An friend of mine has a composite league average of about 221 or so. Whenever we have conversations, he always seems to be philosophical when, and if, he has a "bad" night of bowling. I know that he also coaches in a local junior bowling program. This is why what happened this past week when we bowled against his team really threw me off.

After a night of, literally, everyone leaving lots of corner pins (the 7-pin and the 10-pin), he commented, after a close call and barely sparing the 10-pin in the ninth frame of the third game, "Man, after covering so many of them through the night, I thought it was about time to blow one." Guess what? He stuck another one on the first ball of the 10th frame and proceeded to blow it.

Did he talk himself into that one or what? How is it possible that a bowler of his caliber could have lost focus like that? I'm sure you'll agree with me that it can happen to anyone at any time, under any circumstances. We are all human and we may all fall into the trap known as "self-sabotage." We do it to ourselves.

Here is the "Choc-List" for preventing some "self-sabotaging" thoughts or behavior:

1) Focus on what is working right and NOT what you are doing wrong. Keep your mind on what you're doing correctly and what is working well for you.

2) Fear not, for you can't know what will happen. Keep your mind in the present. Whatever happened in the past is gone, whatever may happen in the future is within your own control. Concentrate on what is here, right now, because that's all you can really control.

3) Negative-speak? Turn the volume down on what you haven't done well or correctly. Turn the volume up on what is right with your bowling. Don't criticize yourself. Self-doubt has no room in your competitive thinking.

4) Confidence - the key factor to success. The most successful bowler will be the one who can maintain their confidence at the highest level possible for the longest period of time.

We are all going to get bouts of insecurity when we begin to doubt our abilities. When we are bowling in competition, these bouts come-and-go constantly. The better we can keep them from coming to the fore, the better we will bowl and score.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)