MDM Coaching with Mike Moore
Every Shot is a Chance to Learn – Pro Tip Friday
Bowling Coaching Tips – Learning From Every Shot
This past weekend, I went to Tampa to bowl a four-game sweeper. I had the unfortunate luck of not bowling well for three games. In the video, you can see that I shot 300 game after that rough start. I made a decision late in the block to throw urethane and it gave me better ball reaction. I think of tournaments as a series of decision-making opportunities and I had exhausted all of my available options – every other ball in my bag, hand positions, and speed changes. Urethane was the only thing left and it turns out that it worked. If I had given up on trying things, I would have lost a lot more money that day. Pulling out a strong performance at the end allowed me to cash in a couple of side options.
Even when you’re struggling, you can always think about your shot making as a chance to learn. For example, I learned on Sunday that it’s probably better to throw a urethane ball in that part of the house to control ball reaction. When it comes to making decisions, and you choose the wrong decision, don’t get overwhelmed and upset, just try something else. Realize that it’s not a big deal to struggle in a tournament sometimes and you can learn from your mistakes. Whenever you feel like you’re digging yourself a hole with score, shotmaking, etc the worst thing to do is to lean into it and feel defeated when there’s still time left. Bowling bad in a tournament isn’t the end of the world and there will always be another opportunity, so use this for learning.
