Do Not Keep Score When Practicing

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 3/13/2015; Updated: 6/25/2022

All bowlers know that there is no better feeling than shooting a personal high score or series. It is exhilarating and you feel a sense of accomplishment. If you want this feeling to happen more often, you've got to practice. You've got to practice with a purpose and without bowling for score. You may be asking, "Isn't that the point of the game though?"

In Bowling Fundamentals, second edition PWBA champion Michelle Mullen says, "We never kept score while we practiced in the off-season to get ready for tour. Score was just irrelevant, a distraction at best."

When practicing you should be focusing on technique and repetition. You may practice by doing the same shot 50 times in a row, for example. This will help ingrain a specific technique to muscle memory and for easy retention when you find a condition suited for that technique.

Here's another reason why keeping score is unimportant: The final score is just the tally of how well you executed each frame. Think of each frame as it's own game. Focus only on the frame in front of you and score as highly in that frame as possible. What has happened before or will happen after should have no bearing on what is happening now. Thinking about the past or future can only cause you to be upset because of mistakes or nervousness because of the success you could have if you continue on a good streak, for instance. Focus on winning each frame and we assure you that your average will increase. This all starts with practicing without score.

Michelle Mullen also explains in Bowling Fundamentals, "Furthermore, do not let the pins distract you when you are working on technique. When you are working on developing a specific skill, focus solely on it, not on where the ball goes."

So next time you practice, forget that the scoring monitor is even there. Ignoring the score now will catch your attention in the future when you see how big the scores are when they count.