All coaches will always advocate keeping a positive mental attitude when you're bowling whether you're practicing or in competition . I'd like to add another thought to that by urging you to commit yourself to striving for excellence in all aspects of your bowling game.

Let's face it, if you do something because you feel obligated to do it, you may approach it with a feeling of , "just getting it done," and not really apply yourself to the task at hand. Several things will generally occur: 1) you won't enjoy it; 2) you won't give it your full attention; and 3) you may even get bored doing it.

In this scenario, what are the results? 1) You more than likely will not give it your best attention; 2) your results will be sub-par; and 3) you probably won't get a whole lot of satisfaction from doing it. Since what you do during your practice sessions will directly affect your performance in competition, you really need to give your fullest attention when you are practicing.

Think back to something you enjoy doing. Don't you find yourself concentrating more? Don't you find your focus and attention are sharpened so that you feel your whole mind and body sensing every aspect of it? Don't you find that you experience greater joy and satisfaction when you do something you are enjoying? Don't you feel a greater sense of accomplishment because you have given your best effort? Don't you feel that the results were way better than average and, in fact, most of the time, the final results were great?

In practice sessions, don't do it because you have to; rather, practice as though it is the most important thing you are doing that day; practice because you know that is a great part of what you will become one day; and practice because there is nothing else you want to be doing at that time. Perhaps you're thinking, "does it really matter?" "Isn't going through the practice session for its own sake just fine and dandy?" I happen to think that's not true.

With your heightened sense of awareness about your practice, and the great results that you feel you will get, it stands to reason that you'll remember more of what you did during the sessions. You'll come away feeling good about yourself and your "feel-good" attitude will carry over into your league and/or tournament. Since you were doing something of importance with your bowling practice, it can also serve to hone your mental outlook for when you are in competition.

Instead of saying to yourself the usual stuff of, "I will do the best I can," why not say, "This is the most important thing I can be doing at this time so I will strive for excellence?" You'll be making the practice sessions dynamic, therefore, carrying this attitude into league or tournament should be no problem. You will find that your ability to focus, concentrate, and pay full attention when you are delivering the ball will be at peak levels.

To coin an old phrase, "90 percent of bowling is mental and the other half is how you think when you're doing it."

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)