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

[Tony]

I've been ins such a funk lately that I actually considered that.

Just for everyone's background information:
1) If you're a kid reading this, stay in school and drugs ain't cool. Now go play Halo for a minute while the adults talk. Or better yet, go practice at the bowling alley.
..now that they've left the room...
2) I have a liscense, so it's 100% legal. Okay, 80% legal.
3) I have semi-breakable "rules" that I adhere to such as I don't usually smoke during weekdays because I have a job I need to keep. I also try not to smoke 1-2 hours before bowling. I experimented with it as a way of getting me less "in my own head"; but it turns out it negatively affects my balance so it just didn't work. I also don't usually smoke in my own place...try to keep it outside for smell issues. I try not to in my car, same reasons.

So, that being said...with this crazy near 2 month suckfest slump...I actually started bowling where I made sure not even to touch the stuff anytime near/before bowling thinking maybe it was just an "effect" that I couldn't pick up on.

So, yeah. I actually did try to isolate that issue and I don't usually bowl within 1-2 hours of getting high anyways.

According to science, a typical high last 2-3 hours and psycho-motor impairment can remain after the initial high effects have worn off. If you want to really exclude the effect of smoking from your game you should probably refrain from smoking anytime earlier that day or within 8 hours of bowling if possible. Of course if it's a legit medical reason you should weigh the effect on your health in relation to your potential bowling success.
I don't know what it takes to get a license or legality of using in your situation but just looking at it from the potential effects on bowling, of course some prescription medications and alcohol are also potential factors for any bowler. I know many bowlers also drink while bowling and that can certainly have an effect on performance.
I find that drinking can effect my game and instead of starting to drink in the first game if I wait until the middle of the 3rd game the alcohol doesn't start to take effect until I'm done bowling.
As I am not judging your activities, just suggesting you take into consideration some if the medical evidence that might indicate factors beyond actual bowling skill, that might impact your performance.

[Aslan]

Search for Slump Kryptonite:

PRACTICE:

Bowled a few games last night going complete old skool reboot. Took out the 14lb, conventionally drilled Columbia Blue Knight out of retirement. I also cut the approach completely out and just stood at the line and threw the ball.

It was difficult going to a conventionally drilled ball and unless I tried to take the thumb out or palm it, even at such a low speed there isn't going to be any automatic hook in such an older technology ball...not built-in anyways. The old balls don't come pre-loaded.

I was drawing a small crowd of guys that usually roll against me in the 8:00PM tournament and they couldn't figure out what I was doing. One asked/yelled something about me trying to sandbag or something like that. So, for Game 4 I took the only other ball I brought with me, the Hammer Rhythm, and bowled a game with my 4-step approach and a more relaxed swing. Bowled a 164. It "felt" better though. And there was definitely a lot more backend, even with the 16lb ball, because my speed couldn't have been more then the high 15s; probably in the 14s.

I was debating on whether I wanted to try and move to a 3-step approach but I'm so used to a 4-step, I have a feeling the 3-step would mess up my timing big time.

I wanted to go practice again this morning but my elbow is sore so I think I'll give it a break. Tomorrow I think I'm just gonna take the Rhythm and the 16lb plastic ball with me to league night. Keep the approach and speed slow, try let the ball read the lanes more, and take the arsenal out of the equation. Can't worry about ball changes if I don't bring any balls to change to.

[RobLV1]

The only thing that a 3 step approach will get you is late. Bowling is always based on four steps for a reason. The best way out of a slump is to go back to basics based on feel, not analysis. Go out and practice what feels right, not what you know is right. It's should be called Zen and the art of Bowling. Become one with the pins and knock the damn things down!

[Aslan]

I forgot tomorrow is a holiday.

Sweet. I'd go over and practice but the place is going to be packed. Maybe if I can drag myself out of bed I can go over there early in the AM and get a little practice. I wish my damn elbow didn't hurt so much. Back, knee, ankle...I can deal with...they come and go as long as I don't overdue it. But for crying out loud, the elbow is hurting so bad it hurts while doing laundry.

I don't think I did anything permanent. I think I was trying to use my elbow to generate revs and the more I tried, the more damage I did...and without taking a few weeks to totally rest that arm...I'm just gonna have to push through it.

[Tony]

I forgot tomorrow is a holiday.


I don't think I did anything permanent. I think I was trying to use my elbow to generate revs and the more I tried, the more damage I did...and without taking a few weeks to totally rest that arm...I'm just gonna have to push through it.

It's probably an inflamed tendon, if you've had it before you already might know a combination of stopping trying to put extra spin on the ball and wearing one of the pressure strap braces that go just below the elbow will usually take care of it in a few weeks.

[Aslan]

It's probably an inflamed tendon, if you've had it before you already might know a combination of stopping trying to put extra spin on the ball and wearing one of the pressure strap braces that go just below the elbow will usually take care of it in a few weeks.

Thanks. I was tempted to practice this morning but the elbow was still sore. But at leagues it felt okay. I think it was because I took a few Advil PMs. But good insight. It feels like either a ligament or tendon. And I've always wondered what those circular things were that some bowlers had on their forearms.

Monday League: Heavy volume, wider 30ft THS

522 Series: 209-157-156

Continued with the slower, easier, less "in my own head" approach that I worked on at practice Saturday.

Game 1 everything seemed to be working...a few bad shots on my part...but mostly encouraging.

Game 2 was simply horrible spare shooting. Probably only would have been in the 174-189 range. I just lost my strike line and struggled to find it again.

Game 3 the lanes were just transitioning too fast for me to keep up. I switched to the Asylum on both lanes midway through the game. Found a decent strike line but early on spare shooting was bad and I had more splits in Game 3 than I usually have in an entire series.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.88 pins
Strikes: 48% (1 4-bagger, 1 turkey, 2 doubles, and 5 singles)
Spares: 41% picked up

Single Pin spares: 50% (3/6)
Most common single-pin leaves: 2-pin and 5-pin (2x each)
Also left the 6-pin and 7-pin (1x each).

Multiple Pin spares: 36% (4/11)
Most common multi-pin leave: 4-7 (2x).

Splits: 20% (1/5)

Average over 3 games: 174.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 185.67.

Keeping things simple and just worrying about shot placement, balance, and timing seemed to be working better. Some of the strikes were rather impressive. And the spare shooting was certainly awful, but in fairness the only multi-pin leaves that were "easy" were a couple 4-7s, a 2-5, and a 2-4-5. The other multi-pin leaves were a 1-3-6-8-10 and 2-4-8 I missed, a 1-7-8 split that I actually made, and 4 splits including the 4-6-10, 4-7-10, 6-7-10, and 4-6.

Still need to get back on track on Wednesday; but this was at least a "mini" confidence booster the week before I bowl in my first (and potentially last) tournament of 2016 that will be held in this house next weekend.

[Aslan]

Wednesday League: Longer, heavy-volume in the middle, very dry outside THS.

484 Series: 186-143-155

Came in confident and thinking the slump was over. Game 1 was better than the score indicates. Only one open on a 2-5-8 where I somehow managed to clip just the 2 and 8 off it...which I could try to do 50 times and not be able to. But a horrible shot in the 10th left me a 1-2-5-10. Technically not a "split", but it might as well be. The open in the 10th cost me a likely 198-202. But I was still confident and figured once the lanes broke down a bit more; my shot would play nicely.

Game 2 I switched to the Dark Encounter but just couldn't find a consistent shot and my spare shooting fell in the pa-booper; had to strike in the 9th and mark in the 10th just to avoid having a new lowest score for me at these lanes.

Game 3 I used the Asylum but still couldn't find my line. Only one shot struck and it was a weak spill of a strike. And I made a lot of spares, but missed a few. The 1-2-10 is understandable. But the single 10-pin and 4-7 are inexcusable.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.53 pins
Strikes: 28% (1 turkey and 6 singles)
Spares: 59% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (8/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (5x)
Also left the 1-pin, 2-pin, 3-pin, and 6-pin (2x)

Multiple Pin spares: 41% (5/12)
Most common multi-pin leave: 4-7 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/2)

Average over 3 games: 161.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 167.33.

Very disappointed. I was even tempted to just stay home from Wednesday league until I snap out of this slump because I'm carrying a 193 average in that league and haven't yet seen a 190s game in that league in 2016. So, the team has to bowl their dairy heirs off just to make up for me being a disaster. Last week the girl bowler on the team that averages about 102 beat me. This week I got beat by the guy on the team that usually bowls in the 120-140 range.

I love being on a team that is competitive despite the added pressures of winning. On the other hand, it's not "fun" when you are in a slump and watching your team fall to about 18th from 6th. Just like three seasons ago when my company team was somehow magically in first place with about a month before sweeps...then everyone just forgot how to bowl. I can't explain it any other way. I think we ended up finishing 9th.

Even though the elbow, knee, and ankle aren't in the best of shape; I'm going to have to practice tomorrow to get some confidence before this weekend's BVL tournament.

[RobLV1]

One obvious question. As you said, game 1 was pretty good except for the bad shot in the 10th, so why did you change balls for game two? There's no rule says that you have to change balls each game. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

[Tony]

One obvious question. As you said, game 1 was pretty good except for the bad shot in the 10th, so why did you change balls for game two? There's no rule says that you have to change balls each game. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Good question, and not only switched for game 2 but switched again for game 3 to a different ball, I could have seen switching back to the original ball, if anything.

[NewToBowling]

Try playing one ball at least the first two games and see where it gets you. Heck try it for all 3