Examination of bowling athletes' mental training levels as a prediction of their cognitive flexibility and psychological resistance skills

The primary objective of the study was to examine bowlers' mental training levels as a predictor of cognitive flexibility and psychological resilience. For this purpose, 94 bowlers aged 18 and over who participated in the 2024-2025 Berkay ERDİŞ Individual Bowling Spring Leagues, part of the 2024-2025 activity program of the Turkish Bocce, Bowling, and Darts Federation, were included in the study. Four separate forms were used to obtain participants' opinions on the relevant area: the Personal Information Form, the Mental Training in Sports Inventory, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, and the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 26) software using independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses. As a result of the study, significant results were obtained regarding mental training scores in sports, depending on gender, age in the sport, in-season shooting performance averages, and league level. Significant results were obtained based on cognitive flexibility scores, in-season shooting performance averages, and league level. Significant results were obtained based on psychological resilience scores, based on gender, in-season shooting performance averages, and league level. In addition to these data, Pearson correlation analysis results revealed positive correlations between the SZAI subscales and the total scores of cognitive flexibility and psychological resilience. The linear regression analysis results also revealed that bowlers' scores on mental training in sports were predictive of cognitive flexibility and psychological resilience scores. Consequently, it was found that bowlers' scores on mental training in sports were correlated with cognitive flexibility and psychological resilience, and that the independent variable, mental training in sports, was a predictor of other parameters. Keywords: Ten pin bowling, athlete, mental training in sports, cognitive flexibility, psychological resilience.