Well, this happened sooner than I expected. Time for Quick Quiz #1. Please pick the answer below that best describes my week 2 experience in the Partytimers league.

• 💩 the bed.

• Rode the struggle bus.

• I sucked.

• All of the above.

If you chose "All of the above" you would be the most correct. Any other answer would definitely have a strong chance of also being correct. As bowlers, most of us will always experience one of these nights sometime during a season, and probably more than once. Every physical mistake that I could make, I made it. My mental game wasn't very good, either. Bad ball decisions, bad lineup decisions, and a major lack of focus. The bar even ran out of my favorite adult beverage during the 2nd game! Just a very forgettable night.

For those of you that need the numbers, here you go. Opened game 1 with a turkey, then missed 3 makeables during the remaining frames to finish with 188. Second game, opened by chopping a 3-10 split, spared in the 2nd, then left the big 4 in the third, and missed completely on the spare attempt. Double, spare, open, then double, spare, strike resulted in a 174. 3rd game, two spares to open, then blew past a solid 9 pin tap. Strike, 6-7-10 split, turkey, 4-6-7 split, strike and fill for 177, total series of 539. All well below what my average should be, and even more below the 219 average I brought into league that night.

Now, in my world, everything is a learning experience. What did I learn from this? First of all, I need more practice time. Serious practice time. I only bowled 9 competitive games during the summer, and had one practice session before league season started. It's time to get back to building good habits and muscle memory by indulging in some purposeful practice. Secondly, I have to do a better job of focusing on the task at hand. It can't matter that I'm tired, or had a long day in the shop, or the music is playing. Being strong mentally is just as important as being strong physically, and it's time to devote some time to that.

If I'm to leave you with a single thought for this week, it would be "practice with purpose." Understand the difference between bowling a game for score, and practicing a skill. Have goals that are easily identifiable, measurable, and most importantly, achievable. Replace "making more spares" with "I want to make 80% of my ten pins." Then devote the practice time necessary to achieve your objective. If all else fails, ask me our your local PSO for help. Until next time:

• Practice with purpose

• Identify your bowling goals

• Learn about your arsenal

Craig