Make Up Your Bowling Mind

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 7/4/2014; Updated: 10/11/2022

Once you learn to align yourself properly to hit the pocket, then you can bowl with confidence. It is when you begin to miss the pocket and do not adjust which leads to continue missing the pocket, then you need to make up your bowling mind and implement an adjustment.

Bowling good scores is a matter of hitting the pocket often enough and converting any remaining spares when you do not record a strike.
In order to hit the pocket repeatedly, you must learn to adjust to changing lane conditions. Since there are many types of adjustments you can choose from, you must make a quick decision to adjust and not be stubborn thinking you can throw the ball better and get back into the pocket consistently. Whether you care to admit or not, there is some science to bowling albeit most house conditions today steer your ball into the pocket once you learn to initially align yourself with the oil pattern.

Everything begins with proper alignment. If your bowling ball is reacting properly as it travels down the lane and you are hitting the pocket with regularity. When you miss the pocket and you know you made a good shot, make an adjustment the next frame on the given lane. Regardless of which type of adjustment you choose, you are better off making a change than gambling on a better result by staying put and making no adjustment at all.

Fear causes indecision. If you gain knowledge about lane conditions, about how your bowling ball react, and about your physical game, then adjustments become logical and are less stressful when it comes time to choosing your adjustment.  Trust your eyes and your ball reaction to help you select an adjustment. Confidence begins with your eyes seeing a result and your brain announcing which type of adjustment is best to attempt before any others.

Visualizing a positive result is helpful but it is not everything, however. Once you are successful with a strike alignment system and an adjustment system, you can bowl very confidently from the knowledge that you are going to hit the pocket when you make up your bowling mind.