If you love to read, whether in text or audio form scroll down for some motivational bowling and sport book recommendations!
Anyone who knows me will know I love a good book, and I like to mix it up with factual and fiction depending on my mood.
During covid when we were unable to bowl, I started to take the mental game of bowling more seriously and discovered a range of fictional books to help.
The author Darin Donnelly now has 8 books in the Sports for the Soul Series, each of them featuring life advice from the greatest minds in sports.
Other books such as Inner Game of Tennis, Zen Golf, Chimp Paradox, Bounce, The Talent Code and You are a Badass can really help master the mental game and create a positive mindset.
If you enjoy more technical bowling books;
Focused for Bowling and Bowling Psychology by Dr Dean Hinitz and Bowling Beyond the Basics by James Freeman and Ron Hatfield may be more up your street.
Sport Psychology & Mindset
•Peak Performance – Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness
A brilliant look at how stress + rest = growth. Highly readable and grounded in real science.
•Atomic Habits–James Clear
Not sport-specific, but an absolute game-
changer for building consistent habits in training and competition.
•The Champion’s Mind–Jim Afremow
Packed with practical mental strate
gies used by elite athletes across many sports.
Bowling-Specific Reads
•Bowling Execution – John Jowdy
A classic covering technique, consistency and the small fundamentals that make a huge difference.
•The Game Changer: The Art of Sports Psychology for Bowlers – Dr. Mark Baker (if you enjoy Hinitz’s style)
Complements the mental game books you listed with more applied drills.
Audiobook – Friendly Picks
•The Mindful Athlete – George Mumford
Michael Jordan’s mindfulness coach. Brilliant for focus and composure under pressure.
•Relentless – Tim S. Grover
High energy, intense, and hugely motivating
especially if you enjoy mindset oriented stories.
Fiction with Sports Themes
If you enjoyed Darin Donnelly, you might also like:
• The Art of Fielding – Chad Harbach
Technically about baseball, but it’s a beautifully written story about performance anxiety, pressure and personal growth.
