First sport shot tournament 35 ft

[Albundy]

I did my first sport shot tournament it was a 35 ft Beijing. I rolled 173 173 149. I missed the cut by 30 pins..just a spare a game..The winner only averaged 161 over 6 games. He had more handicap. I spent half the time trying to go up the gutter which most didn't have the guts to do. I never threw 3 strikes in a row. But because I did get a strike there once I thought I could continue playing there. Most went high even when I tried spreading my pinky. I also tried standing on 20 and throwing out to the gutter but often I'd throw it long and it would sail down and miss very light. So really I never stuck with the same path. I moved all over. I missed a 5 pin in the 10th and I guttered on a spare. Maybe if I didn't do that I could have made it in.

[bdpeters]

sounds like a challenging pattern. keep at it.

[MRomeroMGCER300]

no sport shot is easy, regardless of length! Stay positive and continue grinding out the patterns. More practice and experience on patterns will improve your knowledge and overall game. Spares are most important on those types of patterns but good job though! Missing by 30 goes a long ways! Keep it up though!

[mattmc82]

Did you know the pattern ahead of time? I was in one with a Route 66 pattern years ago and it ended up being won by a lefty that didn’t have to adjust much (you changed lanes after each game). Sport patterns are fun.

Did you change balls at all? I had to ball down after game 1 this weekend in a no tap because we had 2 in our pair of lanes throwing plastic straight balls (and inaccurately so the oil was all over the place). I’m not experienced enough to know how to adjust for that.

[Albundy]

In watched chris Barnes and Shannon O'Keefe s videos on it. I was lost. I did switch balls. I also wasn't bowling on fresh oil. I was the 2nd squad but I am also a lefty.The guy ibowledwith said you have to pick a spot and stay with itand hesaiddespite what you readaboutthepattern every alley is different. this one was very old plus the lanes in front of the doors will be different.i had luck on the extreme edge but I may have pushed the ball a bit to the right most of the time closer to board 5 to be safe and that could make a difference

[bowl1820]

When it comes to the patterns, The long and the short patterns appear harder at first, but tend to become easier. While the medium length patterns basically appear easier, but tend to be the harder ones.

With short patterns you typically need to move right (left for left handers) and play the outside, which is what most do. So they breakdown that area of the lane etc. You want to keep the swing at the minimum with a nice easy hand, don't be cranking on it.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/566958aaa2bab823921a87dd/t/56f7fcd6f699bbc5384096c9/1459092733354/?format=750w
The green lines are where you want to be.

[fordman1]

Sports patterns must be bowled on a lot of you will never master them. You can't just go and adjust the 1st time you bowl on them unless you are really good.

Just bowling on them once or twice will mess you up more than help you. You have to change too many things you have been doing all your life. Change speed, change angle, changing lines. It will mess up your timing and you gain nothing.

That said if you are bowling on the same pattern every week you can adjust and learn how to play it. Then they will change it and you have to start over. Good Luck.

[Stormed1]

A few years ago I bowled a summer doubles sport shot league with my son. We had a different pattern every weeks ranging from 29 feet to 53 feet. In some ways on sport shots the ability to make spares is more important than striking at times. We ended up 5th out of 30 tams. Even though I only averaged 176 I had the best win/loss record in the league (it was a match play league) simply by being able to pick up spares in crucial situations

[Albundy]

Did you go straight alot at thespares? I missed a lot of easy ones last night and missed the cut by 20 pins. I must learn from that

[JasonNJ]

Did you go straight alot at thespares? I missed a lot of easy ones last night and missed the cut by 20 pins. I must learn from that

Generally going straight at your spares is the best thing, you basically take the lane out of play and don't worry about over or under hooking the ball. Also on a tougher pattern or you just get on a pair that is almost unplayable and strikes are really difficult, your spare shooting will be that much more important.

[J Anderson]

In watched chris Barnes and Shannon O'Keefe s videos on it. I was lost. I did switch balls. I also wasn't bowling on fresh oil. I was the 2nd squad but I am also a lefty.The guy ibowledwith said you have to pick a spot and stay with itand hesaiddespite what you readaboutthepattern every alley is different. this one was very old plus the lanes in front of the doors will be different.i had luck on the extreme edge but I may have pushed the ball a bit to the right most of the time closer to board 5 to be safe and that could make a difference

The guy you bowled with was right about sport patterns not always playing ‘by the book’. Doing research on the pattern, watching the videos, and understanding the “rule of 31” give you a head start in finding a good line. The idea that you “have to pick a spot and stay with it”, is nonsense. In my experience, sport patterns transition faster than a THS and you will be making adjustments. The worst thing to do is to stay in one spot and think that you can throw the ball better.

[Albundy]

The guy you bowled with was right about sport patterns not always playing ‘by the book’. Doing research on the pattern, watching the videos, and understanding the “rule of 31” give you a head start in finding a good line. The idea that you “have to pick a spot and stay with it”, is nonsense. In my experience, sport patterns transition faster than a THS and you will be making adjustments. The worst thing to do is to stay in one spot and think that you can throw the ball better.

what i meant was i tried the reading a lane in 7 shots and decided to try up the gutter...i got a strike so kept trying then i would throw it high. i tried flattening the hook but that wasn't good either...i couldn't throw back to back strikes..then i tried moving inside hooking out over several different places...i couldn't do all this during warm up..i was doing this during my 3 games. if i got a strike i stayed put until i would struggle again and then i'd move again. it wasn't until my most recent game on a 38ft alcatraz was i able to relax and throw it gently down the 7 and 8 boards and i got a 208. there were only a few games over 200 that i saw. if my first game was a 170 instead of a 141 i would have moved on...i'm getting close.
i am going a clinic with monacelli and learn jr which i think will be useful

[Albundy]

do you all have a different ball just for sport shots or for short patterns? I was told to get a new one that goes straighter..mine are both drilled (pin up?) that's with the dot directly above the finger holes. I was told by Bob Learn ..so I think I trust him..to get one where the dot is more to the side of the holes.