I suddenly find myself caught in a mental slump, one that I haven't experienced quite like this before.  I've usually been one to make a good shot when I need it, but over the last two or three weeks my shot making has gone in the toilet when it has come to closing games out.  Why do I say this? Over the last two weeks I have had these three games where I started very strong and completely fell apart over the final few frames:

Front six - 222
Front seven - 226
Front five - 210

All 3 games were in situations where a significant amount of money could have been won, but this type of pressure hasn't stopped me from making good shots and closing out games before.  For those who have gone through something like this,  do you have any recommendations to get out of this funk?  I stick to my pre-shot routine, it just seems that everything falls apart at the foul line.  Thanks for your help.

what I find helps when I've hit a streak like that, it to repeat to myself, one frame at time, and really slow up every aspect of my pre-shot ritual.  A little longer getting the ball comfortable in the hand, double checking my positioning on the approach, and double visualizing the shot.

Basically, it's totally clearing the mind, focusing on that shot only as if it's the first frame of a game.  Nothing before it matters, and nothing after does either because if you screw up the first, you can still easily shoot a nice score.

Of course, I have another friend to starts to chant ten pin and it seems to allowing him to foucs better.

All of your thinking needs to be done before you hit the approach. Many times I see bowlers that are clearly letting their mind overpower their body as they go into their approach and then they don't hit their mark or easily miss a spare. My father in law (who I've reintroduced to bowling after a decade away) tells me that this aspect of the game (just doing, not overthinking) probably costs him at least 20-30 pins a game.

If you can string them at the beginning of a game, you can do the same at the end of the game. Really focus on what is working well in the early frames and then repeat those frames- and I agree with everyone who says look at the game as one frame at a time. You can't put together an honor score without filling every frame to the best of your ability.

Matt

Great advice you guys.  One thing I'd like to add is something I learned in baseball.  I had a really good coach back in the day.

He told us that we play like we practice.  If we have loose practices and don't concentrate real hard, then generally we won't be sharp when it's crunch time.  It may be difficult to keep this concentration level up, but practice makes perfect.  Each frame IS in fact the most important frame in the world...at the point you are facing that frame.  Once you have completed a frame, it no longer matters as the current frame becomes the most important.  I believe Lou Holtz also teaches this to his football players.  If you put a lof of pressure on yourself ALL the time, even in practice, then when the real pressure comes you'll be used to it!

It is healthy to occassionally just go out and toss the ball without any worry.  You'll know when you need a day like that.
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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"