Baker 2016-2017

[baker]

Figured this would be a good way to track progress and notes week to week. Trying to improve consistency and make the correct moves quicker, 4 game series.

Week 1:

Motiv forza Redline the whole night

Game 1: 231 - First game in a few weeks, front 6 then started to see over under. Split in the 10th should've told me to make a big move.
Game 2: 212 - Tried to keep bumping left with feet, but never kept up with the transition. Missed two makeables and kept leaking the ball to the dry early.
Game 3: 176 - Wheels fell off, struggled with carry trying to find a good line and struggled with accuracy
Game 4: 230 - Found a line/the lane came to me. Moved 2 left at break and kept feet where they were. Finally found some hold left without overreaction on misses right.

849 total, overall disappointing first night with 4 missed makeables. The Redline probably wasn't the right chose and made the over/under worse, but it forced me to be more accurate and highlighted some key opportunities. We had four players including myself playing inside and only one had a good look slow hooking it with a lot of tilt. The other four played outside, but only my two teammates had a good look with one shooting 980 and the other shooting 940. Those that did well kept their angles closed and didn't try to cross too many boards, probably a fair statement for bowling in general.

[baker]

Week 2:

Motiv venom shock games 1-3, Motiv tag game 4;

Game 1: 226 - The fresh in this house is always stupid easy, I was low on the pair by 10. Didn't throw it well and didn't feel great, but I was clean. Lanes started to transition in 10th frame similar to last week

Game 2: 267 - I read the transition well, didn't throw the ball great, but I was in the right area so I got away with my misses. The lanes started to transition again towards the end of the game.

Game 3: 214 - Lanes got ugly, there was a lot of over under, but I kept up with the moves pretty well. Threw the ball better, but missed a 7 pin in the 8th frame. Lanes really started to go so I switched the the Motiv Tag for the fill ball.

Game 4: 226 - Made the right ball change and read the transition well. I'm super comfortable with this ball and threw it well starting with 7 out of the first 8. Missed 10 pins in the 9th and 10th ruined an otherwise good game.

Total: 933 (707 for 3) - 233 Avg

Overall an okay night that could've been good. Really happy with how I read the lanes and made moves, but only threw the ball okay. The glaring issue was the three missed single pins. After missing the 7 pin I tightened up and pulled both 10 pins just to the left; the last game was really feeling good until then. I need to get my spare game straightened out before tournaments start up, I have an issue pulling my spare shots in any pressure situation.

[Timmyb]

Nice rolling!

[manke]

Nice rolling!

[baker]

Thanks! My goal this year is to average 230 in this league and shoot my first 800. I need to get a better practice routine and improve my focus. A little less beer this year should help.

[vdubtx]

Nice shooting! :cool:

[vdubtx]

A little less beer

Said no one ever. :D:cool:

[baker]

Said no one ever. :D:cool:

Maybe more beer, I'll try both options just in case.

[dmet225]

I've had 3-300 games. The first 2 were my third game of the night after drinking beer during the first 2 games of the night. I had a 298, which was my 2nd game of the night, and I'm convinced that it was because I wasn't relaxed enough due to lack of beer. I overcame that thought when my 3rd 300 was in my 2nd game back in June.

[baker]

Week 3:

Motiv venom shock games 1, 2, and half of three. Motiv Tag the rest of game 3 and 4.

Game 1: 233 - Timing was a bit early, but threw the ball reasonably well. There were a lot of higher rev bowlers on our pair so the shot started to break down quick. Missed a 4 pin in the 3rd frame.

Game 2: 215 - clean game, lanes were burning up quick and I was just trying to keep up with the transition.

Game 3: 203 - Missed 4 pin again in frame 2 and missed on the 3-10 conversion. Most people on the pair started to struggle at this point. If you missed right you were going through the nose or Brooklyn, miss left and it was a bucket or 2 pin combination.

Game 4: 211 - Honestly had a good look with the tag and got tapped a few times early. Missed 7 pin frame 2 and one split.

Total: 862 (651 for 3) 215.5 avg
Season avg: 220

Timing was a little off all night, I was early which causes me too miss right. That's fine early on, but the lanes burnt up quick. I was 2nd high on the pair and felt good about the moves I made, just needed to execute better.

I'm officially in a single pin slump. I need to go a throw a few games of low ball and get my angles set better. Even when I picked up single pins I had no confidence going in. It's super frustrating that I'm struggling with single pins at this level.

[baker]

Week 5 (had last week off)

mission unknown all night

Game 1: 208 - Missed 10 pin the first frame, my spare shooting continues to be terrible. Couldn't catch a double after that until the 9th and 10th. Honestly didn't throw the ball well until the end of the first game.

Game 2: 261 - Opened in the 5th frame with a greek church, ball jumped high unexpected. First time all year I've felt like I threw the ball well. I need to stay aggressive with my approach and release

Game 3: 257 - Missed 10 pin again, I need to find time to practice. Struck out in the 10th the force my opponent to get the first on and 9 on the 2nd ball. He got the first, but missed wide and got 7 on the 2nd ball in the 10th so I won my point by 1.

Game 4: 222 - Lanes started to fry up quick. 4-9 split and a couple 9 pins ruined a decent game.

Total: 948 (726 for 3) 237 avg
Season avg: 224.25

Decided to try out the new mission unknown. I haven't bought an ebonite ball for a long time, but I've always liked how they reacted. Hopefully this one doesn't die as quickly as previous balls. After the first game I finally started to throw the ball well. I should've had 300 in games 2 and 3, but I missed the transition a bit. I need to be more aggressive in my approach and release to throw the ball well. I'm hoping better timing helps shore up my spare game as well, but it still needs works. Overall it was a good night with a new ball. Slowly working towards that 230 average goal.

[baker]

After thinking back on last night I'm going to try switching back to more of an area targeting technique. Lately I've been trying to be more systematic and use the 3 point targeting technique, but I can't seem to draw the right lines to create the appropriate angles. It may have to do with being left eye dominant, but I feel that I'm having to manipulate my swing to try and hit a certain board at the arrows.

Previously I would simply target the exit point and try to visualize the shape I wanted. I really wasn't concerned where the ball crossed the arrows as long as it got to the area down lane with the right shape. In my pursuit of getting better I thought a new targeting system would help me improve. We'll see how it goes next week, maybe I'll actually have time to practice this week to test it out.

[2handedsniper]

224 is a very good average! well done

[manke]

Well done!

[baker]

Week 6

Mission Unknown all night

Game 1: 278 - stone 9 pin in the 7th and ring 10 last ball in the 10th. Threw the ball well and felt good

Game 2: 245 - a couple 10 pins in the middle of the game. Missed a 9 pin on the fill shot.

Game 3: 298 - Threw the ball the worst out of all three games, but still threw it well and I had miss room right. I just needed the first strike in the 10th for my first 800, after that I didn't really care. I should've moved after the 11th shot went a bit high and tripped the 4 pin, but didn't.

Game 4: 194 - Lanes started to dry up quick, couldn't string a double and badly missed a 4 pin (good thing I didn't need to shoot spares tonight). Chopped the 6-10 in the 10th.

Total 1015 (821 for 3!) = 253 average
Season average: 230

I had a great feel all night and threw the ball decently well. I had a large margin of error, but it felt good to finally get 800, even on a super easy house shot. Spare shooting still sucks, but at least for tonight I don't care. It was a fun night that reminded me why I enjoy the sport.

[JasonNJ]

So how do you like the Mission Unknown? I got a regular black one and should be ready for me to pick up tomorrow.

[NewToBowling]

So how do you like the Mission Unknown? I got a regular black one and should be ready for me to pick up tomorrow.

Judging from his scores I say it fits his game alright :)

[baker]

So how do you like the Mission Unknown? I got a regular black one and should be ready for me to pick up tomorrow.

It's exactly what I hoped it be. It's my benchmark ball drilled 70x5x65, this puts the pin below the bridge with the mass bias kicked out about an inch. It has a nice hard arc and I can start outside and keep moving in with no loss of carry. It responds well to changes in hand position to get different looks, super versatile. Visually the all black color looks really good going down the lane.

[baker]

Week 7

Mission Unknown all night

Game 1: 228 - Made some minor tweaks to my game, started using a cross over step to improve my accuracy. Struggled on the right lane, it appeared to have a bit of a hang spot that I couldn't really figure out. I was over throwing the ball trying to stay aggressive.

Game 2: 221 - Missed a 9 pin and badly missed a 4-7 spare. I've never felt so confident in my ability to strike and had so little confidence in my ability to spare. Mentally every time I pick up my spare ball I give myself a 50/50 chance at making the spare. I need to find some way to get out of this spare slump and with the first tournament of the year this weekend I have no time to practice. I'll take any advice I can get at this point.

Game 3: 222 - The hang spot on the right lane turned into huge over under making it tough to double. On my fill ball I decided to do a 2 and 3 move into the oil and straighten up my angles a bit. It gave me the look I was hoping for.

Game 4: 276 - I should've moved in sooner on the right lane. I was able to have a bit of miss room and carry was great, on the left lane I was still swinging the ball more as the shot seemed more blended.

Total: 947 (671 for 3) - 236 avg
Season avg: 231

At this point I have shot an 800 and now need to keep my average above 230 to accomplish two of my three goals. I'm only at 74% for single pin spares this year which means I'm still leaving a lot out there. On spare shots I just cannot seem to get my angles right, or I just seem to tense up and try to control my swing resulting in pulling the ball badly. For the tournament I think I'm going to just have to throw it as hard as I can at spares to prevent from trying to control the swing. I even felt myself trying to control the swing on some of my strike balls.

Overall I feel good about how I'm throwing it and I think the crossover step helped improve my accuracy a bit on strike shots. If I can make some spare and keep my armswing loose I should make the cut this weekend. Hopefully it'll get me out of this spare slump.

[1VegasBowler]

Week 7

Mission Unknown all night

Game 1: 228 - Made some minor tweaks to my game, started using a cross over step to improve my accuracy. Struggled on the right lane, it appeared to have a bit of a hang spot that I couldn't really figure out. I was over throwing the ball trying to stay aggressive.

Game 2: 221 - Missed a 9 pin and badly missed a 4-7 spare. I've never felt so confident in my ability to strike and had so little confidence in my ability to spare. Mentally every time I pick up my spare ball I give myself a 50/50 chance at making the spare. I need to find some way to get out of this spare slump and with the first tournament of the year this weekend I have no time to practice. I'll take any advice I can get at this point.

Game 3: 222 - The hang spot on the right lane turned into huge over under making it tough to double. On my fill ball I decided to do a 2 and 3 move into the oil and straighten up my angles a bit. It gave me the look I was hoping for.

Game 4: 276 - I should've moved in sooner on the right lane. I was able to have a bit of miss room and carry was great, on the left lane I was still swinging the ball more as the shot seemed more blended.

Total: 947 (671 for 3) - 236 avg
Season avg: 231

At this point I have shot an 800 and now need to keep my average above 230 to accomplish two of my three goals. I'm only at 74% for single pin spares this year which means I'm still leaving a lot out there. On spare shots I just cannot seem to get my angles right, or I just seem to tense up and try to control my swing resulting in pulling the ball badly. For the tournament I think I'm going to just have to throw it as hard as I can at spares to prevent from trying to control the swing. I even felt myself trying to control the swing on some of my strike balls.

Overall I feel good about how I'm throwing it and I think the crossover step helped improve my accuracy a bit on strike shots. If I can make some spare and keep my armswing loose I should make the cut this weekend. Hopefully it'll get me out of this spare slump.

IMO, I think you might be trying too hard, hence the tension. Try being a little more relaxed and not over throw the ball.

[baker]

IMO, I think you might be trying too hard, hence the tension. Try being a little more relaxed and not over throw the ball.

I got out Saturday to do some work on spares and this really helped. Focused on being nice and relaxed with my swing and things started to come around.


Sunday was the first tournament of the year, 6 games qualifying on a 48ft pattern with a 5:1 ratio. One of my goals for the year was to make the cut at everyone of these monthly tournaments I entered. With my spare shooting being suspect I was a bit concerned. I also knew with the long pattern I would need to keep my angles closed down and not float it to the right, something I've been doing a fair amount of in league.

Game 1: 227 - I started with a Brunswick mastermind Einstein which is my strongest ball. I was playing 15 at the arrows to about 13 at the break point. I had plenty of hold and some miss room right, clean game and good start to the tournament. +27

Game 2: 279 - A ringing 10 pin cost me the 300, but this pair was very open, by far the easiest par for everyone all day. +106.

Game 3: 188 - I could not carry on the left lane to save my life. I made a stupid move right in the 10th to try and get my ball to finish better that resulted in a split and open. I should've stayed clean and taken my 200 game. +94

Game 4: 233 - I had a 279 game going into the 10th before I made a terrible shot, pulled it left and left the big 4. Missed opportunity, but it was a good recovery from the last game. +127

Game 5: 191 - This was the one game I seem to have every tournament where I completely forget how to bowl. Halfway through I switched to my mission unknown that gave me a good look, but just didn't have quite the right angle to kick out the 10. Missed two 10 pins and salvaged the game by striking out in the 9th and 10th. +118

Game 6: 191 - I kept trying to find a way to carry better and was fishing a bit. Honestly I thought I was well within the cut at this point and wanted to be ready for match play. Made my single pin spares and just kind of grinded out a 190 game. This was almost a huge mistake, I ended up being the cut and barely squeaked into match play as the 16th seed. +109



Match Play:
Game 1: Win 245 - 226. As the right lanes started to transition fast, the left side was just getting good. I was facing the number 7 seed who was a lefty and had a great look. I moved left and was playing 20 at the arrows to 15 at the break. I just wanted the ball to tip at the end and carried a lot of hits. I covered all my spares and he struggled to get the 7 pin out.

Game 2: Win 248-246. Faced another lefty who I had bowled with all day and I knew he had a lot of room and great carry. I didn't carry two 10 pins, but covered them. I struck in the 7th, 8th, and 9th to put some pressure on. His line was starting to burn up and he went high first ball in the 10th leaving a 6 pin and missed the spare. I got up in the 10th and struck on the first ball in the 10th and just needed 9 on the 2nd ball to win. I went a touch high and left a 4 pin to advance.

Game 3: Quarter finals win 195 - 192. I was against the number one seed, a righty. The pair we were on was extremely tight and we both struggled. I missed two makeable spares in the middle of the game, but was able to strike in the 8th and 9th to put some pressure on. In the end he just couldn't carry and left a couple splits. I opened in the 10th with a big 4 and covered 2 pins to win by one.

Game 4: Semi finals lost 222-247. Two splits killed me, I made a ball change in the 8th after the 2nd split to the motiv tag and struck out, but it was too little, too late. I should've made the change as soon as I started to see the lanes start to transition, but I thought I could just keep moving left. finished in 4th place.

Overall a good first tournament. I was pretty happy with my spare shooting for how terrible it had been going. It felt good to get out on a slightly tougher condition and have to make better shots. Anytime I can get to match play and start playing a little fallback shot I tend to do pretty well which was the case today. I just have to work on continuing to get more consistent and improving my spare game. I appreciate all the advice I've received on here the past few weeks.

[1VegasBowler]

Making spares on a Tough/Spot shot is always at a premium, and this is what will separate those who go far in a tournament and who don't.

When it comes to the transition and making a ball change, I think we all second guess ourselves with this. It ends up being a fine line with either being a little too soon and a little too late. Finding that perfect moment isn't as easy as one might think. lol

Still not a bad day though! Nicely done!

[baker]

Week 8

Mission Unknown

Game 1: 224 - Back to reality with my spare shooting, I missed a 4 pin and a 9 pin. I could tell my arm swing was not relaxed and I was trying to aim the ball and not just trusting it. This should've been a 250 game.

Game 2: 238 - Clean game, I was able to get myself to relax and trust it on my spare shots, but I could feel myself trying to control my swing on the strike shots as well. This was leading to pulling the ball down from the top and early timing.

Game 3: 191 - I missed two 4 pins. The lanes were transitioning fast, but if I convert those this is an easy 220 game. Left side spares have been more of an issue for me and it's still tough for me to relax the swing and just trust it.

Game 4: 223 - I really wanted this one, I made a big move left and felt like I could just bank it off the dry. Going into this game my mindset was anything under 250 was a failure. Started with front four then solid 9 pin followed by the next two strikes. I started to press and muscle my swing resulting in a terrible shot in the 10th for a split.

Total - 876 (653 for 3) - 219 avg
season avg: 229 (down 2 from last week)

I know it's a bit much to expect that I'll just have a nice relaxed swing after one day of practice and a good tournament, but I had high hopes for tonight, which probably didn't help. I need to work on some keys to ensure my swing is nice and relaxed on all my shots, including strike balls. The more I want to make the shot, the harder it is to relax and tonight I wanted every shot to be perfect. I need to stay in the moment and take everything one shot at a time. If I make half the single pins I missed I would've been right up there close to my 230 avg. I know what I need to work on before next week and it does feel good to be close.

[baker]

Week 9

Ball: Mission Unknown

Game 1: 256 - Clean game, started off with a couple flat 10 pins (almost missed one)

Game 2: 258 - Clean game, my swing started to loosen up and I was doing a good job of staying down at the line

Game 3: 257 - Missed my only single pin spare in the first frame. This killed my hopes of a 2nd 800.

Game 4: 202 - I missed the transition and tried to make a big move left with my feet. Hindsight I should moved more left with my breakpoint. A couple shots early in the game that I thought were good came in light which confused me a bit. I had similar issues during the 4th game after shooting my 800 a couple weeks ago.

Total - 973 (771 for 3) - 243 avg
season avg: 231 (+2 from last week)

I was able to get out and practice Sunday. I really focused on staying down at the line, I typically pop up at release and hit up on the ball. By staying down at the line my ball speed comes down and bit, but my ball much cleaner and smoother off the breakpoint with much improved accuracy. Only one missed single pin (although two others were very close). From a shot making perspective this was one of my best nights. I was able to have a loose swing and stay down at the line. The cleaner ball motion resulted in some interesting transition. I left a 2-8 and a 5-7 on shots that I thought were good, I knew there was a lot of friction outside so I moved three left with my feet and two right at the breakpoint. This worked for a few frames, but carry was iffy. I think the better move would've been a two and two left and just kept my angles straighter. Overall a good night.

[baker]

Week 10

Ball: Mission Unknown

Game 1: 224 - Did not thrown the ball well, only 25% of my first ball shots were on target.

Game 2: 210 - One split and I struggled to carry, again roughly 25% of shots were on target.

Game 3: 248 - Struggled to carry, about 60% of first shots were on target. Left lane was hooking a lot more than the right lane.

Game 4: 183 - Struggled to carry on the right lane and then had some bad shot making. About 30% of shots were on target, I opened in the 10th on a shot that was missed a bit slow and right.

Total - 865 (682 for 3) - 216 avg
season avg: 229 (-2 from last week)

On a positive note I was 100% on all single pin spares, but I did not throw the ball well. I need to work on straightening my arm swing and improving my targeting. At this point I feel I'm in a bit of a slump mentally. There are a few different little things I'm working on in my approach and I'm just not sure what the right direction is. Hopefully this weekend I can get out and practice to gain some clarity. Overall just not feeling like bowling lately, I think part of it is realizing just how inflated my 230 average is and I'm just not seeing improvements in my shot making. Might be time to go see a coach.

[baker]

Week 11

Ball: Mission Unknown games 1-3, Motiv Octane game 4

Game 1: 199 - I had been working on some stuff at home that I wanted to try. Approach and everything felt good with a good strong release, but I was pulling the ball badly. It may simply be that I need to change my alignment with the new swing path, I'm going to try and get out this weekend and play with it some more.

Game 2: 234 - Two missed single pins this game along with a lot of shots that struck purely because the shot is so easy. I threw the ball way worse than the score indicates. I was fishing with some swing changes to try and get back on target.

Game 3: 233 - Fishing turned to simply going back to my old form. Immediately started throwing the ball better and had better accuracy on spares, but didn't carry well. Release was not as powerful and I was back to missing right and slow as my normal miss.

Game 4: 248 - Finally decided to try something different game 4 after struggling the past few weeks. I went to the octane and moved my feet right and break point left to tighten up my angles and play more in the oil. I threw the ball fairly well, but this move and ball change gave me a lot more area. Shots missed right didn't over react and carried well, and shot pulled inside held pocket

Total - 914 (666 for 3) - 228 avg
season avg: 229 (no change from last week)

This week I at least had more fun, despite the slow start. I'm not sure if I should continue to try and refine a more powerful release with faster ball speed, or simply work on perfecting my current form. With the new changes my pulled shots were pretty consistent which leads me to believe it may be alignment related. I'll continue to play with it and see how it works out. I'll need to land on something soon as tournament season will be beginning shortly.

It was nice to make the correct ball change in game 4 and see the results pay off after weeks of struggling. It's a good reminder that I need to focus and watch for what the next move needs to be. Over all an average night, but it had a lot of good take aways.

[baker]

Week 12
Ball: Mission unknown

Game 1: 268 - Two ten pins early in the game. We were on one of the more forgiving pairs in the house. My shot making wasn't great, but I was in the right area and had miss room both left and right.

Game 2: 262 - A ten pin in the 3rd frame and a Greek church 2nd ball in the tenth. Not great shot making again but my misses right didn't over react and carried well.

Game 3: 236 - I made some minor changes to try and improve my accuracy. It worked decently well but my miss room right was fading and some shots started to jump high.

Game 4: 213 - The transition from game three to four has been an issue for me all season. I made the correct 2 and 2 move inside, but any ball I leaked right was going high and misses left would come in a bit behind the head pin and leave a ringing 10. Threw the ball ok, but just couldn't seem to trust myself.

Series: 979 (766 for 3) - 244.75 avg
Season average: 230 (+1 from last week)

Strike % - 71%
Spare % - 92%
Single pin - 100%

Overall a pretty good night. First two games I had a ton of room, but was really spraying the ball bad. I really had no idea why I was missing left or right, but the easy house shot took care if that.

At the start of the third game I tried some of the things I had been working on. On shots where my timing was early it was a guaranteed to miss right. If I trusted it and didn't try to pull down from the top I was accurate. This tells me my swing path is still a bit off and that my timing needs some fine tuning.

Spare shooting was pretty good with only one open. Compared to where I've been lately it was good to start and see improvement. Tournaments are starting up soon so I'll be getting some extra practice in.

[NewToBowling]

Wow, those are great games

[baker]

Thanks! I'm still looking for that elusive week where I both throw the ball well and score well. I've been working hard the past year to improve and get to that next level where I'm consistently making cuts and cashing in tournaments. A bit more work to go, but I'm slowly getting there.

[baker]

Week 14

Ball: motiv forza redline

Game 1: 184 - Two splits and a missed 10 pin. My crossover step was being too exaggerated and lead to inconsistent approach and launch angles. Misses right jumped high and left splits, misses left went too long and left weak 10's.

Game 2: 191 - Missed 3,6,9 and badly missed 7 pin with a split thrown in. Towards the end of the game I reduced the amount of boards I was drifting with my cross steps and moved my break point out to the 4 board and closer to me to get the ball started sooner and go through the pins correctly

Game 3: 233 - Missed 10 pin frame two, but I was now in the correct area to get my ball to start up and go through the pins correctly. I was moving left every other frame to keep up with the transition. Towards the end of the game a couple balls jumped high when I missed outside early.

Game 4: 158 - Never missed on the left lane and split every frame on the right lane. I was up against the ball return and was having trouble with my crossover step on the right lane leading to me throwing the ball right early and going high.

Total: 766 (608 for 3) - 191 Avg
Season avg: 227 (-3)

This league has been too easy where I've found the perfect match of line and ball that I've built bad habits. Misses right didn't over react and carried while misses left held pocket and still kicked out the 10 pin. I decided to use a ball that I knew I needed to be perfect to strike (I hate this ball) and left my spare ball at home to force myself to use a broken wrist to kill the ball. I've also decided to use more of a crossover step to help straighten my swing. Lots of changes to incorporate on league night, but I haven't had time to practice.

In terms of execution I felt pretty good with how I threw the ball towards the end of the night and I could feel everything coming together. You truly can't out bowl bad ball reaction, but it defiantly forced me to throw good shots and figure out how to get my ball to carry. I need to work on getting more consistent with my new approach and I'll be going back to my spare ball next week, but with the holidays I won't be able to get out and practice. Next week might be another rough week, but better for my game in the long run.

[baker]

Week 14

Ball: motiv forza redline, hammer rebel last game

Game 1: 200 - clean game, I was throwing the ball inexplicably bad. Missing badly inside, arm swing was all over the place.

Game 2: 222 - Started to incorporate more of a crossover step that really helped me get lined up. This helped loosen up my swing and throw some good shots. One missed 9 pin and a missed 3,6,10 cost me a good game. My alignment and spare shooting is way off with this new crossover step. No time to practice over this next week though.

Game 3: 193 - I wanted to try and get some more speed to get some more miss room. This worked but threw off my approach and added muscle to the spring. I started leaving 9 pins and split in the 10th. I wanted to salvage some of the night so I switched balls and moved lines to an area where I'd have more miss room.

Game 4: 243 - Right area and right ball in hand, really shows me how difficult it is to out bowl a bad ball reaction and how important it is in tournaments not to try and force a ball to work. I didn't throw the ball great, but I helped the team by sweeping my points.

Total: 858 (615 for 3) - 214.5 Avg
Season avg: 226 (-1)

Officially feel like I'm in a slump, I'm learning about a lot of things not to do. I was missing over 5 boards at the arrows during practice and was 1 for 5 of 7 pins. I'm really having trouble getting lined up for spares with the large crossover step, but I love the leverage position is helps get me in to. It's likely something I just need to work on and get used to, but in the mean time my already bad spare game is getting worse. I might have to rethink an end of the year tournament that I had planned on bowling until I get things straightened out.

[baker]

Ball: motiv redline games 1-3, hammer rebel game 4

Game 1: 221 - Badly missed 3-6-10 that ruined an otherwise OK game.

Game 2: 200 - missed 9 pin, 7-9 split and Greek church in the middle of the game.

Game 3: 205 - struggled to string strikes with a split thrown in. Made a change to keep my spine angle more consistent through the release which help my accuracy.

Game 4: 299 - switched balls to give myself a little more area and better angle. 11th strike was a bit outside followed by a ball that was on target, but came in behind the head pin for a wrap 10.

Series: 924 (626 for 3) - 231 avg
Season avg: 226 (no change)

After the first two games of some badly missed spares and errant shots something had to change. I focused on maintaining my spine tilt through release to improve my accuracy. This results in less revs and a ball rolling that I'm not quite accustomed to, but when I'm missing single pins by 5 boards something needs to change.

The 299 was a nice saver for the night and won me some money. My misses were much smaller and carry was excellent. There were a number of shots where I thought it was a 10 pin off my hand, but luckily I made it to the final ball. Last ball was a good shot which is all I wanted to do. All in all I learned a lot and I feel my game is starting to improve.

[baker]

Ball: Mission Unknown all games

Game 1: 229 - Clean game, didn't throw the ball great, but made my spares.

Game 2: 259 - Front 7 before a ring 10 pin in the 8th. Left a 2-8 first ball in the 10th on what seemed like a good shot.

Game 3: 193 - Carry issues and bad spare shooting missing a 7 pin and 9 pin. Left lane had a bit of a hang spot as I moved in making it difficult to string strikes.

Game 4: 290 - I needed to either move my breakpoint in or out to combat the over under I was seeing. I moved in on the first ball and rung a 10 pin so I decided to go the other way and bank it off the dry boards.

Series: 971 (681 for 3) - 242 avg
Season Avg: 228 (+2)

Overall a pretty good night, I ended up switching back to the mission unknown instead of trying to fight my ball reaction with the redline. I changed my spare shooting to kill all rotation and it seems to be helping except for the 3rd game. I'll continue to work on it over the next few weeks. My strike shot felt really good tonight, I've settled into the fact that I can't let my aim get in the way of throwing a good shot if that makes sense. When I try too hard to hit my target I end up forcing things and muscling my swing. Everything is starting to fall in place, I have a tournament this weekend that will be a good test.

[baker]

Had a tournament this weekend. This is a monthly series that I try to attend, but I've only had time to get to one so far this year. 6 games of qualifying on a 41 ft 5:1 ratio pattern. This pattern played very easy for me, but my spare game was a struggle:

Game 1: 183 (-17)
Game 2: 269 (+52)
Game 3: 247 (+99)
Game 4: 236 (+135)
Game 5: 225 (+160)
Game 6: 279 (+239)

240 Avg. today

Qualified first with 2nd place almost 80 pins behind. The mission unknown gave me a ton of area and my roll allowed me to get through the heads without overreacting. I ended up getting bye rounds through the semi's which was good and bad. I waited 1.5 hrs after my last game of qualifying before I had to bowl. The lanes transitioned a ton and I had to move 10 boards left of where I ended. I couldn't find a good line to string strikes and lost 225-174. Ended up taking 3rd and got a nice check and won a couple high game pots. Things are looking up, if I can improve my spare shooting I'll feel better about my up coming tournaments. I need to find time to get out and practice.

[JasonNJ]

Had a tournament this weekend. This is a monthly series that I try to attend, but I've only had time to get to one so far this year. 6 games of qualifying on a 41 ft 5:1 ratio pattern. This pattern played very easy for me, but my spare game was a struggle:

Game 1: 183 (-17)
Game 2: 269 (+52)
Game 3: 247 (+99)
Game 4: 236 (+135)
Game 5: 225 (+160)
Game 6: 279 (+239)

240 Avg. today

Qualified first with 2nd place almost 80 pins behind. The mission unknown gave me a ton of area and my roll allowed me to get through the heads without overreacting. I ended up getting bye rounds through the semi's which was good and bad. I waited 1.5 hrs after my last game of qualifying before I had to bowl. The lanes transitioned a ton and I had to move 10 boards left of where I ended. I couldn't find a good line to string strikes and lost 225-174. Ended up taking 3rd and got a nice check and won a couple high game pots. Things are looking up, if I can improve my spare shooting I'll feel better about my up coming tournaments. I need to find time to get out and practice.

Nice shooting. Congrats on a great tournament.

[baker]

Thanks! After the first game I was expecting more of a struggle, but things came around nicely.

[baker]

Ball: mission unknown games 1-3. Hammer rebel last game

game 1: 239
game 2: 235
game 3: 230
game 4: 250

series: 954 (704 for 3) - 238.5 avg

Really solid night, I made all makeable spares and made good moves. I was able to get out Sunday and practice spare shooting. Strike ball felt good as well, but I'm still leaking one right every so often. This cost me the final game. All in all I'm feeling good about the upcoming tournament season. I'll probably try to find something to bowl this weekend.

[baker]

Used the mission unknown all night.

Game 1: 222 - missed 10 pin, I never really felt comfortable the whole game.

Game 2: 256 - Left the 7-10 2nd ball in the 10th. The 7 pin bounced off the wall and rolled in front of the 10 pin and I lost by 1. Ouch

Game 3: 257 - clean game, just had a little trouble with carry. There was a bit of a hang spot on the left lane. My teammate shot 300 to help us win the game.

Game 4: 268 - front 7, I threw the ball well but couldn't get the 8th to carry. That little hang spot caused the ball to push too far and come in a. It behind the head pin for a ringing 10.

Total: 1003 (735 for 3) - 251 avg
Season Avg: 229
Strike %: 78.3%
Spare %: 70.3%
Single pin%: 85.7% (6 of 7)

It felt good to get my second 1000 series of the year. The lanes transitioned very odd, but I did a good job of staying on top of the moves. The guy I was bowling had 540 after 2 games and never hit 200 the final two games. It was like that for most the people on our pair. Once their look went away it went downhill fast.

One pattern I'm noticing is that it seems to take me a game before I get comfortable and remember what everything should feel like. It might be because I'm only bowling once a week, but it's definitely impacting my first game average.

[baker]

Mission unknown all night

Game 1: 244
Game 2: 202
Game 3: 246
Game 4: 255

Total: 947 (692 for 3) - 237 avg
Season Avg: 230

Strike: 59.1%
Spare: 81%
Single pin: 80% (8 of 10)


What a weird night, my scores don't reflect how I felt. My ball had no reaction down lane and I couldn't get it to face up to the pocket the way I wanted. I carried a lot of light hits, yet I was hitting my mark down lane where I wanted. After 3/4 of a league season I think it's time to de-oil my mission.

I was able to get out this week and practice a bit. I'm starting to feel more confident in my spare game. Although I missed two 10 pins in game 2 it was due to a lack of focus and a distraction a couple lanes over.

All in all a good night execution and scoring wise, but I was not seeing the transition or reading the lanes well.

[baker]

Mission unknown all games

Game 1: 227
Game 2: 255
Game 3: 257
Game 4: 204

Series: 943 (739 for 3) - 235 avg
Season Avg: 231

Strike: 68.9%
Spare: 76.9%
Single pin: 70% (7 of 10)

I've been traveling lately and haven't had a chance to bowl in a few weeks so I was excited to get out again. I threw the ball very well tonight, but was a little off on my spare shooting which cost me all my points.

The lanes were a bit tighter than normal which prevented me from having a monster night. There were basically two shots a game that I couldn't get to carry the first 3 games and then the last game I didn't have the right angle to get the 10 out.

I have a few tournaments coming up over the next few weeks that I feel good about. Despite missing three single pins I'm more confident in my spare game and my release is feeling good.

[manke]

Good luck Baker!!

[baker]

Mission unknown (1 and 2) and rebel pearl (3 and 4)

Game 1: 279
Game 2: 137
Game 3: 162
Game 4: 199

Total: 777 (578 for 3) -194 avg
Season avg: 228 (-3)

Strike: 51%
Spare: 52.4%
Single pin: 87.5%

This was the first night I've struggled to score all year. I threw the ball well and started off with high hopes for a big set after the 279 start. All of a sudden the lanes were gone for me. Misses right would just hang and never recover. Misses inside would just slide as well. I moved right and tightened up my angles, but still had to be perfect.

This makes up for a number of nights where I threw the ball poorly and still scored well, but never fun. Realistically I think I was missing too many shots right and late which caused them to hang. The better move was probably to bump a little left and feed it to the dry early.

I need to read the lanes better and make smarter moves. I let a couple bad shots after a big game cause me make the wrong move and I a spent the night trying to make it work.

Tournament this Sunday, I still feel good execution wise and this night was a good reminder about playing the right part of the lane and not trying to force something that isn't there. The lanes will tell you if you're in the right area or not, you just have to listen.

[baker]

Tournament today, 41 ft pattern with a 4:1. I was not able to get out and practice after a disappointing Monday. I threw the Mission Unknown for qualifying and switched to the rebel pearl for match play. Both of these balls have been really good for me this year.

Qualifying:
Game 1: 213 clean +13
Game 2: 217 clean +30
Game 3: 221 +51
Game 4: 223 +74
Game 5: 246 +120
Game 6: 257 +177

Early on I struggled to carry and just grinded out clean low 2 teen games. Mission was going a bit long and coming in weak, but I decided to stick with it and not give the pocket away. I made some minor adjustments towards the end of game three and was good from that point on. I qualified 4th and had two rounds of byes. My goal was not to let the bye rounds impact me in match play.

Match play: lost 239-213
I threw the ball very well. The lanes tightened up on the right side and I bowled a lefty who threw it well and had a good look. I was keeping up and throwing great shots until the 10th when I got a bit slow and left a split. I can't complain given how tough the lanes were and how many shots I pured. Overall happy with how it went, but not the outcome I would've liked.

I did reached one of my season goals today. I wanted to make cut in every one of these tournaments I bowled; I was three for three. Once qualified last, once 1st, and once 4th. Some life changes are going to cut the league and tournament season short. My family is moving so I'll miss the remaining tournaments and won't bowl outside of practice and league until nationals. Hopefully I'll be well practiced for nationals and whack em in Vegas.

[baker]

Mastermind strategy the first game and mission unknown last three games.

Game 1: 214
Game 2: 200
Game 3: 279
Game 4: 247

Total: 940 (693 for 3) - 235 avg
Season avg: 229

Strike: 62%
Spare: 88%
Single pin: 100% (10/10)

I completely forgot how to bowl the first two games. Luckily my spare shooting has been solid the past month or so and I was able to grind it out. Towards the end of game 2 I got it figured out. I was bending too much at the waist and loosing leverage.

With only a few weeks left to go I took a look at some of my goals I set at the beginning of the season:

1. Average 230 - currently 229, within reach if I finish strong.
2. Multiple 300's - I have a 299 and a 298 this year. It might be a stretch to get two in the final three weeks, but I'd still like at least one
3. 800 - Complete, shot 821 early in the season
4. Make cut at each tournament - Complete (3/3) I didn't get to bowl as much as I would've liked, but happy to get this one.

Next fall should be interesting with a new city and new bowling alley. Overall I'm pretty happy with how this season has gone.

[baker]

mission unknown first three games. Rebel pearl last game.

Game 1: 259
Game 2: 224
Game 3: 202
Game 4: 191

Total: 868 (677 for 3) - 217 avg
Season avg: 228

All of a sudden I can't pick up a spare. I threw my first ball decently, but I need to be better and more accurate there. Once again I did not do a good job of reading the lanes, but I was not as focused as I needed to be. I missed 3 single pin spares and another makeable spare. The fact that I struggle with basic spares is beyond frustrating. I might be pressing too hard to shoot some big scores before the season ends, but even with that I still should be able to pick up spares. At this point every time I leave a single pin I'm having doubt creep into my head. I'll try to shorten my backswing and get my armswing tighter to my body, but mentally I'm a mess right now.

[baker]

mission unknown first two games. Rebel pearl last 2 games.

Game 1: 246
Game 2: 228
Game 3: 211
Game 4: 266

Total: 951 (685 for 3) - 238 avg
Season avg: 228

Strike: 64.4%
Spare: 73.3%
Single pin: 75% (6 of 8)

Last night of league this year for me and I came up a bit short. Still struggled a bit with spare shooting although not nearly as bad as the previous outing. Tonight was definitely good to get more games on my rebel and figure it out a bit more. This ball is touchy for me and I either need to play in the oil or throw it to the dry, if I try to pay the oil line I get really bad over/under.

All in all I'm feeling ok about the season. I've been able to adjust small things in my game to get to get to a better place. Once I get more practice in and improve my spare shooting I'm hoping to get over that 230 average. Now time to spend this next month getting ready for nationals and hopefully posting a few good games there.

[baker]

Just got back from Nationals and things went pretty terrible. It was another eye opening experience of just how much work I have to do and much damage an easy house shots can do.

Team practice:
We broke the lanes down outside and had a great look. After 30 minutes we basically had a modified house shot. Things were looking good.

Team: 141, 183, 224 - 548
The actual shot played almost nothing like the practice pair. The actual shot was a lot more wet-dry and seemed to give you one of two options, play outside or play inside. Our team decided to try and break them down outside, but playing straight up 5 board is not my strength. I missed a lot of shots just right and had no recovery down lane. As we burned up the shot and I got some miss room right and my scores went up.

Doubles: 139, 207, 238 - 584
Very similar to team only longer and similar results. I tried to play a little more in the first game, but that was a disaster. I Moved way outside the 2nd game and found a line, but too little, too late.

Singles: 181, 155, 186 - 522
We had two randoms on our pair. One guy started doubles in at 4th arrow and as soon as the outside line was gone we had to jump in to his mess. I felt good going into singles, but as soon as we had to jump in it was clear there wasn't much of a line.

On the bright side I had a issue with a storm bag that I had just bought and the booth was outstanding. I haven't bought any storm balls in the past 10 years, but they at least earned my next purchase. I might try the hyroad or wait and see what they come out with in a few months.

A few more weeks off will be good. I'm looking for a new league this season and looking forward to continue improving.

[baker]

First night of summer league:

Game 1: 198 - Left a lot of 10 pins and started playing around trying to find a line that would get the 10 out. Last 3 frames found a line swinging it to 5-6.
Game 2: 171 - My line started to dry up and I didn't want to make anyone upset the first night by jumping too far left and crossing their lines. I moved my breakpoint inside and left my feet where they were.
Game 3: 256 - I had a good amount of room and carried well after I moved my breakpoint 5 boards left.

I found a small summer league to bowl in my new city. First night out was less than perfect, but I made all my single pins and spare game was pretty good. I had fun and got my mind off work.

My goal for this summer is to get better at going straighter and improve my ability to repeat shots. I also need to show I'm good enough to get on a good fall league.

[baker]

Week 2:

Game 1: 259 - Started with the front nine, but I wasn't throwing the ball great. It finally caught up to me and got a bit slow for a split
Game 2: 219 - Carry troubles prevented an otherwise solid game
Game 3: 181 - Only missed single pin all night, a few splits for a rough finish

Total: 659
Season Avg: 214

I'm still trying to figure out how to carry in this house. Increasing speed seemed to help blend out the over/under I was seeing. Next week I'm going to try something that starts up a little earlier and play more in the oil.

[baker]

Week 3:

Game 1: 206
Game 2: 244
Game 3: 226

Total: 676
Season avg: 218

Strike %: 63.6
Spare %: 83.3
Single pin %: 90 (9/10)

I started with my venom shock instead of the mission unknown to get an earlier and smoother ball motion. First game my breakpoint was too far right, in this house I need to start further in, but more direct. Next week I won't make the same mistake. The venom shock was a good move, earlier and smoother kept me in it the first game.

The second game I started throwing the ball much better. A little faster speed and much better feel. The third game was good, some minor carry issues and a missed single pin in the 10th cost me.

I'm starting to feel like it's close; with my new job and move I just don't have time to practice so it always takes a few frames for me to get comfortable and I feel some of my old bad habits creeping in. Next week I need to focus on keeping my speed up, breakpoint in, and staying down at the line.

[baker]

Week 4:

Game 1: 228 - Solid game, had some tough carry. In this house figuring out how to carry is key
Game 2: 244 - Solid game, one split and then more carry issues in the 9th and 10th.
Game 3: 194 - 10 pins, lots of 10 pins. I missed two in a row, one left, then the next one right. My armswing was getting away from my body on my spare shots today.

Total: 666
Season avg: 219

Strike %: 54.5
Spare %: 76.9
Single pin %: 81.8 (9/11)

I threw my first ball well tonight. I thought I had a good look and would be able to put three games together, but as I got to the end of the 2nd game my angles had changed and I lost my carry. Ball speed was up and accuracy was better (still not great). If I don't miss easy spares I'll have my average backup near 230.

[baker]

Week 5:

Game 1: 225 - I was running late, missed practice and started out with 4 spares before changing balls from my venom shock to the mission. Decent start, clean game.
Game 2: 206 - More carry issues and a missed 10 pin. As I find myself focusing more and more on single pins and spares I tend to tense up and thoughts of missing easy spares creep into my head.
Game 3: 243 - I threw the ball well enough all night and this game I finally started to carry. A good shot went high and I made the correct move left, but didn't keep up with the transition in the 10th. First ball in the 10th left a 4-9, picked it up and struck the final shot

Total: 674
Season avg: 219
Strike %: 61.8
Spare %: 92.3
Single pin%: 87.5% (7/8)

I had another decent night on my strike shot. Only one open frame all night, but it was a simple 10 pin where I started to over think and tense up. This league is a handicap league so averaging between 220-225 consistently every night is not helping my team. I'm off this week and hoping for a big 700 next week.

[baker]

Week 8:

Game 1: 194 - Timing was fast after 3 weeks off. Ball was getting to the pocket, but not at the right angle. Picked the 8 off the 2-8 for my one missed spare of the night.
Game 2: 239 - Timing was better and moved right to get the ball to finish better. Threw the ball well, but there were a few hits I just couldn't get to carry
Game 3: 258 - Timing got a little off half way through after starting with the front 5. I got more hits to carry, but it would've been really nice to get 279 and my first 700.

Total: 689
Season avg: 220
Strike %: 60.6
Spare %: 92.3
Single pin%: 100% (9/9)

Basically the same result as 3 weeks ago. I need to get the ball to finish better/differently. Hoping to get some practice in tomorrow and fix some of my timing inconsistency

[baker]

Week 9:

Game 1: 236 - Split, missed 9 pin first two frames, 9 out of the next 10 strikes.
Game 2: 230 - Wiffed everything on a split in the 2nd frame. All the rest strikes until a 7-10 in the 10th killed the game.
Game 3: 217 - chopped a 3,6,10 otherwise a good game from an execution standpoint.

Total: 683
Season Avg: 222
Strike %: 69.7
Spare %: 50
Single pin %: 80% (4/5)

I've been trying to get my speed up, but it's been messing with my timing the past few weeks. The plus side with the extra speed is that I have more miss room, the downside is that my misses are a lot bigger and more frequent. This killed my spare game this week, plus I wasn't all there mentally. It's slowing coming along, but I've had no time to practice.

I still need to find a fall league to bowl, but I'm sure something will come along. There aren't any scratch leagues in the area which is a bit disappointing, so far I'm not loving the handicap aspect.

[baker]

I'm try a new stat tracker app that I saw bowl1820 using. Less refined, but a lot more options.

https://i.imgur.com/OuVAdWk.png

Series: 719
Season Avg: 224
Strike %:76.5
Spare %: 62.5
Single pin%: 75 (3/4)

We got to the alley and they had just cleaned the approaches. I'm not sure what they did, but it was like a skating rink. No one could slide right, people were almost falling down. I had my number 2 pad on and slid forever so I put my sneakers back on and decided to just plant.

Interesting night, I got my first 700 in this league, but I was hoping for more. I used the mission until I had carry issues half way through game 3. I decided to switch to my rebel pearl and got back on track. Pulled the first ball in the 10th and chopped the 3,6,9,10 to put a damper on the night.

By having to plant I really couldn't get the leverage that I normally do. This actually helped prevent me from popping up at the line and hitting up at release. Spares were are struggle with having to plant and my knee is a little sore.

I found a fall league to join, not sure who's on my team, but at least I'll be bowling.

[baker]

Hurricane Irma made it impossible for me to bowl the final week so my team had to post bowl.

Game 1: 214
Game 2: 213
Game 3: 227

Total: 654

Spare game was off and the approaches were still very slippery. Ended the summer with a 223 average, not where I wanted, but fall leagues starts tomorrow.

Still without power at my house so just having AC and a warm meal will be nice. I'll start a new thread for the 2017/2018 season. Similar goals, 1+ 800, 2+ 300 games, 90% single pin, and 230 avg.