I don't know what's going on. I feel like I have had my worst season this year. I had been on the rise as far as accuracy goes, but now I've fallen back 7 pins of my yearbook. I'm not talking a 237 to 230, but a 196 to 188. I know this is just one more mark per game, but it has been very discouraging nonetheless. I haven't been any kind of consistent with scoring, lining up, making shots, converting spares, or anything. The only thing I can think of that I'm doing well with is converting 10 pins. That aspect is better than ever for me this season.

I have thought of excuses and other things, but the only thing I can think of is that I dialed back to one night a week this year and I haven't had time to really bowl a lot. This is definitely not an equipment issue as I've used the same stuff for the last three years. I am inconsistent and it's cost me and my team a lot of points. I feel like I should be getting better, not worse.

I hate the fact that I'm complaining and whining to a bunch of other people who have been in my shoes, but I know that everyone goes through slumps and the like.

I know my physical game is directly affected by my mental game. My physical game is not that bad, but my concentration and the like is affecting me adversely.

Any ideas on how to work on my mental game?

I too am working out of a big slump of about 10-15 pins.  I'm slowly working my way out of it now and it's because I'm putting my mental focus on basic things.  I have found that if I focus on simple timing things at the beginning of my approach and trust that everything else will fall into place has allowed me to be more focused on repeating shots.  What's funny about my slump is that I'm a better spare shooter especially at 10 pins then I have ever been but when you toss ~2 big splits a game it hurts.  Over the last 3 weeks I have just told myself to trust my shot better and I can see a major improvement.  Good Luck to you.

I think you just answered the problem. When it stops being fun your ability to focus and relax goes away. Those are the 2 most important things for my game. I've stopped having fun for the last 2 years and have gotten to where i only enjoy the technical side of the game and while i have physically gotten better my average has gone down. When I'm having fun i bowl well and when I'm not having fun i bowl bad and then i have even less fun.....

I am in a very similar situation like you. I started this season with a 212 average and have been slowly dropping. I stabilized at 208 for about a month then without warning I high a brick wall and my average dropped for 2.5 months straight from 208 down to 196. I don't really care about the dropping average as it's going to be whatever it is all I cared about was to just close out frames. Worked on relaxing my swing which it's decent. I normally bowl 1 every week league and an every other sunday league which I'm not doing this year. I also don't really get out to practice at all which I know is having an effect.

I retired 1 older ball and bought a new one to replace it then last week I started practicing and already saw positive feed back in league shooting 648. Highest series in over 3.5 months! I'm gonna start practicing every other week starting next week.

Practice was key for me, plus changing pro shops with getting a new ball found a couple issues that could have helped trigger my current slump.

Practice and do yourself a favor, have your hand measured and compare it to your current equipment. I thought my hand was done growing so I didn't check my span in the last 3-4 years, either that or every time I had another ball drilled the old pro shop driller was making each new span slightly smaller.

Just to kind of relate even more to what you said at the end of your post about 1 good night can really change how the rest of the season goes. Your absolutely right on about that. While last night I shot 597 for the night I felt good all night, I was slightly over average for the night but still over average. Last night I had the most pin carry I've had in what seems like FOREVER!!!

5 examples:

#1 1st game 10th frame Shot got a bit wide and left me the 1-2-4-10 washout. Shot the spare just going for the 1-2-4, some how the 2 pin went in to the pit and bounced back out to take out the 10 pin.

#2 2nd shot of the 2nd frame. I was shooting at the 4-7-9. Again had a pin bounce back out of the pit to convert the spare.

#3 8th frame shooting at the big 4 split. Went for the 4-7 and again bounced a pin from out of the pit to convert.

#4 1st shot in the 3rd game pocket 7-10 but wait, mega rocket messenger nails the 10 pin then retained enough energy and went back across the lane for the 7 pin! Never in my life have I ever done that!

#5 1st shot in the 10th, tad high, 4-10 split. Hit the 4 pin really thin, slid in front of the ten pin off the side board taking out the 10 pin.

I had several messenger strikes every game, I'm giving the ball all the credit since it is a low RG ball that loves to retain energy for the pins.

But in relation to your statement, last week has really changed how I look at the rest of this season.

I did that during practice last weekend. I didn't see any inconsistencies other than completely bad timing. I was getting frustrated and rushing my arm without my feet keeping up. My problem was thinking too much. Whether it be what I needed to do or hat would happen if I messed up a shot, that's what made my game fall apart. I think I'm just going to keep having fun and stay loose so my brain doesn't get in the way. Scores can come later.