As I was thumbing through one of my many notebooks for ideas about my next bowling article, a piece of paper fell out and the following words were scribbled on it:

"Think of all that you've learned. You have the knowledge. Consider all you've accomplished in the past year. You're now in a better position than ever to improve yourself and be the best. Recall the things that have held you back and how you've overcome them. Think of the problems that frustrated you; yet, you managed to keep moving forward.. Look at how far you've come."

These are excellent words to go along with the articles I've written about positive thinking and positive affirmations.

As part of my coaching, I periodically ask my students to think back to the first lessons and tell me what they have learned since. It's always a good exercise because people tend to forget that they are continuously improving and not staying in one place. Most people have higher standards and expectations for their personal actions. They may forgive others for doing something unsuccessfully; but they'll keep thinking about the same error over and over again if they personally did it.

Your "Choc-List" for improving your mental game (and therefore, your bowling average) is:

1) No one is perfect. Even Walter Ray doesn't win every tournament. There is an old saying, "Perfectionists are losers." Re-think your understanding of how perfect happens.

2) If you fail, fail quickly, then move on. Dwelling on your open frames or solid ten pins doesn't do you any good. Adopt the phrase, "Thought about it, laughed about it, forgot about it."

3) Live in the moment. Don't spend a lot of time remembering the past and anticipating the future. You can only control what's happening now. Bowl your game frame-by-frame.

4) Trust your own instincts. You've learned a lot just by bowling in competition and practicing. You know more today than you did a year ago. If you have a feeling that you should move your mark, then move your mark. Don't second guess yourself.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra, "Bowling is 90% mental, the other half is physical" and a more profound thought. "I never blame myself when I'm not bowling well. I just blame the ball, and if it keeps up, I change balls. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not striking, how can I get mad at myself?"

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)