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Positive Thinking and Mental Imagery
A successful bowler has a firm grasp of their game by thinking positively and using mental imagery to create the results they want. They don't have time to worry about a single bad shot or a "bad break." They have a great game that needs to be completed and can't "sweat the small stuff."

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art175916.asp

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Bill Vint | PBA Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104

PBA Spare Shots

BELMONTE, FAGAN TOP PBA STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
After 10 completed PBA Tour events, Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Mike Fagan of Dallas are atop the three most important statistical categories. Belmonte is the competition points leader with 141,634 points, leading Sean Rash and Pete Weber. Fagan is fourth.

Fagan leads the average and earnings lists. His 228.52 average for 163 games leads Rash by more than four pins per game. Belmonte is right behind Rash.

On the strength of his $50,000 first prize in the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters and runner-up finish in the U.S. Open, Fagan has banked $97,170 thus far, more than $10,000 ahead of Belmonte. Weber is third.

PBA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE GENERATES 178 NEW, RENEWED MEMBERS
The PBA’s new membership drive, unveiled in February to encourage new members to experience PBA competition, former members to return to the fold, young bowlers to expand their skills and allow bowlers from around the world to experience the benefits of PBA membership has added 178 new and renewed members to the organization’s membership roles.

The program introduced a low-cost PBA24 membership specifically designed for players ages 19-24, and an International membership granting specific PBA benefits, including the ability to win PBA Tour titles, to international players who bowl in PBA-WBT events.

For past members, the PBA offered a no-penalty renewal program through March 31. Reinstatement and/or initiation fees are being waived for those who restore full and standard memberships – a savings of $99 – and an amnesty program will waive up to three months of dues owed for 2010 and/or 2011. Players who rejoin by March 31 who have ever won a PBA Tour, Regional or Senior title also will be eligible to enter the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions.

To take advantage of the membership program, visit pba.com and click on the “Join PBA” link.

KOIVUNIEMI RETAINS WORLD BOWLING TOUR POINTS LEAD
Defending World Tenpin Bowling Association World Bowling Tour men’s champion Mika Koivuniemi retained his lead in the combined 2011-12 WBT points standings with his third-place finish in the Brunswick Euro Challenge in suburban Paris on March 25, but winner Mike Fagan advanced into second place, within 31 points of the lead, with the 50 points he earned.

Fellow PBA Tour star Chris Barnes is third on the composite two-year points list, 25 points ahead of Sean Rash. Two-handers Osku Palermaa of Finland and Jason Belmonte of Australia rank fifth and sixth, respectively. Points are awarded to the top 50 finishers in every World Bowling Tour-designated tournament. At the conclusion of the 2012 WBT series, the top three men and top three women will bowl for $20,000 first prizes each in the WBT Finals presented by the PBA, which will be held as part of the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas.

On the women’s side, the top four players are all past or present PBA members – and all are former PBA Women’s Series champions. The points leader is 2011 WBT women’s champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard followed by Liz Johnson, Missy Parkin and Kelly Kulick. Dorin-Ballard earned 50 points in the Euro Challenge, Johnson 30 and Parkin 14.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP: FUREY, CARLSON EARN TOC ELIGIBILITY WITH REGIONAL WINS
John Furey of East Windsor, N.J., defeated Noel Vega of Forest Hills, N.Y., 227-207, to win the PBA East Region Mount Greylock Open presented by Storm at Mount Greylock Bowl in North Adams, Mass., on Sunday, March 25. The win was Furey’s first PBA Regional title, which makes him eligible to enter the PBA Tournament of Champions. He also earned $2,500.

In Fayetteville, N.C., Frank Gallo Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., defeated Jeff Bellinger of Columbia, S.C., 236-181, to win the PBA South Region Fayetteville Senior Open at LaFayette Lanes Sunday. The win was Gallo’s second in PBA Regional competition and earned him a $1,600 prize.

Dave Axon of Bellevue, Neb., and Joel Carlson of Omaha each won one-day titles in joint PBA Midwest/Central Senior Regional action at Milan Lanes in Milan, Ill. Axon won Saturday’s Senior Chameleon Open, defeating Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., 176-165, for the $1,000 top prize. Carlson won Sunday’s Senior Viper Open companion event, topping Chuck Schuette of Bettendorf, Iowa, 230-171, for $1,200 along with his first PBA Senior Regional title. By virtue of his win, Carlson also became eligible to enter the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

In addition to the Xtra Frame Tour Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer in Indianapolis, the weekend schedule includes the joint Midwest/Central Region Liberty Lanes Senior Open presented by Allstate Insurance in Carpentersville, Ill.; and the Northwest Region Pawn Brokers Cheetah Open and Pawn Brokers Senior Open at Bowl Arena in Fort Lewis, Wash.

Over the April 6-8 weekend, South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas will host the PBA West Region’s Member/Non –Member Doubles plus a West Region Non-Champions event. The PBA Southwest returns to action with a non-champions’ Del-Mar Lanes Etonic Challenge in Houston, Texas.

For complete PBA Regional schedules and entry information, visit pba.com, click on “Regional Tour” under the Schedules tab, and click on the link to the region of interest. For Teen Masters information, visit teenmastersbowling.com.

QUICK NOTES:
Three memorable PBA Tour championships will air on ESPN Classic in April. The 68th U.S. Open, featuring Norm Duke’s dramatic win over Mika Koivuniemi, airs Friday, April 2 at 11:30 p.m. ET. The 2012 Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters won by Mike Fagan airs Friday, April 23, at 11 p.m. ET, and the 2011 Lumber Liquidators Dick Weber PBA Playoffs won by Dick Allen airs Friday, April 30, at 11 p.m. ET.

The new Bridgestone Tire television commercial featuring PBA Tour champion Kelly Kulick is now airing. Watch for it…

A memorial service for the late LaVerne Carter, who died on March 8, has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, at West Orlando Baptist Church in Ocoee, Fla. The service will be conducted during a travel day between the PBA Senior Sun Bowl presented by Storm in The Villages, Fla., and the start of the PBA Don Carter Memorial Open presented by Ebonite at Carter Family Bowl in Winter Garden, Fla.

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