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Yes it was a sweep by Norm but that makes it look worse
than it was. In trying to gain something out of the
match look at each game. You can see where Brad was in
the match most of the time until a disastrous open set
him back. Let me tell you something I have learned over
the years. Every bowler goes through it and eventually
it becomes personal. They start thinking they are doing
something wrong or many other things that have negative
effects on their mental approach to the game.
These are times that identify stars and super stars.
Do they let the stuff they hear and read effect them or
do they get stronger and more determined by it.
You can read and listen to everything you want but
the fix is in understanding that "Your job doesn't
change" Every time a bowler gets up on the approach his
job is simple knock down the pins. It doesn't matter if
you are bowling Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Chris
Barnes or Joe Bowler.
We can make the game as difficult or as simple as we
want it to be. The media and all the other ----stuff
that goes along with it is what a bowler at this level
is challenged with.
The mental and emotional rush of the sport of bowling
is awesome. But with each level of expectations there is
a difference in how a bowler handles it. Right now Brad
is in that transition phase that every bowler goes
through. How long he stays in it is directly related to
how simple he can make the game again.
We can turn it into what ever we want to. And when we
sit back an analyze the situation we can think it is
something wrong with Brad. But what I want to get across
is that nothing is wrong it is just a part of bowling.
There is no bowler on tour with more internal confidence
than Brad Angelo. The truth is Brad has made himself
more competitive in more environments. He is doing
things to and with bowling balls and conditions that he
never did before. He just has not gained the type of
confidence he needs with all of his tricks.
Brad wouldn't be in the top 16 if he didn't have all
the different tricks he uses. Brad is having to work
very hard at everything he is doing right now. He isn't
bowling his so called "A" game and he is bowling against
bowlers who are. What Brad has done this year deserves
credit.
I don't like to stamp bowlers with so called "A"
games at this level. If the lanes and transition were
letting Brad just show up and bowl it wouldn't be
necessary to mention these things.
Enough of the explanation after a while it starts to
sound like an excuse.
The progress is gaining confidence in anything and
everything the lanes ask of a bowler. Never back down
from the challenge and to put yourself in the right
frame of mind when you step down into the settee. We can
make excuses and say it is lane conditions or ball
reaction but that is not the level of professionalism
that Brad is working at.
The results can skew the realistic.
The only thing Brad needs to work on is he has no
responsibility to live up to any body's expectations.
The only thing you can control is strategy, execution
and effort.
Keep the game as simple as possible and in the words
of Tiger Woods just try to get better.
If you see how much better Brad's straighter game
looks you would be just as proud of him as I am.
As a professional bowler you have to ride out the
trends and get better at matching up to what ever they
ask you to do. How many other bowlers who are considered
bowlers who like to hook it made it to the Round of 8?
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