Sport League Scores

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge 4/15/24(Week30)

Pattern: ???????

Scores: 133, 167, 225, 525 series

New pattern, still don't know what we're playing on. First game I bumped into my leg with the ball and missed an easy spare to lose by 4 pins. I think that was also a game where I adjusted off a ball the finished a bit high and left a pocket 7-10 the next time on that lane:( Game two my opponent had a couple of doubles to beat me by 17. By the way I again started on 47-48 and finished on 41-42. I think this was due to having moved up another two places in the standings and not at all due to asking Chris if I could just stay on 41-42 for the remainder of the season;). Started with a turkey, could miss about 3 or 4 right at the breakpoint, and took wood by 45.

[Aslan]

Odd that you have the same pattern (scores) of low-medium-high. Would make me wonder why the ball isn't carrying early, but carries just fine later on.

I'd be asking myself:

1) Is my speed starting out too high and therefore I get better as the pattern wears down and I get towered?
2) Am I starting too far inside?

If I'm going through the nose...leaving 4-pins, etc... I'd wonder if I need to start a little left or ball down?

Sometimes I see these same patterns. Maybe its a coincidence, but earlier this season I noticed a similar problem and adjusted my speed (lower)...which started giving me more consistent scores. Lately, I've had to walk that back...because I'm getting more hand and leverage into the ball and now I need that speed back.

[J Anderson]

Part of my problem is I “waste” at least two, sometimes significantly more, shots on the ten pin during warm ups instead of reading the lane. Therefore I really am still figuring out the pattern well into game one. Also being of a certain age, I don’t think I’m entirely loose at the start of game one.

The last few weeks getting to finish on 41-42 accounts for the high last games. That pair is to use the technical term “hookier” than every pair except for 55-56 and maybe 1-2. There is also a distinct difference between 41&42.

[Aslan]

Also being of a certain age, I don’t think I’m entirely loose at the start of game one.

Oh yeah.

I continue to get comments that I should "bowl two games before league" because of my similar pre-elderly issues.

But, also due to this age thing...if I WERE to bowl 2 games before league...

A) I'd have to hope I could get on the "VIP" lanes or one of the few lanes not taken for league play.

B) After 2-3 games, suddenly I start getting slight pain in one knee or another...and my achilles starts throbbing. So, I could end up creating the opposite problem...where Game 1 is great, game 2 not so much, and by game 1 I'm shooting a 150 because I can't bend my knee.

Also, if you ask me and Pinpal...what my average scores were for Game 1, Game 2, Game 3...I would say:

Game 1: 150
Game 2: 184
Game 3: 220

PINPAL SAYS:

Game 1: 181.89
Game 2: 185.97
Game 3: 189.31

So....still a clear trend...but obviously not as "terrible" as it FEELS.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge 4/22/24(Week 31)

Pattern: ???????

Scores: 166, 160, 153, 479 series

More consistent as far as scores. Now if I could just be consistently good

Started on 41-42 instead of ending there. Game one featured a missed 4 pin and an inability to strike. Game two started with a 4-7-10, 6-7-10, and a 1-2-4-10 washout.

[J Anderson]

Not Sport League but a scratch tournament on a short sport pattern. It was the first qualifying squad of this month’s NEBA (New England Bowlers Association) tournament, five games, three bowlers to a pair, moving after each game. Top four bowlers advancing to match play tomorrow afternoon following two more squads.

Scores: 185, 157, 181, 183, 155, 861 Series

High was around +80 after four games, cut was about -30

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge 4/29/24(Week 32)

Pattern: New???????

Scores: 144, 142, 152, 438 series

I think it was a new pattern. Lots of low scores but some high ones. At this point I'm just hoping to not sit any lower in the standings over the remaining two weeks.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge 5/6/24(Week 33)

Pattern: New, but unknown

Scores: 184, 185, 135, 504 series

Last week was not a new pattern. This week was a new one and we'll bowl on it again next week to end the season. While my first two games were better than most of the ones I've thrown this season there seemed to be quite a few games in the 230s, 240s and higher. Third game score I blame on the cold I'm getting over.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge 5/13/24(Week 34)

Pattern: Same as last week

Scores: 152, 179, 166, 497 series

Timing was off. I lucked out bowling against a young two hander who isn't quite there yet. He threw more quality strikes than I did and was able to get at least a few doubles, however he had a few missed one pin leaves, some chopped multi-pin leaves, and splits and washouts that kept him from getting any momentum. Even though I swept the head to head points my scores weren't high enough to take many of the one vs field points so I should remain in 17th place.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Summer Challenge League, 7/15/24

Pattern: Senior Masters?

Scores: 2nd set- 132, 144, 276 total

Forgot about posting this. I subbed for one of the kids who was out at Junior Gold this particular week. Chris, who runs this league had his son sub for the missing bowler in the first set and I filled in the second. Considering that I haven't been bowling any leagues this summer and have probably averaged 0.6 games of practice per week this summer, I am not particularly ashamed of these scores. Especially when I took one game and total wood from my opponent who is at least 30 years younger and currently has an average of 197 for 26 games in this league

[J Anderson]

Buddies Summer Challenge League, 8/5/24

Pattern:USBC Queens?

Scores: 1st set: 142, 126, 268 total
2nd set:, 139, 157, 296 total

Subbed again, this time for both sets. Only took three games to get my timing sort of okay.

[Aslan]

One thing that'll be interesting, if you choose to...is to see if bowling this league positively impacts your performance on a league that bowls on a THS.

Not sure if you're planning to bowl in any standard THS leagues going forward...but it'd be interesting to see of bowling the sport patterns elevates your average on non-sport patterns. I'd 'guess' it would...mainly because you have to be so accurate and so consistent to even score 150-160 on a sport pattern.

After my first sport pattern experience, I noticed that I was much more focused on the board I was aiming at. Prior to that, when I was starting out, I'd just heave the ball at a general area and hoped for the best. But, you'll be lucky to bowl a 130 bowling that way on sport patterns. Not to mention the speed control needed.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 9/16/24 Week 2

Pattern:PBA 38' V1

Scores:167, 124, 201, 492 series

I missed week one but I did have a sub who bowled well enough for me to be in the middle of the pack. The format is the same as last year: Scratch, singles, every week is a position round with each game worth 10 points and the series worth 30. In addition to the head to head points you also earn a point for every bowler's score that you beat each game plus a point for every series that you beat. For example I only one one game against my opponent so I know I added at least 10 pins to my season total. My opponent earned at least 50 points. It will be interesting to see how many points I took versus the field. Since no one broke 600 last week I figure I have a shot at another 30 points.

I got a new Phase II last week and Chris shortened the span significantly. That meant I really only had one ball to use for everything.

[Aslan]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 9/16/24 Week 2

Pattern:PBA 38' V1

Scores:167, 124, 201, 492 series


Dang. A 201 on a sport pattern. Well done!

[J Anderson]

Dang. A 201 on a sport pattern. Well done!

High school kid on the same pair shot 242 that game

[Davidjr113]

So John, why did Chris shorten your span?

[J Anderson]

My fingers aren’t nearly as flexible as they used to be.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 9/23/24 Week 3

Pattern:PBA 38' V1

Scores:149, 141, 143, 433 series

Didn't score as well as last week, but beat my opponent 2 out of three and took wood. Had a new spare ball but kept missing right on my left side spares.

[Davidjr113]

One of the things I miss most since moving to Florida, popping into Chris’s shop whenever I needed to. I still get everything from him, but fit checks, etc have to wait for visits. Even minor repairs etc are not the same here so I wait if I can, or ship it up to him

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 9/30/24 Week 4

Pattern:PBA 35' V2

Scores:171, 185, 184, 540 series

Best I've bowled in a while. May have been because there were only 4 bowlers on our pair. That one of them was Chris, the owner of the pro shop, might have helped too. Always good to have at least one person who knows where the break point should be.

[Aslan]

I was gonna say...dang...I'd take those scores on a sport pattern!

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 10/7/24 Week 5

Pattern:PBA 35' V2

Scores:168, 161, 139, 468 series

Last week's performance moved me up to 11th place. This week I expect to drop at least two or three places.

[Aslan]

Still not bad. Looks like ya just couldn't quite keep that consistency through the 3rd game.

[J Anderson]

Still not bad. Looks like ya just couldn't quite keep that consistency through the 3rd game.

I had bowled in a mini tournament the day before. That said I think the problem was going from lanes 41-42, where it seems to hook like the house shot no matter what the pattern is, to 43-44 that plays much more like the other six lanes that we use

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 10/14/24 Week 6

Pattern:PBA 35' V2

Scores:124, 195, 169, 488 series

While I was on time for league by most peoples standards, (10 minutes before scheduled start time) I was much later arriving than normal for me. I think that accounts for the low first game score. I knew about where to play the lanes but couldn't hit my mark. 2nd & 3rd games were wins in the head to head part of scoring so I shouldn't drop in the standings, might move up to 12th place.

[Aslan]

I hate arriving late.

If I arrive early I can get everything all set up, adjust my shoes, adjust my thumb slugs, strategize...plenty of time to warm up, etc...

When I arrive late (or right on time by some folk's standards)...I end up feeling like that 10-minute warm-up flies by in a blink of an eye and I can't seem to throw a good shot for at least a few frames.

[Timmyb]

I'm a 15 minute minimum guy. Getting set up, taping fingers, checking out the approaches. I want all my **** in order before practice starts. If I walked in just on time, I'd be frazzled all night.

[J Anderson]

I hate arriving late.

If I arrive early I can get everything all set up, adjust my shoes, adjust my thumb slugs, strategize...plenty of time to warm up, etc...

When I arrive late (or right on time by some folk's standards)...I end up feeling like that 10-minute warm-up flies by in a blink of an eye and I can't seem to throw a good shot for at least a few frames.


I'm a 15 minute minimum guy. Getting set up, taping fingers, checking out the approaches. I want all my **** in order before practice starts. If I walked in just on time, I'd be frazzled all night.

I’m glad I’m not the only one

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 10/21/24 Week 1

Pattern:PBA 47' V1

Scores:172, 159, 178, 500 series

New pattern this week. You might think that on a 47' pattern everyone would be playing way inside but no, the breakpoint seemed to be around 4 and a fair number of people were playing close to the first arrow. Won the first game by 6 despite spacing out and throwing my spare ball in the tenth and throwing my fill shot in the gutter after making the spare. My opponent got hot the second game and shot 217. He cooled off in the third game with a 157. You would think that winning 2 games in the head to head I should move up or at least stay in 13th, but with 10 point for each game and 30 for wood we were tied based on head to head match points and with the 23 points he earned against the field in game two I suspect I have dropped to 14th.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 10/28/24 Week 8

Pattern:PBA 47' V1

Scores:139,139,143, 421 series

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 11/4/24 Week 9

Pattern:PBA 47' V1

Scores:180, 171, 170, 521 series

I dropped 2 places last week to 15th. Lost game 1 by 14 pins, was clean until a split in the tenth. Won game 2 by 14 and won the third by one stick. That last game I could have locked it up with two strikes in the tenth frame. Made a slight adjustment and got the first strike. Next ball was a ring ten. I made the spare, my opponent went XX9.

I'm not sure why I was so much better than last week, but I will give some credit to the bowling clinic Saturday with Packy Hanrahan, Jake Peters, Kris Prather, Francois Lavoie, Anthony Pepe, and Andrew Hall.

[Aslan]

You're definitely getting better.

When you first started in this challenge/sport pattern league you were struggling to get to the upper 400s...much less 500s. It'll be interesting to see how your average has improved each season.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 11/11/24 Week 10

Pattern:PBA 44' V1

Scores:159,183,188,530 series

New pattern this week. Most of the talk before warm-ups was that it would be low scoring. The first game I was either playing the wrong line or maybe I just wasn't warmed up yet. both lanes were very tight. If I hit my line it either struck or got 9. a miss right and with one exception the ball wouldn't get back to the headpin. Miss left and it might be anything from a Brooklyn strike to a 6-4-7 split. Fortunately I only lost by 18. Game 2 I was a couple of boards left of where I started and seemed to have a bit more room to miss. My opponent, a 16 year old two-handed lefty, started well but then had four opens in a row. I won by 15. The last game was close. He had an open in the eighth, and I got the first two strikes in the tenth plus 9 on the last ball to win and take wood by 2 pins.

[Aslan]

Nice! 180s on a PBA pattern is no joke.

[J Anderson]

Nice! 180s on a PBA pattern is no joke.

Thanks

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 11/18/24 Week 11

Pattern:PBA 44' V1

Scores:170, 191, 167, 528 series

Second week on this pattern, facing the same two-handed, 16 year old lefty as last week. He started game one with a 4 bagger, I was lucky to only get beat by 28 pins. The second game was closer with my opponent complaining about his ball reaction. P struck in the 9th and got the first 2 in the tenth to win by 19. Last game was close until the tenth. He went 9 /, I missed right and left the 2-4-5-7-8, threw another errant shot that slid past everything to give him the game by 13. Hard to know if I will remain in 14th place since there are so many points to be earned vs the field.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 11/25/24 Week 12

Pattern:PBA 44' V1

Scores:143, 148, 166, 457 series

Last week of this pattern, For some reason both I and my opponent, (the same 16 year old lefty as the previous 2 weeks), were not bowling well. I lost the first game by 5 pins and won the second by 3. The last game we moved to lanes 41-42, which always plays with more hook than the other 8 lanes. This should have spelled an easy win for the kid who did start out with a turkey. I kept getting spares with an occasional strike thrown in, only one open through 9. The lefty had two or three opens in the middle of the game and opened in the 9th and 10th.
Most likely I am still in 14th place and he is still in 13th so next week we will face each other for the fourth time in a row. There ar times when I hate this every week is a position week.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 12/2/24 Week 13

Pattern:PBA 41' V1

Scores:156, 177, 197, 530 series

New pattern, new opponent. Even though I took a fair number of points last week, someone below me in the standings had a really good week and jumped from 16th to 14th bumping me to 15th. The good news was I didn't have to Jonathan for a fourth week in a row. The bad news is that the 14 year old girl I faced last night rolled a 238, a 202 and a 192. At least I can say I'm part of a great coaching staff. I forgot to grab a copy of the standings but I'm pretty sure I'll drop one or two places.

[Aslan]

Well, part of me wants to make fun of you for getting beat by a 14-year old girl... :p

...but its hard to throw shade when you bowled better on a sport pattern than I did on a THS this last week. :rolleyes:

[J Anderson]

Well, part of me wants to make fun of you for getting beat by a 14-year old girl... :p

...but its hard to throw shade when you bowled better on a sport pattern than I did on a THS this last week. :rolleyes:

Go ahead and make fun, I bowled better Monday than I did on the house pattern yesterday:confused:

[Aslan]

Go ahead and make fun, I bowled better Monday than I did on the house pattern yesterday:confused:

I'm sure RobM (and even his former online enemy MWhite) would have theories as to why that is.

My leading theory is that the lanes are so much drier...lower volume...with the oil not really geting past 10-11...and bowlers seem convinced that low-RG high hooking equipment is best...that the ball is just losing too much energy before it hits the pocket. Then, we leave a 2-pin and think we need to move right...and we go through the nose and leave a split.

A wider, heavier volume pattern....allows us to use that stronger equipment around 2nd arrow...where we all want to play.

But....thats just a theory. I've been having serious carry issues...despite hitting the pocket fairly consistent. And I think my equipment is just too strong to play the 8-12 boards on the current house's THS.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 12/9/24 Week 14

Pattern:PBA 41' V1

Scores:184, 189, 177, 550 series

Shockingly I did not drop in the standings, still in 15th. First time in what seems like months I got to bowl an adult:) He is one of those bowlers who I would have no chance against on a fresh house shot. Last night I think he was still trying to figure this pattern outing was trying to swing it out to the gutter from the middle but once in a while would try to lay it down around five and play it more direct. His scores were 152, 180, 166, 498 series. Looking at the standings, I probably did not move up despite taking at least 70 points.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 12/16/24 Week 15

Pattern:PBA 41' V1

Scores:183,183,182, 548 series

Came in still in 15th place, and bowled the same guy as last week. I was 18 pins up after game 1. I lost the next two games and lost wood by120.

[Aslan]

Wow! One pin away from a triplicate!!

And another week of solid scores on the tougher patterns. If you look at what you've been doing versus when you first started...you're now consistently scoring well. Next step is to try your luck at something like the USBC Masters and see if all this work on the tougher patterns is going to pay off to make you better at those type of events.

[J Anderson]

Wow! One pin away from a triplicate!!

And another week of solid scores on the tougher patterns. If you look at what you've been doing versus when you first started...you're now consistently scoring well. Next step is to try your luck at something like the USBC Masters and see if all this work on the tougher patterns is going to pay off to make you better at those type of events.

I screwed up and opened in the 9th leaving me at 153 going into the 10th so I knew I needed three strikes in the tenth

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 12/23/24 Week 16

Pattern:2024 Storm Lucky Lasen Masters

Scores:245, 134, 199, 578 series

New pattern and lucky was the word. The first game I missed my line at least as much as I hit it but the pins were falling anyway, and if it wasn't a strike it left an easy spare. Game two every miss seemed to deliver the maximum penalty. For the last game we were on lanes 41-42. This pair always plays with more hook. Made a good guess and struck in the first frame then fell behind somewhere in the middle of the game. I went into the tenth working on a strike, left a 3-10 that I made. I made a move and struck on the fill shot and walked away resigned to losing another game since Eric, my opponent for 3 weeks in a row washed and also working on a strike in the 9th. He opened and we wound up tied at 199.

p.s. Merry Christmas Everyone!

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 12/30/24 Week 17

Pattern:2024 Storm Lucky Lasen Masters

Scores:119, 186, 156, 461 series

I think half the problem was not bowling since last Monday, and half was eating a larger lunch much later than normal...

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 1/6/25 Week 18

Pattern:2024 Storm Lucky Lasen Masters

Scores:162, 163, 165, 490 series

I dropped two places in the standings after last week. For some reason each game I would lose focus and miss an easy spare or two. Only won one game head to head, not sure how I did vs the field. It looked like a lot of people had this pattern figured out and were throwing 220s and 230s, a few were struggling to hit 150. at least two bowlers were absent without subs.

[Aslan]

Geez! Another near triplicate!!

I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually get one. Once leagues stopped giving out awards for triplicates...you pretty much only hit it if you just happen to randomly do it.

[J Anderson]

Geez! Another near triplicate!!

I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually get one. Once leagues stopped giving out awards for triplicates...you pretty much only hit it if you just happen to randomly do it.

Some local associations still give the triplicate award. Even when it was commonly awarded it was pretty rare. For most of us, even if the first two identical games were pretty good, the competitive juices are flowing in the last frame and we’re not going to deliberately miss pins to match the previous scores. And if the first two games were lousy or even so-so, no one is going to deliberately go for the triplicate.
My friend Jim’s father got a magnet for throwing three 120 games. It only says triplicate award so he tells people the score was 200 for each game😁

[Timmyb]

Geez! Another near triplicate!!

I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually get one. Once leagues stopped giving out awards for triplicates...you pretty much only hit it if you just happen to randomly do it.

I had a 175 triplicate back when I was like 15 or 16. Haven't sniffed one since.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 1/13/25 Week 19

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 37'

Scores:176, 134, 172, 482 series

1st night of the second half, at least I started with a win in game one. Game two was like don't you really hate it when Friday the 13th falls on a Monday. A few splits plus a 2-8 that I would have made except I fouled. Third game was at least semi competent, but then again people were rolling 200s all over the place. I was obviously playing the wrong line or using the wrong ball.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 1/20/25 Week 20

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 37'

Scores:230, 219, 158, 607 series

Same pattern as last week, much different result. I knew from last week that this was a potentially high scoring pattern. This week I was able to find a good line before the end of warm-ups.One open in the 9th frame of game one where I might have been too relaxed shooting at the bucket. Game two was clean. Game three was on 41-42 and I just wasn't able to keep right of the head pin, Chopped a 1-3 where I decided to shoot it with my strike ball and despite my adjustment it still missed the pocket. the last frame I thought I made the correct adjustment and it plowed through the nose for a 6-7-10 split.

All in all it was a fun night.

[Timmyb]

That's a damn good night on a sport shot!

[Aslan]

That's a damn good night on a sport shot!

Agreed. Good job!

That looks like a slightly above average night for me on a THS.

[J Anderson]

That's a damn good night on a sport shot!


Agreed. Good job!

That looks like a slightly above average night for me on a THS.

Thanks, next week we will see how much was luck and how much was skill.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 1/27/25 Week 21

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 37'

Scores:169, 171, 170, 510 series

The verdict is in: Last week was luck.

The scores wound up being close. The first game had three strikes in the tenth after an open in the ninth. Second game had one of the opens in the tenth. last game Was another somewhat solid game ruined by a couple of random bad shots. I think the high points were converting two washouts (1-2-4-7) and a 3-6-7-10 split

On to another pattern next week

[Aslan]

Will I EVER see a TRIPLICATE score!!?

Come on JA! You were SO CLOSE!

[J Anderson]

Will I EVER see a TRIPLICATE score!!?

Come on JA! You were SO CLOSE!

Ain't gonna try for it even if I’ve got the first two😝

[Aslan]

Ain't gonna try for it even if I’ve got the first two😝

I'll remember that when your first two games are 300-300- :p

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 2/3/25 Week 22

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 40'

Scores:200, 177, 181, 558 series

Lest you think these are good scores this is what was happening around me. My opponent had a 215, 223 & a174 for a 612 series. In the last game on other pairs there was a 300 game, a 279, and a youth bowler had the first 10 and settled for a 289.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 2/10/25 Week 23

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 40'

Scores:225, 155, 214, 594 series

The ridiculously high scores continue. The guy who rolled a 279 in the last game last week started with a 290 and finished with another 279 and an 800 series. On my pair Justin rolled a 237 in the first game to win by one pin, his only head to head win last night. His opponent Jonathan rolled a 236, 245,& 258 for a 739 series to Justin's 669 series. My opponent Camille rolled a 200, 163, 205, 568 series. Given the high scores I saw being bowled, I might move up one place.

[Aslan]

It seems like once you guys switched to the Junior Gold patterns...scores started to jump.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 2/17/25 Week 24

Pattern:Junior Gold U15BG 40'

Scores:174, 164, 169, 507 series

I just didn't have it Monday.

We had only 4 on our pair and were following a group with 6. Waited two frames to start game two and my thumb had swollen enough so my first ball landed past the arrows skidded to the edge of the gutter and made it back to the pocket for a strike.Looking forward to a new pattern next week

[Aslan]

Something got me thinking...just the other day...I think because I bit my nail and my finger swelled a little. I remember before I got VISE inserts...sometimes my thumb would swell...and it would be so bad that I'd try to soak it in my ice water to get the swelling down so I it wouldn't stick in the ball.

Now I just take a piece of tape out or go down to the next size down (I have about 7 different sizes). Problem solved. On the problematic days, I can add a piece of VISE tape to the back of my thumb. As long as it doesn't make the hole too tight, it helps the thumb slip right out. I introduced one of my teammates (older fella...yes, even older than me) to thumb tape and now he loves it. He finally went online and bought some because he was starting to feel bad using mine up.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 2/24/25 Week 25

Pattern:Junior Gold Qualifying 3 (U12BG U15BG) 43'

Scores:211, 184,159, 554 series

Lost the first game by 13, won the second by 2 and lost the last by 13

[Aslan]

Nice job!

Are you guys ever moving on from the Junior patterns? Maybe some USBC Masters patterns or PBA animal patterns?

[J Anderson]

Nice job!

Are you guys ever moving on from the Junior patterns? Maybe some USBC Masters patterns or PBA animal patterns?

Fall was all PBA patterns. The last couple of years the league manager has used mostly Junior Gold patterns in the second half to give the juniors who bowl Monday night more exposure to the JG patterns. I think the last weeks of the season will be a USBC nationals one.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 3/3/25 Week 26

Pattern:Junior Gold Qualifying 3 (U12BG U15BG) 43'

Scores:210, 182, 198, 590 series

This week my group started on 41-42, the pair that always plays with a little more back end the the rest of the pairs. I didn't take the time to see how people were playing 43-44 before we moved over so it took a while to figure the lanes out. I did think to look before the third game but the score was mainly due to finding a groove and striking out in the 8th 9th and 10th except for an 8 count on the last fill ball.

[Aslan]

Nice! Another strong, consistent night on a challenging pattern!

[Timmyb]

Nice night. Not sure I've had a ton of scores that high on a sport shot.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 3/10/25 Week 27

Pattern:Junior Gold Qualifying 3 (U12BG U15BG) 43'

Scores:160, 212, 179, 551 series

After last week I moved up two places although in points I'm tied with the next bowler down the list.
First game I missed a couple of easy spares and in the 8th or 9th frame left a 4-9 with both pins still rocking as the sweep came down on a ball the looked good and felt right. My opponent shot a fairly solid 181. Game two was almost clean, ending with 4 strikes rolled by a ringing 10 pin on the last fill shot. My opponent had four disastrous splits. Never really figured out the next pair, while my opponent had a huge amount of miss room. At least 4 times that game you could tell from his body language he though he had made horrible shots and each one struck.He ended up taking wood by 23after going into the last game 30 pins down.

[Aslan]

So you move a pair every game? Same pattern, just one pair over?

[J Anderson]

So you move a pair every game? Same pattern, just one pair over?

The fall & winter sessions everyone on the pair moves to the next pair to the right. For example, Monday I started game one on 44, game two on 45 and game three on 48

In the summer we bowl two sets of two games moving after the second game. Those who start on an even numbered lane move three lanes right, odd lanes move either one or three left so each bowler has a new opponent the second set. I only subbed a few times last summer so it might be everyone move three right but the result of everyone getting a new opponent is the same.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 3/17/25 Week 28

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Qualifying 4 (U12BG U15BG) 46'

Scores:195, 166, 218, 579 series

New Pattern with a ratio of 3.24:1. I think that technically it's a challenge pattern not sport. Scores continue to be ridiculously high. First game was close right to the end, I wound up with a 3 pin victory. Neither I nor my opponent looked particularly good second game, while the bowlers we followed on our pair shot in the 230s and 240s. Another close one that easily could have gone the other way, thankfully my opponent only threw a 157. Started slow the third game. It finally dawned on me that my skating too far to make it back to the pocket so I moved my target a board right and my feet a board and a half right and ran off five in a row for a 27 pin win.
By the way the pattern played more like 37-38 feet instead of 46'

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 3/24/25 Week 29

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Qualifying 4 (U12BG U15BG) 46'

Scores:174, 164, 180, 518 series

Not as good as last week but at least on our pair no one was shooting the lights out. It felt like I was throwing it well but the pattern didn't seem to play the same.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 3/31/25 Week 30

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Qualifying 4 (U12BG U15BG) 46'

Scores:206, 137, 190, 533 series

Last week One of the guys who is really good at figuring out how to play any given sport condition told my friend Tim that he should be swinging his ball out to the 2 board early despite this being a 46' pattern. This definitely worked the first game. I was on a 220-230 pace until I missed a 7 pin in the 9th and a 10 pin in the tenth. Still won by 15. We had started on 49-50 then moved to 41-42. Started by whiffing another 7 pin the leaving a big split. Changed balls from the Phase II to the Phase AI. Should have switched back but didn't, had three more splits and some more lousy spare shooting and lost by 63. Last game was decent, only open was a 2-4-5 that I missed right and only took out the 2 & 5.
On to a Different pattern next week, a 50' Junior Gold pattern.

[Aslan]

Last game was decent, only open was a 2-4-5 that I missed right and only took out the 2 & 5.


Pretty decent night.

For some reason, the 2-4-5s have been the bane of my existence lately. I don't remember having trouble converting them in the past, but now I seem to keep doing what you describe or chopping the 5-pin off. Then, I'll over-compensate and chop the 4-pin off. My best guess is that it has to do with how flooded the middle of the pattern is. Alleys seem to want to flood the middle and keep the outside dry to increase scores. But it makes 2-pin combos (for RHers) difficult to pick up with your strike ball.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 4/7/25 Week 31

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Advancers 2 (U12BG U15BG) 50'

Scores:146, 160, 152, 458 series

New pattern, things looked good in practice, thought I had a decent line. First frame left a solid 7 pin, missed it in the gutter. Second frame missed a little bit right left a 4-5 that I completely whiffed. Third frame slight adjustment and still left a 7 pin, over corrected from the first frame and missed it to the right. Fourth framed adjusted and left yet another 4-5. at least I didn't miss the five pin.

Things got a little better and I finally won the last game. I think the line I should have been play was 15 at the arrows out to about 10, but like our friend Aslan, I'm way more comfortable between 3 and 12 at the arrows. I'll have to find time to practice steeper angle before next Monday.

[Aslan]

I think the line I should have been play was 15 at the arrows out to about 10, but like our friend Aslan, I'm way more comfortable between 3 and 12 at the arrows. I'll have to find time to practice steeper angle before next Monday.

Yes. I 'think' it has something to do with approaching the target and the squaring up at the line. For most shots up and in the 2nd arrow area, you're just walking toward the line and you're square at the foul line. It 'seems' that once you get to 3rd arrow and beyond, you're almost needing to walk somewhat sideways and release with your shoulders turned. I just can't get used to that.

[J Anderson]

Buddies Winter Challenge League, 4/14/25 Week 32

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Advancers 2 (U12BG U15BG) 50'

Scores:155, 166, 141, 462 series

Didn't figure it out again.


Buddies Winter Challenge League, 4/21/25 Week 33

Pattern:2024 Junior Gold Advancers 2 (U12BG U15BG) 50'

Scores:154, 224, 175, 553 series

I don't think I really figured it out, but at least I started executing better shots half way through game 1 and got some lucky breaks, like three Brooklyn strikes in a row, in game two. Had dropped from 19th to 20th last week will probably trade places again this week.