February 25, 2013

Week 23 Recap

Game 1: 227
Game 2: 217
Game 3: 195
Series: 639
Week Avg: 213
Season Avg: 197

We started a bit late this week because the bowling center finally got the memo that leagues should start on something that resembles a fresh oil pattern. My guess is that that memo came in the form of a complaint from a league officer, but probably not the same officer that complained about us starting late.

I had a pretty solid first game, mainly strikes and single pin spares. I'm still having some difficulty stringing strikes together with regularity, but I'm content with doubles and spares for now. I stayed clean until my last ball in the tenth frame when I missed a 10-pin. Luckily our team had the game in hand and I finished with a 227.

The second game started a little rough. After an opening strike I missed a 7-pin in the second frame and a 4-pin in the third. It was a classic case of over-correcting, or making an unnecessary adjustment, after a bad shot. I don't know why I am having so much trouble with the 4-pin lately, but it might be time to think about switching to the plastic ball when shooting on the left side. I was able to shake off the two opens with a strike in the fourth frame and then had a big finish by striking the last six in a row. Unfortunately my 217 fell just a bit short and our team dropped the game by less than ten pins.

Strikes were harder to come by in the last game, but luckily my spare shooting improved. A late 4-7-10 split broke up my clean game and any momentum I had as the tenth frame approached. I was able to salvage a 195 game and another 600 series, but our team has begun to make a habit of dropping five of seven points each week. We were in third place heading into this week, but I'm afraid to see where we are for Week 24. We're going to have to make up a lot of ground quickly for a shot at winning the second half of the season and a spot in the playoffs.

I am now less than 3 pins away from my goal average of 200. I'm more consistent and striking with more regularity than ever before. I'm also more aware of what my body is doing during my delivery and am able to make quicker adjustments than last season. These were all problems I had identified a year before, and now that they have been corrected I think I am a few minor details away from throwing some really big scores.

Because I've reached such a high point, I'm a bit conflicted on how to handle this summer. I swore I would take the summer off from league bowling and dedicate a day or two each month to practice sessions, focusing on areas of my game that need improvement. But now I have a fear growing in the back of my mind that this down time might ruin the momentum I built up during the year.

Decisions, decisions. I guess I have a little more time to decide, but it will definitely be weighing on me until next September.

3 comments:

  1. Your game is coming together nicely. I think you'll get to a 200 avg, and then some, by seasons end.

    As for the summer bowling dilemma, I think it depends on what your goals will be for the 2013-14 fall season.

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    1. Thanks Matt.

      I really want to work on spare shooting, accuracy, different hand positions and lines to the pocket. I know I need to balance all of this with some regular games of bowling, too. My fear is that if I concentrate on small things all summer it would somehow prevent me from bowling a good complete game or series.

      It is hard enough to find a decent league here during the fall season, so a good summer league is pretty elusive.

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  2. That sounds like what I did last summer. While the jury is still out, I think it's helped me this fall season. Mind you, I'd go crazy if I had to take a 3 month break from bowling!

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