The Pendulum Theory

The pendulum theory of slip sliding away and returning.

Amenhokit developed the pendulum theory of making shots.

Most who have bowled have heard of the relaxed pendulum swing necessary to repeat shots.

Push away toward the target then relax and let the weight of the ball swing freely and if the push away was on line the ball will hit the target. But Amenhokit theory was, as good and practiced as one became, an exact sameness would never be achieved.

There is a gradience in good shots and all shots.

Few observers could see the differences in shots, but Amenhokit intoned it was not necessary to always make the best shot. Sometimes the best shots were too powerful leaving single pins on ‘perfect hits’

The obelisk was the symbol of the "tap". A seeming perfect hit, a '3', that left a corner pin. (Amenhokit will expound more on the 'tap' in later blogs. )

While coaching, each shot was graded a 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being closest to perfect. It was possible to throw a couple of 3’s in a row, but the pendulum would swing back toward 1’s.

It’s possible to continue striking with 1’s but the pendulum will always swing back toward 3’s.

Stay relaxed knowing the pendulum will make better shots.

These are the subtleties Amenhokit teaches.

The extremes, a 1’s begins the swing back toward 3’s. Awareness and attention to these details support the skill of the game, for as good as things are going there is always change.

Don’t get too high or allow the demons of self-abasement to start negative self-talk.

The ball always returns, and there will be another shot.

In the pendulum theory there is space for feedback, and its friend feed-forward.

This is the space Amenhokit offers to those who practice the discipline.

We find similar spaces in music, dance, crafts, even communication where knowing at the top of each note, before each step, prior to the brush stroke or next word, there is extra space, the same space musicians ‘jam’ within. Thousands of times on the lanes I found that same space as the pendulum swing descended and the shot, if needed, could be corrected.

It was correction without invalidation.

Use the pendulum swing to remember who is source, and the game never slips slides away.

Images of Amenhokit

READERS QUESTION: Was there a representation of Amenhokit?

ANSWER: Yes, many times. Painted, carved or in totem form, Amenhokit appeared to be on the mind of other Gods. In the picture below, Amenhokit is raining communication upon ATEN, one of the greatest striker of the times. This was part of the Bowling As Lessons of Life (BALL). ATEN, became part of the origin of our concept of ATTENTION..

The picture below is Amenhokit picking up one bowlings’ more exacting spares, a baby split. Because of the divine nature of the game Gods were used in most of the Amenhokit depictions.

This third picture is Re, Sun God, with the presence of Amenhokit in the preparation mode, with the game at top of mind awareness.

Amenhokit (pronounced Aim and Hook It) was not only the founder of Bowling, but inspiration to those ball games that have lead to revelatory insights into the nature of humanity and life it self.

Ball games introduced and taught concepts such as competition, sportsmanship, win/win, for me a reason to be.*

Balls were part of the grandest gift of the Gods, the pride of the muses, Attention. This was a way Amenhokit opened the child to the challenges and rewards of paying attention.

*I love baseball metaphors.

“Baseball has been very very good to me.”

I discovered baseball one spring day. It was the epiphany for life to began making sense.

There is a purpose. A reason for others-so you can play catch.

There are things you can hit without getting in trouble, even rewarded for hitting.

The lessons were many.

Baseball only exists in present time.

There is lot of time in baseball when nothing is happening so you can get prepared.

You can learn to anticipate. You can determine tendencies. You can see patterns that repeat.

You can use the feint.

You are rewarded for hustling.

Baseball is where I first built the will and attention muscles.

“Shake it off” the coach tells the batter after striking out. A lesson in self-forgiveness in a game that encourages forgiveness of others.

You must forgive the umpires calls, the opponents taunting, and your teammates errors.

Those whose attention fixes on their failures, didn’t learn the lesson of focusing attention-“keep your eye on the ball”-they failed, weren’t chosen to play, and eventually quit and made baseball wrong and boring.

Baseball was how sportsmanship and fair play lead to learning compassion.

Baseball builds buddies to buddihood on the base paths to Buddhahood.

Baseball is a game about going home.

Baseball was where I first tasted success, winning and built self-esteem. I was a very shy kid. I was scared to talk to others off the field, but my teammates and opponents respected me between the foul lines.

At age twenty-one, I read Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, and the Brahma asked Siddhartha what skills he possessed, Siddhartha replied, “I can think, fast, and wait.” At age nine I could reply, “I can hit, throw and field,” with the same enthusiasm. Between the foul lines, I had no fears. I learned to wait on a curve ball, run the bases with speed and cunning. I could fake out infielders and bunt. I could catch on the run, set up throws, hit the cut-off man, hit to the opposite field, play any position, chatter on defense, be coachable, and encourage teammates.

Play fair, congratulate your opponent, and keep your ‘dauber up’. “No whiners allowed,” said the coaches.

In A League of Their Own Tom Hanks lays a huge curve ball on us when he says, “There’s no crying in baseball.” It is only a game, a game that offered lessons and patterns in my life and my work.

“And now batting number one Buddi…’

Play Ball!

Namaste

Gary