It depends, RevZilla. Are you someone who takes yourself way too seriously (e.g. insisting on 2-lane courtesy when the league is 1-lane, never smiling, getting mad at your teammates, etc.?). If that's the case then I probably wouldn't lose to you, because I LOVE beating bowlers who take themselves too seriously.
Otherwise I'd say it takes me one week, which is what it took for me to get over getting thumped by Mark Baker last year.
It didn't help that I was watching the tour that week and they flashed back to an old US Open telecast of Mark Baker in the title game. Then two days later I sub in my friend's match point league and guess who I'm bowling? Mark Baker.
I was a wreck. I was throwing the ball terrible, I was tight, I was squeezing the death out of my ball, and consequently I lost my first three games. Even Mark said something to me like "Relax". Then the last game Mark misses two or three 10-pins and I manage to beat him by 20 sticks, which taught me that he's human just like me. THAT was the best lesson I could learn - don't be intimidated by your opponent.
The following week I matched up against PBA Hall of Famer Barry Asher and we split four games. They were all great games -- we each had the lead and lost the game at the end, but they were all good games and I was confident and relaxed the whole time. Losing the week before made all the difference, because I recognized that I had lost to Mark Baker before I ever threw a ball.
Of course, next time I bowl Mark Baker he'll have a better night and kick my tail by 50 sticks a game, but that'll be another story!!
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You weren't unlucky when you left that corner pin, so shut up about it already!!
