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

[Aslan]

Wednesday League Night: low-medium oil synthetics, older brunswick lanes

635 Series: 157 - 212 - 266 (clean)

Game 1 I was trying to use the Reax Pearl that I recently re-surfaced...but it just wasn't working. I thought maybe I polished it a bit too much and it was going too long...or maybe it was just burning up too soon...still hard to tell. But, midway through the game I switched to the Innovate. A few open frames and my inability to carry really did me in.

Game 2 I actually struck in 7 of the first 8 frames...but missed every spare opportunity which finally made me kick my stupid roller bag in frustration. To strike 7 times then open in the 9th and 10th on make-able spares is about as much frustration as I could take.

Game 3 I recovered my focus and struck 9 times in the first 10 shots before finishing with a spare to fill out the 10th...1 pin shy of my high sanctioned game of 267...which I've rolled twice, but never higher.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.25 pins
Strikes: 59% (2 5-baggers, 1 4-bagger, 1 double, and 3 singles)
Spares: 53% picked up

Single Pin spares: 50% (3/6)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x).
Also left a single 7-pin (2x).

Multiple Pin spares: 57% (4/7)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (4x)

Splits: N/A

Average over 3 games: 211.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 233.00.

Another night of awful spare shooting. Ever since I had to add some tape to my spare ball, I've been having problems with my spares. And once I have problems...it's a mental spiral downward.

I'm hoping I didn't mess up my Reax Pearl by resurfacing it...but it was developing a track and I got sweeps Saturday in Vegas...so I wanted to get it ready.

Mainly I was just using some stuff from my lesson yesterday...trying to keep my swing easy and effortless...keep my hand more under the ball...feel it come off my fingers. The Innovate was working really well (for a change) so I never needed to pull out the Scandal Pearl.

I got a check in the mail today for $80 for the 4th place finish in the BVL tournament. No brackets or sidepots tonight...but I did win $100 in the 50/50. This will be the first time (and maybe only time) that I'll be going to Vegas with a significant amount of money riding on the outcome. I've probably got $180 in brackets, sidepot, strike balls, card game, and mystery score...and then a shot at additional prize money. I'll head out to Vegas tomorrow afternoon to beat the traffic and then get some practice in on Friday.

[manke]

Good luck in vegas!!

[fortheloveofbowling]

Nice bowling with the 635.

[Aslan]

Good luck in vegas!!

Thanks. This'll probably be my 2nd to last attempt at beating Vegas...and my 2nd best chance to win $$$.

Pre-Sweeps Practice: Sam's Town (Las Vegas)

Bowled in many Vegas houses...but never Sam's Town...so I decided to get some practice in after I arrived. Kind've a nice bowling center.

616 Series: 207-222-187

Started out dominating. The re-surfaced Bullet Train up the 9-board seemed to be giving me a great shot. Only two opens in the first two games...a missed 10-pin in Game 1 and a 2-8-10 split in Game 2. Game 3 shoulda been better; but I left a 1-3-6-8-10 in the 10th...and somehow, the 1,3, and 6...all managed to miss the 8-pin.

506 Series: 159-196-151

It was unlimited bowling for 3 hours...so I decided to push my luck and try out the Reax Pearl. Things didn't go so well once I made the ball change. The Reax Pearl just seemed to burn out if I played 8-12. And when I moved in and played 13-16...it wouldn't come back. So it was weird multi-spare after weird multi-spare.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.67 pins
Strikes: 49% (1 5-bagger, 4 turkeys, 1 double, and 14 singles)
Spares: 59% picked up

Single Pin spares: 75% (6/8)
Most common single pin leave: 10-pin (4x)
Also left a single 2-pin (2x), 3-pin, and 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 54% (13/24)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 2-4-5-8 bucket, 2-7 baby split, 2-5, 1-2-4-10 washout, and 6-10 (2x each)

Splits: 40% (2/5)

Average over 6 games: 187.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 190.50.

Using the Bullet Train up and in over the 9-11 boards seemed to be a really good line. The downside came when I decided to move to the next ball in my progression...a much newer, stronger Reax Pearl. The Reax Pearl was almost immediately going brooklyn and I had to move about 11 boards inside with my feet, throwing over the 13-15 boards. With that line...I had to make perfect shots to get the ball to come back to the pocket.

I surfaced the Bullet Train by hitting it with 800, then 1500 Silair...then using buffing compound...no polish. The Reax Pearl I tried to restore to near OOB by hitting it with 2000 Abralon, then 4000 Abralon, then buffing compound, then a light resin polish. But the Reax Pearl seems to have lost the power it had before the resurface. My best guess is that the polish is causing it to go far too long...tricking me into thinking it's burning up and i need to move inside. But, if I try to stay outside with that ball...it goes nuts when it hits friction...and Sam's Town seems to have a good deal of friction on the outside.

I hate to abandon my arsenal that has gotten me to a 184 average and put me in position to win some dough...instead throwing a beat up old Bullet Train with about 500 games on it. But, the Bullet Train almost couldn't miss. How long would that last with 8 people bowling on a pair? Hard to say. And what I do when I move inside and the Bullet Train starts hitting light? Skip the Reax Pearl and use the Innovate? Hard to say at this point.

More practice today...

[Amyers]

Good luck. Might give the Scandal a try if the reax isn't making it back

[Aslan]

Nice bowling with the 635.

Thank You.
Nice bowling on your recent update as well! (I often stalk score pages without posting)

Good luck. Might give the Scandal a try if the reax isn't making it back

The Scandal Pearl is a beast. It's usually my "carrydown" option. I'm not a "carrydown proponent" nor "carrydown denyer"...I'm kinda in the middle. I think it CAN be there...depending on how much oil is applied and who is bowling and what they're throwing. So, I try not to get that ball out unless I have to. When there IS carrydown...it hits harder than any ball I'ver ever thrown...nothing I have thrown is even a close second (except the Reax Pearl...which is less skid/flippy...most likely because it's a Radical/Brunswick).

Sam's Town seems to have a LOT of bounce on the outside...so if there's no carrydown...the Scandal Pearl is gonna go nuts.

Friday AM Pre-Sweeps Practice, Sam's Town, LV

688 Series: 226-257 (clean)-205

Played in a little poker tournament in the morning. Was doing great and frustrating the old timers...then at the start of Round 2 I got knocked out. Pocket Queens...all in against Big Slick and Jack/Queen suited. The guy with Big Slick never hit an Ace nor a King...and I had a big advantage against Jack/Queen...but I'll be DAMNED if he didn't hit the flush. Oh well, it got me to get out of bed in the AM and only cost me $23...probably the only gambling I'll be doing this weekend.

Was able to practice on one of the lanes I'm scheduled to bowl on tomorrow in Sweeps. Only did 3 games because I plan on taking a break and then going back down there in the afternoon/evening for my final round of practice.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.53 pins
Strikes: 66% (1 5-bagger, 2 4-baggers, 1 turkey, 2 doubles, and 4 singles)
Spares: 70% picked up

Single Pin spares: 87% (7/8)
Most common single pin leave: 10-pin (5x)
Also left a single 4-pin, 5-pin, and 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 0% (0/2)
Multi-pin leaves: 1-3-6-9 and 4-6-7 split

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 229.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 233.33.

Started out with the Bullet Train up the 9-board...but the lanes seemed a little more "used" than last night when I got a freshly oiled lane.

I switched to the Reax Pearl...but the line was too tight, so I had to open it up a little. The polish seems to make it go longer than I'm used to...but the POSITIVE is it allows me to play the track...which is my A-Game. Usually, the Reax Pearl is just to strong and wants to hook to soon to play outside of 11.

I'm gonna stop short of saying Sam's Town is "easy"...because:
1) As soon as I say that, I'll throw a 489 series tomorrow.
2) Vegas centers are RENOWNED for putting more volume down on Saturdays when the lanes are packed with sweeps bowlers all day.
3) As RobM always points out...things can change alot one day to another and one pair to another. I've been told, that Sam's Town is older...and the lanes transition rather quickly...so keeping up with that with two teams of bowlers will certainly add a degree of difficulty.
4) There's a BIG difference between practicing on ONE lane...and bowling on TWO lanes...not to mention a big difference between bowling by one's self with minimal pressure...versus bowling in sweeps for > $1000 on the line with 7 other people on the lane.

What I will say...is the pins seem "light". I had a 4-pin wiggle it's way over and barely touch the 10-pin...and it fell over like it was attached to a string and someone pulled on it. Thats not a "good" nor "bad" thing...probably more "bad" because it means the little old ladies with no power...are gonna be able to carry.

[Aslan]

Pre-Sweeps PM Practice: Sam's Town (Las Vegas)

597 Series: 184-190-223

Had thumb-fit issues in Game 1...took me awhile to get warmed up. Game 2 I had a couple spare-shooting issues. Game 3 was much better...but missed a clean game due to a chopped 3-10 baby split in the 9th.

562 Series: 182-189-191

Game 4 was 'blah'...including a pocket 7-10 in the 10th. Finally gave my Scandal Pearl a chance in Game 2...but it wasn't really carrying. Game 3 I was able to get back in my groove...but missed a single 9-pin in the 10th to pretty much screw the pooch.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.83 pins
Strikes: 46% (1 4-bagger, 4 turkeys, 3 doubles, and 8 singles)
Spares: 58% picked up

Single Pin spares: 68% (11/16)
Most common single pin leave: 10-pin (6x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 6-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 50% (9/18)
Most common multi-pin leaves: full-rack, 3-10 baby split, 3-6, 4-6-7 split, and 2-5 (2x each)

Splits: 16% (1/6)

Average over 6 games: 193.17.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 201.33.

Gonna have to execute better tomorrow and do a better job of picking up single-pin spares. Me averaging > 195 isn't gonna make me any $$$...and I realistically need to average closer to 214.67+ to have a shot at some REAL $$$$.

[Aslan]

Sweeps: Sam's Town (Las Vegas)

584 Series: 150-213-221
Game 1 I just wasn't carrying much...but I could have gotten into the 180s had a I actually made more spares than I missed.

Game 2 was good...but a 4-7-10 split in the 9th kinda ruined things.

Game 3 one of my teammates decided to make a side bet with the opposing team...so I had to step it up a notch. A missed single 6-pin in the 2nd frame was my only open.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.00 pins
Strikes: 53% (1 5-bagger, 1 turkey, a double, and 7 singles)
Spares: 50% picked up

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

Multiple Pin spares: 37% (3/8)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-4 and 2-7 baby split (2x each)

Splits: 25% (1/4)

Average over 3 games: 194.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 202.67.



Well...it's been awhile since I had that feeling in my gut...where I seriously questioned whether I ever wanted to bowl again...and this afternoon....it came back.

Did I do better than I did last fall when I swept in Vegas? Sure.
Did I bowl about 9 pins above my average? Sure.
Did I win $60 in brackets and $10 in the skins bet? Yup.
Did I escape Vegas only losing $23 in gambling losses? Sure.

Does any of that matter? No...not really. This was supposed to be my best chance to win money bowling...it wasn't.

When I finally recover...it looks like it's time to just take about 1000 practice shots at corner pins until my knee and elbow are sprained and my thumb falls off...or until my spare ball cracks in half...whichever happens first.

[Amyers]

Well I know it wasn't what you wanted but you out some good scores up over the weekend. Money is nice but making progress with your bowling is the real trick and it looks like your doing that.

[Aslan]

Friday League Night (subbing)
Older Brunswick synthetics: low oil synthetics

482 Series: 147 - 184 - 151

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.55 pins
Strikes: 32% (3 doubles and 4 singles)
Spares: 47% picked up

Single Pin spares: 57% (4/7)
Most common single-pin leaves: 10-pin (3x).
Also left a single 2-pin (2x), 3-pin, and 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 42% (6/14)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 4-7 (3x)

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 160.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 171.00.

No point for a summary. The lanes were really dry and I had to move way inside my comfort zone. The only good news is the other bowlers on the team held their own and took 2 out of 3, despite my miserable performance subbing. And, it'll help bring my average down to within reason.

Haven't bowled this bad since 11/29/2016.