That Explains a LOT of Things... - "The Feel"

I may have told some of you that I was a competitive bowler in college. The whole "feel" concept is just so right on.

I won three intercollegiate bowling titles when I had "the Feel." The "feel" would often come and go. Sometimes it would stay for days or weeks, and sometimes it would go after one game. I imagine this is no different than how Tour players talk about "grinding" when they are having an off round. They lose the "feel" until they regain it, either during the round or on the practice tee after the round.

BUT, here's the sad ending (and the point) to the story. At the end of my junior year, we competed in a tournament in Iowa. I bowled well all year, but I had some problems at this tournament as adrenaline took hold, and I was throwing the ball too hard (think "putting through the break").

After the first two rounds, I GAVE UP. Conceded. Mailed it in. My team was doing poorly, I was doing poorly, it was the last tournament of the year, and I was 300 miles away from my girlfriend (who would later become my wife). I STOPPED GRINDING and stopped trying to regain the "Feel."

Well, you can guess what happened next. I took a few days off, and the next time I went out to practice, I could not regain "the Feel." I tried grinding and grinding and practicing. Nothing. Tried again the next day and nothing. Next week - nothing.

My rotation looked nothing like it had been, and my ball speed was down. I HAD LOST IT, and never got it back...

Once you obtain a good "feel" don't let it go. Just grind when you can't get the "feel," trying to do the things that trigger "the feel." Right now, I'm working on a move that triggers my feel, and I'm pretty darned excited!