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Author Topic: How do I overcome my fear of the 7 pin?  (Read 2536 times)

The Hose

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How do I overcome my fear of the 7 pin?
« on: May 18, 2003, 09:21:06 PM »
Do I need a Sports Psychologist to travel with me to tournaments?  Sometimes I feel like Shaq at the free throw line when I shoot a seven pin.  I'll go tournaments where I never miss one and then I'll miss two or three in a row from time to time.

I bowled a tournament yesterday and missed a few.  When the field was cut down to just four of us, I missed one in the 10 frame to eliminate myself from the tournament.  I had a strike in the 9th and could have punched out for 220 which I though would be good enough to stay alive.  We couldn't see the others scores because of being spread out.  When I left the 7, I keep telling myself that it was a piece of cake and that I had make 7 in a row before that.  I thought I made a good shot but missed it.  The shot had tons oil on the outside and dry in the middle.  If you missed outside on your first ball, you took three out.

As it turned out, if I would have covered that 7, I would have been in the top three with a much better payday.

Do you have a spare which is a thorn in your side?  I should be about 98 % on my seven pin but seem to miss too many.

Also, why is that Lefties seem to miss more seven pins then righties miss the 10?

 

michelle

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Re: How do I overcome my fear of the 7 pin?
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2003, 07:15:04 AM »

SrKegler and someone else touched on the reason I hear most often, and I do not feel it is intended as a slight.  Most lefty's are not as accustomed to throwing cross-lane as those on the right.  I also see a lot of LH bowlers that try to hook the ball at the 7-pin as opposed to either flattening the wrist or using plastic.

And, let's not forget the obvious...these things happen.  Chalk it up to a slump if necessary, and hope you don't get a case of the yips during another tournament

The Hose

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Re: How do I overcome my fear of the 7 pin?
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2003, 07:13:22 AM »
Thank you all for your comments.  I bowled four games of action last night and never missed one.  One guy thought he was getting in my head when I left a seven in the 10th needing a mark to shut everyone out.  He asked me if I wanted to sweep it off and take 9 out to save the embarrassment of missing it.

I think part of my problem was this...  I have slowed my approach down on my strike ball but I think I wasn't keeping the same slow pace when shooting at the 7.  I stayed slow and hit what I was looking at.

Thanks again.