Get Your Mental Game Fitness in Shape

When we talk to champions in any sport, “mental game” always comes up as a significant factor in consistent success. This is certainly the case in bowling. Players frequently cite the mental game as a swing factor in winning and losing matches. However, there is a funny thing about the mental game. Everyone knows what it is yet, if you ask someone to define it, you will get a very diverse set of answers.

Some players will talk about concentration and focus. Others will say something about having a winning attitude or knowing how to win. Still other players will highlight being able to perform under pressure. It is sort of like the word snow. We all know what it is, but if you think about it, there is fluffy snow, slushy snow, snowman-building snow, and so on. There are so many different kinds of snow that the one word ‘snow’ doesn’t really tell you anything.

Similarly, there are so many aspects to the mental game that just using that term does not really get to it. More than that, you may or may not really be aware of how toned up you are. Much like a fitness trainer looks at someone’s body to see which parts are strong, toned, and developed; you can look at your mental game in order to assess the same things.

This month, since it is right around New Year’s resolution time, we are going to let you take your own mental game inventory. The purpose of this mental game fitness inventory is so that you can become more aware of your mental game strengths, the so-so parts of your mental game, and the areas where you really need to tone up. Moreover, we are going to look at some conventional, and some unconventional, aspects of mental game fitness.

As with any other self-care measure, you will have to be glaringly honest with yourself. In a way, you show yourself respect by demanding the utmost in feedback and reflection.

We are going to look at 12 aspects of mental game fitness. No matter how good you are, or how much money you may have won, you can rate yourself on the following dimensions, and see where there may be even more to wring out of ...