Three Quick Things: Fixing Limiting Beliefs, Practicing Spares, and Improving the Ball Start

In this new recurring feature, I’ll be digging into three quick things to help you improve your game. In each installment, we’ll cover one aspect of the mental game, a lane play/tactical issue, and an element of the physical game.

Last time, we discussed the three mental ignition points, why acceptance is so important to effective lane play, and rethinking the crossover step. This month, we’ll be discussing self-limiting beliefs, ways to make spare shooting practice less boring, and the fundamentals of the ball start.

Who do you think you are?

Many bowlers have self-limiting beliefs about their games. Sometimes, these are even disguised as positive thoughts with some underlying limitations. Let’s look at a few of them.

“I’m a grinder/I love the grind”

Being a grinder is often touted as a positive thing. The term describes bowlers who are capable of keeping their heads down and fighting through questionable ball reaction, or those who keep it clean and work hard to squeak into the cut. These are both examples of situations where a bowler with a lesser mental game might fry out.

The ability to grind when necessary is admirable, but there can be a flip side to thinking of yourself as a grinder.

Grinders don’t generally average 240 for a block. They don’t beat their average by 150 pins on league night. They don’t string strikes at will or get into “the zone” very often. Grinders often think they can’t keep up when scores are high.

Physical abilities aside, bowlers who think of themselves as grinders tend to end up with most of their competitive experiences turning into a grind. It’s something that Dr. Dean Hinitz cautions against in his article, Grinding.

When you think of yourself as a grinder, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There’s a difference between a bowler who can grind when needed and a bowler who grinds it out every block.

“I’m good/bad/great at spare shooting”

File this under “Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you’re right.” Once again, there’s a difference between a bowler who thinks they’re good at spares but sometimes misses, and a bowler who thinks they’re bad ...