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

[Amyers]

Wednesday League: medium-oil synthetics. Was hoping to play around 8-9 at the dots but had to move outside to 6-7 at the dots. Pretty much straight up and in. I practiced a couple games on a burnt lane just to get my blood pumping and my practice shots out of the way. Didn't keep score though. I was kinda high and forgot.

576 Series: 200-187-189

Game 1 I ran some strikes together in the middle; but I missed a single 10-pin and got the 4-7-10 in the 10th to kinda put a damper on the performance.

Game 2 was a missed single 6-pin away from a Dutch 200. I was kinda excited I might get a 200 triplicate and a Dutch 200 on the same night.

Game 3 was very much like Game 1...a missed 6-10 and a 6-7-10 split...otherwise clean.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.25 pins
Strikes: 50% (1 4-bagger, 1 turkey, and 9 singles)
Spares: 66% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (8/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 8-pin, nor 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 40% (2/5)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 6-10 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/2).

Average over 3 games: 192.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 199.67.

Hard to be upset when I really only opened a handful of times...and two of those were tough splits. But, not happy about the spare shooting in terms of missing a 6-poin, 10-pin, and 6-10. I can't get to the next level missing easy spares.

My stupid average is now down to 199...198 after tonight. It sucks to bowl so well and still barely help your team if not hurt them by rolling a 187 and 189. But, fortunately we took all 4 points. Probably too little too late at this point...but the season is far from over.

Not too bad 80% spare shooting isn't terrible. I threw three last night 174-171-208 each game should have been 210+ first 2 had really good looks but missed one spare and left 2 splits last game let one get high in the 10 for another split. It is frustrating when your throwing the ball well and still screwing something up.

[Aslan]

Not too bad 80% spare shooting isn't terrible. I threw three last night 174-171-208 each game should have been 210+ first 2 had really good looks but missed one spare and left 2 splits last game let one get high in the 10 for another split. It is frustrating when your throwing the ball well and still screwing something up.

Well...it "felt" better. I can't explain it other than that...but Monday and Wednesday of this week...even though I was in the 525-575 range...all the games (minus one where I was drunk off my BOOtay) I seemed more in control, making good shots, leaving "leaves" that I should be leaving, etc... And you're right...80% isn't bad.

It's another reason I like using PinPal. At the end of the night...I often feel like I totally failed. But then I take a breath, look at the stats, and realize....it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. I would have thought I only made 40% of my single-pin spares. Why? Because I remember every single one I missed...but only some of the ones I converted.

The lesson with Mark Baker on Sunday morning really helped. He didn't really do anything that Rob hasn't told me from time to time...just slowing my footwork down a bit and not rushing the line...but we made a couple other slight changes. I gotta get around to video taping me one of these days.

[Amyers]

Well...it "felt" better. I can't explain it other than that...but Monday and Wednesday of this week...even though I was in the 525-575 range...all the games (minus one where I was drunk off my BOOtay) I seemed more in control, making good shots, leaving "leaves" that I should be leaving, etc... And you're right...80% isn't bad.

It's another reason I like using PinPal. At the end of the night...I often feel like I totally failed. But then I take a breath, look at the stats, and realize....it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. I would have thought I only made 40% of my single-pin spares. Why? Because I remember every single one I missed...but only some of the ones I converted.

The lesson with Mark Baker on Sunday morning really helped. He didn't really do anything that Rob hasn't told me from time to time...just slowing my footwork down a bit and not rushing the line...but we made a couple other slight changes. I gotta get around to video taping me one of these days.

I actually worked with a coach (not USBC certified as apparently that's impossible here but he is a current Senior PBA bowler) for an hour yesterday myself (first time) felt like it went pretty well mainly just worked on some changes is my ball height at the start and hand positions. wasn't paying any attention to the score after the lesson looked up and I rolled 230 during it and didn't even know it. Felt like I had a little better ball speed and the ball was picking up farther down the lane which are both things I needed. Everything he suggested I had been told before or read about but couldn't seem to apply them to my game. I guess sometimes it just has to be you being at the right point to be able to use the information.

[Aslan]

Yeah. Most of my problem is timing related. So if I get to the line too soon, I tend to "pull" the ball down after my slide is sort of finished. And the problematic long first step...my high speed approach, etc... All these things exasperbated the problem because they made me get to the line even sooner. And the further I'd move back, the more I'd subconsciously compensate and speed up my approach.

And then there's the drift issue. The more I move inside...the more I have a tendency to drift right. If it's 0-3 boards...not a huge deal. But if it's 4-9 boards...I lose the ability to have any angle whatsoever. So, lots of boring little timing related things...but things that are apparently vital and crucial to actually performing at an average level.

[NewToBowling]

How much does Mark Baker charge per session?

[Aslan]

How much does Mark Baker charge per session?

$100/hour

[classygranny]

How much does Mark Baker charge per session?

$100/hour

And worth every penny. He has a way of coaching that I have yet to see anywhere else. You can get an hour for $80 if you don't want the video. But, the video is great!

[Aslan]

And worth every penny. He has a way of coaching that I have yet to see anywhere else. You can get an hour for $80 if you don't want the video. But, the video is great!

Every coach has a different style. Some coaches are more technical, others are more physical. Some have a proven method they've used before and try to put you on that track, others cater the lesson differently every time to every different bowler.

What I think makes Mark's lessons different (after receiving instruction from probably 5-10 different "pros/coaches" is (in no particular order):

- He's very confident. Almost cocky. It's not a lesson/environment where you immediately feel comfortable asking questions or questioning something he says. That can be good or bad. But on the 'good' side...you just feel confident as the student that this guy knows his stuff and there's nothing (no matter how horrible you are) that he can't fix quickly ans easily.

- He has a method...his philosophies have held up to scrutiny over the entire globe...and it just seems like no matter where you and your game are...from beginner to hall of famer...he can quickly insert you into that system.

- He's able to see things very quickly and notice very small things that are going to slip by most observers/coaches. Like I've said before, he noticed the same things other coaches noticed...reinforcing that those other coaches knew what they were talking about...but he noticed those things almost instantly.

- If you're like me....and you like talking to bowlers who have stories and can tell you about being a pro and all the experiences and personalities and history....then Mark's the coach for you. You just have to make sure, like I do, not to spend too much lesson time on listening to stories. It seems like each lesson I walk away a better bowler...but I also walk away learning something about a certain PBA pro or some little known story about a hall of fame bowler or even bowling/movie stories.

From what I've seen....the better the coach;
1) The more quickly they can get to the root of your problems.
2) The more quickly they can correct the problems (above).
3) They have the ability to teach...and to get their teachings across...without frustrating the student.

Is the lesson worth $100/hour??? I'm kinda a cheap bus-tard....so I have to admit $100 is a bit steep. But if it's something I'm doing once a month...I figure it's worth it. I think a small amount of the "premium" is you're getting coached by the same person that coaches PBA National Tour players. That's a very rare resume item for bowling coaches. You'll find lots of bronze level, if you're lucky some silver level....maybe a pro that once competed on the National Tour (or still does)....or once in a very blue moon...a gold level coach. But to find a coach that actively coaches not one, but many PBA professionals...that's a very rare resume item.

[Aslan]

Saturday Weekly Color-Pin Tournament:

I just do this tournament to practice on league-oiled lanes...but I think they didn't oil all the way down because there were way more people than usual.

535 Series: 204-173-158

Game 1 was better than the score indicates. I missed a single 10-pin in the 6th and then a single 9-pin in the 8th. I used the Asylum in the first couple frames but even though I was striking (badly), I decided to switch to the Pearls and go to the Melee Jab. And it did great...7 of my 11 strikes were using the Jab during Game 1 and most of Game 2.

Game 2 was a repeat of Game 1 except I opened on not only a single 10-pin, but a 4-7 that I chopped...my dropped shot that only took out the 6-9-10 and ended up bring an open...and one of the opens was in the foundation frame.

In the last frame of Game 2...and then all of Game 3, I balled down to the Loaded Revolver but I just wasn't getting enough movement out of it. A great many weak, high hits or missing the headpin...maybe a washout 2-3 times. So Game 3 was very similar to Game 2 in terms of having 3 opens...but I only struck twice in Game 3...so I get the damm 158.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.75 pins
Strikes: 34% (1 4-bagger, 1 turkey, and 4 singles)
Spares: 57% picked up

Single Pin spares: 70% (7/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (3x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 3-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 44% (4/9)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 4-7 (3x)

Splits: 50% (1/2).

Average over 3 games: 178.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 189.67.

Not terrible. The spare shooting was lackluster. Work in progress. A shame I lost my line though. I was looking pretty good until I started missing some make-able spares and I got rattled.

[J Anderson]

Saturday Weekly Color-Pin Tournament:

I just do this tournament to practice on league-oiled lanes...but I think they didn't oil all the way down because there were way more people than usual.


Not terrible. The spare shooting was lackluster. Work in progress. A shame I lost my line though. I was looking pretty good until I started missing some make-able spares and I got rattled.

I don't get the connection between the length oiled and the number of people. Do they advertise that that the pattern is shorter and more people show up or, being in California, the people sense a " disturbance in the Force" that lets them know the lanes weren't oiled all the way down and therefore decide to enter?