Bowlers, and all athletes, are continually tested by the challenge of crucial game situations. Such key moments are a big part of the excitement and fun of sports. At these times, when outcome rides on immediate performance, there is the potential to feel pressured and become tense in mind and body. For example, your concentration can be broken, thoughts race, or mind go blank; your legs, arms, or hands may become weak, shaky, or tight.  Because of the coordination and precision necessary to deliver the ball properly, all it takes is a small change in stride to affect timing or balance, or a slight tightening of the arm or a subtle squeezing of the ball to affect your release. Or decision-making may be thrown off if your thinking is slow or scattered. It’s not hard to imagine the impact of these changes. Your shot can’t be on line or carry well if the ball’s direction, velocity, rotation, etc. is off.

If you’re not poised, clear thinking, and focused, your ability to quickly make a necessary move or equipment change is compromised. Since even a single pin can make a world of difference in the outcome, response to pressure situations can readily affect results. In team play, if someone’s performance drops off, teammates may in turn feel heightened pressure to take up the slack. Also, under pressure some team members may stop communicating or display anger. This can further impair the team effort.
These types of psychological and physical effects and their negative impact on performance are commonly referred to as “choking.” No athlete is immune. Grappling with the potential effects of feeling pressure is part of the sports experience from Little League to the Major Leagues, from youth league bowling to the ranks of the PBA. In one situation or another, in some degree, at some time, all who participate in competitive sports are affected. Close your eyes and envision Walter Ray Williams in a championship round on TV, coming through again and again. If you ask Walter Ray, he’ll tell you of the times in his career he didn’t come through. Or ask Marshall Holman. Or Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Or Betty Morris. Or any professional or elite amateur. All have had their share of events where the pressure they felt lowered their score. Yet to enjoy so many triumphs, these great athletes have consistently coped with the stress of clutch situations.
The same principle holds true for every bowler. You’ll undoubtedly face
countless situations where a result hangs in the balance. Those who bowl at or close to their best at such critical times enjoy a distinct competitive edge. Acquiring the skills to handle your reactions in these clutch circumstances is a mental game must if you are to reach your bowling pinnacle.
Pre-Game Pressure
Feelings of pressure are by no means limited to the actual competition. As
competitors in all sports will attest, the period of time preceding play can be the toughest in terms of “nerves.” While some pre-competition “butterflies” are, to borrow a sports metaphor, par for the course, excessive emotional and physical tension can have detrimental impact. Some possible negative effects include not adhering to pre-game routine, diminished energy, poor quality warm-up, distraction, and carryover of a pressured feeling into actual play.
Pre-Day Pressure
The experience of pressure can also affect your training. Some bowlers feel intense pressure to perform during all practice sessions. Others may feel it only at specific times, such as when team members, coach, or family are present. Sometimes bowlers will start to “press” during practice as the event approaches. Just as in actual competition, the quality of your bowling can drop if you start to tighten up. As we’ll describe shortly, feeling pressure can produce different psychological and physical reactions. Difficulty sleeping is an example of a pre-competition reaction which could hinder your performance readiness.
Pride in Coping
Bowlers cite several essential characteristics of the sport which can
contribute to a “pressure cooker” atmosphere: the isolated position on the
lane with all eyes on you; the pause between shots leaving time to ponder
what’s ahead; the proximity of spectators and adversaries; the small margin for error; the glare of the lights and the stare of the cameras on the show, along with a single elimination format; the need to think quickly on your feet as you adjust to ever-changing conditions; the minimal opportunity to release tension through physical activity. Add to this the common combination of close competition and limited stakes. All the more reason to develop finely honed psychological tools and all the more cause to feel proud of managing the stress.

(This information is an excerpt from the book, “The Handbook of Bowling
Psychology” by Dr. Eric Lasser, Fred Borden, and Jeri Edwards.)