| Mental Game | ||
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Mental Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60 [61-80] [81-100]
 Cody February 5, 2007 Tigard OR Hey Walter Ray... I am a 16 year old kid who wants to be able to open up my mind and start playing the lanes.. I have not been able to get out of my slump for 3 months now. I do understand everyone has them.. But what is a good, helping key, to get out of one? Hi Cody, When I am not bowling well I practice. If you have developed a bad habit you would want to get rid of that and a good coach will help with that. Chuck January 26, 2007 Minneapolis MN Hello Walter Ray, I was surprised to know that I could ask you questions I Live in Minnesota And have been bowling at mermaid lanes well have watch my scores drop have the issues from lanes conditions changing to where to stand to the pressure to want to do my best to help the team but with added pressure it seems and added talk from other team members that there not happy with my bowling scores have talk about just not bowling I worked with some people that are trying to help it just doesn't seem to come around Have been told to not think just bowl I tried this doesn't help Through your years as being Pro what do you do to handle things like this if you do and what things have you used to fix the mental part of this sport Hi Chuck, A large part of being a "team" is being supportive to the other players. If your team mates aren't giving you the support that you think they should, then maybe you should ask for their help. Tell them that you are trying to do the best that you can, and that even when you don't bowl well, their support is appreciated. If they would rather pick on you, then maybe they aren't the best team members to be bowling with. You also need to be able to have a positive attitude and always try to do the best that you can. Everyone needs to realize that not every shot will be perfect and that mistakes are going to be made. You also need to support your team mates. Maybe some of them can help you with your game by offering good advice. Maybe some of them can help Ernie January 21, 2007 Longview WA Hi Walter & Paige, thanks for the response. I have improved a little on my outside line pin carry. I am now working on my release and timing plus my mental game. Is there a format you use to focus mentally without going tense? I am also coaching junior bowlers and am trying to get them to work on a mental game. Do you have any advice? I know you are busy. I was really pulling for you in the Dick Weber stop in Fountain Valley today. Fountain Valley is where I last talked to you and you won. Remember, I lived in Chino Hills. Respectfully, Ernie Gerald Hi Ernie, The mental game is one of the hardest to figure out. Most young people don't have a problem with that because they know that they are going to get better. Basically trying to have fun, do the best that you can do, and realize that things aren't always going to go the way you want are a few simple things I think will help anybody. As far as trying to figure out how to deal with stressful events, that is a tough one. For me it helps that I do this all the time and am pretty comfortable with the competition. That doesn't mean that my heart rate doesn't climb when I am in the 10th frame needing a strike, because it does. But I have some confidence in that I am going to try and do the best that I can even if it doesn't work out. Part of living is to learn by our mistakes. George January 21, 2007 Ruthertonfordton NC Hello my name is george ellison i been shotting 657 and 659 series on monday nite mixes my things is how do i step up to the next level i now that you been bowling and youn throw horesshoe is there anything that can help me step up thank you v ery much sgt ellison george Hi George, It sounds like you are doing pretty well. Since I don't know exactly what your particulars are, I don't know what will work best for you. But, practice is always good, especially spares. Watch the other good bowlers to see what they are doing different if anything such as how they play the lanes and maybe even what types of bowling balls they are using. Realize that what works for one player doesn't always work for another. Keep it going. Matt January 21, 2007 Hamilton OH Dr. Walter Ray, I was wondering how you handle yourself after your throw an open, or a low game. Like say for instance you are on TV and you win three matches to go to the finals. And then you loose by only throwing a 170 or so. How do you recover from something like that? Hi Matt, I know that bad games and bad shots are going to happen. I don't like it, trust me. But I kind of play a numbers game. I like to keep hitting the pocket, that is the best way to get strikes. Sometimes I don't throw the ball as well as I would like. But I keep telling myself to throw better shots. In my case there is always the next shot, the next game, the next tournament and hopefully next season. You have to take the bad with the good. Not always an easy thing to do. Matt January 1, 2007 Albert Lea MN Hi Walter Ray. Before I start I just wanted to say that ever since I started bowling I have followed you on TV and cheered you on and one of my first bowling balls was the MVP ball you had a few years back. I have only been bowling for a short time (7 years), but I have accomplished a lot. I average 214 and 216 in my 2 leagues i bowl in and i just bowled my first 300 and 800. But I want to learn how to be more consistent since i am planning on trying my luck in a PBA Midwest Regional Tournament in April. I don't know if it's mechanics or mental that is holding me back but I know I'm capable of 220-230 average. I was wondering if you had any ideas of what i can do to improve. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Hi Matt, It sounds like you are bowling well. Improving is tougher at the higher stages of any sport. It takes practice and experience. Practicing the right things like spare shooting and how to play different lines and amounts of hook will always help. Bowling in tournaments will give you experience you really can't get from anywhere else. Eric January 4, 2007 Syrcacuse NY Hey Walter Ray. I decided to ask you this question, considering you are great. I bowl for my school team and the patterns i play on are heavy and its harder to hook the ball. I bowl nearly the same as you do and i could care less on how much the ball hooks as long as the scores are good. Lately i have been in somewhat of a slump and i have been getting down on myself. I get stuck in a frame that happened long ago, I think about a missed spare and I think that I'll do it again and i screw up. I really try not to get down on myself and think that I'm going to screw up but I always end up doing it anyways. What can i do to help this? Hi Eric, Negative thinking is one of the worst things you can do in anything. You need to think positive no matter what the circumstance. That isn't always easy. Keep on working on that positive attitude. Realize that you may not always get the great result and be able to live with that. Just keep putting yourself in the situation that makes you nervous. The more you do the more comfortable you will become. Try your best, but don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out every time. Ernie January 1, 2007 Longview WA Walter & Paige, I am the guy that repaired your Ford truck for overheating in Wichita. I can play the outside line like you except I am a lefty. I do have a problem when there is long oil in that I cannot carry when I hit the pocket. I also have a problem getting the proper release for a heavy roll. I am using an aggressive ball. Do you have any suggestions? I am hoping you will get to 50 titles in your regular PBA career, That is my goal for you. I am sure you will continue professional bowling regular or senior for many years to come. I am now 66 and bowl almost every day. It is really a pleasure to have you and Paige for our friends and watching your success happen. Stay safe and enjoy each day. Sincerely, Ernie & Maureen Hi Ernie, Nice to hear from you and thanks for taking care of my trucks way back when. With more oil, straighter players will have less entry angle into the pocket which can mean less strikes. Getting a ball that grips the lane more can help. Or you can learn how to get more roll on the ball. The problem with changing your delivery significantly is that you may lose accuracy. I would rather hit the pocket than leave a nasty split. Tenno November 30, 2006 Tonawanda NY Walter Ray, I have been bowling for about 7 years now. I have never shot a 300. The best I did was front 9, the 10th shot it went brooklyn and that was the end of the run. What advice can you give me if I get the first 9 again because I was so nervous after 9 I was shaking and sweating. I tried talking to friends about other stuff to get my mind off of it but that didn't work. I average a 204 and this is one of the 2 goals I want to acomplish next a 800. Thanks walter ray nice job on 42,I just finished watching your dvd as well Hi Tenno, Being able to relax during competition is one of the tougher things for a player to do. Putting yourself in that type of situation as often as possible will help you become comfortable. Try to always think as if you are on a string of strikes and every shot is important. Be positive but also a realist. If you don't strike or throw a good shot, it isn't the end of the world. Have fun. Victor September 16, 2006 Bend OR Hello Walter Ray, I had one question I have been itching to ask a champion for a long time. I am a consistent casher in many tournaments but cannot seem to finish off opposition. What is the key to WINNING TITLES? Hi Victor, That is really tough. Try to do the best that you can at all times. Learn what you can in all of your competition. Realize that it is very difficult to win as there is always only one winner of a tournament. Rolitta April 23, 2006 Baltimore MD I know you've answered a lot and looking at all of the previous Q&A's for what I was looking for was quite frustrating. Anywho, this year in the youth league I did excellent. It was like a dream come true for me. I had a 200+ average and came in first in like 4 or 5 tournaments. Suddenly, I hit a slump in the last month or so, dropping my average down to 197 and the finals for those tournaments...let's not even go there. I was near tears with the performance I put up in the last tournament at Dual Lanes. I guess my question is, have you ever been in a slump so bad that you are just flat out clueless on how to adjust and bring your game back to the way it was? If so, what do you do to bring yourself out of it? Hi Rollita, I have been in slumps before. Usually I can practice my way out, but there have been a couple of times where somebody helped me. I like to work on my technique and accuracy. You might need to see a coach to see if there is something you are doing that isn't right. Hang in there. Jim Hawthorne March 27, 2006 Palm Harbor FL Walter Ray- I'm sure that you've been asked this question so many times - - -by the time you deal with the media, the fans, and everything else, how have you managed to stay focused, in a zone, and hungry to win for so long? Paige - You look fantastic. Can't say enough. Walter is lucky to have you and the support you've given for so long. Hi Jim, When I am bowling I am usually not bothered by the media or the fans except on rare occasions during the TV finals. When I bowl, I am not really thinking about much else except how I should be throwing the ball, where to stand and my target. If I was, I don't think I would be very good. David February 21, 2006 Fort Worth TX Walter Ray, This question is both technical and mental in nature, but ultimately it is mental... When you first came out on tour, I remember my perception of you as being one-dimensional - playing straight up the lanes, straight up the back of the ball, lots of speed and accuracy - basically an extension of your horseshoe pitching. It obviously has worked very well for you over the years. Sometime over the past years, my perception of you is that you have worked on becoming more versatile looking to match up better on more patterns and perhaps with the thought of not being remembered as one-dimensional player. If this perception has some merit, how well has evolving to a more versatile player served you? My thought is that, you were so good playing straight up with extreme accuracy, and you have know divided your efforts and focus becoming versatile, perhaps it has taken you away from what got you this far... Your thoughts? Dave Hi Dave, When I first came on tour I actually hooked the ball all the time. I learned how to throw the ball straighter a couple of years into being on tour and learned that I bowled better with a straighter release. But I also knew that hooking the ball was normally a big advantage in the night blocks, so I would normally do that. I don't know when you bowled on tour, but normally I didn't throw the ball straight all the time. Lane conditions are the biggest influence on what styles will have advantages. It seems to me with all of the oil on the lanes in the last few years it is better to hook the ball more. However, it is also normally not bad for the straighter players in the first few games, especially in a match game situation. Carolyn February 18, 2006 Gadsden AL I have noticed that you are using a handheld computer to record each frame of your games. Do you think that maybe doing this is keeping you from concentrating on your game as well as you used to do. I still pull for you each week. Get in there and knock those 10 pins out. Hi Carolyn, I have been using my palm pilot with the Frames program to record every shot I have taken for the last 2 & 1/2 years. I don't think that it keeps me from concentrating. I do watch my opponents which can be very frustrating when they are getting a lot of breaks, but I don't think that it has stopped me from bowling well. Cam February 12, 2006 Bennettsville SC Hey Walter Ray 1st off I would like to thank you for your previous answer to my questions. Today, I have a question as to how can you improve mentally and learn to control your attitude and frustrations. I struggle mainly with my mental game. If it wasn't for this problem I feel that my scores could really rise. Hi Cam, The mental game is probably the most difficult. I just finished bowling in the tournament in Cheektowaga, NY and was very frustrated. I realize that getting mad doesn't help me bowl better, but without that kind of drive and desire you won't get good. It is a fine line which most pros struggle with all the time. Try to remember that you can't always do as well as you would like and it isn't the end of the world when things don't go the way you want. Hang in there and don't give up. Darryl January 30, 2006 Baltimore MD I think that you are one of the best bowlers on tour. I was wondering if you had any special ways to get ready to bowl in tourneys. I am just getting back into bowling. I have been having trouble keeping my focus. This is especially a problem when I don't start well. Any help would be appreciated. Good luck this year. Hi Darryl, I really don't do a whole lot to get ready for a tournament. But the difference is that I am bowling in them all the time. As long as I am bowling well, I don't do a lot of practicing. If I feel that I am not quite up to my normal game, I will practice. Focus is a tough thing, but remember that you only need to focus for a few seconds at a time. It sounds like you kind of give up when things aren't going well. Remember that you can almost always learn something, so try to pay attention. That way when you are in a similar situation again, you will be better prepared to handle it. Good luck. David January 23, 2006 IN Walter Ray, I am 18 and i carry a 225 average.My only problem is mental game. I bowl where alot of pros dread, Northwest Indiana. i am sure you have your opinion on my region. There are so many good bowlers some including Mark Millsap, Jeff Snuffer, Bob Kammer Jr, in northwest indiana my physical game is great. I watch them and copy there game. I have many coaches helping me and excelling my skills my problem is mental. Now in adult leagues i bowl for money and all i ever do is look around at everyone elses games. I dont worry enough about mine. How do i stop this bad habit? Hi David, It is kind of natural to watch other players. That is one way that we learn how to do things and hopefully improve ourselves. The trick is to copy only the good things. But more importantly learn what works for ourselves and doing that the best that we can. Bowling in as much competition as possible will help any bowler. Sometimes the mental game is the toughest thing. Learn how to deal with adversity which gives even me trouble and to not be intimidated by other bowlers or their styles. Your goal is to knock down as many pins as you can. When it's over you can worry about whether that was more than the guy you were bowling! Just get every pin you can and let the rest of them worry about your score. Jeff January 23, 2006 San Jose CA Hey Walter Ray... This site is really premium, I just found it today. Anyway, I've been told I have "excellent technique" or style and I pretty much agree. However I do have an issue that I have dealt w/ in the past and led to me quitting the game for a number of years. I have just started up bowling again recently and really enjoy being back. Although I'm running into the same problem once again. I do much better when I bowl in a sport condition league (in comparison to the other bowlers). However I struggle on the "easy" shots. Struggle meaning I consistantly lose while shooting 220's to those who seem to have extraordinary flaws in their approach. I guess I'm wondering if there is some mental aspect of the game I'm am obviously missing that many many people are using for to average what they do with such crazy techniques. i.e. chicken wing elbow, bowling 2 fingered, etc. Have you ever run into this type of deal where on an "easy" shot or tournament you just can't do more than double...spare...double...spare...double...spare whilst many others are stringing them like nobodys business. taker easy jeff Hi Jeff, I also like demanding conditions. That doesn't mean that I always do well on them. And I have bowled well on high scoring lane conditions. I think that it is possible to get too frustrated bowling in high scoring conditions when your carry isn't that good. All of sudden it leads to making bad shots leading to missing the pocket which is even more frustrating on 'easy' conditions. Like tough lanes, you need to pay attention. Sometimes, the easy conditions need to be matched up with the correct speed, rotation and ball even more. Ron January 22, 2006 Manhattan KS Hi Walter Ray, I was wondering if you might give me some tips on the mental game. It seems that when I practice, I'm like 15 pins higher in average. Or like when I take my practice shots right before league starts, I'm bowling great and then when league starts, often I seem to come back to earth. You know, it seems like I get a little bit nervous or try a little too hard or something when we're playing for "keeps" even if it's just league. I know often the pace of league is very frustratingly slow. You know, everything moves very slowly where often people aren't ready when it's their turn to bowl. You know, it's very difficult to keep focused. Or say if there is a delay due to a technical malfunction with the ball return or the pinirack, etc. I know this is often just part of the game, but I thought you might have some good suggestions about how to bowl as well when the "lights are on" as when you're just practicing. Do you meditate, do relaxation exercises and the like? Thanks. Hi Ron, I think that the pace of practice helps bowlers bowl better. Also the pressure situation is a real thing and getting used to pressure is a serious step to being a really good bowler. One of the best ways to get used to the pressure is to put yourself in that position as much as possible. Bowl more leagues or tournaments so that they aren't quite the big deal. When you practice, practice with somebody with something on the line like a beverage or something. It doesn't need to be a lot. Just something to keep you focused and "competing". Try to have a positive attitude. Not necessarily that you will always win, because that isn't realistic, but that you will perform well. Lee January 12, 2006 Gainesville FL When I am on the approach and as I am moving I seem to think about...... anything else except my mark on the lane. This is not all the time but seems to alway's be a bad time when I do it. I bowl with guys that have had 20-30 300's, Probably 10 800's and so on. I got lucky and Bowled my first 300 3 yrs ago. 796 highest series about 2 yrs ago. I have been bowling since 1976 and I am 39. Concetration seems to be my main problem. Like last week, first 7 in the pit then I left the 1247 in the 8th. I remember what went through my mind and it was work related. I guess my question is do you have any advise on the mental aspect of the game. My average has been pretty consistant over the past few years. 190-205. 200 this year so far. Any help would be very helpful. Good luck with # 41 and 42. It will come soon enough. Thank you very much Lee Pavai Hi Lee, The mental part of any sport, especially individual sports, can be the most difficult. Concentrating on the task at hand seems pretty obvious advice, but we all have lapses of concentration. That is something that you need to work on. Just think about your target. Being confident in what you are doing will also help. Mental Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60 [61-80] [81-100] | ||