| Mental Game | ||
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Mental Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60] [81-100] [101-120]
 Andy May 12, 2004 York PA Dear Walter Ray, I am 16 years old. I am currently averaging 227 for the Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tour (PJBT, possibly you've heard of it?) and 200 for my local house's junior league and 234 for my Adult/Youth league. I currently have two 300 games under my belt. My questions deal with things to do and things to prepare for the mental game. I was wondering if there is there anything that you do before each match of your tournaments that will get you in the right mindset to compete. I currently don't really do much of anything like that except for just thinking about the task at hand. If things just aren't going you're way, is there anything that you do to get back into focus for the next shot? Just the other week, I was in a tournament and in the first five games I left 24 ten pins. It seemed as though no matter what I did, I would always leave a ten pin. nothing I did helped me out that day. Leaving all of those ten pins really got to me and I think if I could control my mind in those situations better than I do now, I will definitely improve my skills. So what is it you do in that type of situation? In closing, I would just like to wish you good luck in all of your future years of success on tour. I hope that you continue to do as well as you have in the past. One day, I really would like to go pro and I think I have it in me. Give me about 5 or 6 hard years of practice and I think I might be ready to try and go pro. Thank you for answering our questions and good luck to you in the rest of your career. Andrew Hurst York, PA Hi Andrew, Congratulations on your fine bowling. It sounds like you could be a professional bowler if you desire. I don’t really do anything special to prepare for tournaments. If anything I tend to rush around trying to get things together right before I bowl. Thinking positive thoughts is definitely a good thing to do. Leaving 24 “10 pins” in 5 games sounds like it might be a record. I normally just keep trying to hit the pocket. The fact that you were able to leave so many 10 pins is a testament to the fact that you were able to keep hitting the pocket. Sometimes you will bowl in a house that won’t let you strike much. It sounds like you are doing just fine, keep it up! Good luck. DAVID May 8, 2004 Lansing IL I SEE YOUR LOFTING THE BALL A BIT. OBVIOUSOLY IT SEEMS TO BE A GOOD ROUTE TO YOU, BUT WOULD YOU BE BETTER OFF TRYING TO AIRPLANE LAND THE BALL A LTTLE MORE? GUESSING I WOULD THINK YOUR TRYING TO AVOID UNVISUALIZED OBSTICLES SUCH AS DRYING SPOTS IN THE HEADS FROM YOUR BALL AND BY LOFTING YOUR GETTING THROUGH THIS AREA WITH OUT WAISTING ANY OF YOUR BALLS ENERGY EXCEPT FOR THE THUD. TO ME I THINK THE LOFT SEEMS TO BE PHYSICALLY A LITTLE EASIER BUT A MENTAL MISTAKE? Hi David, It depends on how I am trying to play the lanes as to how I much loft I get. I normally don’t think about trying to loft the ball or set it down early. Normally, the straighter I try to throw the ball, the less loft. I know that some coaches don’t recommend a lot of loft, but it is hard to argue when it works! Richard April 8, 2004 Cleveland OH Dear Walter Ray, How do you keep your mental game so sharp? Do you have any tips as to how i can make mine better? Hi Richard, I don’t know that my mental game is so sharp. I am a very competitive person. I don’t like to give up. But sometimes I kind of do. The big picture is what helps me get through some of the valleys that I hit. I realize that bowling has many ups and downs. I figure that if I keep plugging along, good things will happen. I also realize that I can’t win every tournament even though I am trying to do just that. Having a positive attitude is fundamental to success. That is difficult when things aren’t going well either by errant shots or bad breaks. The other thing is to not be overconfident, as that tends to make a person careless. Chris March 24, 2004 Minot ND Dear Walter Ray, I bowl on a Monday Night League, and if I miss a really easy spare I tend to get upset. My team captain tells me to just "shake it off and don't worry about that frame and just move on" I have a very difficult time doing that. And I worry about that frame the whole game and it throws my mental game all off and the rest of my game really suffers.How should I handle this? Chris. Hi Chris, You need to listen to your team captain. Getting a little upset is natural, but it only hurts your game if you get so upset that you can't think straight. You need to realize that you can't change the past and deal with the present and future. Good luck and hang in there! Paul March 22, 2004 El Paso TX Dear Walter Ray: Thanks for the response to my last e-mail regarding my thumbless release.....I believe I will practice more with my thumb in the ball, but I wanted to assure you that I do use it to shoot all of my spares on the right side of the lane with good success (I do see myself struggling on dryer lane conditions, so I do appreciate the advice)...Also, I was sad to not see you on the TV show in the World Championships 2004, but I know you will be there next year. As for my next question, what is your professional opinion about how quickly one should improve there averages?....For example, currently my book average is 176, but I have made a jump from that to averaging about 190 on most of the houses here in El Paso over the last year....Someone told me that on an average most men bowlers in the US average about 145 to 150...So I must be doing something RIGHT...So with that said, do you think I am improving too quickly or could it be contributed to the easy league conditions I bowl on weekly or current equipment? I really value your professional opinion, because that's the way I improved my golf game in the past with golf professionals.....I used to watch and copy the work, practice and mental approaches of the best, so I just would like to know what the best bowler in the world thinks about my questions, because I do want to be as good as I can be in this new sport.....Thanks again, and maybe one day I will get to meet you in person. Paul Marmolejo El Paso, TX Hi Paul, It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right. But house conditions are much easier than you would find on tour. It is probably normal for averages to be about 20-30 pins higher on house conditions compared to tour conditions. Keep working on it and when you have the opportunity, bowl on some tough lane conditions to really test yourself. Willie March 17, 2004 Brookhaven PA Walter Ray Sometimes when I bowl I get mad can that effect my mental game and if so can you give me some advice Hi Willie, Getting mad can definitely affect your game adversely. It is very tough to control your temper, but later you can look back and realize how 'stupid' you may have been when you lost your temper. Realizing that it isn't the end of the world might help when things don't go the way you want. Getting a little angry is ok, but when you can't think straight, which I have done from time to time, is not good. Good luck. Don March 14, 2004 Marianna FL Hi Walter Ray, Just wondered if you feel there is any advantage or perhaps a disadvantage in being super seeded in this weeks World Championship. It would seem to me that being assured the seeded position would be a great mental aide, as it has to give you a lot of confidence knowing that you've bowled well enough to be there. However, by not bowling the first part of the tournament, it could be that it may be important that the opportunity to get acclimated to the lanes and conditions is lost. Not to mention the fact that you have no games of practice going into the round of 16. Or at least, you will have no games of practice under normal tournament stress and/or normal tournament competitive situations. I would think that the two may offset each other but I was curious as to what your feeling may be. I'm sure you have considered both sides of this situation, and I wondered how is it affecting your tournament preparations? Good luck on your player of the year shot, and my wife and I are pulling for you to win that also. Let me add that if you don't win we won't be too unhappy if it goes to Steve Jaros. He is also very deserving and is having the best year of his career, and perhaps it's his time for POY. Again, good luck in the world championship this week! Don Harp Hi Don, I think that any bowler would gladly miss the first 5 days of competition to be guaranteed into the round of 16 at the PBA World Championships. Last year, 3 of the 4 TV finalists came from the 8 seeded players. That doesn't mean that this year there will also be 3 of 4 in the TV finals. One part of the equation is that match play doesn't play the same way as qualifying. The other is that we are bowling the round of the super 16 at the same location as the TV finals are going to be played at, which is a different location on portable lanes. So, no players will have an advantage of having bowled on the lanes before the competition on the oil pattern being used. Thanks for the good wishes! Willie February 29, 2004 Brookhaven PA Walter Ray what goes through your mind when all you need is a strike yo get a perfect game Hi Willie, I try to concentrate on my target and good physical execution to get a strike at any time. Marty February 29, 2004 Ballwin MO Walter Ray, Congratulations on your showing in St. Louis! I was in the audience during the finals and had a great time at the event. In fact, watching all of the pros during the qualifying sessions was a great experience too. Pro bowlers are the most personable atheletes that I know of as a whole. I really thought that you were going to win win you kept throwing strikes after being "heckled" by that moron in the striped blue shirt on Sunday at the Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic. Since I normally only see the shows on tv, I have a few questions... Is it a common occurence to have a fan in an audience that gets a little rowdy? How do you block it out when that happens? Also, I was happy to see you kind of call him out when you threw a double to stay in the match. The rest of the crowd seemed excited that you did it too. Are you happy that you did it? Thanks for taking the time to read (and hopefully answer) these questions. Hi Marty, I would say that we normally don't have 'hecklers' in our audience. I was quite irritated with those guys, so when I finally did get a double I did point at them. The audience did seem to like that. After the match was over and I was signing autographs, one of those 'hecklers' did come over and tell me that he thought I bowled really well. It is difficult when things like that happen. It is tough enough trying to concentrate on doing your job but other players have a similar situation when the bowl a popular player and they are all cheering for that other player. As long as the fans don't get too negative I don't mind it too much. Kurt February 29, 2004 Terre Haute IN I'm 19 years old and i bowl collegiately for the Indiana State bowling team. Besides bowling in college, I also bowl in a lot of local money tournaments. I do well enough to make the cut on Sunday but, then i get all tensed up and choke. What are some key ways to handle pressure and get over the nerves that I get during tournaments? Hi Kurt, Handling pressure is a tough thing. You need to be confident of yourself. Focus on one thing, I use my target. If you don't do well, try not to put yourself down. Try to learn from your mistakes. We are only human. We do make mistakes. Do the best that you can and try to enjoy your bowling. And good luck. Chris February 19, 2004 New Lenox IL Walter Ray, I have been doing some research on the mental game of bowling and talking to a partner of mine and he once went under hypnosis to improve his game. He claims it worked great, I have recently obtained a copy of a self hypnosis CD and have been listening to it, I think it is helping my game because i have shot in the 600's for the last 4 weeks. My question is have you ever heard of this on tour with any of the other pro's or yourself going through hypnosis to improve your mental game. Thanks Chris Sauerbier Hi Chris, I haven't heard of pros using hypnosis, but I don't see any reason why it couldn't help. From what I understand, hypnosis is a good way to focus your attention and help your concentration. David February 16, 2004 Trenton MI Hi Mr. Williams, I am 16 years old and bowl competitively in several leagues and tournaments across the Detroit area. I am a stroker and am consistently in the pocket area. I carry a 210 average on my travel league and have a high series of 821. My only problem is when I begin to bowl poorly and get tapped (10 pins, etc.), especially missing easy spares, i tend to get very angry and have a temper tantrum. I know that this is un acceptable and I should be able to control it. I also have gained a bad reputation among my peers because of my attitude on the lanes. When I bowl good though, everything is fine and dandy. Worst off, I cannot bowl good when I let my temper get to me like this. I do not know if you get as angry as I do, but I am sure that you have had your moments from time to time. Can you please suggest a solution to my temper problem. How do you control it? Are there any techniques to calm yourself down? Can you turn that negative energy into positive energy? Thanks for taking your valuable time to answer all of these questions. Dave Hi Dave, I do have a temper. It is very hard to be competitive when you lose your temper. That is one of the things you have to deal with as a competitor. Afterwards it is so easy to look back and ask yourself why you were so stupid, but at the time it doesn't matter. As I have gotten older I have been able to control my temper better, but sometimes it still gets the best of me. The thing is to try and remember that losing your temper doesn't really do you any good while you are competing. Good luck. George February 15, 2004 Chippewa lake OH Dear Walter Ray, I have had more than enough chances to bowl a 300 game on multiple occasions. I believe it is my mental game which is holding me back. When i have the the seven or so I start to think about the 300 and the my next shot i will grab it at the bottom, or something like this. Just recently i had the first seven and i left a ringing 10-pin and i was so discouraged that i just let it go and the ball went into the gutter and i struck ou after that to finish with a 280 is there anything that you can suggest that might help me Hi George, If you missed a spare after 7 strikes in a row your maximum score should only be 267 unless I missed something. Leaving a solid 10 pin is not a bad shot, but is one of those things bowlers have to deal with, a bad break. Remember that not all good shots strike, in my case only about 70% of pocket shots strike. And sometimes bad shots will strike, like a cross over strike, a rolled 2 pin etc. That is part of the game and as a bowler you need to learn to live with those good and bad breaks. What a bowler can do is learn to throw better shots which increases your chances of striking (hitting the pocket gives you a better chance of striking than missing the pocket). Good luck. Tim February 10, 2004 Kingston Canada I have watched you on tour since i was little...and i think you're the greatest bowler i have ever watched...i am a 200 average bowler and mooved up from the junior ranks last year...and along with a friend i am saving to go on the PBA east regional tour in 3 years,i have been in a mental slump now for the last 3 years and i feel like things are just getting plain rotten for me...bad carry tough breaks...etc.no matter what i try it doesn't work. i am sure you have been through this...do you have any suggestions as to what i can change or do to get my game back on track. Thanks Hi Tim, 3 years is a long time to be in a slump. It sounds like you may need to see a coach to help you out. I usually practice to get out of a slump, but if you are doing something wrong then you will be practicing the wrong thing. Good luck. Silvio February 8, 2004 Caracas, Venezuela Hi Paige and Walter Ray My name is Silvio Castiglione, 43 y.o. and im from Venezuela. Im a big fan of Walter Ray style of bowl. I want your help to try to understand what happend with me with this game. I bowl in two Leagues weakly (Monday night 4 games) and (Tuesday and Thursday 3 games)in both of them i have 200 (in 12 games and 204 (in 16 games) of ave. This week i start with a good 849 on Monday and 679 on Tuesday, Wenesday i went to a city near mine and shoot 684 to qualify in the best 28 players, to play a semi-finales netx Wenesday very good really?. But Thusrday i bowl to 454 in 3 games. Friday i bowl 690 in 5 games in other event of the Federation of Bowling of my Country, and Saturday in the same event bowl the same games of the Friday (the last game was 122 shame on me). Whats happend?. I know that they are some thing that you need to know to try to help me to understand what happend, but i have now fear to stand in front the lines to throw the ball. Im right-handed bowler and use a Hammer Blade Pearl ball, and Nu-Line Excalibur balls 15 Lbs. I buy the Hammer, last week (Saturday), and shoot 194,212,235,241 and 265 when i test de ball. I apreciate your help I really thinking to dont play any more Silvio Castiglione Hi Silvio, Lane conditions are a huge part of bowling scores. Also, if you aren't playing the lanes properly that can also adversely affect your scores. It is possible that in your higher scoring leagues and tournaments there is more oil on the inside of the lane. This gives you more mistake area. On those low scoring events, the oil pattern is probably different and you may have to play a totally different part of the lane. That is where experience comes in. Watch the other good players and how they are playing the lanes. You may need to move your target quite a bit as well as your feet to find a better shot. However, sometimes there isn't a very good shot and then you have to make good shots on your own, which you should strive for at all times. Good luck and hopefully you won't have to many of those bad scores. Jim January 26, 2004 WA I first want to compliment you on your demeanor on the lanes.While I watched you during the Master's final I was so impressed by your ability to be having fun during such tense situations. It seems that you relish the competition and challenge. I assume, for you, that it is so much fun being in those situations. Would you comment on what you are feeling during those times? It is great to see you doing well in the second half. Keep it going!! Best Regards Jim Hi Jim, If you were able to watch me during the qualifying rounds and matches leading up to the show then you probably saw me being a bit more intense than I am on TV (at times). It depends on the situation as to how I will react. When I am bowling well and things are going well, then it easier to be more relaxed. But if I am not bowling so well, I have a temper like most everybody else, which I try to control. But there are times on TV that I know that showboating isn't really my job and I need to pay attention, like in the title match of the Masters. But I also realize that the fans like to see us players be fan friendly so I do try to interact with them a bit. But I also don't want to get distracted by my job at hand. Nate November 15, 2003 Cincinnati OH Mr. Williams, Thanks for you and Paige to have, more or less, an open Q&A for those curious about bowling, horseshoes, horror stories on the road, etc. Obviously, in Yogi Berra's words, 90 percent of any sport is half mental. I was struggling last year to bowl well in league after not bowling for several years. I was out practicing and did something that struck a chord for some reason. All of a sudden, it hit me that "I remember how to bowl!" From that point until now I have averaged well over 200. My question is, have you ever had a similar experience while in a slump of sorts, either in pitching horseshoes or bowling, and/or have you heard of others doing this, and if so, does it happen very often? Thanks again and good luck in everything. Nate Hi Nate, As human beings, we are sometimes amazing creatures. At times it is so easy to do something (bowl or pitch horseshoes) and at other times it seems like I have never done it before. It is hard to say what triggers the inspiration which pulls a player out of slump. Usually it is hard work and practice, but sometimes it is a very simple thing. Keep it going. Donna November 10, 2003 Howell NJ I read you strongly believe in "The Power of Positive Bowling". Is this a self-help program which we can purchase, and if so, can you tell me where? Congratulations on so many accomplishsments. You are a wonderful role model. Thanks again, Donna Hi Donna, What I am referring to is having a positive attitude while bowling. There may be a book or program out there specifically for bowling, but I do not know what it is. The same things that are applied in other sports should be able to be applied to bowling. Good luck. Chris October 24, 2003 Gorham ME Dear Walter Ray, I've noticed through your scoresheets and off PBA.com that you really aren't shooting that bad. Your scores seem to be similar to last years. I do remember last year you were able to shoot 1800-1900 pins in each qualifying set and still end up in the top 20 of qualifying. This year you have been shooting that same range and are ending up in the 60s, and you are forced to destroy in second round like last week (10/17). Are you finding that your shot doesn't get you far enough now? Or is the PBA competition greater than ever, and the other bowlers are shooting extremely high compared to last year? Good Luck this year, Chris George Hi Chris, Bowling is kind of an odd sport in that you don't always get rewarded for what you deliver. Sometimes your score is better than the way you delivered and other times it is lower. For some reason, my first rounds in the 2nd and 3rd weeks were a bit lower, while my second rounds in those events were quite a bit higher. Sometimes it is a matter of doing something a bit different that strikes more, but that something is different at about every event. I think that with the PBA going to an all exempt field a few more guys are putting everything into this year so that they will be bowling next year. As of now I don't think that the overall scores are that much higher than last year, but it is early in the season. Don October 10, 2003 Marianna FL With all due respect to the other pro's, most of which I really enjoy watching, I don't believe I've ever seen the level of concentration put into every shot such as Walter Ray does. Is there some huge secret of focus that he uses to hit the pocket so often, or is it simply magic? He seems to be able to push everything completely out of his mind other than the shot, and while I know this is a highly desirable trait, does he have some tips he can pass along to we mere mortals. I am a senior bowler here in Florida, I carry a good average, and I hit the pocket a lot, but I've just never seen anyone with Walter Ray's pipe line to the pocket. I've been watching the PBA as long as it has been on television. From the days of Don Carter and Dick Weber, throughout the Earl Anthony era, and to the stars of today such as Brian Voss and Parker Bohn III, I don't think I've every seen anyone with Walter Ray's degree of concentration. The only other pro bowler I can think of that hits the pocket about as often as Walter Ray is Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Anyway, if there are a few focus tips he could pass along, some of us would really like to know what they are. Don Harp Marianna, Fl Hi Don, Concentration is a personal thing. Apparently I have pretty good concentration, but I think it used to be better. A lot of the concentration you might see is part of my determination. I look at my target and put all of my efforts into hitting that target with the ball. It sounds pretty simple, but I realize that it isn't always easy to do. Good luck. Sarah October 6, 2003 Longwood FL Dear Walter Ray, Sometimes I tell myself that i will just give up and never bowl again.Unpositive attitdues.I come into the bowling alley confident and then i do horrible and i might even start to cry!Even if i'm doing bad how can I think on the bright side?I'm a really good bowler but yet I give up too easily when i'm doing bad. Please Respond, Sarah Hi Sarah, It is very difficult to be positive when things are going poorly. I usually try to always do my best, but there are times when I am even so frustrated that I sometimes give up. If you can think every time you bowl as a learning experience that might help you to keep trying. When bowlers give up because they don't like the lane conditions, it just means that the next time on that condition they will probably do the same thing. But if you can try to figure out what it is that you need to do to become better on that condition, then maybe next time you will do better. If you are in a situation that you really don't have a chance to be competitive for that event, then the most important thing is to try to learn something from it for the next time that oil pattern or situation comes up. Good luck and try to enjoy your bowling. Mental Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60] [81-100] [101-120] | ||