After a sub-par performance in the 2011/12 season I sought some valuable experience over the summer by joining a league that bowled on PBA patterns. The league placed an emphasis on accuracy and adjustments and as a result my fall league scores reaped the benefits. In addition, I added a new ball to my arsenal, the Brunswick C-System Alpha Max, which has become my new go to ball. I have been able to strike with more regularity and my spare shooting has greatly increased now that I have a system to determine the number of boards I need to move for each spare shot.
Last season I threw 39 200 games and 7 600 series compared to 53 200 games, four of which were 250 or better, 17 600 series, and two 700 series this season. My high game and series this season, a 279 and 730 respectively, were both personal bests. My low game, a 136, and low series, a 516, both came on the first week of league. This also means that I didn't throw any series under 500 all season, a first for me.
One big problem I managed to correct this year was my difficulty in adjusting to lane transitions. Last season my second game average plummeted while I took several frames to adjust to changing oil conditions. This season I got progressively better from game to game, averaging 196 in game 1, 201 in game 2, and 208 in game 3. By gaining the knowledge and confidence to make quick adjustments I was able to continually improve as the night wore on.
When I started this blog my goal was to achieve a 200 average by the
end of the 2013 season. Despite gall bladder surgery which kept me off
the lanes for 20 days I was able to reach my goal and then some. My 202.48 average is another personal best and over ten pins better than last year's final average. Once I fully recovered from my surgery and had some experience with my new ball, say from week 11 on, I averaged 208.
While I benefited from the PBA Experience league last summer I have chosen a different course of action for this summer's training. I plan to spend a few days each month at the alley working on a few weak aspects of my game. These include changes in ball speed and hand position, as well as getting comfortable in playing different parts of the lane. I also want to gain familiarity in how each of my balls react under the same conditions so that I can seamlessly transition between the two during league play. In addition I plan to utilize video of my form to identify potential problem areas that can affect the ball's performance on the lane.
I hope to have a productive off season and pick up where I left off when league starts back up in August. How are you spending your summer?
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