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View Full Version : Is a PBA exp league gonna eat me alive?



slowfaller
07-30-2010, 02:21 AM
Well? I'm currently in 2 leagues and avg about 185 on THS between the two. Just looking for anyone who's participated in one and can share stories or info. I'm joining this for the sole purpose of becoming a better bowler since coming back to the sport this past January. Before joining leagues this year, its been 12 years since bowling weekly. Should I stay in a THS fall league instead and work on upping my avg?

I currently throw a 16lb Raw Hammer Burn, 15lb Jigsaw Corner and hopefully will be aquiring a 16lb Blue Hammer (urethane)

Also, I'm lefty with low revs. I have video of me bowling on youtube if anyone wants to see youtube.com/slowfaller

Thanks,
Chris

psaunders300
07-30-2010, 09:31 AM
Hi Chris,

If you have never bowled on a sport shot, be ready for lower scores! I average in the 210-215 range on a typical house shot and average ~190 on PBA shots.

You will find out all of your weaknesses as they are magnified on this type of shot. I have found (as a fellow lefty with low to medium revs) that accuracy and speed are critical. You will have to slow your ball speed down and be accurate within a board or two.

Spares are king on this type of shot, so work on your spare game - I recommend that you go straighter at them. My motto is to stay near the pocket, leave something "make-able" and then make it... :)

Finally, do not get discouraged and keep an open mind about how to play the shots as sometimes you will be surprised at how far outside or inside these shots play.

Good luck!

slowfaller
07-30-2010, 09:43 AM
Hi Chris,

If you have never bowled on a sport shot, be ready for lower scores! I average in the 210-215 range on a typical house shot and average ~190 on PBA shots.

You will find out all of your weaknesses as they are magnified on this type of shot. I have found (as a fellow lefty with low to medium revs) that accuracy and speed are critical. You will have to slow your ball speed down and be accurate within a board or two.

Spares are king on this type of shot, so work on your spare game - I recommend that you go straighter at them. My motto is to stay near the piocket, leave something "make-able" and then make it... :)

Finally, do not get discouraged and keep an open mind about how to play the shots as sometimes you will be surprised at how far outside or inside these shots play.

Good luck!

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Too much speed is a big weakness in my game and yesterday while practicing I slowed way down and was suprised at the backend reaction I was seeing. So, knowing to slow down will be helpful. And as far as spares go, I use my strike ball and throw hard and straight so no worries there. My spare game is a lot better than my strike game although if you watch my video you'll see me miss a 7 and a 1,3,6 :)

Chris

J Anderson
07-30-2010, 04:28 PM
Hi Chris,
I'm in my second summer season of PBA Experience league and generally enjoy it a lot. My perspective is probably a bit different from most sport league bowlers. I had been bowling for 33 years in a church league, averaging in the mid 170s, throwing the same ball, conventional grip, almost no hook at all.I switched to bowling left-handed due to surgery on my right hand in the fall of '08. Left-handed I jumped right into reactive resin and a fingertip grip, and my friend Jeff taught me how to throw a hook. When I was allowed to use my right hand again, I got a reactive resin ball for that hand started practicing throwing a hook right-handed. When summer came I signed up for the PBA Experience league. I was surprised to find that I averaged as high as I ever had before, and that I finished about in the middle of the pack. I think that I adjusted to the conditions better than the guys coming into the league with 200+ averages because I was used to having to be almost perfect to get a strike, and throwing straight at the spares. Of course now I've got the bog and I want to get my average up to the point where I can enter a PBA regional.

mrbill
07-31-2010, 09:59 PM
I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers!!!
200+ bowlers rolling 2 games in the 120's
My avg in the THS is 189 and now on the PBA shot its 169 but I try my hardist and I was in last place 2 weeks ago.
Then every chance they get if there winning/ won the game they will miss an easy spare. and then if there loosing by alot they just try to throw splits....
I got my kids to video tape the first night so I got it all on tape.
And the funny thing is most of the league has coaching from the pro shop guy/ I hope he did not teach them to do that SB crap...

BaconLad
08-01-2010, 05:40 AM
*Off topic* (sorry)

"I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers"


I hear people mentioning, "sand bagging/ sand bagger".

what does this term mean?

J Anderson
08-01-2010, 08:45 AM
"Sand bagging" is deliberately bowling worse than one's true ability, with the intent to get a larger handicap. As Mr. Bill suggested one either starts missing spares after the game is locked up, or if hopelessly behind starts throwing bad first shots.
If there are sand baggers in my league they must be good actors as well. Of course it is a scratch league ( no handicap ) so there is no immediate reward for sand bagging.

ffemtreed
08-01-2010, 08:48 AM
*Off topic* (sorry)

"I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers"


I hear people mentioning, "sand bagging/ sand bagger".

what does this term mean?


It means people intentionally keeping there scores lower to keep their averages down.

bowlerdawg
08-01-2010, 11:43 AM
like you OP when i bowled my 1st PBA_X league i was averaging 185 ish on a ths, and could not seem to take the next step.
i went into it knowing i would not be the best, nor the worst and kept an open mind about it, and knew i was doing it for a learning experience and fun. And also for a true test of my skills and abilities.

it was awesome and humbling at the same time
it forced me to be better, and execute, and harness my best stuff week in and week out

your not going to have your way with these patterns, and you will be pushed outside your comfort zone

i lost to some very bad bowlers
i beat the best the league had to offer

and finished slightly better than 1/2 of the field of 30 or so

many 220 THS bowlers dropped like flies , as it was to much for their precious ego's to handle

the end result coming off my 1st PBA_X league was that my THS average jumped 15 pins for the whole winter season
I carried a 200 for 30 + weeks for the 1st time, and i was a much better bowler for having the experience of bowling the tougher patterns.

i hope you do it

strikedaddy
08-01-2010, 12:28 PM
like you OP when i bowled my 1st PBA_X league i was averaging 185 ish on a ths, and could not seem to take the next step.
i went into it knowing i would not be the best, nor the worst and kept an open mind about it, and knew i was doing it for a learning experience and fun. And also for a true test of my skills and abilities.

it was awesome and humbling at the same time
it forced me to be better, and execute, and harness my best stuff week in and week out

your not going to have your way with these patterns, and you will be pushed outside your comfort zone

i lost to some very bad bowlers
i beat the best the league had to offer

and finished slightly better than 1/2 of the field of 30 or so

many 220 THS bowlers dropped like flies , as it was to much for their precious ego's to handle

the end result coming off my 1st PBA_X league was that my THS average jumped 15 pins for the whole winter season
I carried a 200 for 30 + weeks for the 1st time, and i was a much better bowler for having the experience of bowling the tougher patterns.

i hope you do it

I agree with everything said here. There were bowlers I knew from my winter league (THS) that averaged 210+ and came in to the PBX and averaged 150's. It only took about 4 weeks and they packed up and quit (hard hit to ego). Im getting ready to start my winter league after my first PBX and I hope I am able to average 200+ on THS. PBX is tough, but I REALLY enjoyed the challenge. Bottom line is it is you against the lanes and they will humble you coming from THS. Also the mental aspect of the game is huge. Little room for error means concentration levels have to stay high.

bowlerdawg
08-01-2010, 02:18 PM
I agree with everything said here. There were bowlers I knew from my winter league (THS) that averaged 210+ and came in to the PBX and averaged 150's. It only took about 4 weeks and they packed up and quit (hard hit to ego). Im getting ready to start my winter league after my first PBX and I hope I am able to average 200+ on THS. PBX is tough, but I REALLY enjoyed the challenge. Bottom line is it is you against the lanes and they will humble you coming from THS. Also the mental aspect of the game is huge. Little room for error means concentration levels have to stay high.

bigtime +1
it really forces your concentration to another level
which, for me, is why i get lazy ( mentally ) on a house shot
if i could keep the same level of concentration on a THS as i did on PBA_X shot, then it's a no brainer
easy shots make me lazy, and bowling is mostly mental once you have a decent skill set in place.

Big Dog
08-03-2010, 08:48 PM
Tougher conditions will always bring out the best in those who want to succeed. Once you have a good fundamental base, the mental game is the harder to master. In various leagues I have seen people fold up. In tournaments,people with obvious talent implode. I am mental anyway, so it was easy for me. As long as I am on my medication.

slowfaller
08-04-2010, 12:54 AM
Thanks for all the replies. I went ahead and signed up! The auction just ended too for the Faball Blue Hammer so that'll be a good addition for this.

gparks
08-31-2010, 06:38 AM
glad you signed up. it was brutal for me,but i would'nt change it for the world. it helped me in every aspect of my game.

and for me going in i was mechanics wise fairly sound (or so i thought) .my swing/approach/release is all different/better now. but the biggest thing for me was mental side of it,pbax was super and unfortunatly im too far to go another one over the winter leagues ( as my local house just rolls pbax in spring/summer)

or i'd be in another one now,good luck and keep your chin up!!

slowfaller
05-12-2011, 02:04 PM
Hey everyone.

So things changed and a buddy needed teammates for the league he was in so I backed out of the PBA league before it started. But...

I'm bowling in a summer PBA league and am at week two. Its fourteen weeks and will use one pattern per half. Right now we're bowling on Shark. Lot of head scratching going on with everyone as the pattern is so unforgiving. First week I bowled a 557 and last night I bowled a 504 so I'm avg about 175. I'm avg 209 on another league at this house with an easy house shot but that's only after the first week so it'll probably even out around 195. Anyway, just wanted to post an update. Oh, and that buddy who needed teammates? He quit at the half and we ended up in 11th out of 12th place LOL.

PS. Arsenal is 16# storm reign supreme, 16# Raw Hammer Burn and 16# Faball blue hammer. Reign and Raw drilled with pin above ring finger.

The Mayor
05-12-2011, 02:22 PM
Experiment with surface changes. Take the Reign Supreme to 2000, no polish and it becomes a totally different ball. More forgiving, more predictable and smoother. Good luck!

J Anderson
05-13-2011, 07:45 AM
Hey everyone.

So things changed and a buddy needed teammates for the league he was in so I backed out of the PBA league before it started. But...

I'm bowling in a summer PBA league and am at week two. Its fourteen weeks and will use one pattern per half. Right now we're bowling on Shark. Lot of head scratching going on with everyone as the pattern is so unforgiving. First week I bowled a 557 and last night I bowled a 504 so I'm avg about 175. I'm avg 209 on another league at this house with an easy house shot but that's only after the first week so it'll probably even out around 195. Anyway, just wanted to post an update. Oh, and that buddy who needed teammates? He quit at the half and we ended up in 11th out of 12th place LOL.

PS. Arsenal is 16# storm reign supreme, 16# Raw Hammer Burn and 16# Faball blue hammer. Reign and Raw drilled with pin above ring finger.

I thought that the USBC no longer had the right to use the PBA patterns, logo, etc. Is your league dealing directly with the PBA, or just hoping that no lawyersnotice a stray PBAX league.

slowfaller
05-13-2011, 10:04 AM
I thought that the USBC no longer had the right to use the PBA patterns, logo, etc. Is your league dealing directly with the PBA, or just hoping that no lawyersnotice a stray PBAX league.

It's non-sanctioned so call it what you want I guess. Basically you can pay $17 a week and get a bowling ball at the end of 14 weeks or pay $9 for bowling only which isn't bad since these patterns aren't available everywhere. Also, if you're in a summer league you get three free games per day all summer.

slowfaller
05-27-2011, 11:45 AM
Found out that we're switching to Chameleon pattern in two weeks...
after week 4 on Shark I'm averaging 174.

slowfaller
06-06-2011, 12:39 PM
Sheesh, rough week this past Wednesday and my average dropped to 171. It was the last week on the Shark pattern and my first game was an abismal 121. Picked it up the 2nd/3rd game to save myself a little but overall my series was a 469.

We start Chamaleon this week so we'll see how that goes, it sounds tough.

The Mayor
06-06-2011, 02:01 PM
Actually there are several different ways to score on the Chameleon, so you should be fine. If you're accurate, it should just be about finding a line where you can carry. Oh, and making spares :P

slowfaller
06-09-2011, 10:45 AM
Chameleon was pretty gentle to me last night and I opened up the first game with a 224 and had a 560 series. Threw my reign supreme the whole night and played down and in. I found a firm ball speed was needed to avoid crossing the head pin and avoid going through the nose and most of my strikes hit the pocket light but the higher ball speed carried and shreadded the pins. Overall a pretty good night!

slowfaller
06-16-2011, 01:57 PM
Yikes, 134, 139, 188 last night on Chameleon. Didn't strike till the third game

theluigi
06-16-2011, 02:27 PM
I myself am not bowling in the PBA xperience league at my local center this summer, but I do know quite a few guys who are. One of them, James, is a very good bowler, who from what I've seen probably has a 210 or so average on a THS, but he told me yesterday that his average in the xperience league is 166.

Don't get frustrated with yourself, everyone here knows that bowling is a very difficult and complex sport. This xperience league is a great way for you to expose yourself to more difficult conditions and therefore become a better bowler!

Don't let your head get in the way of your game!

J Anderson
06-16-2011, 10:35 PM
Yikes, 134, 139, 188 last night on Chameleon. Didn't strike till the third game

Looks like my experience with the PBAX; Have a good first week on a pattern and then be totally lost the next week on the same pattern. I don't think any one in our league ever felt comfortable with Chameleon!

slowfaller
06-24-2011, 12:58 PM
Hey guys,

Weekly update from this past Wednesday. Decided to try my 15lb jigsaw corner and had a decent night, I used the JC for the first two games then switched to an original blue hammer.

192, 153, 148 for a 493

J Anderson
06-24-2011, 07:26 PM
Was that still on chameleon?

slowfaller
06-27-2011, 09:05 AM
Was that still on chameleon?

Yes, I believe its Chameleon for the rest of the league.

slowfaller
07-07-2011, 09:49 AM
So I didn't make it on 6/29/11 but did go last night, 7/6/11.

Made an impulse buy and had a Hammer Arson drilled up. I don't know the exact layout but I told my guy to drill it for a controllable hook and good midlane read. The pin is above my ring finger and kicked out to the left (i'm a lefty).

Anyway, the first two practice games were in the 170's but the pair I bowled on for league played differently and I was lost for the first two games. Pattern was Chameleon and I bowled:

115, 156, 234

The scores for my team the first game were 111, 115, 118 so we all had our heads out of the game and I joked that, as a team, we are consistant. I think the Arson will be a benchmark ball and can't wait to try it on a house pattern.

slowfaller
07-08-2011, 08:59 AM
Went to the pro shop and had my thumb insert swapped out for a smaller one on my Arson and bowled three practice games on the broken down Chameleon from Wednesday night.

153, 206, 216

Once I found my line I was amazed at how hard the Arson hits. Great ball for a good price.

slowfaller
07-14-2011, 08:31 AM
Well last night I guess they switched to the Viper pattern and will be using it for the rest of the league.

I rolled my Arson and Blue Hammer and scored pretty well. Played like a house shot but dried up quick!

189, 166, 172 = 527

slowfaller
07-21-2011, 09:39 AM
Viper pattern 7/20/11 using Arson and original Blue Hammer

185, 191, 149 for a 525

Pretty good night

slowfaller
07-28-2011, 09:47 AM
7/27/11 Viper pattern
Used Hammer Arson entire series

193, 171, 192 for a 556.

Trex
08-03-2011, 01:55 PM
After Warming up...

Games: On Shark pattern.

(1) 192
(2) 187
(3) 258

After 2nd Game I was frustrated!! ...I then really started trying to concentrate on making as perfect of a shot as I am capable, and came out with a 258 on 3rd Game.

I done this with an old Brunswick Black Beauty Rubber Ball, as my reactive ball just did not react like I wanted!!

To far right and I was in the moat, left of the moat was flat and low, my reactive ball that I took just could not handle this. So...I had to use my old school spare ball and get my focus on....I had to hit a single board dead center, if not the ball would either come up to soon or fly on by, but as long as I hit the center of my target board...Then I was fine!!

I hope this will change soon, When I get my Loaded Revolver, then I can just shoot it.... :)

slowfaller
08-04-2011, 12:24 PM
8/3/11 Viper pattern

Was very frustrated and tired at the end of this series

151, 193, 119 = 463

Used everyball in my bag
Arson was too strong and I have trouble swinging the ball out accurately or I would've scored higher I belive. Blue Hammer wouldn't move and Reign Supreme was to try and save the 3rd game.

One more week left!

slowfaller
08-12-2011, 04:22 PM
Last week of league, 8/10/11
Laid down the house shot for the last week

181, 182, 162 for 525. The last game I either had a nine or a strike and stunk at spares.

Used hammer arson for entire series.

Thanks for reading, its been fun!

J Anderson
08-14-2011, 06:44 PM
Glad you survived!

Are you going to try again next summer?

slowfaller
08-15-2011, 12:18 PM
I would do it again however I'm thinking of taking next summer off.

Two summer leagues this year is burning me out a bit but I may feel differently next year. If I did bowl another pbax league I think I'd want to play around with surface adjustments and actually buy those sanding pads or some polish. I think my arson could use some polish just for the house shot at this center, may help with carry which has been a problem lately....

The Mayor
08-15-2011, 01:15 PM
How has the PBA league helped you in your regular house shot league? It certainly must've helped improve your spare shooting and accuracy. Those are the 2 things that I believe are the best about a PBA league. I would assume this has carried over to your regular league and your average is going up quickly!

slowfaller
08-16-2011, 02:19 PM
How has the PBA league helped you in your regular house shot league? It certainly must've helped improve your spare shooting and accuracy. Those are the 2 things that I believe are the best about a PBA league. I would assume this has carried over to your regular league and your average is going up quickly!


It's difficult to tell. I finished the PBAX league with an average of 171 and finished my house shot league with an average of 191. My house league averaged 209 after the first week then went down to 196 then up to 202 and back down to 191. My average at the end of last summer on the house shot was 179 so I'm getting better but not always consistent. Last night I shot a 604 in the house shot league which hadn't happend in a while.

73hutch
08-23-2011, 09:35 PM
I also agree with you guys. A PBX league is a humbling experience, but in the same token it makes you a better bowler. Spare shots are very critical in the game. I'm a 206 THS guy in my fall league and then in the summer PBX league I averaged 170. The last few weeks I could see a lot of progress being made in my game. The problem I have now is finding a PBX league in my area. Like someone else said to many ego's get hurt and people don't want to see how good they really are. I love the challenge of it. You learn to control your game more. I think every bowling alley should have a PBX league.