One of the things I advise people to do is to imagine everything that could go wrong when they are bowling in competition and write them down on a list. Then, over the course of several practice sessions, pretend that each of those "things-that-could-go-wrong," actually did.

Could you continue to bowl and finish or would you give up in disgust because your equipment let you down? I hope you said that you would (and could) finish the competition because you had already practiced under each and every scenario that could go wrong with your equipment. Not only would that show people that you are a true competitor; but, it would gain many people's respect because you did not whine or complain - you just shrugged it off and quietly did the sporting thing. Maturity and professionalism will gain anyone's admiration for how you handled the situation.

Let's take a look at my equipment, for example, and make a list of things I do once-in-a-while thinking of the worst-case scenarios:

1) I often will bowl games using each one of my reactive balls and also my plastic spare ball regardless of the lane condition (oily or dry).

2) I have bowled practice games using only various "house balls" I've taken off the racks just in case I don't have of my bowling balls.

3) I've gotten some rented bowling shoes and practiced with them occasionally. Sometimes both shoes and oftentimes using one of my own with the other being house shoes.

3) I sometimes practice taking my approach without sliding.

4) I've bowled without using a towel, the air hand dryer, and asked the desk clerk (when there was no one else practicing) if he could turn the air conditioner up a little higher and turn the ceiling fan near my lanes off.

5) I have bowled games using a 1-step, 2-step, 3-step, 4-step, or 5-step approaches.

6) I practice using one ball on one lane and another ball on the other lane.

7) I've imagined that I can't use my left hand to prop up my bowling ball so I am bowling one-handed (you "old-timers" remember Wayne Webb and Carmen Salvino).

8) I've even gone so far as to change pairs of lanes in the middle of a game.

Are you getting the picture? Start making your list of things that could go wrong and adding to it as you think them up. It is not a list that will go away because you have to keep rotating the situations and continually practice them.

I often take a pair of lanes when I can and play myself in match play. I pretend that each is a unique individual such as different bowling balls, different approaches, and different lines (1st arrow for one, then 2nd arrow for the other). I might even throw one as a 3/4 roller and the other breaking the wrist.

Once you start doing different things for your practice sessions, your confidence level will increase as you begin to get comfortable with the things that could go wrong. You'll find that your tolerance level for machine and/or equipment breakdowns will be getting much higher since you are prepared for just about anything that comes up.

"When bad things go wrong on the bowling lanes, real bowlers step up to the challenges."

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)