Week 5 Recap

Game 1: 181
Game 2: 178
Game 2: 226
Series: 585
Week Avg: 195
Season Avg: 194

After a two week break while recovering from gall bladder surgery I was finally cleared to get back to action. I had been looking forward to this for days, but I was also a little worried on how I was going to hold up. The area around all four incisions was still a bit tender and there was some lingering back pain, so I wasn't sure how this would affect my release and follow through at the foul line. Needless to say I wanted to take as much practice as possible to feel things out; however, I was only able to throw two frames during our 10 minute session.  Luckily lane conditions have been pretty consistent, so I was more concerned about my mechanics than finding a line.

The first game started well enough with a few spares.  There didn't seem to be any lingering effects and I was throwing the ball really well. I was leaving 6- and 10-pins so I moved back a few inches, but then I was coming in high and leaving the 4- and 7- pins.  I moved left a board to try to correct that problem and hit light again, so I moved back one board to the right. It was a matter of about an inch or two on the approach and in the pocket, but I just couldn't seem to hit the sweet spot. I did double once, but I also missed a 10-pin late in the game. I finished with a 181.

The second game was pretty similar to the first.  I was in the pocket every shot, but couldn't get the pins to fall. I chopped a 6-10 and left an 8-10 split during this game, but they would be the last opens I'd see for the night. Late in the game I started running high so I moved up a few inches, but realized that I would have to go left a board to start the third.  I had a 178 this game, but felt pretty optimistic about the last game.

I started by alternating strikes and spares the first four frames and then threw a turkey. The more direct line I was forced to play the first two games gave way to a more arching line that gave me the carry I needed to take down all ten pins. I spared the next three frames and then struck out in the tenth frame to finish with a clean 226, a new season high.

This was actually the most consistent I have ever bowled.  All but one ball was in the pocket and the one that missed fell off my hand a little early.  I didn't miss my mark by more than a board all night.  I think that one reason behind this success was that I was being particularly careful easing myself back into bowling shape. I took my time and made sure that I was keeping good form and finishing every shot. I knew that as long as my body did what it should be doing I wouldn't hurt myself and I escaped the night with only slight discomfort in the area around where my gall bladder used to live.  As I get back to 100%, I need to be sure to continue keeping my own pace and not rushing my shots.

As I drove home I was mentally scolding myself for the first two games.  I was not hitting the pocket effectively making only adjustments to my body position on the approach, but I tried to force it to work. Throughout the night I considered changing hand position to either take some revs off to correct high hits or add some revs to correct light hits, but in the end I didn't make the adjustment until the third game.  Once I moved to the left a board and laid the ball flatter in my hand at the start of my delivery I was right where I wanted to be. By the end of the game the oil broke down enough and I went back to my normal hand position.  I need to make sure that second guessing doesn't cost me as many games as has in the past.  Its time to trust my instincts and then react to what I see.

With Labor Day and my surgery I have yet to get into a good rhythm this season. October up to Christmas provides a nice stretch of consecutive bowling weeks and I hope to develop a nice routine and get back to some normalcy. I'm a creature of habit, so I think that should benefit me in the end.

Week 4 Pre-Bowl Recap

Game 1: 204
Game 2: 216
Game 3: 224
Series: 644
Week Avg: 214
Season Avg: 194

On September 6th I went to pre-bowl in preparation for my second week of recovery following my surgery. Luckily I had a short work day already scheduled and was able to get to the alley around 1PM.  There were only a handful of people there and I was able to throw on a pair of lanes that we would typically bowl on during league.  The lanes were freshly oiled and I felt pretty good heading into my games.

The first game started with a strike and four consecutive spares. I made a conscious effort to pace myself and it worked well throughout all three games.  I struck in the sixth frame and stayed clean throughout the rest of the game, including a turkey in the tenth frame, to finish with a 204.

I started the second game with four more marks before finally missing a 10-pin in the fifth frame. I spared in the sixth and then fired four strikes in a row and a spare to finish the game. I had a 216 in what is typically my lowest game of an outing.

The third game started with another four bagger before a high hit left three pins, which I picked up for a spare. I doubled after that before opening on my only split of the day. I struck again in the ninth and the first ball in the tenth, finishing the frame with a spare and a 224 game.

I felt great throughout the entirety of this series and it was bittersweet knowing that I had to walk away from bowling for at least two weeks after such a good performance.  One big factor this day was that I was able to quickly identify problems in my delivery and correct them in the matter of a frame or two. I also had a lot of pocket nine counts which could have just as easily been strikes. A good release and follow through led to a fantastic day.

I went to the doctor on Monday and got the all clear to start getting back to normal activity this weekend. I'm still a little sore when I move certain ways, but otherwise I feel pretty good. I'll be out of town this weekend so I won't have a chance to warm up before next league night. But normal activity means bowling, and I plan to be ready to go.

Time to pick up where I left off . . .

Some Updates

Well I had my surgery on Friday morning and things went a little differently than expected. The plan was to make one small incision in my belly button to remove my gall bladder using a robot for most of the work. Apparently my gall bladder was a bit inflamed and they couldn't even get to it using the robot and one incision. They made two additional cuts, one about 6 inches above my belly button and another about three inches right of that, as well as a small hole about 8 inches to the right of my belly button to drain additional fluid from the surgery. Needless to say I am more sore than I expected to be and have some concern about how quickly I will be able to get back to bowling shape. I see the doctor for a follow up next Monday and we'll take it from there, but my plan is still to be back in action on October 1st.  It sounds like I did get lucky though, the doctor said they were a few minutes away from opening my entire abdomen to get to the gall bladder. I imagine recovery would have been considerably longer then.

In happier news, the Sandbagger Prevention League is getting some positive reviews just one week in. Jef who runs the About.com Bowling Blog gave it a mention in a recent post. I knew this would be a different and challenging experiment, but the pressure is on for me to do this right and present accurate results for any interested parties. If we can reach significant findings and conclusions, I will send along a report and a copy of our results to the USBC with a recommendation on how to clean up league bowling while still making it appealing to the masses.

Thanks to all for your support in both of the above mentioned topics and good luck on the lanes.

Week 3 Pre-Bowl Recap

Game 1: 196
Game 2: 179
Game 3: 197
Series: 572
Week Avg: 190
Season Avg: 187

In anticipation of my surgery on Friday, September 14th, I took to the lanes on September 4th to pre-bowl for week 3 along with my wife who had the unenviable duty of taking care of me during my recovery.

We were set up on the opposite side of the center that our league bowls on and were on the pair next to the wall and ball lockers, so it wasn't the most comfortable of lanes to bowl on.  To make matters worse, practice showed that the lanes had not been oiled that morning which forced me to throw a more sharply hooking angle into the pocket than usual. As we began the first game we noticed that the right lane wasn't registering our scores. Upon complaining to the worker they moved us one set of lanes over. I'm usually not a fan of moving mid-game, but this turned out to be a great move.

The new pair of lanes were freshly oiled and played similarly to the lane conditions we see on league nights.  I was able to capitalize on the two spares and strike I threw on the original pair and stayed clean through the first game for a 196.

I started with a strike in the second game before missing a 7-pin in the second frame. I rebounded with a double, but then followed that up with a light pocket hit split and then a chopped eight count open. I made a 6-7 split to get back on my game, but opened on another 7-pin for my last ball in the tenth frame to finish with a 179.

The third game started just as the second finished, with another missed 7-pin. I finally made the decision to pull my plastic out for any further attempts at the 7-pin and convert my final three attempts at that spare for the day. I stayed clean after the first frame, but was unable to string more than two strikes together the entire day. I finished the last game with a 197 and a 572 series.

I was throwing the ball pretty well, but recognizing two small changes a little later than I should have kept me from a couple 200 games and probably a 600 series. In the second game I was dropping my shoulder a little bit and missing my mark left, which resulted in a few ugly leaves. The other adjustment was to use my plastic when shooting at the 4- and 7-pins. My strike ball was grabbing early on the left side of the lane and it was easier to throw straight at the pins than try to find a line specific for those pins.

I've got one more week of scores banked during my recovery and then I hope to be back in action. Stay tuned.

Week 2 Recap

Game 1: 179
Game 2: 210
Game 3: 211
Series: 600
Week Avg: 200
Season Avg: 186

The first game started as a continuation of Week 1, with four of the first five frames as opens. While I was right in the pocket during practice, the first few frames saw me hit light several times to leave a 1-2-10, 5-7 and a few clusters that I chopped. I moved right a half board and quickly found the pocket again, striking enough to pull off a respectable 171 considering the poor start.

I stayed clean the second game, but had difficulty stringing more than two strikes together. I didn't have anything less than an eight-count on the balls that didn't strike, though, and was in the pocket nearly every shot for a 210.

I started the third game with two missed 10-pins, which really upset me because I used to take pride in making that spare. I quickly cleaned up my act and followed the two opens with a turkey and didn't open the rest of the night. I moved a few inches back about halfway through the game to compensate for a light pocket hit and really never looked back.  I finished with a 211 game and a 600 on the nose.

One problem I did have this week was that the ball came off my hand early about five times.  It had been cooler here the last few days and I think that the quick change in temperature shrunk my fingers just enough that I had to be very careful to get them into the ball as I set up on the approach. When the ball falls off early I lose revs and miss my mark about a board to the right, which resulted in some light hits.

I pre-bowled for weeks 3 and 4 earlier in the week and in the past nine games I have been throwing the ball really well.  I am hitting my mark more consistently and holding my release. I don't know how to explain it, but the ball just feels great coming off my hand and I feel that every shot has the potential to be a strike. I hope I can keep this momentum going when I come back from my surgery in a few weeks.

I'll post recaps of my pre-bowls for weeks 3 and 4 a little closer to those dates.

An Addition To The Family

Earlier this month I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a ball for heavy oil conditions. I had done a lot of research on RG, differential, coverstocks, etc. and was prepared to buy a new ball when another bowler in my summer league mentioned that he was selling a few of his. I mentioned what I was looking for and he pointed me toward his Brunswick C-(System) alpha-max.

Isn't it cute?

I had it refitted this afternoon and threw a few frames with it on an old wooden lane, but I can already tell that this is going to fill the gap in my arsenal. I'll test it out some more on Tuesday when I go to pre-bowl and hopefully get a better handle on how the ball reacts on a THP on synthetic lanes.

On a side note: it was really difficult to find a pro shop in Pittsburgh's North Hills. I ended up at an 8-lane alley above a diner. The lanes and approaches were all old wood and they showed their age. The ball returns looked like they were from the late 1950s and the ball rolled back between the gutters at lane level. Almost unbelievably the alley did have automatic scoring. The pro shop was essentially a closet with a shop vac, sander, small cardboard boxes filled with inserts and some measuring equipment. The drills were in some mysterious back room which probably also doubled as the diner's kitchen.  But as long as everything fits alright I'd probably go back.

So no more excuses now. The equipment is there, now I just have to use it.

Week 1 Recap

Game 1: 171
Game 2: 136
Game 3: 209
Series: 516
Week Avg: 172
Season Avg: 172

The first game started off pretty well.  While I didn't throw many strikes, I was in the pocket just about every shot. I missed a 10-pin by hair inside and opened on a late split, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. I threw a 171.

The second game was a reminder as to why I am not a great bowler.  I left four splits this game, in addition to a missed 6-pin. I was consistent, but unfortunately I was consistent in not hitting my mark. Every ball hit either light or high and the shots I did have in the pocket just didn't carry.  I didn't feel very comfortable, which was odd since I spent the entire summer on difficult oil patterns. This was supposed to be easy. My 136 begs to differ. I'll never make the transition from a good bowler to a great bowler without the ability to recognize and troubleshoot the errors in my game.

To start the third game I decided to concentrate on a few things. 1) Don't rush. Bowl at a comfortable speed for me. 2) Keep my shoulders parallel to the foul line and don't dip my right shoulder at release. And 3) Hold my finish. All of a sudden I was hitting my mark and carrying with more frequency. The leaves I did have were typically corner pins. I finished with a clean 209, but an underwhelming series.

All of my research into the strategies of a sandbagger must have slipped into my subconscious. This outing was well under average and rather disappointing. Luckily we were bowling against a team we knew, so I didn't feel too bad.

We are off next week for Labor Day, but I plan to pre-bowl on Tuesday and Thursday for the two weeks I will miss while recovering from my gall bladder surgery on September 14th.

Its gotta get better from here.