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

[Aslan]

Pre-Sweeps Practice: South Point (Las Vegas)

Normally, I'd come to Vegas on Thursday, practice in the AM and PM on Friday, then Sweep on Saturday, then leave Saturday night. But, I got a stupid time share voucher that was about to expire...so I came out yesterday...and am trying to get some work done...before a teammate (female) flies in later tonight. Once she gets here...any chance of getting any work done or practice in is out the window. Normally I wouldn't care...but I'm not too "into" this gal...and I'd really rather be home in Cali writing than spending 4 days in the desert surrounded by hookers, sadness, and desperation...which pretty much sums up the majority of Vegas.

But...I came all this way...I have a 170 average going into sweeps...so I have a real shot at cashing...so I gotta put the practice in. However, given that I won't get my usual 12-24 games in the Friday before...I needed to make this practice count.

Warm-up/Practice: 181

698 Series: 219-202-277 (clean)

Had a little trouble early on trying to get lined up just right...and made a couple bad shots...but I can't complain about a 219. I asked my coach about surfacing for South Point/Sweeps and she recommended sanding the Dark Encounter to 2000 abralon (no polish). And to surface the Lethal Revolver to 500 abralon, then polish. But, I couldn't find my 2000 pads...so I surfaced the Dark Encounter to 1500 SiaAir (no polish).

Game 2, I switched to the Lethal Revolver midway through...but it seemed like every slight miss or slight inconsistency with my approach/release...and the Le. Revolver would hit weak. I actually used a 360 Abralon, then 500, then resin polish...so it has quite a bit of surface on it, all be it under the polish.

Game 3 was my 2nd best game I've ever rolled. 2-3 of the strikes were questionable...(spills, light hits, etc...)...but for the most part, I was dialed in standing with my left toe on 14-15, targeting 6-7 midway between the dots and the arrows. I ended up making a 1:2 move left later in the Game...and had to fine tune my mental game when the pinsetter broke down after the 9th frame...but obviously I'm happy with my 2nd highest ever non-sanctioned game and my highest non-sanctioned series...and I managed to get a clean game as well.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.04 pins
Strikes: 64% (2 4-baggers, 4 doubles, and 7 singles)
Spares: 62% picked up

Single Pin spares: 66% (4/6)
Most common single pin leave: 7-pin (3x)
Also left a single 10-pin (2x) and a single 2-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 60% (6/10)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 2-4-5-8 bucket (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 6 games: 219.75.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 222.25.

First off, lets make sure we calm our expectations. Like my only perfect game (non-sanctioned)...this was on lanes that had a morning league bowl on them (not fresh conditions)...it was ONE lane...not a pair. And this isn't the first time I've had a really good game or two in Vegas. If I average 158-174 Saturday...today will be even more irritating than it is encouraging.

Second, DESPITE the score, I wasn't perfect...still room for improvement. I was rolling the ball better, above average accuracy, and was getting under the ball more. BUT...my forward spine tilt was off...I continue to bob up and down in my approach...and I was playing 5-7 with my strongest ball...up and in...on a non-fresh pattern; that doesn't leave me much room for error tomorrow if we have fresh conditions. And my spare shooting was below average...which wasn't a HUGE problem...when you strike 65% of the time. But, it WILL be if I struggle to strike on Saturday.

ON PAPER...with a 170 average (9 pins lower than in my Friday league (sub), 18 pins below my Wednesday league (sub), and 20-22 pins below book)...rolling a 650-700 series scratch would almost COMPLETELY GUARANTEE that I (for the first time ever) leave Vegas with more money than I came with. We're talking probably in the $1200-$1400 range...or about 3x more than the most I've EVER won bowling.

BUT...for you lovers of DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA...and I wish Ice was still around for this potential poo-storm....but some interesting notes going into this Sweeps:

1) I entered this league with a 164 average, 28 pins below my book. The "reason" for this...I think....is the league secretary used my last league average in that league...from the Fall 2014/2015 league (164) and NOT the following Summer 2015 league where I averaged 173.

2) I entered this league to replace a bowler on my old team who had unexpectedly quit. They were down two bowlers...so I agreed to fill in for the last 6 weeks (18 games....this is important....see below).

3) I asked the League Secretary if I could go to Vegas with the team and she said, that per the rules...I needed 21 games before Vegas and I would only have 18 if I bowled every one of the last 6 weeks. She called a meeting of all the team captains...to see if they would agree to let me bowl at Sweeps...despite not having 21 games. Since I had bowled in this league previously...AND...they saw my average in the 160s...a name they didn't recognize as a high roller in the area...and figured I wasn't a threat...they unanimously approved letting me go.

As almost any experienced bowler can see by reading the above...given a 698 practice series...coming in with a 170 average (I raised it 1-pin per week bowling)...getting coaching twice-a-month for the past year...from two of the best coaches in the World...finishing 2nd place in two straight PBA50 Pro-Ams...and recently making the cashing round in only my second ABT tournament...there is a HIGH liklihood that not only will I bowl a 650 handicap series even if I bowl badly...but there as an almost CERTAINTY...that I am about to become the biggest sandbagging story in recent memory. If I do what I feel like I'm about to do...EVERY bowler in this league...will HATE me. HATE me. Granted, I'm only gonna be a sub for my current team next season...but still.

[Aslan]

Oh...I forgot to add this regarding Game 3....the only non-strike of the game was a 7 / on a 3-6-10 leave when I pulled the shot (badly).

[Blacksox1]

698 Series: 219-202-277 (clean). Good job!

COMPLETELY GUARANTEE that I (for the first time ever) leave Vegas with more money than I came with. We're talking probably in the $1200-$1400 range...or about 3x more than the most I've EVER won bowling.

Positive thinking, I like it!

there as an almost CERTAINTY...that I am about to become the biggest sandbagging story in recent memory. If I do what I feel like I'm about to do...EVERY bowler in this league...will HATE me. HATE me

If they do hate you, it means that you are doing things well. You could be the Notre Dame of bowling ! ! !

[2handedsniper]

is the 698 with or without ABT handicap

[ytlas]

IMO if you buy into doubles with half the league, then shoot a big set, it will look like you were sandbagging. If you aren't in with many people they could write it off to getting hot at the right time.

[Amyers]

Regardless congratulations on a nice set good luck

[fortheloveofbowling]

Nice set with the 698 Aslan.

[mc_runner]

Nice series!

[Aslan]

is the 698 with or without ABT handicap

No ABT handicap in pre-sweeps practicing..that was a legitimate scratch 698.

Thanks all. I could have added another HUGE positive...but I didn't find out till today. Of the 7 high-average bowlers (200+) in this league (it's a lower than average scoring house in Orange County)...the BEST and most talented (without question) bowler...sandbagging his way to another huge $$$ sweeps with a 211 (tied for 2nd best average to a 219)...adding ANOTHER perfect game to his resume this season...

...well, that guy got in a car accident and fractured/broke his wrist 1-2 weeks ago...so there really were only 6 legitimate "high-average" bowlers to beat...and they were the least talented of the 7.

So...I've been positive thinking the POO out of it...trying to just stay confident, stay positive, stay optimistic...I didn't do any marathon practices...didn't even bring my ball dehydrator with me to Vegas. I figured the trip has cost me about $670 total...paid another $55 to get in brackets...so if I just could manage to win about $750...I figure my trip was paid for.

...TO BE CONTINUED.... (I forgot to copy the Pinpal text)

[Aslan]

Sweeps: South Point (Las Vegas)

538 Series: 165-182-191
Game 1 I made some good shots...but struggled early with footing issues...a bit stickier than where I practiced. Once I missed a single 7-pin in the 3rd frame followed by a 2-10 split in the 4th frame...I was definitely going to miss the single 10-pin in frame 6...and I did.

I thought, maybe, true to form, I would struggle out of the gates when I'm amped up...before I settled down. I guess I was hoping that slow start would be a 180-185 game...not a game that is 5 pins below my average. Not to mention, the extra money I put in brackets was just about worthless when you struggle out of the gate like that.

I started out targeting 6-7 and standing left toe on 14. But there must have been either more oil left on the lanes...or maybe it was too dry/dirty on the outside causing the ball to lose energy...I tried adjusting right...but playing the 1-5 boards are NOT my forte. I switched to the Lethal Revolver in the 5th frame of Game 1...earlier than I normally would...but I was banking on the issue being the ball losing energy (vs the lanes too oily)...and I needed to start striking given that I was in the hole after 4 frames AND strugglin with corner pins.

Game 2 wasn't a whole lot better. I actually had 3 opens, same as Game 1, but struck out from the 9th to salvage the higher score.

Game 3 I felt more relaxed, and got some confidence back. I couldn't seem to run any strikes together, but I kept things clean until the 10th, when I left a 1-5-8-9 and chopped it...costing my a 200-game AND a clean game...AND probably some $$$.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.94 pins
Strikes: 45% (1 4-bagger, a double, and 9 singles)
Spares: 61% picked up

Single Pin spares: 77% (7/9)
Most common single pin leaves: 7-pin and 10-pin (2x each)
Never left a single 3-pin, 5-pin, nor 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 44% (4/9)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-4-10 and 2-4-5 (2x each)

Splits: 0% (0/2)

Average over 3 games: 179.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 185.33.

Single-pin spare shooting wasn't as bad as I thought. Once it psyched me out early...I recovered and made the rest of them. Just couldn't quite carry nor run anything together to compete.

And it's too bad...because of the 6 high average (200+) bowlers...only 1 of them really had a good series. The same-ole-bowlers didn't win the big money this year. Some of them bowled a good game...but the big winners this year were a couple women bowlers that just had series' of their lives...a 187 bowler that really only bowls well at that one house and always poos the bed in Vegas...this time he didn't....a 176 and a 178 bowler. So it was nice to see new blood doing well rather than same ole/same ole.

I only won $102...spent $60...so I came away up $42 from bowling...which means I'm only out about $570 on the trip thus far. Dinner tonight...gas tomorrow...probably end up costing $650-$700 total. Disappointing...for sure...given the opportunities this sweeps presented...but, I didn't bowl "horribly". I'll be changing out the arsenal the end of this month...maybe I'll get another 6-24 games out of them before then.