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

[Amyers]

Saturday Weekly Color-Pin Tournament:

530 Series: 186-168-176

Game 1 was decent; two opens on missed single pins.

Game 2...same thing...until the last half of the game when the ball just seemed to lose it's energy and I couldn't carry. And, a missed 10-pin in the 10th frame didn't help the score any.

Game 3 I had more corner-pin problems...also a couple splits I couldn't convert...but I struck out to salvage the 176.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.00 pins
Strikes: 48% (1 turkey, 4 doubles, and 5 singles)
Spares: 47% picked up

Single Pin spares: 44% (10/11)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (5x)
Also left the 5-pin, 6-pin (x2), and 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 50% (4/8)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-5-9 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/3).

Average over 3 games: 176.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 195.33.

Hard to stay motivated when the scoring has been so consistent:
562, 567, 568, 534, 439, 535, 531, 530

But, no bigee. I spent $20 and won $7 back...got some practice in...apparently I need to play some "low-ball" at my next practice because I can't score very high if my strike % is higher than my spare %...unless I'm striking in the 60 percentile or higher.

Used the Loaded Revolver for the first 2 games and the Melee Jab for Game 3. Probably switched too late...but the Jab scares me if I break it out too early.

The new release position seems to be working well though. When I had good spine tilt and balance, I made good shots and hit the pocket consistently. So, just gotta keep practicing and hopefully it'll come along.

You are a better spare shooter than this. I understand on mutlipins to some extent but single pins? Get some practice in. I have those nights every now and again but 40%?

If you figure out the 7 pin thing let me know. I leave them on light hits, high flush hits, and hits that look good. I leave more 7's than 10's some nights too. It's especially frustrating when you start off leaving ten's and adjust or change balls and then start leaving 7's. happening a lot too me right now.

[Amyers]

Another possibility for the 7 pin leave, can be when your entry angle is too strong and the ball cuts through the 1 and 5 pins rather than driving through the 5 and into the 8, the pins fall in such a way that the 4 pin wraps around the 7 while the 5 goes straight into the pit, and nothing hits the 7

As others have indicated an adjustment would be needed ...

I bowled against a team Fri that had a guy who couldn't buy a strike, instead of adjusting he just complained that he was robbed, in one game he shot 9 spares in a row.....he figured they all were strikes.
He also did two other things, he made noises groans , complaint sounds when any of the rest of us got strikes on what he considered bad shots. For me and my teammate that was every time we struck. I also heard him behind me saying he was throwing a better ball than anyone on our pair and was getting robbed, during a game when one of his teammates was throwing a 260 game.....all by luck I guess.
One thing that is nice is my teammate beating the guy every game, I thought he was going to cry !

I bowl against a few of the guys. On my Saturday night league this week I was outside smoking when one of the other guys comes out and goes into a tirade about leaving 2-8-10's on a pocket hit. I had to fight to keep from laughing.

[Aslan]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

467 Series: 135-143-189

I shoulda known the night wasn't gonna be good when in the first frame of game 1 I left the 7-10. Second shot I missed a 5-pin because my foot stuck and I almost fell. Chopped the 10 off a 6-10 in the 4th. A difficult 3-6-9-10 in the 8th (chopped) and in the 10th I had the 1-2-4-10...which might as well be a split.

Chopped ANOTHER 6-10 in the 2nd frame of Game 2...then had 3 splits...all opens.

Game 3 went a little better. Switched to the Melee Jab for Game 3 and had to make a little lateral adjusment and then started striking. But missed a 7-pin in the 8th frame and chopped a 2-4-5 in the 10th because the 4-pin wiggled and wandered it's way out of position.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.48 pins
Strikes: 22% (1 turkey and 4 singles)
Spares: 52% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (8/10)
Most common single-pin leaves: 2-pin (3x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 3-pin, 8-pin, nor 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 30% (4/13)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (3x)

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 155.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 163.00.



Wow. On the bright side...if there is one...it's not my "worst" series of the season...it's my 3rd worst.

I'm SO ready for this slump to be over...I really am. I'm getting so sick of tired of losing 4 points every night and having bowlers on the other team compliment me on what I good shot I have. If it's SO friggin good....!!! Then...????

[Blacksox1]

Aslan is there a coach where you bowl, that actually sees you bowling every week? Or most weeks?

[Aslan]

Wednesday League: THS, some nice bounce on the outside and decent hold in the middle, easier shot/house

532 Series: 203-151-178
Got to the alley early...got a little practice in. Had some more single-pin spare problems...but games 1 and 3 were one frame away from clean.

671 Series: 257-190-224
Game 1 I started with the Dark Encounter which was working well in practice. It was working so well, I changed my mind and decided to get in the side pot...even though earlier when the guy asked me I declined due to my recent slump. It just seemed like the line was working. But after 2 frames, very good pocket shots, leaving single 10-pins...I decided to switch to the Loaded Revolver. Earlier than I wanted to make that change...but as Rob would say...you don't dictate to the lanes, they dictate to you. Obviously, the ball change worked.

Game 2 I started to lose my line a bit...tried to make lateral adjustments to compensate. Would have been a clean game except for a 6-7-10 split in the 2nd frame.

Switched to Melee Jab in the 10th frame of Game 2....seemed to work well on the left lane...not so much on the right lane. Again, a 6-7-10 split in the 4th away from a clean game...just got a little too much hand into the shot.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.32 pins
Strikes: 55% (2 5-baggers, 1 turkey, 1 double, and 4 singles)
Spares: 71% picked up

Single Pin spares: 90% (9/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 3-pin, nor 5-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 25% (1/4)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 6-7-10 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 223.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 224.00.

Well, it took me all season, but I finally won a side pot!

Obviously I'm not disappointed. I hesitate to proclaim the slump is over...but tonight I felt like a "bowler" again. I was hammering the pocket, I wasn't leaving a ton of tough multi-pin spares, and the only single-pin I missed was on a fill shot in the 10th frame of Game 2.

As to 'how' I was able to perform at high level all the sudden....well;

1) My shot was more consistent. Consistent speed and hand for the most part.
2) The new progression (arsenal) seems to work better.

and most importantly;
3) I just 'took it easy'...didn't try force it, didn't muscle shots (as much), stayed lower, and tried to add some spine tilt.

Slump not totally over...I got a tournament Saturday...and a week later I have sweeps at the Gold Coast casino in Las Vegas. If I can do fairly well at those events...and maybe at least keep my Monday league series between 550 and 600...that would convince me the slump is actually over.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Nice series with the 671.

[Amyers]

Congrats on a nice set. It always feels good to throw a good one when you've been struggling. Just don't let it get in your head if you don't strike as much on the next set and let it set you back by getting frustrated. That's where I get myself in trouble after a good set or two.

[BrianG]

Nice Series Aslan.

[Aslan]

Just don't let it get in your head if you don't strike as much on the next set and let it set you back by getting frustrated. That's where I get myself in trouble after a good set or two.

Yes. With my tendency to get in my own way a LOT...it's a double-edged sword. Confidence can propel my game to the next level...but a bad game can be two steps back.

Aslan is there a coach where you bowl, that actually sees you bowling every week? Or most weeks?

Short answer: No.

I try to get a lesson from RobM twice a year when I'm sweeping in Vegas. It's more of a 'check' of where I'm at. Rob has seen my game progress since I first started and was the first 'real coach' I got lessons from. Rob also provides a better perspective on modern bowling concepts and equipment and technical expertise. I don't always agree with Rob on every modern bowling concept...but he provides a unique look and a different set of eyes. Most of my technical understanding of equipment is either a direct result of conversations with him and/or my own research trying to 'argue' with him.

The downside to Rob (in terms of my coaching) is that I don't see him regularly. But, he keeps informed and obviously offers help in the forum and follows my progress.

I've been taking lessons from Missy Parkin for about 18 months now. It's about every 3 weeks...to give me some time to work on things that we go over during the lesson. She's been an amazing help. She is not only great at 'teaching', but also is still in the thick of competitive bowling so it's not just a pro shop operator with a bronze certification trying to get me to bowl 'like them'. Her greatest strength is her ability to see a problem in my game...and if the first attempt to fix it doesn't work...she goes about it a different way. So, her coaching is very much adaptive to the bowler and their built in prejudices and limitations.

And I've been taking monthly lessons from Mark Baker for about 6 months now. Obviously, Mark has more credentials than anyone in the World. He's one of the few coaches that not only coaches the average lay person/bowler...but regularly coaches some of the most elite PBA bowlers on the tour. His lessons are expensive (about 3x what Rob charges and double what Missy charges)...and his schedule is very tight so it's often difficult to get "squeezed in"...especially if you're not retired and need a lesson in the evening or on the weekend...but his strength (IMO) is his ability to see a problem almost immediately...and he knows what works to fix it. There's very little he hasn't seen before and fixed before. And it works out nicely because when Missy is on the PWBA circuit...I still can get a lesson once a month from Mark. And when Mark is busy with clinics and PBA League, I can still get instruction from Missy.

I used to also try to get lessons from various pro shop guys and weekend clinics...but I'm happy with the coaching group I have now...and I found that before; I used to get all kinds of advice...and a lot of it conflicted. One person would want me to loft it; one would tell me not to. One person would have one spare shooting strategy and the other person a conflicting one. Too many "cooks in the kitchen" if you will.

[RobLV1]

Here is an exercise for you to get you to the next level. The good news is that you now change balls frequently, and usually make the right change. The bad news is that a ball change has become your "go to" adjustment. Here's the exercise: once you find the ball that is working for you at a particular session, stick with it for the entire session. You need to start working on horizontal moves as well as hand position changes to compliment your ability to change balls. It will feel strange at first, but once you can combine the three adjustments, I think you will be able to get to where you want to be.