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

[Amyers]

Looks like my scores last night. 2 semi good games and one turd. Sometimes I think there is no inconceivable way I should bowl anything under 150 and I go out and prove myself wrong.

It's not just you NTB

[Aslan]

Looks like my scores last night. 2 semi good games and one turd. Sometimes I think there is no inconceivable way I should bowl anything under 150 and I go out and prove myself wrong.

Yup. I think those games are meant to remind us...we're not professionals...or even anywhere in the realm of professionals.

During my recent Motiv investigation...I watched the two major events...and I haven't watched the National Tour in some time...I watched a LOT of the women's tour and PBA50 last season. Well...I watched these guys just GUNNING the ball at 4-pins, 10-pins, 7-pins....as if it was nothing....an afterthought.

To me, that's the biggest difference of where I am NOW and where I need to be. I MUST be able to pick up 95% of my single-pin spares....or more so...95% of corner-single-pin spares. I can't honestly compete, even at the regional level....if I miss one out of every 3 or 1 out of every 4 single-pin spares.

Strike rate will come. Learning to adjust will come. Learning the ball specs/technical stuff...that'll come. But I need to KNOW....just like those pros KNOW...that when I leave one pin standing...it's almost automatic that it's a spare. It should be a RARITY if I ever miss one...probably due to sticky approaches or the ball slipping or something. And I'm nowhere near that right now. I'm getting better. 10-pins are closer to the high 60s (%) versus high 50s (%). Overall, high 60s has become high 70s. But still...there's no excuse in spare shooting.

Well...there's ONE....lanes so dry that your plastic ball hooks...stupid centers that don't oil their lanes all weekend...but still...on league night, NO excuses.

[Mike White]

Yup. I think those games are meant to remind us...we're not professionals...or even anywhere in the realm of professionals.

During my recent Motiv investigation...I watched the two major events...and I haven't watched the National Tour in some time...I watched a LOT of the women's tour and PBA50 last season. Well...I watched these guys just GUNNING the ball at 4-pins, 10-pins, 7-pins....as if it was nothing....an afterthought.

To me, that's the biggest difference of where I am NOW and where I need to be. I MUST be able to pick up 95% of my single-pin spares....or more so...95% of corner-single-pin spares. I can't honestly compete, even at the regional level....if I miss one out of every 3 or 1 out of every 4 single-pin spares.

Strike rate will come. Learning to adjust will come. Learning the ball specs/technical stuff...that'll come. But I need to KNOW....just like those pros KNOW...that when I leave one pin standing...it's almost automatic that it's a spare. It should be a RARITY if I ever miss one...probably due to sticky approaches or the ball slipping or something. And I'm nowhere near that right now. I'm getting better. 10-pins are closer to the high 60s (%) versus high 50s (%). Overall, high 60s has become high 70s. But still...there's no excuse in spare shooting.

Well...there's ONE....lanes so dry that your plastic ball hooks...stupid centers that don't oil their lanes all weekend...but still...on league night, NO excuses.

My plastic ball always hooks if I want it to, and likewise never hooks if I don't want it to.

If I can get my plastic ball to go straight, you have ZERO excuse.

You miss a 10 pin because you miss your mark, or walk crooked, not because of the lanes.

One tell tale sign you need to work on accuracy is the rate you miss the head pin on the 1st ball.

Missing the head pin leads to harder spares, which leads to more opens, and lower scores.

[Aslan]

You miss a 10 pin because you miss your mark, or walk crooked, not because of the lanes.

Agree and disagree.

It's like shooting a rifle with a bent barrel. Sure, you can be accurate...but ya gotta know how bent the barrel is.

My accuracy at my target I can control. Sometimes it's +/- a board...that's not bad. What the ball does after hits that target....that I can't control....until I see what it does. I remember a certain MWhite bowler in Temecula...facing the mighty Aslan and youngster ZDawg....and a hot, humid, rainy day...in February or something like that. I remember that MWhite guy...not being able to find a pocket with a flashlight and a search party...at least in Game 1. By Game 2 and 3...he adjusted....found a line...and suddenly was making a game of it. I doubt your struggles in Game 1 in Temecula were because you temporarily weren't accurate. Correct?

If I always stand in the same place...always aim at the same spot...with my plastic ball...and it always when thrown straight over that spot....hits the 10-pin. THEN, when I do that again...same spot, same ball, same starting spot....and just before it gets to the 10-pin it kinda 'moves'....that's dry lanes. If I wanted to change my hand position to shoot spares....I wouldn't need a plastic ball.

Problems hitting the pocket are different. I can't control the ball after it hits my target. Unfortunately, it's taking me FAR FAR too long to get "my line"....it takes like 15 frames on a pair...say 7 shots per lane...that's far too long.

At this new house (actually an old house)...there's an added level of difficulty because the lanes break down quickly. Saturday I ran into a lot of trouble because 3 of us were older strokers....all throwing over 10-14 boards with resin equipment. The one guy hit left of the rack almost every time and was about to just give up. The other older guy tried to adjust....tried different balls...was really struggling. I faired a 'little' better only because I was at least aware enough of the problem...that I was trying to stay ahead of them. When the one guy came to me and complained about "how dry the lanes are"; I tried to tell him that it didn't help that he, me, and the other guy were all throwing over the same spot/line...and he looked at me like I was speaking farsi....so I just smiled and nodded my head.

[Aslan]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

458 Series: 152-171-135

Why does God hate me?


PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.12 pins
Strikes: 12% (2 singles)
Spares: 62% picked up

Single Pin spares: 90% (9/10)
Most common single-pin leaves: 6-pin and 10-pin (3x each)
Never left a single 1-pin, 3-pin, 4-pin, nor 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 47% (8/17)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 and 3-10 split (3x each)

Splits: 0% (0/6)

Average over 3 games: 152.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 156.33.

Good times.


Our league has two too many teams. That means, each week...one gets shafted and has to bowl on the other side of the house. Normally...not a big deal. But, today...they decided "heck with that OILING" thing...and only oiled half the lanes they used for the other league. So, we got to bowl on completely dry conditions...which were probably last oiled Saturday night.

I know what you're thinking..."Okay, okay...so your ball hooked too much...that doesn't mean they didn't oil the lanes." Fair...but lets look at the evidence:

USUALLY...I stand center and target about 12-13. Thats my opening shot give or take. For Game 1 tonight, I was standing about 29 and aiming roughly 16-17. By the end of Game 2, I was standing about 41-45...aiming 23-26. By the last two frames...I decided to just go back to the center/12-13 and throw my Ebonite Maxim spare ball...it struck brooklyn. I actually had to stand 23-24...and aim 13-15....with a PLASTIC ball!!

Game 2 I actually had a shot at a clean game...but I couldn't convert the 3-6 baby split with my resin ball...because it wouldn't get close to the 10-pin. I actually almost converted the 6-7 split in the 10th frame...kicked the 6-pin over gently and it nudged the 7-pin...just not enough to knock it over.

So...even though we found a player to replace the drama queen and everyone had a better time bowling...obviously I wasn't too happy. I practiced Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday....all on burnt conditions...and I accepted that. Thats to be expected. But this wasn't fair. Maybe they just made a mistake...I get that...but the other team pre-bowled....because I guess it's a common problem for whatever team has to bowl on that side. So, they got close to fresh conditions after league play...we got dried up snot. So, first time for this believe it or not...but I left my name and phone number for the manager with a note asking that the lanes be oiled pre-league. Thats just not right. If they refuse to oil pre-league, like at my old Tuesday center...at least everyone has the same disadvantage. When you oil all 20 lanes on one side...then make two teams bowl on the burnt up Easter holiday conditions...espcially when the team we bowled pre-bowled on the other half of the center...thats borderline illegal. I know it's probably not "technically illegal"...but how is that fair??

I give tonight 3.75 out of 5 faces (I can't actually give 3.75...there's a post limit of 2 and they don't come in fractions).

Second worst series in this league.

Bright side....spare shooting was above average for single-pins. And I guess given our team really has no shot...it's kinda good to get a sandbag series in there with 6-7 weeks until sweeps.

[Mike White]

Agree and disagree.

It's like shooting a rifle with a bent barrel. Sure, you can be accurate...but ya gotta know how bent the barrel is.

My accuracy at my target I can control. Sometimes it's +/- a board...that's not bad. What the ball does after hits that target....that I can't control....until I see what it does. I remember a certain MWhite bowler in Temecula...facing the mighty Aslan and youngster ZDawg....and a hot, humid, rainy day...in February or something like that. I remember that MWhite guy...not being able to find a pocket with a flashlight and a search party...at least in Game 1. By Game 2 and 3...he adjusted....found a line...and suddenly was making a game of it. I doubt your struggles in Game 1 in Temecula were because you temporarily weren't accurate. Correct?

Is your memory that short.

We were bowling on lanes that had been oiled backwards, inside out, however you want to call it.

The further to had the ball to the right, the less it hooked, and closer to the middle the more it hooked.

So yes, it took a bit of time to find an angle to the pocket that had a chance of carrying, yet didn't get far enough right to skid thru the back ends.

If you watch the video, I identified the problem after the 3rd frame, but I guess I was in denial until I hooked past a 5 pin in the 6th.

I scored better than you did on those miserable lanes, but you out handicapped me because you averaged worse than I did on normal league conditions.

If I always stand in the same place...always aim at the same spot...with my plastic ball...and it always when thrown straight over that spot....hits the 10-pin. THEN, when I do that again...same spot, same ball, same starting spot....and just before it gets to the 10-pin it kinda 'moves'....that's dry lanes. If I wanted to change my hand position to shoot spares....I wouldn't need a plastic ball.

When in your entire life have you hit the same spot twice in the same day? Within 5 boards isn't the same spot.

IProblems hitting the pocket are different. I can't control the ball after it hits my target. Unfortunately, it's taking me FAR FAR too long to get "my line"....it takes like 15 frames on a pair...say 7 shots per lane...that's far too long.

I have a flashlight and a search party you can borrow to find your line, since I'm not using it.

At this new house (actually an old house)...there's an added level of difficulty because the lanes break down quickly. Saturday I ran into a lot of trouble because 3 of us were older strokers....all throwing over 10-14 boards with resin equipment. The one guy hit left of the rack almost every time and was about to just give up. The other older guy tried to adjust....tried different balls...was really struggling. I faired a 'little' better only because I was at least aware enough of the problem...that I was trying to stay ahead of them. When the one guy came to me and complained about "how dry the lanes are"; I tried to tell him that it didn't help that he, me, and the other guy were all throwing over the same spot/line...and he looked at me like I was speaking farsi....so I just smiled and nodded my head.

[Mike White]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

458 Series: 152-171-135

Aww Boo Hoo, they may not have oiled, so you shoot 458.

I subbed tonight in a make up session. We get there at 4 pm when the place opens, and I ask the mechanic if he was about to oil the lanes.

He said not until 5 pm, and then only for those lanes the league will be on.

So we get stuck on 5 & 6.

Leagues usually use the high end of the house, and work down based on their size, so 5 & 6 is rarely a league pair, except Friday night which has two leagues that together fill the house.

My normal Urethane won't stay on the right side for the first few practice balls.

I've just drilled up a brand new Mix to try out the OOB surface. (My old Mix scans between 4000 and 3000 in the track area, the new Mix scans at 5500)

The goal is the play against the oil line, and not have the ball hook brooklyn like my old Mix does.

Problem is, today there wasn't an oil line to play against.

I had a 4-6, and a 4 pin I whiffed, otherwise clean mostly spares, stinking 176.

Next I went double, greek church, double, then went into / X / X mode for a 197.

Last game was 3 bagger, 3-9-10, where I got the 3-10, then a 9 pin, then off the sheet for 255.

On Friday night, maybe Saturday morning junior oil.

This is why I would like to see low oil be considered a valid sport condition.

You can swing the ball if you've got enough hand to get the ball back, but don't expect any help is terms of hold area.

For many who try a sport condition, the ball doesn't hook until it gets back to the ball return.

And thats after spending $1000 or more on equipment.

With low oil, cheap balls will hook.

[NewToBowling]

With low oil, cheap balls will hook.

How will ball manufacturers maximize their profits if all they release are cheap balls

[Aslan]

If you watch the video, I identified the problem after the 3rd frame, but I guess I was in denial until I hooked past a 5 pin in the 6th.

MWhite = The University of Michigan. They don't "lose", they just run out of time.

On the plus side...I wish you were on the National Tour. I'd love to hear Kimberly Pressler interview you after a loss.

She's used to hearing things like, "Yeah, I ran into some trouble out there...just couldn't get my shot figured out...didn't execute well...but it was a positive experience and better luck next time." And with you she'd get;

MW: "Well, I make WAY better shots than the other guy...but he got to bowl during a time when the fans were oscillating slightly more....thus breaking down the lanes more...and you probably didn't notice it, but there was a slight earthquake tremor in Pakistan....the ripple moved across the planet...and hit Reno...just as I was about to throw the ball. Also, 925rpm rev rate...I have much less room for error than most bowlers...so much is a micro fracture in the lane integrity...can really screw with my shot drastically...and I've complained before....that this center does not use a 7.92 lb/gallon density oil...they use a 6.98 lb/gallon oil....which everyone knows...allows some players an advantage..."

KP: "Okay then...thanks..."
MWhite: "...and of course, this was a reverse block pattern..."
KP: "Okay...and we're out of time...but thank you and good luck...or whatever..."

Of course I watch that video. It's one of my favorite Youtube videos...because it shows that Aslan is a dominant bowler compared to MWhite and ZDawg...as does the 2nd annual AVZBHMSCI...where I was also dominant. So yes...I highly recommend people watch them (click on the bowl.com ID in my signature). We're gonna have to set up the 3rd Annual Billy Hardwick Memorial Aslan vs. ZDawg Southern California Invitational....it's past due. But I think ZDawg is injured or something. Probably just some elaborate sandbagging attempt...

This is why I would like to see low oil be considered a valid sport condition.

I would like to see the USBC specify that sanctioned league play be on fresh conditions.

As I told the pro shop guy at Concourse...I don't care what pattern you put down. If you wanna save money on oil...put a 15ft pattern out there. I don't care. I'll eventually figure it out as will the rest of the league. But you can't oil at 9AM and then each night you have no idea what you're getting. It's not a level playing field...and it punishes RHers FAR more than LHers. It's bad for the leagues and it's bad for the sport. If they want to put out the PBA Shark pattern or Scorpion pattern...more power to em! If they want to put out a USBC White pattern...more power to em!! But just make sure you oil every lane...30 minutes prior to league...everyone has a level playing field. I don't think that's too much to ask. How much is lane oil? $1000/gallon? Maybe I'm in the wrong business? Isn't oil supposed to PROTECT the lanes? Why would a bowling center want to save $5 on oil and risk screwing up their $10,000 lanes? Bad business...plain and simple.

Whats next? They don't want to buy more pins so you shoot at however many the pinsetter puts down? They don't want to pay their water bill so bowlers have to wear diapers? Electric bill too expensive...so everyone bowls in the dark and wears miner's helmets? For crying out loud! It's bad enough I can't practice on league conditions...now I can't even bowl league on "league conditions"? I guess I can only truly practice over holiday weekends...to get the true 'feel' for what league play is like.

Friggin bowling. I'd seriously consider quitting...but I hate golf and am too old and broken down to do anything that involves actual cardio.

[NewToBowling]

Mike White = salty.

Not sure the relationship between you two but there is some angst there. Not sure if just playful ribbing or something more