Aslan's Scores (of the non-lady kind)

[Aslan]

Just me and JAnderson holding down the BBoards fort!! Everyone else is golfing or fishing.

Summer League

Won all 4 points last week which moves us up to the middle of the pack. "On paper", we're probably the 4th most talented team out of around 10-14 teams. Lots of low-average teams in this league...teams where a 150 average makes you their anchor.

Week 5

671 Series: 220-215-236 (clean)

X, X, X, X, 9 -, X, X, X, 9 /, 6 2.
Decided to start with the Perfect Mindset (PM) for the rest of the summer. The Zen Master Solid (ZMS) and PM are just too similar in power and too different in symmetry to be able to ball down seamlessly. I actually added some surface to the PM...2000/4000...to see if I couldn't get it to bite just a little bit earlier and maybe carry better. Seemed to work well. Just pulled a shot in the 5th and left a 3-pin (which I pulled the shot trying to convert it...so, insult to injury). I got a stone 8-pin in the 9th. And then I missed way right in the 10th and left a 1-2-4-10 washout that I couldn't convert.

9 /, X, 9 -, X, X, 9 /, 9 /, 9 /, X, XXX.
Started to struggle with carry...probably waited to long to adjust inside.

9 /, X, 9 /, X, X, 7 /, X, X, X, X 9 /.
Struggled with 7-pins early. Pulled a shot in the 6th and then missed right on the first fill shot of the 10th...but I kept things clean. First clean game in awhile and a nice end to the night...so I was happy.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.48 pins
Strikes: 63%
Spares: 75% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (8/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin (4x).
Never left a single 1-pin, 4-pin, 5-pin, nor 9-pin.

Makeable spares: 75% (9/12)
Multiple Pin spares: 50% (1/2)
Most common multi-pin leave: n/a

Splits: n/a

Average over 3 games: 223.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 231.67.

Positives
- Much, much improved over the last two outings.
- Team played well, no unnecessary drama.
- A first ball average and strike rate over 60%...it's gonna be a good night!
- No splits!!!
- The alley is having a summer league promotion where there's a raffle at the end of the season...you get tickets each week based on different things you bowl. Usually I get 3-5 tickets per night...tonight I got 18!
- Highest series I've bowled in the summer league, including all of last season.
- 2nd highest series of 2025.
- 3rd highest series since moving to Kansas (June 2023).

Negatives
- I shouldn't be leaving 7-pins. I picked em all up, but still.
- Just lost my sandbagging edge...average will be 9 pins higher next week.

Gonna leave the ZMS in the bag the rest of the short summer season. Sometimes it works for me, but its been a challenging balling down between the ZMS and PM. First clean game in awhile and a nice end to the night...so I was happy. Should be a pretty decent high handicap series given my average was 179 at the beginning of the night. It'll be 188 next week.

[Timmyb]

Just me and JAnderson holding down the BBoards fort!! Everyone else is golfing or fishing.

Or shooting....

Nice night, dude!

[Aslan]

Or shooting....

Nice night, dude!

Or shooting...or rioting in the streets...however one chooses to spend their summer leisure time.

Yeah...kinda bummed Game 1 ended the way it did. Probably shoulda been a 245-246 game which woulda left me just shy of a 700 series.

I think I also benefitted from the other team forfeiting. This league has 3-4 really good teams and 8-10 absolutely horrible teams. If we bowl a good team, they suck up the resin on my line. If we bowl a terrible team, they push the oil all over the place. Our team only has 3 bowlers (4-person teams) and one is a lefty...so the pattern didn't push me around as much as it usually does.

[Aslan]

Summer League

Won all 4 points last week which moves us up to the middle of the pack. "On paper", we're probably the 4th most talented team out of around 10-14 teams. Lots of low-average teams in this league...teams where a 150 average makes you their anchor.

Last week I "made the paper" (league printout) with the 3rd highest scratch series, High handicap game, and High handicap series...with a 671 (scratch).

Week 6

689 Series: 238 (clean)-216-235 (clean)

8 /, X, X, X, X, 9 /, X, X, 9 /, X 7 /.
'Mostly' good shots...some luck...2nd ball in the 10th was WAY right...but I'll take a clean game anyday and twice on Friday/Wednesday.

X, 8 /, X, 8 /, 9 -, 9 /, 9 /, X, X , XX9.
The line was starting to burn up and I adjusted my shot vertically (target), but it was harder to maintain accuracy. Finally made a ball change in the 6th...but was plagued with a couple 7-pin leaves before getting back to striking.

X, X, X, 9 /, X, X, X, 9 /, X, 9 / 7.
A couple 10-pins, pulled a couple shots, but otherwise a sound performance.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.38 pins
Strikes: 58%
Spares: 91% picked up

Single Pin spares: 87% (7/8)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (5x).
Also left a single 3-pin and 7-pin (2x).

Makeable spares: 91% (11/12)
Multiple Pin spares: 100% (4/4)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (2x)

Splits: n/a

Average over 3 games: 229.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 233.33.

Positives
- Two straight weeks with no splits!!!
- The alley is having a summer league promotion where there's a raffle at the end of the season...you get tickets each week based on different things you bowl. I've now gotten 34 tickets in 2 weeks.
- Highest series I've bowled in the summer league, including all of last season.
- 2nd highest series of 2025.
- 3rd highest series since moving to Kansas (June 2023).
- TWO clean games!!

Negatives
- ONE 10-pin away from my first clean series...
- Average went from 179 two weeks ago to 195 next week. Losing my sandbagging edge rather quickly.
- I think my teammate stole $20 from my wallet.

I was kinda hindered in the first game because my left thigh was really 'tight'. By Game 3 I was loose and better balanced. The lanes played even drier than usual and I had to get the ball out on the lane a little further (sometimes much further) than I'm comfortable with.

Then, I go to pay for my soda during the 3rd game...and there was like $16 in my wallet. I was almost positive that I had a $20 in there. I seem to remember pulling a $20 out to pay lineage/dues and thinking to myself, "Okay, I got a $10, a $20, and some $1s left." Now, normally I wouldn't even think that a teammate would lift a $20 from my bag...but our team captain had to borrow $20 in week 1 (still hasn't paid me back) and is now trying to pay for himself and the prize fund for our vacant position...and there was a post-it on the envelope, from the desk, saying the one guy (who was our 4th for a couple weeks) still owed $40. I don't know. I gotta make sure I arrange for a different team next summer...before this guy comes around asking if I'm bowling with him again. I try to look at it biblically and say to myself...IF he stole it, "Obviously, he needed the $20 more than I did" and all that. But, I won't be bringing my wallet into the alley anymore this summer. I'll just carry my cash and a credit card in my shorts pocket.

Two clean games (now over 200 clean games in my career!!!)...I'll take that over a high score with an open any day.

[J Anderson]

Two good weeks in a row 👍👍

[Timmyb]

Someone's on a tear!

[Aslan]

Two good weeks in a row ����

Someone's on a tear!

Thank you...thank you...channeling my "inner JAnderson/TimmyB" obviously.

Summer League

Won 3 out of 4 points last week which moved us all the way up to a tie for second.

Two weeks ago I "made the paper" (league printout) with the 3rd highest scratch series, High handicap game, and High handicap series (779)...with a 671 (scratch). Last week I took two mentions with high handicap series (773) and second highest scratch series (689). The 779 handicap series is currently holding the top spot for the season....next closest is a 752...so I might be able to hold onto that in a shortened season.

Week 7

580 Series: 174-201-205

9 /, X, 8 -, 9 /, X, 9 /, 9 -, X, 8 /, X 9 /.
Wasn't carrying very well the whole game. Was constantly moving left...the lanes were SO dry.

8 /, X, X, 7 1, 8 /, X, 9 /, 9 /, X, X 9 /.
Switched to the Brunswick Endeavor and was hoping that's be able to stay right of the headpin. Had to move right...but I didn't move as right as usual given how dry the lanes were playing...but I probably moved too far right. Only open was a 3/4 bucket...which I always struggle with.

9 /, X, X, S7 -, X, X, 9 -, X, X, X 7 /.
Switched to the Outer Limits Pearl and only open was on a 6-7-10 split, but couldn't run enough strikes together to get much over 200.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.18 pins
Strikes: 48%
Spares: 70% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (7/8)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x).
Also left a single 2-pin, 3-pin and 5-pin (2x each).

Makeable spares: 75% (12/16)
Multiple Pin spares: 66% (4/6)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (4x)

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 193.33.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 201.33.

Positives
- Two games > 200; I'll take that.
- Still the 3rd highest series I've bowled this summer...good enough to keep my average where it was at the start of the night.
- Team took 3 out of 4 despite my lower scores.

Negatives
- Missed too many makable spares. A 2-4-5, a 6-10, a 3-pin, a 10-pin...all unforced errors.
- When I leave a split, a 3-pin (twice), and an 8-10 (FOUR times)...obviously the lanes are playing far dryer than I was prepared for.

Right back to where I was during the fall. I can't use my ball #1 (Zen Master Solid, 2.49 RG, 2000 surface) because it won't carry...even if I'm inside 3rd arrow. The Perfect Mindset (2.487 RG, 4000 surface) seems to perform well...so I hate to "retire" it...but it lasts 0.5 to 1.5 games before I have to ball down. I hate to move to an entirely skid/flip arsenal...as it will likely be too erratic on fresh. And I hate to move back to a high RG arsenal...because then I struggle with power/carry early on. Normally I'd switch out my arsenal with new balls before next fall...but my ball selection system is difficult to apply to a center where you're only gonna experience dry THSs...because then I'm buying a ball (Ball #1) that I'll never use. But if I don't buy that ball, and for some reason I decide to bowl at another center...its gonna be a huge hole in my arsenal...I'd have to hope the Zen Master Solid doesn't crack in retirement...but I also hate to retire a ball with < 40 games on it. Maybe the best course of action it to keep it around and just replace the other 3. The Perfect Mindset has 49 games on it and that total will probably be just over 60 by the end of summer season. The Endeavor has 43 games on it and that total should rise to just under 60 games by the end of summer. And the Outer Limits Pearl has 58 games on it and that should be just shy of 70 by season's end.

Or...I could save my money and just keep using these for another season. I used to aim for 400 games before replacing a ball...then it got down to the upper 200s...now I'll be lucky to hit 100.