Summer League for Boomer

[boomer]

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm a bowler.

This is the start of summer league for us. Last league was terrible - I ended on a down note, on a new fit (which we've since adjusted) and a new ball (which I'm not overly fond of, but it IS kinda fun) and moving a TON of crap to a new house (my in-laws included and they can't help a whole lot being 86 and 88 . . .) so . . . here's hoping!

First - new fit. I had my PSO lengthen my span just a touch - probably 1/16-3/32" (1.5 to 1.8mm) - and wow what a difference. Down 3/8" from what it was for 25 years, then up a touch and it's butter. So nice. Will have to get the thumb opened so I can use some tape but . . . nice. :)

Second - I'm now used to moving crap. Still sore and still a TON to move or clean up and still a TON of work to do on the new house, but I'm getting used to it I guess.

so, first week - 639.

https://i.postimg.cc/gJ522ysX/Screenshot-20220308-084834.png (https://postimg.cc/HcwgSyfd)

Game 1 - in the pocket, mostly. I did miss a 7 spare, which was STUPID. Bah. Dumbass - still, last four strikes for 207

Game 2 - YES. In the pocket the WHOLE WAY. Had a bit of a crowd for frame 10, but I hit the "bouncey" spot (33-34 SUCK - a big area that will bounce your ball 10' ) just a bit and it hit a touch high leaving a 4. Spare and fill for 279. Can NOT complain about that! (except the stupid bounce. . .)

Game 3 - transition. FAST transition and I didn't read it. 2 big-4s killed me, plus two stupid spare misses (3-6 - I HATE 3-6-10 combos. I need to just bowl 100 of them and just be happy) one being the end and I just whiffed. Stupid.

However, I enjoyed the evening.

I have a Nova and a Zen Master being drilled up to fill out the arsenal. I will be 15# for the three main balls, Zen Master should be the benchmark for me. We'll see how it goes!

[J Anderson]

Summer League? Seriously? My calendar says it isn’t even spring yet!

Glad to hear the new grip is working well.

p.s. our weather forecast is for snow from dawn til dusk tomorrow yet no accumulations.

[boomer]

I know - boy do I miss snow. sigh. Seasons. sigh. I'm a northern boy in SoCal. At least I'm not in LA.

This is the league that extends through summer . . . or something. LOL. I have no friggin idea. I just roll the ball between the gutters and hope to hit a bunch of white things!

[boomer]

Hi I'm Mike and I'm a bowler. This means I'm masochistic in some ways. . . LOL We're STILL in the process of moving both my wife and myself plus my in-laws into the same house - they've been in the same house for 65 YEARS, which means that much crap! I'm sore in places I didn't know could be sore!!! LOL So . . . let's bowl.

https://i.postimg.cc/4Nd3fhvK/Screenshot-20220316-112802.png (https://postimg.cc/pywvkr6x)

Got my new arsenal drilled up so I'm now Nova (15#), Zen Master (15#), Diva (light 15#) and WD (16# old drill) - 9/16" shorter span which I'm getting used to but WOW so much more comfortable.

Tried the Nova in practice but it was so dry (how dry was it?) that everything was hooking at the arrows so . . . no.
Zen was doing quite well. Little bit of getting together and keeping it in whatever oil was there. . .

Game 1 - Actually felt really really good through the first 9. Left makeable spares and just did well. Until the 10th - left it way outside and it just rolled out. 2-10. Meh - 214. Could have been 230.
Game 2 - Carry on! Honestly, same thing, just left it wide in the 7th . . . 213.
Game 3 - need to recognize when it's time. Should have either jumped left or moved to Diva, which is what I did. Bad split in 3, another 2-10 in 5, move to Diva. Lined up and went well until 9 when I left 3-6. For SOME reason I can NOT get the 3. DO NOT KNOW WHY!!! Sigh. 166.

Oh well - potential is there. Now to do it when I'm not aching everywhere! LOL

[boomer]

Hi, My name is Mike and, yes, I'm a bowler or at least I try to be.

https://i.postimg.cc/XNH9Jj7n/Screenshot-20220323-084749.png (https://postimg.cc/kDS2YdbH)

Game 1 - blech. Started with the Diva - seems the center has forgotten what oil is unless you're right in the middle. Still figuring out this thing. . .

Game 2 - figured something out. The way my PSO drilled me, if I TRY to make the ball do something, it won't. If I let it roll off my hand and follow through withOUT effort, it moves. Front 6. 5 and 6 were . . . questionable but I didn't read it and react which meant the spare in 7 and then the split in 8 and 10. SHOULD have been quite a bit higher.

Game 3 - balled up. It felt right so I moved left and went to the Zen Master. Relaxed and just let it roll and . . . well, not many strikes (just two) but makeable spares and a clean game. 193.

[boomer]

Hi all - I'm Mike and I bowl.

https://i.postimg.cc/hjhQrHZY/Screenshot-20220329-083821.png (https://postimg.cc/9R5fXNhP)

Last night felt GOOD. Yeah - still tired because STILL moving and STILL doing crap to the new house but . . . felt good. I DO need my spare ball to get plugged and drilled, though. Having that one ball stretched out like that actually is hurting.

Anyway - game 1 - Zen Master - you can see where I was letting the ball roll vs. making the ball hook. Making it hook? Pull it left or swing it too far right and I get 3, 5, 6 and 7. The rest were pocket and relaxed. 211
Game 2 - stellar. Left a ringing 10 in frame 3 and whiffed it, but was in the pocket the whole time, right foot on the ground posting the shot . . . 267. Just felt GOOOOD.
Game 3 - OK, ignore first frame. Was trying to get scores for brackets and ran back to bowl. 2 and 3 were . . . borderline and the Zen was trying to tell me that I'd about used up its lane. . . but I was still in and around the pocket so I didn't change. I did change to the Diva in 9 and pulled out a 190.

668 total. More than happy with that.

[Timmyb]

Decent night!

[boomer]

Another up and down night. Well, Down and Up.

Hi - I'm Mike and I pretend to bowl.

https://i.postimg.cc/0y9rRY54/Screenshot-20220405-085854.png (https://postimg.cc/7fQqST21)

Getting used to the new span STILL. There's potential. When it hits, it HITS. I get more messengers (and more comments about them) than ever before. . . but it seems like work. So much focus to NOT do the old and DO do the new.

Practice - had a great look with the Zen but decided to pull out the Nova to see how it hit. Well, it HIT but I had to add a lot more ball speed to overcome all of the additional friction. This means that I screwed up a lot.
Game 1 - blah. 152. Just bad. I dumped the Nova and moved to the Zen in the 6th and dropped the ball almost on my FOOT and it went into the channel. Sigh.
Game 2 - more frustration. Again. I moved to the Diva and tried straighter but it was just not happening. Back to the Zen and some little success in 9 and 10.
Game 3 - some fighting through 4, but then something clicked and it just worked.

Stupid thing is that during games 1 and first half of 2 I was posting the shot, had my right foot on the ground and pinky toe - nice. But NO result.
End of two and first half of 3, no posting. Even the last half of 3, not a lot of balance. I posted only 9 and 10.

Bugs me.

[boomer]

Hi - my name is Mike and I throw 15# round things at white objects down a 60' wood-like platform. Supposedly it's fun. :)

https://i.postimg.cc/HkqhCGKr/Screenshot-20220413-082425.png (https://postimg.cc/9DBpGkc2)

So - we're still in the process of moving, and doing some landscaping in the new back yard (and ground in SoCal is HARD) so my back was . . . well, I tweaked it halfway through first game. I ground it out but strikes made me happy because it meant fewer balls to throw. . .

Game 1 - I ... Had ... A ... LINE. Zen Master, if I swung it just a touch, would CRUSH it. Then I tweaked my back and started pulling it and, well, that doesn't work. Couple of splits, including big four in 11th, but 208 . . . I'll take it.
Game 2 - CLEAN. Didn't leave myself anything stupid. Each strike was nice since it meant only one ball to throw.
Game 3 - was getting tired and hurting - BUT was able to be smooth, for the most part. Front 4, then started to pull it again (crapola) and got back to swing later on. (it don't mean a thing if it don't got that swing) - the Zen NEEDS to swing a bit.

Overall, 622. I'm good with that. Deviation between high and low as also nice. Means I was steady.

REALLY want to be done moving crap so I can focus on the new house and stop doing the heavy crap. REALLY want.

[Timmyb]

Nice night, and great starter statement! ;)

[boomer]

Hi - my name is Mike and I sometimes LOOK like a bowler. . .

Well, this week our pattern got upgraded. New machine (well, new to us, but at least rebuilt and reconditioned) and new pattern (High Street? - was told 44' 31ml) so we'll see.

OH - and found out why it's been so difficult to bowl against this one guy. REALLY sweet guy, nice guy, above average bowler. . . but we'll get into that.

https://i.postimg.cc/T3Gg5t8p/Screenshot-20220419-085550.png (https://postimg.cc/XpHpTcYb)

Game 1 - right in the pocket for first 2/3 of the game. Missed the 10 in the 6th - oh well. Then in the 8th I pulled it just a touch and it slid. :/ really? Yep - this guy rolls a 1980s vintage rubber Black Beauty - no flare, no nuttin. Right down and in. So I pull the ball just a touch, and I guess I'd been flirting with it already, but I hit his carrydown and WOW. . . just slid. Men - 1-2-7. Picked it up but this is going to be a theme. Oh - went too far and left a Greek Church in the 9th. 200 and we lost the point.

Game 2 - Struggled to avoid that puddle of oil he's depositing downlane. Had our PSO subbing with us and it was FAR more dramatic for him, but I could easily see it too when I hit it. Missed another 10-pin and a 2-8-10. 189 but we won the point, by 2.

Game 3 - Ball change back and forth but figured out to grab the Zen, move a couple boards left and get out early so it would hook outside and before where his puddle was, now. Worked. five strikes to end with 210. We took the point and total.

Pattern was definitely strikable. My wife does NOT like it, being backup on the left side and it's messed with her but we're working on that.

But now I realize what this guy does to us - not deliberately. He just likes that old ball (and boy it's old! LOL) and he rolls 188 average and has a great time bowling with his wife, another sweet older lady and a really nice, lefty, disabled guy. They're a sweet team and we enjoy bowling against them but . . . hate bowling against them! LOL

anyway - not going to complain about 599. My spread was only 21 pins and I'm starting to roll the ball more, rather than hit up the ball. Getting the hang of the new setup.

[boomer]

Hi - my name is Mike and I'm slightly masochistic when it comes to bowling. . . LOL

https://i.postimg.cc/pLV1G7qJ/Screenshot-20220428-134620.png (https://postimg.cc/Mv4DXskn)

To start out, I find out from my wife that my father-in-law is in the hospital but that I SHALL remain and bowl but she won't be joining me. OK then. . .

Game 1 - trying my Zen Master. Middle of the house is always slicker than the ends, but the Zen just isn't hooking up. When I CAN get it to hook up, it does well. Try the Nova and it's no better - actually worse as it's over/under reacting.
Game 2 - move to the Diva and go straight down/in. Much better. 193.
Game 3 - we're talking now. I figure things out, get the fine tuning in and . . . 252.

600 series. We lost three - we won my low game! Was quick though since only 5 on the pair.

Went home, my wife and mother-in-law were waiting. He's doing better, but was touch and go with pneumonia.

[boomer]

Hi I'm Mike and I impersonate a bowler, sometimes. :)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZgxzQcn/Screenshot-20220505-080507.png (https://postimg.cc/qhNsb3Y5)

Well, up and down . . .

Lanes were WONKY. I had to use two different balls with two different lines. When I tried to stick with the Nova, I left 10's on the right lane no matter what I did (well, that was the BEST result); when I tried to stick with the Zen Master, I left splits on the left lane no matter what I did. When I moved to the Diva, it was just . . .

Game 1 - couple stupid opens in 1 and 2. C'mon, man! Just trying to figure things out. Nova just was. . . off. Moved to the Diva at 8 and got lined up. Didn't feel like it was really "there".
Game 2 - moved to the Zen and . . . wow. bad decision! Swapped to the Nova and decided to go with the flow. Too late. . . 132. OOF.
Game 3 - OK, on left lane, Nova at 29 and 14 and on the right lane Zen at 23 and 10. Rewarded.

Ugh - felt like work.

[boatman37]

Hi I'm Mike and I impersonate a bowler, sometimes. :)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZgxzQcn/Screenshot-20220505-080507.png (https://postimg.cc/qhNsb3Y5)

Well, up and down . . .

Lanes were WONKY. I had to use two different balls with two different lines. When I tried to stick with the Nova, I left 10's on the right lane no matter what I did (well, that was the BEST result); when I tried to stick with the Zen Master, I left splits on the left lane no matter what I did. When I moved to the Diva, it was just . . .

Game 1 - couple stupid opens in 1 and 2. C'mon, man! Just trying to figure things out. Nova just was. . . off. Moved to the Diva at 8 and got lined up. Didn't feel like it was really "there".
Game 2 - moved to the Zen and . . . wow. bad decision! Swapped to the Nova and decided to go with the flow. Too late. . . 132. OOF.
Game 3 - OK, on left lane, Nova at 29 and 14 and on the right lane Zen at 23 and 10. Rewarded.

Ugh - felt like work.

I did a pretty good job of impersonating a bowler the other night for the first 1.5 games. Then reality hit...lol

Do you have the Zen Master or the Zen? Think I'm gonna order a Zen tomorrow but going back and forth on that or the Zen Master. Figure I can scuff up the Zen a little if I need to. Been playing more in the oil lately and all of my skid/flip stuff doesn't work well in the heavier oil

[RobLV1]

You are very consistent in your inconsistency! How are you adjusting?

[boomer]

@Boatman - I have the Zen Master. It seems to react differently to differing conditions so I'm having problems converting practice application to league. Esp with the new pattern AND the new drilling so . . . deep end. :)

@Rob - why thank you! LOL yeah, I hate the consistent inconsistency. I pride myself in having a small std-dev and I'm not that right now. I'm really attributing it to the new drilling, which is really only a month or so old, and with the move and family, I haven't been able to put a lot of practice in.

How I'm adjusting:

In practice - start at typical with Nova since we were closer to center of house which is typically "slicker" - so let's use the earlier, more progressive ball to start. It looked good on one lane but was leaving ring-10s. Cool - I typically think that means I'm close so next throw on that lane, make a 3" backward move (my normal effective ring-10 move) and same deal - hit target line, good reaction . . . OK, let's move forward a touch and see. On LEFT lane, it's crush strike. High flush. 6 pin doesn't even touch the deck - it goes flying. Well - got THAT one. But right lane? Just not doing it. But I'm running out of practice time so . . . bring out the Zen Master and see how it works - it's typically about 5:4 right - longer but snappier so . . . good look on the right lane but splits on the left.

Yes, I SHOULD Have noted that and gone with it. That likely would have given me a good look throughout. That's what I ended up with anyway and it gave me the 225 (only flaws were 6th and 8th frames where I lost focus and went in heavy).

Instead I decided to try what's been working . . . nominally? Diva has been working lately at a 22:10 out to 8/9 so that's where I went and it was over/under. Move a bit left with it and what you see game 1, 4 and 8. Move a bit right and . . .

And if you look, you'll see that I was crushing ONE lane, and then the OTHER . . . it wasn't until I listened to the lanes at the end of game 2 that I got BOTH.

(((this is on a couple of days' remembrance so . . . :) But, Rob, I WAS trying to make systematic adjustments)))

[boomer]

Oh - this was also the first time in several months that I went in to bowling without my back aching like CRAPOLA. We'd spent several months moving, including literally a ton and a half of lead (father in law was a reloader so that was all unloaded lead) so my back has been aching . . . we're getting close to not moving stuff anymore! YAY!!!

[boomer]

This week's was really good, then really bad.

222 for first game, but in the tenth I felt my middle finger pop and each shot was painful even after taping up my finger. 150s the second and third.

Getting another opinion on span . . .

[boomer]

Hi - I'm Mike, AKA Boomer (although SoCalBoomer is often what I have to do - would LOVE to get just Boomer but . . .) and I bowl.

https://i.postimg.cc/R0ynht37/Screenshot-20220518-091002.png (https://postimg.cc/QBgMnHJC)

Sooooo - got the Diva re-drilled just as an experiment. It was a huge success. Almost ZERO finger pain - and that was really just residual. I'm still taping my middle finger but it's like 90% better and I'm kinda taping it for prevention and to get that last 10% before I head to SouthPoint in a couple of weeks.

That said - I only had the Diva. I really would have loved to have had the Nova or Zen Master - lanes were pretty wet and scores were a bit lower across the board (at least those who enter brackets). . . and I didn't have my plastic ball so I had to flatten the Diva to try to get to the 10.

Game 1 - stupid mistake in 1 but otherwise clean and had a great run from 7-12. Felt good.
Game 2 - better than the score indicates, but I'm getting tired at this point. Missed a stupid 4-pin left. Bleh. Just grabbed it, knew it when I let it go.
Game 3 - legs were just failing me. Ball speed really low and I just couldn't keep up with the tracking.

I know WHY I was tired - my wife loves free stuff. . . we were driving home from something on Saturday and took a different route (I never take it because I always get stuck at a train) and there was a ton of free paver stones. She insisted we stop (we need them) and pick up a load. Poor Gladiator was searching the sky on the way home with ~100 . . . then another load after that. Sunday it was two more trips so we now have ~400 pavers. She wants more. LOL Part of me is "YAY Free Pavers!" but the other part of me is "crap, free pavers" ;)

[J Anderson]

Hi - I'm Mike, AKA Boomer (although SoCalBoomer is often what I have to do - would LOVE to get just Boomer but . . .) and I bowl.

https://i.postimg.cc/R0ynht37/Screenshot-20220518-091002.png (https://postimg.cc/QBgMnHJC)

Sooooo - got the Diva re-drilled just as an experiment. It was a huge success. Almost ZERO finger pain - and that was really just residual. I'm still taping my middle finger but it's like 90% better and I'm kinda taping it for prevention and to get that last 10% before I head to SouthPoint in a couple of weeks.

That said - I only had the Diva. I really would have loved to have had the Nova or Zen Master - lanes were pretty wet and scores were a bit lower across the board (at least those who enter brackets). . . and I didn't have my plastic ball so I had to flatten the Diva to try to get to the 10.

Game 1 - stupid mistake in 1 but otherwise clean and had a great run from 7-12. Felt good.
Game 2 - better than the score indicates, but I'm getting tired at this point. Missed a stupid 4-pin left. Bleh. Just grabbed it, knew it when I let it go.
Game 3 - legs were just failing me. Ball speed really low and I just couldn't keep up with the tracking.

I know WHY I was tired - my wife loves free stuff. . . we were driving home from something on Saturday and took a different route (I never take it because I always get stuck at a train) and there was a ton of free paver stones. She insisted we stop (we need them) and pick up a load. Poor Gladiator was searching the sky on the way home with ~100 . . . then another load after that. Sunday it was two more trips so we now have ~400 pavers. She wants more. LOL Part of me is "YAY Free Pavers!" but the other part of me is "crap, free pavers" ;)

Slightly off topic; our town is having its spring bulk pick up. It amazes me to see how much of it disappears before the town truck makes its way to our neighborhood.

[boomer]

no bowling this week - caught the 'Vid so I've been isolated. Thankfully my wife and mother-in-law (87) are testing negative and I've only had flu-like symptoms but best to not infect others.

Which, btw, is what I would do if I had a bad cold or the flu or any "creepin gomboo" (what my step-dad would call any unidentified illness we might have) that I might pass on to others. You know - consideration! LOL

I don't think we bowl this Monday since it's Memorial Day . . . so that means June 6, and then we travel to Vegas (long drive, LOL, 4 hours or so) to SouthPoint for Nats.

[boomer]

Makeup as I continue to figure out how to roll things down the lane to hit white things.

https://i.postimg.cc/gkXdT955/Screenshot-20220602-081726.png (https://postimg.cc/MvShnLzb)

Adjusted grip is working. Still need to pick up the Zen Master (would have been sweet, but . . . oh well. Spilt milk and all that) and get my White Dot adjusted.

Game 1 - Nova. sigh. Let's NOT start well. However, things went fairly well. The 4-pins were all high hits and SHOULD have been a bigger signal to me to start moving but. . .
Game 2 - Still Nova. The 5 count at the end of game 1 and the first frame here - ok. make an adjustment. Wasn't really what it should have been but . . .
Game 3 - Still Nova - yes, I'm stubborn. Or oblivious. Or something. Anyway - swapped to the Diva in third frame, not the right line but figured it out right after and then did quite well.

Except for 6 . . . that was just stupid. LOL

My wife kicked my BUTTINSKY in the first game - she had the front 5 and went 209. She's backup and getting the hang of her new(ish) ball which actually DOES something as opposed to the old Tropical Storm that is worn out . . . it's fun watching her.

[boatman37]

I just got my Zen Soul the other day but haven't got it drilled yet. Heard great things about it. Also have my Helios and Altered Reality, along with my B7 stuff, namely the Raw Hammer pearl if things get too dry

[boomer]

Taking a break from logging my games for a bit.

The move to a new house has introduced a TON of muscle pain. It's a NEW house, for cryin out loud, so why am I doing so much STUFF??? LOL - paving stones and bricks, moving heavy boxes, building fences and sheds . . . it's killing me! My hands, shoulders, back and legs are all sore as anything - which makes bowling a great escape but also painful so I'm not even focusing on scores right now. We're in the cellar, but I have high scratch at 298 and Nats are over so . . . I'm just doing what I can with as little muscle-soreness as possible. LOL