result of nerves.

Anyway... sorry if it seems I'm whining. Just had to share with people who are bowlers and even if they disagree with my perspective, can understand it.  Talking to non-bowlers in a case like this never helps.

Ill tell you this you were thinking. Your nerves got the best of you. When its time you will throw a 300.  I use 2 feel the same way. I have thrown 2 300 games just this summer in practice. 1 just last night. You have 2 just throw the same shot you threw on the first 9 shots. Don't think about how cool it would be. Most of all don't think about it. Last night we were joking around and having a good time. My driller was with me talking my ear off on the 12th ball about be calm blah blah stuff like that. Didn't even think about the shot just let it roll. When the time is right and pins go ur way you will throw it. After you get ur first then more will come. Main thing I can say is don't think

It will just make it that much sweeter when you reach perfection.

If you get up in the 10th, 11th or 12th and start "thinking" the next time, just set the ball back on the return and re-start your pre-shot routine as you normally would.
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Well my final shot [in this situation] is at least getting less bad, so maybe I can measure improvement that way. In addition to being less nervous---or not nervous at all--- the last shot was not proclaimed by me to be a choke shot until it was further down the lane.

What I mean by that is in the 298 games, I knew very soon after the ball left my hand that the last shot was off target.  In contrast, the last shot of yesterday's game was clearly off, but even so, it was close enough to what it should have been to still have a chance. I could see it was going to miss the pocket and heading for either the head pin dead on, or Brooklyn, but depending on the angle and how good of a mixer it was, there was still a chance for a sloppy strike. After the main hit, the 8 pin fell late, and there was still some pins rolling around the deck, one of which almost took out the 3 or 6 pin (whichever it was---probably the 6).

So the suspense lasted a little longer, and contrary to the strong urge to swear and cuss at the top of my lungs after throwing the 298's, this time it was more one of mild disappointment, and some [misplaced?] confidence that I would "be back" like Arnold in the Terminator. But as time went by in the evening, and I had no bowlers to talk to, I started to remember how seldom the first 11 fall even when you are really good, and was becoming kind of depressed.  Kind of a delayed reaction.

Anyway, thanks for the advice and for the opportunity to vent here.  I'm not AS upset as I was with the 298's, and it was just practice, and it is my new career high game. And now.... it is mathematically impossible for me to improve on my best game ever without bowling a 300 !!!!

:-)

HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD 3    299 GAMES AND WHILE IN PRACTICE HAD THE FIRST ELEVEN.HE WASNT GOING TO WASTE A 300 ,,HIS FIRST,,IN PRACTICE SO HE PACKED UP HIS GEAR AND WALKED OUT..........ELEVEN STILL SITTING THERE............LOL
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take it and learn from it i had 3 299's a 298,297 before i got my first. my friends dad put it in the best terms keep your routine if you have been throwing then go set down and take a drink then go get a drink between balls laugh talk take your mind off the 12th ball just go up and repeate the shot. now when i get to the 10th i throw a ball go take a drink of water or beer whatever i am drinking at that time turn around and go threw it again. another thing if you throw a good ball and just get tapped then be glad at least you threw a good ball now if ya go brooklyn and leave a 5 pin(i did my first 299) then you can set down and evaluate what happened and why you missed. If any of this helps your welcome if it doesn't sorry

I've never been in that position to shoot a 300, but it took a lot of time to get past the nerves for my first 600 and 700.  I had a bunch of 580+ sets and quite a few 670+ sets before I broke through.  Always thinking "I need XXX this game to get that series" and shooting XXX-20.   "I just need one more mark in the ninth or tenth frame to seal it up" and missing a 10-pin or throwing a bad shot to leave a washout or split.

What did it for me was the realization that I am good enough to make it, that it's not that I not good enough to shoot a 200 game or a 230 game.  It's in my head and even if I blow it this time, I'll have another chance in a few weeks or a few months.  This ain't the only time I'll have 420 or 500 going into the third game.  I'll get another chance, just be patient.

And when I did shoot that 600, I blew it out of the water.  656.  Not 605 with a 180 last game.  Overthinking it will always get you.  If it's your night, it's your night and you don't need that stupid brain to tell you what to do.

SH