Peak Concentration
A Quantum Leap Technique for Improving Your Game
How To Acquire The Concentration of A Champion
by Alexander Van Buren
The 7 keys that will put your game on a new level are:
1. The Flow State - The secret of consistency
2. Advanced visualization techniques
3. Programming your subconscious mind
4. Mental game pre-game and contest techniques - my course
5. Using self hypnosis, and suggestions
6. Practice and triggering your Optimum Bowling Zone
7. Acquiring the concentration of a champion - This Page
Part 7 - Peak Concentration
Some Resources For You Bowling Jedi's Out There
First of all, very people really know how concentration is actually built - at the physiological level. On this page I'm going to explain what concentration really is - then show you how to achieve better concentration than you could ever imagine. We'll even apply all this mental stuff directly to . . . oh . . . why not . . . . . how about . .. . BOWLING!
This advanced work is my specialty (yes I train Jedi's!) so I teach this - and many other advanced mental secret techniques in some of my courses and e-courses. The Mental Edge™ for one, and also in my Productivity Zone™ trainings. If you're really into the advanced mental game, positive mental conditioning etc. - you can learn more about my courses at LasVegasSeminars.com.
Some Myths About Concentration
There are most likely a few misconceptions that you may have about what concentration really is, that may be preventing you from concentrating at high levels. So lets clean up some of this right now.
First - concentration is NOT holding your mind on one thing for a long time. That's a myth. The reason is simple. The mind's nature is to move.
In India, the mind is likened to a crazy monkey. It's darting all over the place and it's nature is not to stand still by any means. So to hold it on one thing for a long time is virtually impossible (unless you're an advanced Raja Yoga expert and have achieved Sammadhi!)
But, and this is really quite brilliant if you ask me - we can use the nature of the mind - specifically, it's tenancy to constantly move around - in our favor.
Rather than attempt to make it stay in one exact place - we can choose the set of things it moves and circles upon. This is - in fact - the very essence of concentration.
The Structure of Concentration
The actual structure of concentration is to confine your attention to a specific set of things that you have pre-selected. As an example - if I asked you to meditate on a candle flame for a solid hour - you'd probably find that a daunting task. But what if I asked you to look at a candle flame and then to rotate your attention among these things as you are looking at it:
1. the flame - outside, inside, top, bottom and the middle.
2. the color of the flame, center color, outside color, middle color.
3. the base of the flame - what can you notice there?
4. the sound of the flame! how loud is it? what type of sound?
5. the candle wick itself- it's black center, outer edge and length etc.
You get the idea. To concentrate is to confine your attention to a set of things all on the subject of your choosing.
If, all of a sudden, while concentrating on those many facets of the candle flame, you suddenly begin thinking of how nice it would be to have a big fat juicy cheese burger - and you started picturing one . . . ahhhh well - you just broke your concentration!
Hey - stop thinking about that cheese burger!
How To Create Peak Concentration for Bowling
Now you know the essential secret of high level concentration. Lets apply it directly to bowling and to your game.
1. Choose
Choose 1 aspect of your game. Here are some examples:
a. Your approach
b. Your pre-game warm up
c. Your swing
d. Your release
e. Your after release self talk
f. Your equipment
g. Lane conditions
h. Competitive conditions
2. List sub features
Once you've chosen that one area of your game, list all the sub-features you can think of about that one thing. These will vary depending upon your level as a bowler.
For example - lets say you chose to concentrate on your swing. Sub aspects of your swing could be:
- the position of your thumb
- the angle of your wrist
- the angle of your upper body
- number of steps
- the angle of your arm as you draw it back
- how high you bring your arm back
- where you focus your eyes
- your breathing during the swing
- the rhythm of your steps
- the size of your steps
- your marks
These are all simply smaller parts of your swing; i.e. small chunks if you will
.
3. Concentrate on 1 part of your game
As you practice that one feature of your game, your swing for example, keep rotating your attention among your list of sub-aspects.
You get the idea. By the way - each of these sub-aspects can be divided even further. Breathing - for example could be divided into:
- at what point in your breathing do you BEGIN your swing?
- how deep are your breaths
- rhythmic breathing
- are you holding your breath?
- do you have a breathing rhythm you use in your approach?
- how do you breath when you bowl a perfect strike! ???
Once you've picked an aspect of your game, and listed the sub parts of it go to step #4.
4. Concentrate one 1 aspect of your game - for an entire game!
After you've practiced just one aspect of your game, while mentally attending to all the sub-features of it - for, lets say, one full game - you'll have an entirely new idea of what concentration is. Welcome to serious bowling and serious concentration! Go for it.
5. One final secret - and this one is pure gold!
When your mind wanders off from the set of things you're attempting to keep it on, which it invariably will - here's the way to handle it.
GENTLY, and unceremoniously, bring it back to that group of things you want it to stick to. The idea is to make no big deal about it wandering off. Don't over react or get emotional or frustrated.
Calmly, gently bring it back to where you want it to be - over and over again. Soon, it will wander off very rarely - and you will have achieved something extraordinary.
And Finally
Do this over time as you practice and you'll be on another level from 95% of bowlers. I guarantee it. Most people will not go the extra mile to cultivate awesome concentration. It takes practice. But if you do it over some time - you'll notice something extraordinary, and not just in your bowling.
Plus - by making that one commitment; the commitment to raise your level of concentration - you've put yourself in another league altogether.
Oh yahhh - I knew you were really a Jedi after all.
Practice is the way!
Happy bowling!
Alexander
PS: If you want to take your concentration and other parts of your mental game to a high level, especially as it applies to bowling, get my Mental Game Mastery Course. I guarantee it will put your game on a new level.
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