Hello Bowling Family!
I am doing the Summer Tour here in Maryland. This is the second time that I am doing this tournament. My problem is that I get sooooooooo nervous that I forget how to bowl. I also start over thinking(example:soon as I don't strike i keep asking myself should I move) or I do to much thinking. I stop early last year cause I felt like I was wasting my money and my partners. I get 229 pins over three games and I need to start cashing in on those pins as other has suggested to me. They tell me if I can hit 190 in all three games I would cash. I can hit 190 until that dam PRESSURE gets me. Please help a family member out.

It is definitely easier said than done.  I would suggest trying to take the score out of the equation.  Execute each ball individually and let the culmination of the game be what it is. 

Too often we look at things like cut lines and if we will cash or even what we feel others will think of us as the only thing that matters.  But what really matters is your ability to just throw the ball where you want to throw it.  Make your adjustments and do it again.

It takes time to learn the nuances of different shots regardless of their difficulty.  Pros do well on sport shots partly because they are just damn good and partly because they have bowled on the shots so much they seem like house shots in some ways to them.

If you're getting 70+ pins per game all you need to do is keep it simple and make your spares. Don't chase strikes

One thing I am doing to get some tournament experience and to avoid the pressure and making bowling a job is finding tournaments with a just for fun no prize bracket.  Usually the entry fee is lower and you get to see the sharks in action without them taking your money.  Plus for many of them in my area don't have to be sanctioned woot.

PROCESS!!

Develop and follow a pre-shot routine.  Make sure you take at least 1 deep breath and exhale as part of your normal routine.  Surprising how calming this is.  Only think about 1 thing, such as long follow through during your approach.  Practice how you want to perform in these competitions. 

I recently saw an interview with Max Scherzer, Nationals pitcher, where he said he throws his bullpen session in full uniform at competition speed.  He believes this prepares him for game time. 

Bowling doesn't compare to war, but think about the soldiers on the front.  They may have explosions going off around them, but most don't flinch much as they are accustomed to their surroundings.  In bowling, put yourself in high-stress situations often and you can become accustomed to it.  Bowl against your buddies for a quarter and bragging rights.  Treat this just like the tournaments you're currently nervous in. 

While everyone here has some great advice for this, and while a lot of it is mechanical let alone methodical, think also about it this way.

While some are saying to take the score out of it (again, GREAT ADVICE and I am not criticizing that), but also, take the entire tournament out of the picture.

What I mean by that is - and this works for no matter the tournament or the venue - is to treat it like it is any other set or pair of lanes that you would bowl on. When you really get down to it: The stadium, South Point, Woodland Bowl, Fountain Bowl, or Northrock Lanes is no different than Strike'n'Spare Lanes in St. Charles, Missouri, or Paris Bowl in Paris, Texas. You're down to the same 60 feet of lane that everyone else bowls on.

What I mean here is that you may be letting the actual event itself get you stuck in Analysis Paralysis. We get it; big tournaments like this can be overwhelming, and I'd venture to say that 100% of us have had that feeling and then some at one time or another. But once you get down on the lanes, think of it like a practice session, open bowling, or league at the best. You get your mind into that normal mindset/zone that you would be for league, and then let the mechanics and processes others posted about take over.

With that will come experience on how to handle the atmosphere of a big tournament, and you'll come out better regardless of what your scores tell you. Just settle in, don't let the moment overwhelm you, and you'll be fine.

BL.

If you get 221 sticks, PM me, lets bowl sometime this summer. I'm in VA.

Opportunity knocks!