Visualizing Success

Train your mind

Training your mind to see what you want to have happen garners results. By visualizing trials and tribulations as well as successes, you will be prepared to handle any situation you find yourself in during competition.

When you check your emotions, your heart rate remains steady. The highs and lows of bowling can and will take a toll on your performance, but when you average them out, success will follow.

When should you train your mind?

The Open Championships is an event you train for months in advance. You get yourself physically fit, brush up on your lane play, and improve your arsenal. If you are dedicated to the process of improving, you need to add visualization to your training from the start.

Visualize yourself in the environment you’ll be in. The Open Championships are held in stadiums and bigger bowling centers, which is very different than league night bowling.

This in itself can cause anxiety. Visualize yourself handling obstacles and overcoming them. You will feel what it is like to go through the trials and tribulations in that moment prior to it happening during competition and that will prepare you for success.

After that, visualize your shot routine, adjustments, and spare conversions. Do these same things the day of the event and while you’re bowling. It will keep you calm and help you avoid getting too high or too low.

Keeping calm

When you’re at your competition, you need to continue to manage your emotions. All of your energy needs to go towards making good shots. However, the reality is that they will not all be good.

When you’re back in the settee in between shots, find time to calm down. Control your breathing by taking a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. You will feel your heart rate decline. Once you’re calm, begin to evaluate what’s going on and plan accordingly.

Check out Better Bowling Scores: Focus and Concentration and Mental Game: Observation Without Judgment for more expert bowling instruction.