November 30, 2012

Week 13 Recap

Game 1: 206
Game 2: 161
Game 3: 248
Series: 615
Week Avg: 205
Season Avg: 194

First off, I finally got around to updating the SPL page with three weeks worth of results. I plan on analyzing the data thus far and writing a post sometime in the near future.

I felt pretty good heading into league this week, perhaps it could be attributed to taking Monday off to recover from the holiday house guests. Since I had the realization a few weeks ago that I needed to make an effort to stay upright at the point of release I have been throwing more consistently and accurately. My hope is that after a few weeks of making a conscious effort to stay upright eventually muscle memory will be retrained and I will continue to do so automatically.

The first game was a fairly uneventful, I believe clean, affair. I was in the pocket every shot and my leaves were mainly corner pins as I fine tuned my line. I really like how the Python has been reacting lately and it has resulted in more strikes. Even though I was striking this game, I didn't group them together enough for a big score and I finished with a 206.

In the second game I threw all strikes on the right lane, but the left lane started to give me problems. I rushed an early shot and left a 3-6-10, which I chopped for an open.  Two frames later another bad ball left the 2-4-5 that I also chopped. When I threw well on the left lane I came in high so I adjusted by moving a few inches up on the approach.  I left a 10-pin late in the eighth frame and during the spare attempt my ball hit some dead wood in the gutter. Even though I'm pretty sure the ball was going to hang on and convert the spare anyway, because I hit the pin in the gutter the spare was negated.  I will not make the mistake of leaving dead wood ever again. I spared in the tenth frame on the left lane, but was still coming in high.  I decided that to start the last game I would move a half board left and swing the ball out a bit into the pocket. I finished the second game with a 161.

The third game started with a pocket 5-7 split. I'm still not really sure how either pin was left standing, as both were wobbling pretty bad when the rack came down. I converted a 10-pin in the second frame and then threw four strikes in a row. The next frame was a lighter pocket hit and I left another 10-pin to break up the streak, but was able to strike the last five in a row to finish with a 248 game and third straight 600 series (fourth if you count the charity tournament).

As a team we only took 2 of 7 points from a team that was well below us in the standings. Three of us were well below average the second game and we lost by nearly 100 pins. Hopefully the three teams above us had an off night so we won't lose any momentum.

While it seems that many of the problems that plagued my game have been corrected, the one that is still haunting me is the ability to transition with the lanes. I average nearly 30 pins more in my third game than I do the second, which is unacceptable. This week was particularly rough because I anticipated the change, but made the wrong adjustment for about three frames before realizing my mistake. I second guessed myself initially, with my instinct telling me to move left first but then opting to move up instead. It all goes back to trusting myself. I know how to play the game, I just need to do it.

On the plus side, the past few weeks have shown me that I am getting more comfortable in stringing strikes together.  Last week could have just as easily seen me throw 11 in a row if it weren't for the 8-10 split. This week's slightly light pocket 10-pin could have been 10 in a row. The weak knees and butterflies in my stomach don't appear as quickly as they once did. My confidence is beginning to build and if I can start a game off strong who knows what can happen.

What I do know is that lately Monday nights can't get here fast enough.

November 20, 2012

Week 12 Recap

Game 1: 166
Game 2: 214
Game 3: 256
Series: 636
Week Avg: 212
Season Avg: 193

First, I wanted to apologize for not updating the SPL page in a while.  We'll be hosting Thanksgiving at my house and so I've been trying to get some cleaning and things done before our families come over Wednesday night. Hopefully I will have a few weeks' worth of updates on the page after this weekend followed by a recap of the first quarter of the SPL.

Secondly, the charity bowling tournament went really well on Sunday.  There were at least 40 bowlers, in addition to a 50/50 and Chinese auction, which all raised money for my teammate's co-worker who is currently battling cancer. I bowled pretty well, scoring a 213, 183, and 215 for the day. During the first game I played a little further left than usual, creating a bigger arch into the pocket. After the first game I lost that line and went to my typical line of standing at the 25 board and throwing at the 8. My teammate, his aunt and I were the only league bowlers there and we swept the awards with ease. I took home top series honors by about 150 pins.

Now, onto my league recap. I decided to start the night with the Python rather than the C-System since it has been performing really well lately. One of our bowlers had pre-bowled and another was a no show so we knew it would be a quick night.  After practice we found out that four of the opposing team's members had also rolled off and their fifth bowler never showed, so there were only three of us on our pair.  As my wife remarked, it felt like we were the ones doing the pre-bowling. That worked for me, I usually do better in that situation any way.

Everything looked great in practice, but the first few frames of the first game were disastrous. I had a couple of spares and a couple of opens to start the evening. I kept missing my mark and realized about halfway through the game that I was dropping my right shoulder. Once I made a conscious effort to stay upright at the foul line everything came together. I finished the game with a 166 and barely squeaked out a win for the team.

The second game started much better than the first. I was striking regularly, but a few mistakes caused me to leave a 3-10 split and I opened on a 3-6-10. I was not making very good decisions on how to play multi-pin leaves. I threw four in a row late in the game and finished out with a spare and a strike in the tenth for a 214 and another big win for the team.

The last game was glorious, but also a case of "what might have been." My first ball fell off my hand early and left the 1-2-4-7, which I converted. I doubled and then left my buddy the 8-10 split on a solid pocket shot for an open.  I adjusted a few inches up on the approach for that lane only and made no adjustments on the other lane, remembering my misstep from last week. The last eight balls were strikes. No iffy strikes either, these were beautiful. It was a ten strike 256 game, probably the most strikes I've ever thrown in one game and a tie for my personal record for the most strikes in a row in one game. The team swept the night and continues its way up the standings.

I wish I could have kept going to see if I could have thrown four more strikes. This was the best I have ever felt bowling. Everything felt easy. The ball came off my hand perfectly, generating a little more revs than usual for me. My form was above average for me, as I held my position at the foul line after releasing the ball more often than not. I don't know how I looked up there, but I felt like a pro that last game. And it felt good.

As I mentioned, my spare shooting was less than stellar.  In addition to the 8-10, 3-10 and 2-7 splits I left, I chopped a 3-6-10, 2-4-5 and 6-9 and outright missed an 8-pin. I've been perfect on 10-pins lately though, which has been a huge help.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, everyone. May your turkeys be plentiful, both on the table and on the lanes.

November 14, 2012

Week 11 Recap

Game 1: 170
Game 2: 217
Game 3: 245
Series: 632
Week Avg: 210
Season Avg: 191

I started with the C-System again this week but the heavy center oil is still preventing me from playing the line I wanted to try. I started the first game with spares and a couple strikes, but the ball just wasn't taking out the corner pins like I had hoped.  I missed a 10-pin in the eighth frame and decided I needed a bit of a change and went to the Python. It took the rest of the first game to find the right line after the ball switch and I chopped a 3-6-10 to open in the tenth frame, but I felt like I had a pretty good idea where to throw for the rest of the night. I finished with a what-might-have-been 170 game and the team lost by 30 pins.

I came out the gates a little better in the second game.  I was throwing well and the Python just seemed to hit with a bit more power than the C-System.  I struck a few times, including a 4-bagger up to the ninth frame.  Unfortunately the ball hung out a little on my first ball in the tenth frame and I left a 5-8-10 split. I hate opening in the tenth frame and so far I was 2 for 2 on the night. I had a 217 that game, which was disappointing considering a mark or two would have easily put me in the 220s.  Our team picked back up with our winning ways and we took the game by nearly 100 pins.

I started off the third game with a double. Hitting my mark had become easy and every pocket shot seemed like it was going to strike. Until the third frame when my nemesis the 8-10 split decided to make an appearance. After opening on the split I decided to move up a few inches for my next ball, which was a mistake and I hit light leaving the 2-4-5 for a spare. I realized I needed to move up on the right lane only and stay at my usual spot on the left lane, which turned out to be a great revelation since I struck the next six in a row. I spared to finish the game with a 245, a personal season high and third highest scratch game league-wide so far.

The C-System seems to have lost some of its mojo since I had it refitted. I think I need to give it a once over with a Scotch Brite pad to dull the surface a bit and clean it off with some alcohol so I can give myself a good baseline reaction on a fresh house pattern with a clean ball. Also, perhaps I haven't moved far enough outside to get the line I want. I had been throwing at about the 8-board, but maybe I should go to 5 and see what I can do there. Bowl and learn, that's all I can do.

Meanwhile the Python looked great last night and I got some really good movement in the back end. Perhaps this needs to remain my go-to ball for now and the C-System can be my back up when things aren't going so well.

This Sunday I'm bowling in a charity tournament to benefit a teammate's co-worker who is suffering from cancer.  Its in an unfamiliar house, but it might be a nice chance to try some new things. Practice is practice, and since this event is more about the cause than winning I have no qualms about donating my entry fee for the chance to throw a few games.  And there will be pizza too . . .

November 9, 2012

Week 10 Recap

Game 1: 196
Game 2: 161
Game 3: 171
Series: 528
Week Avg: 176
Season Avg: 189

With my newly drilled C-System officially assigned to active duty, I decided to use it to start the evening. I started practice trying to throw a wider shot, but the heavier than normal oil forced me to come back to center and play a similar line to the down and in shot that had failed me in past weeks.  I was standing with my left foot at the 25 board and throwing over the 8 board.

I threw well during the first game. Every shot was in the pocket, resulting in a strike or a nine count, mainly 9- or 10-pins. Late in the first game the leaves started coming on the left side. In the tenth frame I left a 4-pin, but after methodically picking up all of my other leaves I missed my mark a few boards left and the ball hooked past the pin for an open and a blown 200 game. I finished with a 196, luckily not costing the team a victory despite a close contest.

I moved up on the approach a bit to start the second game and remained pretty steady int he pocket for a few frames until the high shots started to really do some damage.  I left two wide splits in the middle of the game for opens and to make matters worse I also missed a 7-pin. I tried moving left and throwing through the oil, but the ball didn't recover quickly enough to break back to the pocket so I moved back and tried to make smaller adjustments on my established line. I managed to turkey into the tenth frame to salvage a little dignity, but I still only threw a 161. Our lead-off man had pre-bowled on the night and had a big enough game to cover my poor performance.

The third game started with two splits for opens. I tried to reign in the ball the best I could, but after a few more frames I decided to put it away and pull out my Python (thanks Brunswick for naming a ball Python and allowing me to use that delightful phrase).  By now the oil had broken down to the point where I was playing the line that was so successful last week. I began striking and making easy spares to save a hard fought 171 game.  The team took all seven points and we are slowly working our way up the standings thanks to some great games from my teammates.

After making the decision to start the night with the C-System, I knew there was going to be a learning curve. The heavier oil helped ease me into using a stronger ball by allowing me to play close to a familiar line. The most important thing now is for me to understand the limits of the ball and develop a strategy of play. The dull surface redistributed a lot of oil quickly, which leads me to think that this will be a great set up ball. I can use the C-System at the beginning of the night to wear in a preferred line and then switch to the Python to finish out the evening to maintain success. Over the next few weeks it is imperative that I recognize the difference between when I can make an adjustment to keep using the same ball and when I should keep the same line and switch balls.

I have been consistently bowling under average so far this season, so something has got to change. I hope the new ball will give me the extra power I need to make those nine counts turn into strikes. The pieces are in place, I just need to learn how to play them. (I need to sound optimistic, its the only thing helping me keep it together out there)