Post Shot to the Pre Shot Routine

Have you ever heard that there is a time and a place for everything? Bowling is no different. In this premium video, Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, explains options for the right time to think about everything a bowler is faced with shot to shot.

What is a post-shot routine?

After you have watched your bowling ball go through the pins and head back to the settee, your post-shot routine begins.

Body language is a key component to success out on the lanes. No matter what happens down the lane, remaining calm and even keel will keep you in rhythm and also let your opponents know that you are not rattled.

After a finished frame

Get yourself to an area where you can reflect on your first shot. Review what happened and determine your next steps. It’s important to review your previous shot and consider your adjustments after the frame is complete instead of right before you throw your spare if you haven’t struck.

Your focus needs to be on making your spare when waiting to shoot at it. Mental breakdowns and makeable spares are missed when your head isn’t in the right place.

Pre-shot routine

You evaluated your options, and you’ve made decisions on what to do next in the post-shot routine. It’s now time to get up and execute. The thinking box is everything off the lane, and the playing box is everything on the lane.

The pre-shot routine is an individualized routine geared towards clearing your mind and calming the body. Utilizing the same cadence for the pre-shot routine will help you get centered in pressure moments.

Once you have completed your pre-shot routine and you are set up in your stance, shut that brain off and execute. There should be no additional thinking during your approach; that’s how doubt is created. Commit to the adjustments that you made during the post-shot routine and go.

For more mental game advice, check out “Mental Game: Observation Without Judgment” and “What Can and Cannot be Controlled in Bowling.”