Session: League
Context
Early games felt “random”: misses were ~3 boards left or ~3 boards right, and even when I hit target the shot quality wasn’t there (speed up/down, release off). Energy felt low and focus wasn’t locked in.
What actually happened
This wasn’t a lane-adjustment night at first — it was a tempo + attention night. I was rushing. The “tell” was my internal music: instead of my normal groove, I had a different song stuck in my head (the one my son is learning on guitar). That changed my internal metronome and I started trying to be too fast.
Focus was also compromised enough that I threw a full shot on the wrong lane (not just lining up wrong).
Intervention (what I changed)
In game 3 I intentionally swapped my internal tempo song back to a familiar slower track:
- Fast/Gas song: “Give It All” — Rise Against
- Slow/Brake song: “Still Fly” (artist Big Tymers)
Once I ran the slow song, it cued me to slow the approach and stay controlled, which made the shot more repeatable.
Result
Game 3 was significantly better: not perfect, but repeatability returned and I could actually execute and make decisions again.
Lesson / Coaching takeaway
When direction and release both feel inconsistent, don’t treat it like an “adjustment” problem — treat it like a stabilization problem. My internal tempo (music) is a real performance lever. If attention is slipping (wrong-lane shot), that’s the signal to simplify and run a tighter routine.
Next time (simple plan)
- Song check before stepping up: if I feel rushed, switch to the slow song immediately.
- Add a quick lane confirmation cue before every shot: lane → ball return → set feet (or similar 3-point check).
- If I’m missing both ways: commit to tempo first, not mechanics or big moves.
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