Week 15 Recap

Game 1: 235
Game 2: 174
Game 3: 194
Series: 603
Week Avg: 201
Season Avg: 191

Summary

I started practice with three strikes, so right away I was pessimistic of how my night would go because that is usually a bad omen for me. The lanes were pretty similar to last week, so I knew exactly where I needed to be and that I had to get the ball to move a couple boards right after hitting my mark at the second arrow to get a good pocket shot.

I came in high my first ball and left the 7-pn, which I barely missed to the left. I used the Python instead of the plastic since I had a better percentage with that on Sunday, but I quickly realized that the lanes were a bit too dry for that to work last night. I spared in the second and third frame before firing off a four bagger. I was feeling pretty comfortable and picked up a couple more single pin spares before striking out to finish with a 235. It was a great start and the game made it worth turning down those free Steelers tickets.

The second game started with me missing my mark and, subsequently, the 10-pin using my plastic. I struggled to find a good line to the pocket, but was pretty consistent in picking up my single pin spares. I chopped a 2-4-8 leave for my second open in the game, but struck in the fourth and seventh frames and then filled the tenth to salvage a 174.

The last game started with a turkey and I managed to find a good line for the time being, but the lanes were beginning to change rapidly. The ball started to hook pretty hard in the backend and I left three splits: 3-9-10, 7-9 and in the tenth frame the 4-7-9. When the ball didn't come in high, it was a strike. Luckily I strung enough together to get over average with a 194. I shot a 603 for the night, but after that first game it felt disappointing.

Lesson Learned

I was much more confident in my spare shooting, even though I missed a 7-pin and was 1 for 2 on 10-pins. Every other open was a split or a chopped double wood. I think that Sunday's practice did more for my confidence than it did for changing or refining technique, but sometimes all you need is more confidence.

Last night was an emphasis on memory and recognizing situations I have seen before. The lanes showed similar characteristics to the end of last week and I made the adjustment left in anticipation of the ball hooking more. It paid off with some great pocket hits, but I still need to be better about adjusting late in the third game. Lately it seems that during the last game the lanes break down much faster than during the first two. As a result, the ball is hooking more and coming in high. I think next week, I will move my mark further out on the lane during the third game and see how my ball reacts. Another observation for the memory bank.

Next week is a big one. Its the end of the quarter and four teams, including mine, are fighting for first place and a spot in the end of the year playoffs, not to mention the first place payout. Also, there has been an issue in our league that we are to vote on. I bowl in a Mixed 100% handicap league, but as usual in these types of leagues, there is always one team that is much better than the rest and usually one team that is worse than the rest. Someone suggested that the worst team has an advantage over the better teams because they are given a significant handicap when bowling head to head. As a result, the worst team takes more points and places higher each quarter. While no team can win a quarter more than once in terms of qualifying for the playoffs, a team can win multiple quarters in terms of place money. So this is really more an issue of every team having an equal shot at prize money. The subject of voting next week is to decide whether the league should change to 80% handicap, which would not give the worse teams such a significant advantage.  I was chosen to be the voting member of my team and we are all in agreement that we are opposed to this change, mainly because it is the middle of the season.  While there is no rule against making such a change mid-season, this is not a competitive league for the most part and everyone did not sign up for an 80% handicap league.

What are your thoughts on this scenario?