Bowled SOOOO BAD that I thought about Giving IT UP!!!

[MICHAEL]

Bowling is a PUZZLE, enigma to me!!!!!!! How can a Super Hero bowl so damn good some days on a local alley! And then out of NO WHERE, Faster than a speeding bullet bowl like it was the first bowling ball held in your hands!

We were ½ game out of first yesterday, and I bowled a 3 game total so low that if it were put into pennies I couldn’t buy a Denny’s $5.00 breakfast! I tried everything, Started with the V.G. Nanno, then went to the Marauder Madness, then my life saver 700 series 3 times ball THE MARUADER!! NOTHING, NAUGHT, NIL,,, BLANK,, Zero results!!

I tried everything but bowl on my knees begging for a strike, or even good game! We only won 1 game!! I think we are still in second, but we could have been in first! Here is the KICKER!!!!!!!!!!!! WE played a team in last place!! Not a bad team,,, some good bowlers, but LAST PLACE! Our team had a bad day everyone, BUT JOYCE!! SHE was solid and on her average!!

My question is have YOU EVER HAD A DAY where ALL,,,, NOT ONE<< NOT two(((((BUT ALL YOUR GAMES SUCKED)))!!
Everyone tells you,,, Don’t give up!!!! LIKE I AM NOT TRYING!! I was trying so hard that I was sweating bullets!! NOTHING!!

I was So damn depressed that we went to Taco Bell and I ordered 10 soft shell Taco’s with a HIGH SUGER drink,,,,, yes I was on the edge,,,, tried to OD my useless, worthless bowling body on JuNk FoOD!!!!

Had Nightmares all night about bowling,,, is it time for me to hang it up!! I am not sure I could experience that again, and survive!!
Just woke up and its clear the OD of Taco Bell did not achieve its objective, I am still here!

And so is that worthless falling apart,,,, like me,,,,, Storm 1 spare bowling ball! Just looking at IT,,,, Makes,,,,, me ,,, want to eat 13 Hard shell Taco's, and a large Chocolate malt, with whip-cream 6 inches high and a cherry on top!

[eugene02]

Ive bowled some guys that sucked so much that I didn't want to continue for the day.. but normally it's during practice.. during my competition all these I'll normally play better then average.. maybe because of the atmosphere or what I don't know.. haha.. :) Cheers!

[75lockwood]

Yup, bad days/ruts/slumps happen to everyone, the main thing to do is not to get mad at yourself, when that happens your a lost cause. remember your there to have fun first and bowl well second.

Taco Bell is never the way to go Mike......


Nightmares? sounds like a warning for Friday......

[Perrin]

Just did that last week sadly. I just could NOT figure out the lanes. didn't shoot my average any of the games.

Check out the post from over the weekend about Grinding it out. that pretty much sums things up.

[MICHAEL]

Ive bowled some guys that sucked so much that I didn't want to continue for the day.. but normally it's during practice.. during my competition all these I'll normally play better then average.. maybe because of the atmosphere or what I don't know.. haha.. :) Cheers!

Thanks eugene,,,, that made me feel better!!! You have a way with words... Thanks buddy!!!

[75lockwood]

Thanks eugene,,,, that made me feel better!!! You have a way with words... Thanks buddy!!!

Sarcasm?

[backlasher]

Week before last I bowled really badly. I wouldn't have believed I could do that poorly. I didn't bowl my average in any of the three games. Then last week I did a magnificiant job, above my average in each of the games, with one nearly 30 pins above. So, give it a while and you'll be back to your old self.

[scottymoney]

You have to play each frame as its own game. Each shot needs to be made with a clear mind. Thinking about missing your last shot will make you focus less on your next shot. I am a victim of this myself. The worst by far is those "nice" pocket hits which leave pins standing.

[75lockwood]

Iceman, see mental game section of the FAQ :cool:

[MICHAEL]

Sarcasm?

In no way, shape or FORM!! Eugene is my buddy!!! He does have a way of saying things that lighten up my day!! Thanks Eugene! You were the first to come to my rescue!! Iceman never forgets a FRIEND!!

[e-tank]

i bowled a 157-120-146 yesterday which is better than my average but man that 120 game is still eating at me.

not to mention all the guys on the other team bowled a 300 or very close to it at some point during the series(9 pin no tap)

[MICHAEL]

i bowled a 157-120-146 yesterday which is better than my average but man that 120 game is still eating at me.

not to mention all the guys on the other team bowled a 300 or very close to it at some point during the series(9 pin no tap)


I FEEL YOUR PAIN e tank!!! I feel your pain!! (:(~~

[Zothen]

I feel your pain! When I came back to bowling in 2011 I struggled,even joining a practice league and a regular league and still struggled. Then I joined a Sport league and it was a blessing in disguise! Everyone in the league helped me out and I took what they pointed out that was wrong in my game and worked my *** off in practice so I would get better. I also took advantage of getting tips from Robin Romeo when she had a clinic at Mission Hills Bowl and wnet to a seminar in Sept of this year hosted by Mark Baker & Chris Barnes. Now as of 12/10/12 I have a 150(130 in '11)in Sport league and 183(150 in '11)on my Wed league. I continue to learn and practice to get better by working on my weaknesses.

In summery-Sometimes you have to get back to basics and start from scratch. Get a coach or take lesseons as this will help greatly in pointing out your weaknesses and helping you work on them,so you can be a better bowler.

Zothen

[SSG]

I havn't had that bad of a set this year yet *knock on wood*!!! but it makes you feel bad when you cant help your team at all when you can do absolutly nothing right!

[MICHAEL]

I havn't had that bad of a set this year yet *knock on wood*!!! but it makes you feel bad when you cant help your team at all when you can do absolutly nothing right!



That’s how I felt! We should have won, but I couldn’t figure out how to play the lanes! Funny today on our senior’s league, I did ok,,, ,,,, had a 642, 236, 214, and a 192. Nothing great, BUT a HECK of a lot better than Sunday! Joyce had another great day. She had a not so good first game, but then a 212, and final game of 170! Her first game is what hurt her series… 135…. Darn!!!!!

She could have easily had a 245, but a few 10 pins, ect… one open, but did have a 5 strike series in that game! I know she will get that 600 soon!!

I Just wanted you to know that I decided to give it another try today, before OD-ing on Ding, Dongs!!

I am glad I did, different AMF, with great lane conditioning, and I was able to use the Marauder all the way, (all three games)! I did miss 3 ten pins, due to the fact that my spare ball is being worked on, and is out of order!

Had to throw a Sling-Shot (weakest ball I have, and it still has that movement left that the spare ball doesn’t have! Miss that ball, hope to get it back by Tuesday League!

Bowling is a lot like LIFE!! It has its wonderful UP’s!!! And ,,,,,, IT has its downs!! I just hate it when I can’t figure out how to play a alley on a given night!! Lots to learn I guess, and so little time to learn it!!

[Hammer]

I have had nights like that when you can't seem to get out of your own way. No matter what line you use the ball does not want to hit the pocket right. When I did hit the pocket I kept leaving 7 pins or 10 pins. What made it worse was missing the 7 pin a few times I am left handed so the 7 can be a pain for me. When I miss the 10 pin which should be easy for me I look at the 10 after missing it and say to myself are you kidding me? I have a 176 average and what I bowled on league night was a 148, 158 and a 170. It hurts more when you lose your games by 5 pins then 13 pins and 25 pins. When that happens you have to be careful not to blame yourself. You have to remember that you are on a team and the other 3 bowlers on your team have to bowl good when you are having a bad night just like you have to pick someone up when they are having a bad night. Sometimes the whole team sucks on a night but you have to grin and bear it. Maybe the next league night you will be the teams savior. I would say hang in there. You have had good days of bowling before so I am sure they will happen again. I saw a pro bowler on youtube bowl a 100 game on TV. OUCH! I couldn't believe it. I thought to myself if this guy could have that bad of a day then I shouldn't complain when I have a low game of 127 on league night. I only have a 176 average and I only bowl every other Saturday and only practice one time every two weeks. So I can't expect too much out of myself. Those low games are what I deserve for as much time as I put into bowling. Better bowling only comes with more practice and maybe a lesson or two. Hang in there.

[ArtVandelay]

Our team has a tradition: If someone is having one of those nights when they are horribly below average, someone buys them a shot. If you can't buy a "shot," then someone will buy you a shot. If we are going to stink, we might as well get drunk doing it! hahahaha. But my team isn't very serious about much (but we're still in first, despite ourselves!).

It does annoy me, though, when you see guys sandbagging... One night our team had a 300 bowled against us by a guy carrying TONS of handicap he didn't deserve. We actually had a clean sweep of that team that night (our team was bowling VERY well that night... It's hard to explain). But the whole time I was thinking, "Man, how do guys this good carry such handicap?" Well, at the end of the night, once that 3rd game was all but settled and the sweep was inevitable we saw what was going on. To a man, everyone on that team gutterballed ever ball for the last 2 frames. Disgraceful. Even the 300 game guy.

It's a "just for fun," type league. We aren't sanctioned (although it was kind of nice someone in the league found a place that would sell a 300 ring to that guy who bowled the 300. It was his first ever, and I thought it was a nice gesture, even if you're a purist and say he shouldn't get one). I know you can file a complaint or whatever, but in this league it's just not worth it... There's a prize fund.

I guess in the end we just take solace in knowing that wherever our team finishes, we did it fair and square. I like to believe the Bowling Gods are pulling for us to win it all.

[EboniteKid299]

Sounds like my monday nights.. lol bowl awful then go eat at taco bell to make the pain go away although tonight was just bad bowling.. no taco bell ):

[AKbash]

This happened to me about 3 weeks ago...

Since I just started bowling about 2 and a half months ago, my average on league at the time was a... 108... But ever since I got serious about bowling I've been getting 150+ scores on practice and most days I would not go lower than 130.
The day before, I bowled a 182, 170-something, and a 193 (My highest score at the time). The next day, which was league day, I bowled a 97, 121, and a 124. I WAS SO DEPRESSED... I was getting gutter balls... Just when I thought I was getting better...
I messed up on the first few frames and just never recovered...

I need to learn to bowl every frame as if its the only frame and to remember to have fun!

[scottymoney]

AKbash, the reason you may have better luck during practice might also be the ability to bowl at a faster pace. When bowling league you will bowl much slower than you do during practice. I can rattle off practice games pretty fast and the pace allows me to keep in form better as I don't take all the extra time between frames to relax and not focus directly on form. I think it might be similar in your case.

In my case I hate sitting and waiting. In life I do everything at a fast pace, which is just me. I score better at bowling when I am not waiting for my turn. My league average would be 20 pins higher based on this I believe.

[MICHAEL]

AKbash, the reason you may have better luck during practice might also be the ability to bowl at a faster pace. When bowling league you will bowl much slower than you do during practice. I can rattle off practice games pretty fast and the pace allows me to keep in form better as I don't take all the extra time between frames to relax and not focus directly on form. I think it might be similar in your case.

In my case I hate sitting and waiting. In life I do everything at a fast pace, which is just me. I score better at bowling when I am not waiting for my turn. My league average would be 20 pins higher based on this I believe.

GREAT POINT, and I agree 101 percent!

I am new to league bowling also! Started bowing when I was retired from Iron workers, on a little no money no pressure, 3 person team! The name of that league is the fun time seniors! Lol…. Pretty much says it all!

Funny,,,, the bowling movement is FAST,,,, FAST,,,, FAST…. People 60 and older, but the main difference is you don’t have to go get them in the lounge drinking, and B.S. ing, or even outside smoking!! Funny,,, the seniors on our league many times are waiting with their ball in hand, two deep foaming at the mouth in anticipation of rocketing their round projectiles down the lanes!!

I swear, many of the teams I bowl on these, (so called serious money leagues wear me out waiting)!!! I have to wait sometimes soooooo long that my butt takes root on the vinyl chairs!! Its crazy!!

And I agree it can affect your rhythm and flow very much!!

I come to bowl, if I want to Bull Shirt I would join a bridge game playing cards or get into politics, maybe even the house, or senate!!

I 2 can rattle off with Jason a dozen games in no time! When we bowl or Fridays for free, its usually just him and me on two lanes! And with all the strikes we through it not uncommon for use to bowl 15 to 75 games!!

Speaking for myself, I get stiff waiting for all the what I call real (((( FUN TIME BOWLERS)))) to find their way back to the lanes they are on to bowl!!

Bowling is about having fun,,, I agree with that statement, but let’s not forget the real reason we are there,,,, to bowl!!
Footnote, I had my highest average on a two person team this last summer! It was my wife and me! FAST, food may not be a good staple for your health, but ONE THING I know for sure, ( Fast Bowling is good for the score, and average)!!

[xthe_charismatic_enigmax]

My teammate has kind of helped me with a never say die attitude, like he was subbing for someone in my Tuesday night league and I just shot a 158..and was frustrated..and we had a small chat and I came back with a 232 and a 236 my next two games. Bad games happen, good games happen, it's an average for a reason. Always try to have fun too, it's all kind of good to have a friend in it as well, especially if they're your teammate, it makes things so much more fun.

[Brother_jd]

Never gonna give it up.

[billf]

I had a similar night a few weeks ago. I didn't help the team at all and almost took myself out of the anchor position. My series was 120 pins under average! Luckily the rest of the team took all their points and we still took overall too but DAMN!

[ArtVandelay]

We had one of those nights tonight... It was just never going to happen. Our league has no individual points, you only get team points and a total of 4 points per evening. We lost all 4 tonight (other team has been sandbagging all year, but that's besides the point... We just didn't bowl well enough to win).

It was just a bad night. We got swept by the 2nd place team, and now we are in 2nd by half a game, instead of up by 3.5 like we were going in. Next week is the final week of the first half of our season, and guess what: It's a position round!!! So we get a re-match next week, but it's such a mind game... Our averages are legit on my team, and we give up well over 100 pins per game to the other team that can throw strikes all day (normally they'll get to the 5th/6th frame at around a 80-110 pin mark per person. The problem is their averages range from 120-160. Go figure!) until the game is well in hand and then they shoot for corner pins.

It's disappointing. We have to take 3 out of 4 next week to win the league, BUT all of us have to bowl over 25 pins over average just to make up the handicap and we already know none of those guys will hold back next week... It's hard to not let it mess with your head.

I was inconsistent. I missed last week because of an upper respiratory infection (I was on antibiotics), and while sick I never worked out. I never felt I had a good read on the lane. It felt like a shorter oil pattern tonight, but I might just have thought that because I feel weaker from not having lifted in a while. I had a 181-164-211 for a 566 series (scores don't tell the story... That last game was a disaster. I don't think I hit the pocket cleanly once, and ended up getting one of the ugliest strikes I've ever seen in my life, but they're all beautiful to me!). 185.333 average, which is appropriate because my average in this league is currently 185 on the dot. Go figure...

Doesn't matter. No matter what happens, we can hold our heads high with pride. We didn't sandbag.

[AKbash]

AKbash, the reason you may have better luck during practice might also be the ability to bowl at a faster pace. When bowling league you will bowl much slower than you do during practice. I can rattle off practice games pretty fast and the pace allows me to keep in form better as I don't take all the extra time between frames to relax and not focus directly on form. I think it might be similar in your case.

In my case I hate sitting and waiting. In life I do everything at a fast pace, which is just me. I score better at bowling when I am not waiting for my turn. My league average would be 20 pins higher based on this I believe.


Someone has said this to me before too...never really thought about it like that but I guess it makes sense. When I am by myself, I don't even sit down at all. I remember what I did wrong on the previous shot and try to correct it. When in league, you take a shot, you sit down, you talk, blah blah, then you go after a few minutes. When I am by myself, I can usually play 5 games an hour. 6 if I am doing well :P

[scottymoney]

Someone has said this to me before too...never really thought about it like that but I guess it makes sense. When I am by myself, I don't even sit down at all. I remember what I did wrong on the previous shot and try to correct it. When in league, you take a shot, you sit down, you talk, blah blah, then you go after a few minutes. When I am by myself, I can usually play 5 games an hour. 6 if I am doing well :P

Exactly! I am trying to now invite people to go bowling with me when I want to practice, hoping the little break up of time will get me to condition myself to having to wait. For some reason I can't practice by myself and create the "downtime" it just doesn't feel right.

I tend to lose focus during league with all the guys talking and time between shots. And even found a few times forgetting what board I had been using when I walk up to start my approach. Man you feel so lost when you forget that!

[AKbash]

Exactly! I am trying to now invite people to go bowling with me when I want to practice, hoping the little break up of time will get me to condition myself to having to wait. For some reason I can't practice by myself and create the "downtime" it just doesn't feel right.

I tend to lose focus during league with all the guys talking and time between shots. And even found a few times forgetting what board I had been using when I walk up to start my approach. Man you feel so lost when you forget that!

LOL. that's what happens to me too. When I practice by myself, I'll "try" to sit for a few seconds...but usually as soon as my ball gets back from the return I stand up right away and take a shot.

In league I think what happens to me is I forget what I did wrong and get too excited. Since I'm used to taking shot after shot, by the time it's my turn in league its like I have this "I CAN'T WAIT TO GO" feeling. It's like a little kid on christmas morning and along with the pressure, it doesn't end well for me sometimes. Lol

[GoodGorilla]

You always say this.