Smiling Bowler Week in Review

[SmilingBowler]

My goal for this thread is to show my scores (practice, USBC and non-sanctioned) for each week.

I bowl Sunday morning practice sessions, Monday Night Mens and Thursday Night Mixed USBC Sanctioned Leagues and a Wednesday Night Mixed non-sanctioned League. I'll use this thread to post my scores and see how my weekly average moves.

To start, here are my scores for the week of

February 24 - February 28.

S: 182 198 178 558
M: 198 157 182 537
W: 183 182 217 582
T: 159 159 187 505

Total Pins: 2182/12
Week Avg: 181.83

[SmilingBowler]

March 3 - March 7.

S: 181 177 146 504
M: 123 159 149 431
W: 146 199 160 505
T: DNP

Total Pins: 1440/9
Week Avg: 160.00

[SmilingBowler]

March 10 - March 14

S: 172 169 161 502
M: 147 159 193 499
W: 143 184 126 453
T: 170 209 231 610

Total Pins: 2064/12
Week Avg: 172.00

[Tampabaybob]

You're throwing some good games, but you're definitely up and down. My guess is your accuracy. One thing you always want to do is "SEE" your ball roll over your target. You need to do do this so IF you make an adjustment your adjustment is based on the ball hitting the target. In other words, if you make an adjustment with your feet (maybe move two boards left) because the ball is hitting too high, but IF you pulled the ball, it means that you lifted your eyes off of the target a split second before you released the ball. Now, moving those two boards would be meaningless, because you missed the target. So your first thing to check on is your accuracy. Another tip for you to try, is to not blink your eyes from the moment you take your fist step until you release the ball. Good luck, keep posting and let us know what's happening.

[SmilingBowler]

You're throwing some good games, but you're definitely up and down. My guess is your accuracy. One thing you always want to do is "SEE" your ball roll over your target. You need to do do this so IF you make an adjustment your adjustment is based on the ball hitting the target. In other words, if you make an adjustment with your feet (maybe move two boards left) because the ball is hitting too high, but IF you pulled the ball, it means that you lifted your eyes off of the target a split second before you released the ball. Now, moving those two boards would be meaningless, because you missed the target. So your first thing to check on is your accuracy. Another tip for you to try, is to not blink your eyes from the moment you take your fist step until you release the ball. Good luck, keep posting and let us know what's happening.

Great tips, Bob... especially the "don't blink" idea. When I was "in the zone" this past Thursday my main adjustment from the 1st game to the 2nd and continued into the 3rd, was exactly that.. keeping my eyes on my mark from the time I lowered my ball through my steps, swing and release, to the point the ball rolled over the target. Then, it was just a matter of free swinging my arm and watching the ball roll into the pocket.


The first game I adjusted my starting point, mark and lowered my backswing over the first 7 frames. Once I found what fit, I hit a pocket 8 (spared) in the 8th and struck out to turn a 90 in the 7th (opened that frame) into a 170.

You can see my scorecard here on Photobucket (http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o670/SmilingBowler/Best%20Bowling%20App%20-%20scores/E0BEAD84-B19E-4192-8618-E0CFC5D99588-605-0000005FC7F8AD90_zpsf45fc9d7.jpg).

[Tampabaybob]

next time you practice, practice shooting the 10 PIN !! I noticed you missed several.

[unclemantis]

next time you practice, practice shooting the 10 PIN !! I noticed you missed several.

Push and follow through!

[SmilingBowler]

I was 1/3 on 10 pins this past Monday.

Overall, it was a sour night.

Only shot 490 - had all of 9 strikes all night. 4 in 1st, 1 in 2nd, 4 in 3rd. Only two doubles in the 1st. Every other strike was a solo. But its alright... it was just an off-night. I'm sure I'll be able to get back on track. No worries. I feel I'm in the clear as long as I don't shoot under 465, though the aim every night is to shoot 570+ and get back to stringing those 600 series every night. I'll get there. (: .)

[Tampabaybob]

Confidence is great. Keep those thoughts while you're bowling as the mental aspect is so important. A positive bowler is a good bowler even if you're just starting out. Try to keep your focus laser sharp throughout all 3 games so you'll knw "exactly" what your ball is doing and you'll be able to make fine adjustments as you go along. Good luck you're on the right track.

[SmilingBowler]

March 17 - March 21

S: DNP
M: 188 151 151 490
W: 152 130 210 492
T: DNP

Total Pins: 982/6
Week Avg: 163.67

[Tampabaybob]

ok, I'm concerned with the spread on the scores. going from the 130 to the 210 is good, but i"m asking myself, what happened in that 130 game and what did you change in the last game to make such difference. You've thrown several good games (200+) in the past several weeks, so I'd like to know what's happening in those games that you're doing differently than your others. Are you switching balls, or changing your line, or hand position? I'm seeing a good bowler here, that intermittently throws bad games. Yet the possibility of you being a much better bowler exists. Now the hard part is to figure out what you're doing during all of those good games and apply it to ALL of your games. Make sense? Shooting that many good games isn those few weeks is not a fluke. You have the talent to consistently shoo high scores (even if is only 180 to 200) consistently. So lets try to figure out what's going on.

If you can, have some one video tape you and upload it. I want to see what going on with all of your good shots, but also why some of those games get tanked. Let me know (PM me) when you get a video up.

[SmilingBowler]

Thanks Bob. I hope to use a couple different iPhone apps to help coaches coach me online. You, of course are a leader in that area and I look forward to hearing your input as well. It also helps me focus on what I do right and ignoring all else.

I'll be using two apps specifically on Sunday; CoachMYVideo for the first game and Ubersense the second.

The third game, I'm not sure yet, I may just record the video to post on YouTube.

Also, I have a story about this past week that I will share in my first ever post "Hey, Smiling Bowler here..."

[Tampabaybob]

Looking forward to seeing your video.

[SmilingBowler]

In response to the spread of scores, my highest spread last year between two consecutive games in one night of my Wednesday Mixed (Non-Sanctioned) League, was 112 pins - a lifetime high 245 followed by a 133. Obviously a bit of uncontrolled excitement and overconfidence had a factor there, allowing me to lose my focus. I was able to come back and bowl 171 (4 pins over average) the third game that night.

The biggest spread overcoming a sub-150 game last season was 89 pins. The first game I was 2 pins under average with a 167, followed that with a 124 before bouncing back and throwing a 213 in the third game. Not sure what the factors were in that game; I was only throwing my Jacked Raw Hammer. I just finally found a comfort zone like I had the week before when I threw a 585 - only my second 575 series or above.

Earlier this year in my Thursday Night League I was able to bounce back after a dismal season-low (in all leagues) 111 game in the second game of my debut in that league. Finished it out with a 215 in the third game for a 104 pin spread. This being most recent and similar to what I experienced in the week you were referencing, I simply made the adjustment to stand on the 8 board or closer to the gutter and throw my Innovate down and in, heading toward the 6 pin and breaking inwards or throwing it even more straight at the 3 with a late break.

Today in practice I did not record video as I wished. I did, however, use my Black Widow on heavily oiled lanes and had a good amount of success. I threw my Innovate for the first two games and worked on spares. I'm looking forward to tomorrow nights Monday Mens League and for the first time since I joined DC Towing, we will face Miller's Ale House, my Dad's team head-to-head. Here's this week's sheet. (http://www.leaguesecretary.com/leaguefilesstandings.aspx?lid=64646) Looking forward to applying the methods I've learned directly, appropriately and rely on my confidence to make the adjustments needed when required.

I've learned a lot in these last three years of bowling; going from averaging 161 to 168 and now 176 in our Textile League and I'm still learning thanks to the many conversations I have with people like you here and at the lanes. Its time to start putting these lessons to work, focus on my target and consistently roll the ball over that target as required to succeed. (: .)

[SmilingBowler]

March 24 - March 28

S: DNR
M: 188 168 168 524
W: 137 146 141 424
T: 193 150 165 508

Total Pins: 1456
Week Avg: 161.78

[SmilingBowler]

March 31 - April 4

S: DNP
M: 168 211 160 539
W: 172 202 174 548
T: DNP

[Tampabaybob]

Looking at you games, makes me wonder, what's going on (March 31 - April 4th) during the 1st and 3rd game. Is it splits ? Or is it missing spares? Or is it that you're lacking focus on those games, really focusing on that 2nd game because you felt you had a bad first game, and then relaxing that focus too much during the third game? Or could it be a great looking girl is bowling next you you with a very short skirt on ?????LOL

[SmilingBowler]

HAHA!! I wish it were a short skirt with a looooooooong jacket. LOL!!

Sadly, no, it wasn't. The second game on April 1st (Monday Mens) I was able to string six straight to finish out. Interesting thing is I had the same score (91) after 6 frames both of the first two games. The first game I only had one strike, two opens and the rest were spares. The third game that night outside lines burned up and my ball was hooking jersey/brooklyn. I had one strike, two opens and the rest spares.

On Wednesday night it was a little different in that I only strung four strikes 7-10 and finished with a 8/ but had two opens in that 202 game. The first game I scattered strikes, only two doubles.. but three opens. The third I had a double early and one other strike but two opens.

Here are the scoresheets:

Monday
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o670/SmilingBowler/Best%20Bowling%20App%20-%20scores/6D18C978-6003-4AF6-B80C-6DA3EC86755A-1085-000001EB7AE6BDB5_zps09adf149.jpg

Wednesday
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o670/SmilingBowler/Best%20Bowling%20App%20-%20scores/F0002C7F-5BF5-4404-BED1-2B0B0058950C-1085-000001EB839AF904_zps2eb6d4ae.jpg

[SmilingBowler]

April 7 - April 11

S: DNP
M: DNP
W: 193 204 DNP* 397
T: 151 190 204 545

This week I had a wicked stomach bug Sunday-Monday that kept me away from the lanes. It absolutely made my day when I heard from an administrator here via a private message, that I had won the Roto Grip Disturbed. I'll start a thread on that once I received the ball.

*Power went out at the lanes and we didn't finish out the third game. It was the final week of bowling in our Wednesday Mixed League.

[Tampabaybob]

:eek:OK, just looked at your score sheets and I picked up something that that drives me crazy with my students. On Monday night, you missed a single pin spare in the 5th frame (7 pin), 10 pin in the 4th frame, 2nd game, and a 9 pin again 4th frame 3rd game. that was 29 pins you lost out on which would've put you at 569 or very close to your goal.

Here's what I show my students. If you have a bowling pin, yes a real one, put the pin on a table. Then I want you to take one of your bowling balls and set it on the thumb hole next to the pin and touching with a little over lap. Then take another ball and place it on the opposite side of the first ball, placing it, again, touching but overlapping where it would knock it over. Got it? NOW.... take a tape measure and measure the distance from the outside edge of each ball. What's the distance ?? That is how big of a target you are shooting, EVERY TIME YOU SHOOT AT A SINGLE PIN SPARE.

Next time you look at a 4 pin, or a nine pin, or any single pin spare, remember how big that target is !!
I'll bet you miss a lot less from now on !! Good luck, and feel free to pass that little measurement on to you're teammates.

[SmilingBowler]

Thanks for that tip Bob. I sincerely appreciate it.

I've been thinking of including the scoresheets when I post my scores in the other thread with only the scores of that night.
However, I may also post them here, too. I always appreciate your feedback, my friend. Cheers!