I was twelve years old when my parents handed me a book.
It was called The Mental Game, by George Allen. An actual mental game book. For bowling.
I read it. I didn’t understand half of it.
And that turned out to be fine.
You don’t have to get it all at once
At twelve, a lot of those ideas went right over my head. I remember the words more than the meaning.
But here’s what I know now: you don’t need to understand it all on the first read. The more you’re exposed to it, the more it seeps in. A sentence that meant nothing at twelve shows up at twenty, right when you need it.
That book planted something. It took years to grow.
So if you’re just starting to think about your mental game and it feels like a foreign language, keep reading anyway. Keep listening. Keep showing up. Understanding comes later. Exposure comes first.
The skill almost everyone underestimates
If I had to pick one mental skill that athletes overlook, it’s this:
Don’t look at the scores.
Focus on what you can control. And literally block out everything else.
That sounds simple. It isn’t. The scoreboard is right there. Your teammates are talking about it. Your parents are refreshing the standings. Everything around you is pulling your attention toward a number you can’t change with your next shot.
What you can change is your next shot. Your breath. Your routine. Your target. Your commitment.
That’s the whole job. Everything else is noise.
Train the mind like you train the body
Nobody expects to throw a great ball without practice. We put in years of reps on the lanes.
The mind works the same way.
Repetition. Discipline. Showing up when you don’t feel like it.
I tell my athletes this all the time: put in the same amount of time beyond the lanes as you do on the lanes. If you practice physically for two hours, what are you doing for your mental game? If the answer is nothing, you’re leaving half your game in the parking lot.
You wouldn’t skip practice and expect to improve. Don’t skip the mental work either.
What I’d tell my younger self
It’s not easy.
If it were easy, everyone would be great at it. They aren’t.
There will be more hard times than easy times. That’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong. That’s the sport.
And it matters more than you think. Way more. So devote real time to understanding how your brain works. How it reacts under pressure. What it does when you’re nervous, frustrated, or ahead. The more you understand it, the more you can work with it instead of against it.
I wish someone had told twelve-year-old me that the book in my hands wasn’t extra credit.
It was the game.
The mental game is the game
Talent gets you to the lanes. Physical skill keeps you competitive.
But the mental game decides what happens when it matters.
So here’s my question for you: how much time are you giving your mind compared to your body this week?
If you’re ready to build your mental game with intention, frame by frame, that’s exactly what 12 Frames to a Stronger Mental Game is for. One-on-one, built around you.