staying relaxed under pressure?

[Dado]

lately ive become a much better bowler with my average getting close to 200 after bowling for about a year. im the captain of my high school team and because of this im almost always playing the anchor spot. its easy for me to see that i am much more consistent and concentrated when im relaxed, but sometimes i just cant relax at the meets. very often the results of the meet are on my shoulders for my last ball of the game and as alot of you might know that doesnt make it to easy to feel relaxed...

what are some things that you guys do to keep your cool when the pressure is on? ive found that things like sitting instead of standing when it isnt my turn help, but when im in the 10th frame and i have to throw 3 strikes i dont get that relaxing sit... anyway, im just looking for some tips.

thanks!
marshal v.

[BubbaRay]

The biggest difference between the pros and the amateurs isn't the level of their bowling skills, but the strength of their concentration and confidence.
Just what is the Mental Game? Each of us has that little voice in the back of our mind that either offers encouragement or negative thoughts. Generating a positive mental attitude takes conscious thought and effort, & a good way to do this is to talk positively to yourself. Often negative talk is demonstrated by the way a bowler reacts. If a bowler has hands clenched, teeth together in a tight grimace, eyes downcast, it is reasonable to assume negative thoughts are going through the bowler's mind. It is said that a bowler's worst critic is himself! A bowler should be thinking of a clear mental picture of the path the bowling ball will take down the lane.

During actual competition, you should have your mind focused on the game itself. You do not need to be unsociable with your friends during competition. After all, one of the greatest motivations to bowl is the resulting fellowship with other bowlers. Some bowlers need to "get into themselves" in order to compete successfully; any distractions will inhibit their performance. Others only realize their optimum potential when they are relaxing & having fun with their friends at the same time. Keep your mind focused, but you do not have to block out the world, if that is not what you need to bowl your best competition game.

Confidence = Competence. If bowlers possess the knowledge, & have practiced & trained their bodies to translate this knowledge into proper actions, they will possess confidence in their abilities. Yet self confidence is also a direct result of the other 4 facets of a successful mental game we just covered. If you:

Effectively Manage Stress Before & During Practice;

Reinforce a Positive Mental Attitude by Positive Inner Thoughts;

Develop Positive Mental Thought Pictures Geared Toward Success;

Concentrate on the Game at Hand Without Being Distracted; you will be confident in your abilities.

Relax and focus . Think positive. remember the post I made about thinking good and bad?

here's a reminder........


Negative Thought........I need a 200 game

Positive Thought.......Take it one frame at a time, stay in the present
------------------------------------------------
Negative Thought ...Oh no, I hate that corner pin spare!

Replace with Positive Thought...... I've practised this, it's a simple spare: pick my mark, hit the target and let the ball do the work .
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Negative Thjought...........That's the second time I missed the same spare.

Positive Thought..............Ok, the miss is over and I can't change it, but I know how much to adjust to make it the next time.
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Negative Thought.........This lane is terrible.

Positive Thought.........The conditions are the same for my opponent
I can play any lane in the world
The harder the better, let my opponent worry about it
Quitters never win, winners never quit!
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Get the idea? So always remember these two phrases,,,,,,

1.........Winners see what they want to happen, losers see what they want to avoid
2.........A winner goes through a problem, a loser goes round and never past it.

[uberamd]

If you are playing with people you know, be yourself around them. Don't over-think things, joke around, be yourself, and focus on shots when you are up, and when you are not take your mind off things. That works for me. But thats just because I have a good sense of humor and find laughter to be the best medicine to stop me from screwing myself by thinking too much about a situation.

[Dado]

BubbaRay, ive read that in the past and it definitely helped me out! but what im trying to get from this post is what do i do when im on the approach after i struck in the 10th frame and i need 15 pins to win the meet, get a new record series for my team, and get my new high game :p ? (thats an extreme example, but you know what i mean.) i need to know what to do when im in the groove, yet the real pressure has just been put on and im shaking in my boots, even when i know its an easy shot and its no big deal...

[idlehourlegend]

BubbaRay, ive read that in the past and it definitely helped me out! but what im trying to get from this post is what do i do when im on the approach after i struck in the 10th frame and i need 15 pins to win the meet, get a new record series for my team, and get my new high game :p ? (thats an extreme example, but you know what i mean.) i need to know what to do when im in the groove, yet the real pressure has just been put on and im shaking in my boots, even when i know its an easy shot and its no big deal...

The last thing you want to do under that condition is take more time than you normally do, you just go up and do your normal routine, get on the approach pick your spot look at your mark, take a deep breath and go. The main part about this is confidence, saying I just struck on my last ball, Im going to hit that same mark and get the same result on this ball, just take one ball at a time, dont worry about needing 15 pins, just worry about striking on the next ball and then worry about the third one when its time for that one, but DO NOT think about the 3rd one before you have the 11th.

[BubbaRay]

BubbaRay, ive read that in the past and it definitely helped me out! but what im trying to get from this post is what do i do when im on the approach after i struck in the 10th frame and i need 15 pins to win the meet, get a new record series for my team, and get my new high game :p ? (thats an extreme example, but you know what i mean.) i need to know what to do when im in the groove, yet the real pressure has just been put on and im shaking in my boots, even when i know its an easy shot and its no big deal...

Dado, Take a deep breath and say to yourself. KEEP IT CLEAN or MAKE A GOOD SHOT> Do not wait up there too longf before making the shot.

[Stampy79]

Another thing to remember is that its a team game. If you know that you struck on every ball in every game, then, and only then you can yell at the rest of the players for losing the game ! It aint gonna happen. You can always go back in every game and find a few dozen pins. I had a teammate tell me he was sorry for losing the game for us after I threw the last 5 to lose by 2. I told him to look at my 1st two frames...6-1 and 7-1. Hmmm, if I get just one of those spares, or go 6-3 and 7 -2 we win by 1 ! Such is life. You and your teammates will live to bowl another day. Just enjoy the time bowling as teammates, eventually you will be battling it out in singles somewhere with NO ONE to blame when you lose ! LOL

[MorganGrafixx]

There are 2 ways you can choose to look at the situation of going into the tenth needing 3 strikes to win. Yes, it is a choice. Depending on your mental preparedness and the conviction of your ideas.

1) Okay, there you are...10th frame and you need 30 in the pit to win. 29 and you'll loose the game for your team. It all on you now...make or break time! The tension is so thick you could catch it with your hands. There you are, watching your partner's ball come back out of the ball return thinking, "I gotta make these shots". You grab your ball, give it a few spins in your rag and wipe your slide foot. Thoughts going nuts--"Am I standing on the right mark", "Where's my target?", "Last shot came in high on the head-pin", "adjust left, push-away, smooth steady arm swing". "Don't forget to keep my shoulder up", "Visualize the ball path, follow through". CRAP!!! Fell off my thumb!!! Your brain got in the way of that shot just as if Walter Ray smacked you on the a$$ in the middle of your backswing.

2) Here is the way I handle those situations. 10th frame. All I need is 3 in a row and I get to be the hero? AWESOME!!! This is cake. I've done this a million times before...hell, I've done it half a million times on this exact same pair. So I check the fly on my pants because I don't want that chick sitting back there to think I'm a goober after put this game away. Man I feel sorry for the other team, they got so close only to watch me take this one away from them while they sit there helpless. HA! Sucks to be them, they shouldn't have left that 10 pin after that weak pocket shot 3 frames ago. MAN, I could really go for a Porterhouse right about now...I wonder if Longhorn's is busy tonight? I need to call them and reserve a ............ and my ball is half way down the lane.



This situation is the time for performing...not thinking. You spend hours of your time and money perfecting in practice games. By not performing now that just means that time and money was wasted. You just need to get out of your own way and let your body do what it already knows how to do. Let the other dude worry himself into a gutter ball...you just worry about that chick sitting back there.;)

I hope my ramblings have made sense.

[Rowdy]

If you need 30 to win,29 would be a tie.:eek:

When you need three to win,this is where all your practice comes into play. All the times you were practicing next to a 6 year olds birthday party and telling yourself these three are to win the US Open. Against WRW. You did practice for this,right?

[MorganGrafixx]

If you need 30 to win,29 would be a tie.:eek:

When you need three to win,this is where all your practice comes into play. All the times you were practicing next to a 6 year olds birthday party and telling yourself these three are to win the US Open. Against WRW. You did practice for this,right?

You know what I meant. Doesn't have to be bowling either. Any competition where you are putting your skills up against someone or something else to see who will be the better man TODAY. To me, a tie is just as bad as a loss. I would rather loose to someone who is better than me, or beat someone whom I am better than, rather than leave with the empty feeling of the "everybody's equal" liberal crap.

[Nica]

This is a golfing tip but it applies to bowling.:cool:
Make sure you have an easy to replicate approach/ set up.
At the point of starting your approach repeat a calming phrase to yourself and take a long breath that will tell your shoulders/ body to relax.
One of my golf instructors ( who taught every winter in Dom. Rep.) had me write the Spainish word "sauve" - "smooth" on my glove. I woud look at it, say it, breath and begin my swing.
I thought it might have been a bit hokey until I played golf with a scratch player and heard him whisper " smooth winds" to himself in every tee box.
I don't need to write a phrase on my golf glove anymore but I do repeat "smooth winds " to myself when over the ball. And now, standing on the lanes !:D

[Rowdy]

You know what I meant. Doesn't have to be bowling either. Any competition where you are putting your skills up against someone or something else to see who will be the better man TODAY. To me, a tie is just as bad as a loss. I would rather loose to someone who is better than me, or beat someone whom I am better than, rather than leave with the empty feeling of the "everybody's equal" liberal crap.

There would be a one frame roll off for the win. NOW you've got some pressure......