Did you know that a person who has their arm or leg amputated can 'feel' pain in their limb - even after it is no longer there? First reported by soldiers wounded in the battlefields of the 1800's this phenomenon is called a 'phantom limb'. Whats going on is the brain is constantly active and needs sensory input, even if - physically - the body doesn't exist! When you bowl your brain is ever active, thinking thoughts, and competition can be a stressful experience which creates negative thoughts. You need to be aware of this and be able to use thought-stopping techniques to rid your mind of the negativity.

Once you become aware of the negative thought visualise a big red stop sign. When you see a stop sign you don't need to think about it, the mind has been conditioned to respond to the red sign, it happens fast and naturally. Red, white and black are very intense colours: blood, purity and death - vital signs. Imagine you see the stop sign and you will trigger this response. Now the real trick is not only to stop the negative thoughts, but replace them with positive thoughts. These positive thoughts are another vital component of your strong mental game, they are called affirmations and are prepared in advance to deal with the dificult situations you face in competition.