Be Confident With Your Spares

The legs of the stork are long, the legs of the duck are short; you cannot make the legs of the stork short, neither can you make the legs of the duck long. Why worry?-- Chwang Tsze.

The width of a bowling pin is 4-1/2 inches wide, the height of the bowling pin is 15 inches; you cannot make the pin any wider, neither can you make the pin any taller. Why worry? --Choc Higa--

There is a phenomenon that I observe with most of my bowling students when they throw their second ball. Because they have no confidence in their spare game, they will worry so much about missing the spare that they throw their ball totally different than their first ball. Every attempt is made to have them throw their second ball in the same manner as their strike ball; yet, their approach, arm-swing, or follow-through (sometimes all three) develop "hitches" in them as they go for the spares.

I always make it a point to let them know, in a funny and exaggerated way, of their mannerisms while throwing for the spares. I always make it a point, also, to let them know that all they have to do is "stroke" the ball and that it is all in their minds.

We use the basic 3-6-9 sparing methodology that all coaches generally use for beginning bowlers Whenever they execute the system smoothly, they will pick up their spare; but, for whatever reason, some of them cannot develop the confidence enough to just relax and "throw the ball down the lane." They end up tightening up their bodies and miss by a foot or more, and of course, for the corner pins, the ball ends up in the gutter. It's the old, "You worry so much about the bad thing that will happen, that sure enough, the bad thing does happen."

Here, then, is my "Choc-List" for gaining confidence in your spare shooting and adopting the "What, Me Worry?" frame of mind when making spare shots, aka, P.I.C.K.:

1) Practice. Again and again, the practice sessions cannot be ignored and the importance of them can never be over-stated.

2) Imagery. Do mental visualization exercises every possible moment you can. See yourself calm and at ease with going through your approach, releasing your bowling ball, and picking up the spares.

3) Confidence. Make a list of the steps necessary for you to gain confidence in your spare making. These are your private notes about how you will became a better spare shooter.

4) Know with assurance that you can make the spares. By doing the first three steps, you can feel absolutely that you will pick up the pins you have left.

Remember the legs of the stork and the duck. There's nothing you can do about them. Remember the width and height of the bowling pin. There's nothing you can do about them. Why worry?

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)