Expert: Susie Minshew - 9/14/2009

Question
Hi Susie. First, I would like to comment that your website was a joy to read. It's very refreshing to see that not everyone takes everything too seriously. BTW... love the quotes.

I was bowling this past Satruday in league and I had one open on the third frame and the rest of the frames were strikes up to the ninth. I was feeling the pressure when I went up to roll my first ball on the tenth. All these thoughts were going through my mind, adding even more pressure. Things like, one more strike then you can win sweeps. Bang out then you can be in the standings for high single with handicap or even high single. I tried to block all these thought from entering my mind but failed. I ended up pulling my shot and shooting a 3 spare. UGH. :) Do you have any ideas on how I can improve my mental game? To help prevent me from failing under pressure? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi, Rich!

Yup. You're human all right!

I think it's silly to try and suppress or block these kinds of thoughts. In fact, that's way too much effort. Why deny your experience? You are excited. This is a big deal. Let the feelings happen and then channel all that energy. Trying to 'relax' with nine-in-a-row, the game on the line, the league championship a mark away, or your old girlfriend watching, won't work, as you discovered.

I think you should read 'With Winning In Mind'. It's available on my website and addresses exactly what you want to know. The author is a Gold Medalist in Rifle Shooting. He had to pull the trigger in between heartbeats! Talk about managing your emotions when it matters! I'll say. I have been to his classes and can tell you, this stuff works.

Thanks for the kind words about the site. Good luck to you!