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

[Aslan]

Friday Mixed League: THS

571 Series:166-212-193

I only had two open frames in Game 1...but couldn't find a good strike line.

I gave the Fortera Exile a shot in Game 2. At first I thought maybe I'd skip it in the rotation and jump to the Vintage Gold Rhino...but I'm glad I stuck with the Exile because I was able to run some strikes together: 9 /, X, 9 /, 6 2, X, X, X, X, 9 /, X 7 2.

Went with the Vintage Gold Rhino in Game 3. Took me awhile to find that strike line again...but was clean in frames 3-10 and managed a 190+ game to finish the night off well.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.00 pins
Strikes: 42%
Spares: 63% picked up

Single Pin spares: 100% (11/11)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x)
Also left a single 2-pin, 5-pin (2x), 6-pin, 7-pin (2x), and 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 12% (1/8)
Most common multi-pin leave: 4-6 (2x).

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 190.33.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: n/a.

Sooooo....
LAST WEEK...I leave 11 single pins and go 5/11.
THIS WEEK...I leave 11 single pins and go 11/11.

LAST WEEK...I leave 8 multi-pins and go 4/8.
THIS WEEK...I leave 8 multi-pins and go 1/8.

I was actually bowling quite well. The lanes were a real challenge tonight...MUCH drier than they had been the last couple weeks. I had to make two 1:2 moves inside as soon as the night began. By the 3rd game I was using my "dry lanes ball" and playing close to 3rd arrow.

The progression seems to be working better now that I surfaced the Aura Mystic to 800 Abralon and surface the Grudge Hybrid to 3000/Royal Compound. It seems to put enough distance between the two balls where I can use the Aura Mystic as my Ball #1 and the Grudge Hybrid as Ball #2.

The sub-500 Thursday night was too much...even with a decent Friday night...so my 2019 composite average drops from 187 to 185.

[J Anderson]

1. Thank you JAnderson for the encouragement.
2. Yes Rob, you are right...it's "something" I'm doing.

3. This is where...believe it or not...you're BOTH RIGHT.

Yes, JAnderson is correct. SOMETIMES...picking up corner pins is a mental problem. We've all gotten done with a league night and felt like we missed 60% of our corner pins and looked at our stats and found out we missed 25%...it just SEEMED worse. And we've all went to shoot a 10 or 7 and thought to ourselves, "I'm gonna miss this." versus "I got this."

And yes, shooting corner pins should be like making free throws...it should be automatic...it's just throwing a plastic ball straight at a pin. You can't blame the ball or the pattern or the lanes. YOU did something wrong. So yes, Rob is ALSO correct.


That makes no sense. Aslan has LITERALLY had more coaching than anyone on this site. I've taken roughly 80 lessons from about 7 different coaches. Thats private lessons. I also went to 3-5 weekly clinics where I got pointers from a team of 2-6 coaches. I've probably spent upwards of $3500 just on bowling instruction...not counting lane usage during the lessons.

So, just for the RECORD...Aslan is VERY open to coaching and values it.

The PROBLEM with bowling coaching...is that a coach only considers you 'coachable' if you agree with them and discount all the others. So, my coaching experience/timeline..when I'd tell a coach about advice a previous coach gave me...would go something like this:

Coach 2 (about Coach 1): "Yeah, that guy doesn't know anything."
Coach 3 (about Coach 2): "Yeah, that guy is a complete nutcase, don't listen to anything he says."
Coach 4 (about Coaches 1-3): "How many pro events and titles do they have? You might want to trust me on this stuff."
Coach 5 (about Coaches 1-4): "Soooo...are any of them in the PBA Hall of Fame? Because I am."
Coach 6 (about Coaches 1-5): "I coach pros on the National Tour...but go with whatever advice you think is best."

Now, those are sorta "hypotehticals". I learned early on not to disagree with coaches or mention what another coach told me to do. Bowling coaches don't care what other bowling coaches say...and usually it just irritates them to hear about it. So, I take in as much knowledge and coaching and direction and opinion as I can...and I do my best to sew all those things into one cohesive strategy.

I havent taken coaching "lately"...because I only know of one high level coach in this area. Now that I'm at the level where I'm bowling "against" some of these guys on league night...it seems kinda weird to walk up to them and say, "Hey...do you give lessons?" I'm pretty sure Tom Hess and Don Breeden give lessons when they aren't traveling for the tours...and I bowled against Tom Thursday and Don this past summer.

SPEAKING OF Thursday Night...

Thursday Men's League: THS

492 Series: 187-157-148

Game 1 wasn't terrible. As usual, I tend to elevate my game a bit when playing the pro team. Only opens were a 1-2-4-10 washout in Game 5 and then a missed 6-pin in the 10th...that 6-pin cost me a 190s finish.

Everybody was playing left of me...so I had to move alot and had to ball done to the Grudge Hybrid to get a little more length. Missed a 10-pin in the 2nd frame, a 4-9 split in the 3rd, a [- 8] in the 4th, then a 5-10 split in the 6th. Kept things clean 7th through 10th...but I was really struggling.

Game 3 was a tale of two lanes.
On the Right lane: 8 -, 6-7-10 split, 4-7-10 split, 5-7 split, then 4-6-7 split. I actually made the 5-7...kinda the highlight of night.
On the Left lane: X, 9 /, 7 /, X, 7 / X.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.38 pins
Strikes: 34%
Spares: 52% picked up

Single Pin spares: 71% (5/7)
Most common single-pin leave: 6-pin and 10-pin (2x each)
Also left a single 2-pin, 4-pin, and 5-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 42% (6/14)
Most common multi-pin leave: 3-6 (2x).

Splits: 16% (1/6)

Average over 3 games: 164.00.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 171.33.

Always interesting playing the pro team. Everybody is a little more tense, trying a little harder, etc...

I got kinda ticked off at my opponent at the start of Game 3. I went up to the approach and stopped to let the guy to the left of me bowl. My opponent got on the approach to the right of me...then the guy to the left of me ended up getting off the approach to do something with his ball or the lane wasn't working or something. I then stepped onto the approach, but realized the guy to the right of me had already stepped onto the approach...so I said, "sorry", and stepped back off the approach. But, the opponent then stepped off the approach with an annoyed look on his face and motioned for me to go.

I mean, it's a rather high-level men's league and all...but its not the PBA Championship. It was my bad for not looking to my right after the guy to my left decided not to bowl...but it wasn't intentional. So, once he got me ticked off...well, then I actually bowled better. I just couldn't overcome the splits on the right lane.

I took 3 out of 4 from my guy...and our team took at least 1 total and we won every match-up in Game 1...so we probably came close to splitting with them.

Sorry Aslan, I didn’t mean to imply that you are anti-coaching. Somehow I got the impression that either your budget was tight, or there just weren’t very many coaches in your area.

[boatman37]

I get about getting frustrated with the guy next to you. Last week a teammate went up and before he even let go of his ball a guy on the team we were bowling started his approach. My teammate almost bumped into him as he released his ball. Then one of our opponents went up to the approach and grabbed his ball after he threw a 9 count. Turned around and walked back. I went up to go and as I let go of my ball his ball went flying by me in the other lane. My teammates said he was mad about bowling bad and walked back and grabbed his spare ball and threw it from the ball return without waiting for me. Odd thing is this was one of the friendlier teams we bowled.

[Aslan]

Sorry Aslan, I didn’t mean to imply that you are anti-coaching. Somehow I got the impression that either your budget was tight, or there just weren’t very many coaches in your area.

No prob...I wasn't sure if you actually KNEW how much coaching I've had. Going by my inability to bowl...I can see how someone would think that.

And you're right...money IS tight right now...I don't think I can afford it right now AND bowl 2.5 leagues. Money 'should' loosen up mid-2020...so maybe I'll look into it again then.

And...you're also right that there aren't as many around me. Southern California was better in that regard. I'd see Missy Parkin twice a month and Mark Baker once a month...and even get some pointers from Rob M (I made 1-4 Vegas Sweeps trips while I was in Cali) when time/health allowed.

Now, I got Tom Hess here locally, but I don't know if he gives lessons. Don Breeden is local, but I haven't asked him yet. The sport league I bowled over the summer was run by Denny Torgerson...and I'm not sure if he gives lessons either. So, there are some options. Until then, I have all my notes from Missy's lessons and I bought Mark Baker's latest DVD before I left...lots of good stuff on the DVD to correct some stuff.

[Aslan]

Thursday Men's League: THS

534 Series: 209-174-151

Started with 2 splits...a shot that went wide and left a 2-4-10...then a pocket hit that left a 7-10. Was able to recover and lay down a 5-bagger then kept things clean to finish with a respectable 209.

Game 2 was better than the score indicates. Only open was a 4-pin in the 2nd frame and another pocket 7-10 in the 10th.

Game 3 was a miserable spare shooting performance...which has been up and down with me lately. Made a 2-pin and 9-pin. But, missed a 9-pin, 7-pin, 10-pin, and 4-pin. Given I managed only 3 strikes the entire game... = a horrible score.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.75 pins
Strikes: 40%
Spares: 57% picked up

Single Pin spares: 28% (2/7)
Most common single-pin leaves: 4-pin and 9-pin (2x each)
Also left a single 2-pin, 7-pin, and 10-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 75% (9/12)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 2-4-5-7 bucket, 7-10 split and 4-7 (2x each).

Splits: 25% (1/4)

Average over 3 games: 178.00.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 194.67.

Pretty simple...can't go 2 for 7 on single-pins and expect to do well. Not sure if my targeting is off...maybe the thumb is too loose...but I gotta get better.

[Aslan]

Friday Mixed League: THS

498 Series:179-168-151

Carry was a problem in Game 1, but spare shooting was decent: X, 9 /, 9 /, 9 /, 7 /, 9 /, X, 8 -, 9 -, X X X.

Game 2 I was having problems on one lane but was doing well on the other: X, 8 1, X, 7 2, X, X. The opens were a 6-7 split and a 6-7-10 split.
After the double, one pair broke down and we were moved to a pair on the end. The center apparently didn't bother to oil this pair nor clean the approach. First shot I threw..the ball entered the hook phase before it got midway down the lane leaving me a 1-3-6. I picked it up...and on the next shot my sole stuck and I fell over the foul line....led to a - 7. Finished with a 6 /, X X 8.

Game 3 was more of the same. The Gold Rhino was my only option...but it wasn't enough to make the turn on the left lane...and was too strong on the right lane. I managed to move a bit outside on the left lane to get to the pocket...but too little too late.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.57 pins
Strikes: 40%
Spares: 55% picked up

Single Pin spares: 87% (7/8)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (2x)
Never left a single 1-pin, 3-pin, nor 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 33% (4/12)
Most common multi-pin leave: 1-3-6, 6-10, 6-7 split, 6-7-10 split, and 2-4-5 (2x each).

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 166.00.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 169.67.

Not much you can do with the lanes what they were. Having to pick up and move to a new pair...in the middle of league night...then the pair you move to isn't maintained at all...you just do the best you can. If our team didn't consist of the pro shop owner and a center employee...we probably could have made a case to get our lineage refunded for that night...but oh well.

[J Anderson]

Thursday Men's League: THS

534 Series: 209-174-151

Pretty simple...can't go 2 for 7 on single-pins and expect to do well. Not sure if my targeting is off...maybe the thumb is too loose...but I gotta get better.

First, if you think the thumb might be too loose, it probably is. Of course it might not be next time out, or you might be one of those lucky people who have thumbs that shrink or swell as the match goes on.

What do you mean by saying “Not sure if my targeting is off...” Are you unsure of whether you are hitting your mark? Are you not sure your target is the right one?

One thing that might be happening is that being in a slump you’re trying extra hard on the easy spares, maybe taking a bit more time in your set-up position, all of which tenses muscles that need to be relaxed to make a good shot.

[Aslan]

All good questions/insights...

First, if you think the thumb might be too loose, it probably is.

At various times in my bowling 'career'...when I've had troubles with spares...it was attributed to thumb fit. If it starts to get too tight...I pull the shots and start missing left. If I make it too loose, I grab it on the back and downswing...same thing...end up pulling it

I've thought about getting the spare balls drilled for VISE IT...but I don't like the idea of switching out slugs and I really, really don't like the idea of buying a second set. Switching them ends up wearing out the inserts prematurely.

If I have to go that route, I 'could' just add tape to the next biggest insert I have in my strike ball...then wouldn't need to switch them out...and the feel would be closer.

What do you mean by saying “Not sure if my targeting is off...” Are you unsure of whether you are hitting your mark? Are you not sure your target is the right one?

More the second one. I had a system in place of exactly where to stand and where to aim when picking up corner pins...set up by one of my former coaches.

I've started experimenting with aiming further downlane...which I was having some success with. But, harder to hit a target farther away.

Usually when I am off...its not that the targets aren't right...its that I'm doing something with my shoulders (like squaring up to the foul line) during my release.

One thing that might be happening is that being in a slump you’re trying extra hard on the easy spares, maybe taking a bit more time in your set-up position, all of which tenses muscles that need to be relaxed to make a good shot.

I've noticed that a little. I seemed to have more success when I just got up there and went...didn't give the corner pins a chance to psyche me out.

[Aslan]

Every-Other-Sunday Family Doubles: THS

477 Series:122-190-165

Splits, horrible spare shooting, and no carry adds up to 122.

Still struggled with carry early in Game 2...but the spare shooting was better and I put together a 4-bagger near the end. Then, of course, I missed a 4-pin in the 10th...so that was wonderful.

Game 3 was more of the same...lack of carry. Spare shooting was 'okay'...only two opens...one on a 4-6-10 split.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 7.97 pins
Strikes: 25%
Spares: 56% picked up

Single Pin spares: 66% (6/9)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (3x)
Also left a single 2-pin, 3-pin, 4-pin (2x), and 6-pin (2x).

Multiple Pin spares: 50% (7/14)
Most common multi-pin leave: 1-2-3-4-5-7-8 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 159.00.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 170.00.

Well, on the "upside"...my daughter did better after my coaching....sort of. And, I think we won 3 out of 4 points. The adult bowler on the opposing team was kinda attractive and not wearing a wedding ring...woulda been nice not to throw my worst game in God knows how long and my worst series since April.

[Aslan]

Thursday Men's League: THS

431 Series: 127-163-141

Game 2 wasn't completely embarrassing...just sort of embarrassing. A 1-2-4-10 washout in the first, a missed 10-pin in the 5th, abd a chopped 3-10 baby split in the 6th. Otherwise clean.

More of the same in Game 3. Another 1-2-4-10 washout in the 3rd, a 4-p split in the 7th, a complete miss in the 8th leaving a 1-2-3-4-5 that I then guttered trying to pick up, then top it all off with a complete miss at a 6-10 in the 10th.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.16 pins
Strikes: 21%
Spares: 45% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (4/5)
Most common single-pin leaves: 10-pin (4x)
Also left a single 6-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 36% (7/19)
Most common multi-pin leave; 6-10 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 143.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 147.00.

No idea what is going on. It seems like every year I go through a slump period...it's usually not this early in the season...but I no longer have the coaching I used to rely on to correct my course....so who knows...