Attitude, Attitude, Attitude

One of the worst enemies of any bowler is a bad attitude.  Even the best bowler is going to see his score go down the drain without a positive outlook.  If you miss a shot, don't get angry and try to destroy the pins by sending the ball coursing down the lanes at near the speed of sound.  All that is going to do is throw your accuracy off even more.

What you need to do with a bad shot, is analyze what it was that went wrong.  Use the error as a learning tool.  The Wright brothers failed on many attempts before they made their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk.  

Although it is a well worn cliché, you have to be like the "Little Engine That Could", when it comes to bowling.  Keeping a positive attitude about your abilities may not result in a perfect game, but it will most definitely keep you on the right track.

When the lanes are oily, you learn to adjust.  When the lanes are bone dry, you learn to adjust.  How?  Not by getting angry, but by analyzing the situation and reaching a solution that will work for you.  True, it is easy to lay the blame for a bad shot on the lanes, or the ball, but if you stop and consider it, you will realize that everyone else is bowling on the same conditions you are.  Being the one who is able to find the working solution to the problem will put you out front of the others.

Aside from a bad attitude affecting your score, no one else likes to bowl with someone who is angry at everything.

On the flip side of the coin, don't be too exuberant in winning.  Many people tend to carry things too far when they win, causing hurt feelings among their fellow bowlers.  Friendly banter and harassment can be tolerated by most anyone, however going overboard will only cause you to lose friends.  You have to win as graciously as you lose.  Remember...next time, you may be on the losing end.