Week 19 Recap

Game 1: 190
Game 2: 214
Game 3: 222
Series: 626
Week Avg: 208
Season Avg: 196

We have started the second half of the season with some success, sitting in third place after the first week.  We wanted to continue taking more points than we give away for the rest of the season and hopefully translate that into a playoff berth. I threw two frames of practice this week, barely enough to warm up let alone get a good read on the lanes and thought I might be in for a tough night.

Based on my last frame of practice I moved right a little to start my first game and led off with a turkey. The ball started to hang out on me because I was pushing oil down the lane and after a few spares I chopped a 2-4-5 leave. I found that I had to throw the ball right over the 8 board all the way to my break point to find the pocket, unlike last week where the ball could roll a little further right and still strike. I had another turkey late in the game, but a missed 3-10 split in the tenth frame left me at a 190.

The second game was more consistent, with one split serving as my only open. I spent the first half of the game debating whether or not to make a ball change down to the Python, but instead I moved my body right two boards and my mark right one board around the fifth frame and stuck with my current ball. My hope was that I would have a bigger margin of error and I was right. I started striking more consistently and finished up with a 214.

The third game saw seven strikes and the rest of my frames were corner pin leaves, with the exception of an errant 4-6-10 split. It stayed uneventful, which is good, and I finished the evening with a 222 game. Our team took all available points for the night and should move up in the top two in the standings.

Stay behind the ball. Follow through over my target. Hold my position until the ball crosses my target. Since I started thinking about these three short sentences before each frame I have felt more confident and physically felt like an experienced bowler, which has translated in to higher scores on the lanes. Concentrating on these steps allows me to throw consistently and be better able to make minute adjustments to continue scoring as the lanes change. I like it. I need to keep it up.

Since November 12th I have averaged 204.8 and am now four pins shy of my goal to finish with a 200 average. This is the highest my average has been this late in the season and now is the time to keep the pedal on the floor and continue the climb.

I'm excited! Are you excited? I'm excited!

Sorry, I know there isn't much substance in posts like this, but I can't wait until Monday to get back on the lanes.