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

[Aslan]

My sympathies on your team situation. I've had times when it felt like my teammates were just letting me do all the heavy lifting.

Man The Mid West really is different than the East Coast. Our center has been known to throw a fit if someone brings in a plate of home made cookies.

Well, they allow it once per season or they'll let teams bring in cupcakes if a bowler has a birthday. But, if people were bringing their own drinks in, that would cause the same uproar as the East and West coast.

Wednesday Night Established Men's League

Week 15

Still holding onto 2nd place, now 6 points back...so we gained a couple points closer. AND...the 1st place team is playing the 3rd place team...so thats helpful.

581 Series: 180-209-192

X, 8 /, X, 8 /, X, X, 8 1, 5 3, 9 /, 7 / 9.
Inconsistent shot-making. Kept pushing shots to the right and there just isn't a ton of miss room to accommodate that. And I missed 2 very makable spares. Switched to the Ebonite Fireball in the 9th.

X, 7 2, X, X, X, X, 9 -, 9 /, X, X S7 -.
Overall a decent game. Pulled a shot badly in the 2nd. Pocket 7-pin leave on a ball I missed just a board or so to the right. And pushed a shot in the 8th that resulted in a 5-pin leave.

X, 7 /, S8 1, X, X, X, X, 9 /, S8 1, 9 -.
Stayed with the Fireball in Game 3. Only opens were on splits in the 3rd and 9th...until I missed a 10-pin in the 10th. Fortunately, we already had the game wrapped up by then.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.97 pins
Strikes: 50%
Spares: 46% picked up

Single Pin spares: 60% (3/5)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin (2x)
Also left a single 5-pin, 8-pin, and 10-pin.

Makeable spares: 58% (7/12)
Multiple Pin spares: 57% (4/7)
Most common multi-pin leave: 1-2 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 193.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 201.00.

Positives
- Took all 4 points.
- Good shots were good.
- Won a card game.
- Two of the three games above average.

Negatives
- Despite having the second highest series (of both teams)...I managed to get beer framed 3 times. So it was an expensive night.
- Targeting needs work. Too many misses right.

Being beer framed 3 times is ridiculous. I literally carry the team and our anchor with a 200+ average bowls a 141...yet somehow I'm buying everyone drinks. Its like the world isn't fair sometimes.

[Aslan]

Sunday Night Established Mixed League

Week 15

Another night where we were up against a team that had a couple higher average bowlers that I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of...so I tried to use that motivation to keep focused...even though the Sunday league is the more laid back league.

569 Series: 172-177-220

Obviously stinks when you're hitting the pocket (or 'around' the pocket) and striking less than half the time is disappointing. But, at the end of the day...you gotta be able to pick up single-pins to be competitive. And, this was an abysmal spare shooting performance.
X, X, 9 /, X, 9 -, 9 -, 9 -, X, 9 -, XX9.

Just ridiculous carry. My spare shooting improved, but there's only so much you can do when you strike 3 times on 11 shots. Switched to the Force Pearl in the 8th and struck twice on the next 4 shots.
X, 9 /, 9 /, 8 /, S8 1, 9 /, 9 /, 9 -, X, X 8 -.

Had a little more luck with the Pyramid Force. Just made a few bad shots.
X, X, X, X, 8 /, X, X, 8 1, S8 /, 9 / 7.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.21
Strikes: 44%
Spares: 52% picked up

Single Pin spares: 54% (6/11)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (7x)
Also left a single 5-pin, 6-pin, and 4-pin (2x).

Makeable spares: 53% (8/15)
Multiple Pin spares: 50% (2/4)
Most common multi-pin leave: 3-6 (2x)

Splits: 50% (2/4)

Average over 3 games: 189.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 208.33.

Positives
- Great first ball average.
- The team managed to steal two points with a strong 3rd game.
- Physical game felt great.

Negatives
- Carry was abysmal.
- Single-pin spare shooting was abysmal.

My first ball average was above average. There were only 4-5 shots, at a full rack, that I didn't get a 9 or 10 count. So, I was doing 'most' things right. But, with a. strike rate < 50%...obviously I was doing at least something wrong.

Came into the night 30-30...finished the night 32-32.

[Aslan]

Wednesday Night Established Men's League

Week 16

Five points behind the #1 team and this was our week to face them. HOWEVER... ...the opposing team got to the lanes and decided they didn't want to bowl on lanes 19 and 20...which are considered by most to be the most difficult pair. They are closest to the door and the lanes that get the most open bowling traffic. So, they'll just make-up bowl on a different pair.

Now, this caused an uproar with not only our team, but the league as a whole. And, I think its terrible. The first place team all average over 200. They are competitive, tournament calibre bowlers and its a pretty chicken-***t move.

However...KARMA IS A *****. (See Below)

731 Series: 236-199-296 (clean)

X, X, 9 -, 9 -, 8 /, X, X, X, X, XXX.
Two pocket hits, one left a 10-pin and the other a 7-pin. The only other non-strike was a 4-7 leave that caused me to make the first of only two lateral moves on the night.

X, 7 1, 9 -, 9 /, X, X, S8 -, X, X, XXX.
A miss right in the 2nd frame, a couple pocket 7-pin leaves...then a 4-6 split in the 7th which resulted in the second of two lateral moves on the night.

X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, XX6.
I was hitting my mark and the shots were carrying. They weren't perfect shots...but the ones I missed right I got enough hand into to get them back to the pocket and the ones I pulled slightly held. I didn't really start thinking '300' until I got the 9th one. Then I was like, "Wow...I might actually have my first 300 in league play."

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.58 pins
Strikes: 77%
Spares: 28% picked up

Single Pin spares: 25% (1/4)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin (3x)
Also left a single 10-pin.

Makeable spares: 33% (2/6)
Multiple Pin spares: 50% (1/2)
Most common multi-pin leave: n/a

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 243.67.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 253.67.

Positives
- Highest sanctioned game ever.
- Highest sanctioned series ever.
- Won a card game.
- The team 'probably' took all 4 points.

Negatives
- Such a great night, but I only won one card game and was out of the Strike-O-Mania pot after the 3rd frame of Game 1.
- FAR too much RED in those stats. This was the rare night where strike rate saved me. I can't continue to miss 3 out of every 4 single-pin.
- A great night, no doubt...but not great enough to move into the #1 spot on handicap game or handicap series. I'm currently in 3rd place in both with a 343 and 877...so I didn't beat my previous scores with my 340 and 863. And cracking the top 3 in the scratch categories would require a 299 and 793 (scratch)....so I guess I'll keep hoping my previous top scores hold up.

So...here's the thing. IF I had rolled a 300-game...and I was very close...it wouldn't have counted because we bowled unopposed. AND...had our opponent decided to stay...I probably wouldn't have bowled a 296. This is 'why' they don't recognize honor scores when a team is unopposed. I had to make a grand total of 2 lateral moves and never switched balls the entire night. I made a couple vertical adjustments with my target and a couple vertical adjustments with my feet...but with only 3 of us bowling on the same line, the transition was minimal.

The good news is, the league will be implementing a new rule next season. If your team doesn't show (or chooses not to bowl on league night), they must make up their games on the same pair they would have bowled on during league night. No more picking and choosing which lanes to bowl on. And, it was a great night for me. A lot of congratulations from bowlers I knew and some I didn't know. Once you get this close to a 300...one shot away...you just kinda feel like you're capable to do it again.

[J Anderson]

I have never heard of a team showing up and then deciding they don't want to bowl I've seen guys show up and get called back to work before they had a chance to throw a ball. I can imagine a team looking at the schedule and deciding they don't want to bowl on the pair and staying home, or even thinking We should stay home and post bowl because this team is super annoying. I hope that team get lanes that haven't been oiled in days and have a kid's birthday party on either side of them, if not the kid's party, drunken college kids!

I thought the unopposed honors scores not counting was only for pre or post bowling.

Congrats on the 11 in a row, or should I say 16

[Aslan]

Sunday Night Established Mixed League

Week 16

Another night where we were up against a team that had a couple higher average bowlers that I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of...so I tried to use that motivation to keep focused...even though the Sunday league is the more laid back league.

588 Series: 192-190-206

Switched to the Ebonite Fireball after moving left in the 5th and then leaving a flat 10-pin in the 6th. Unfortunately, I finished by leaving 3 straight 7-pins and missed the last two.
X, X, X, X, 7 2, 9 /, X, 9 /, 9 -, 9 -.

After 5 more frames...and a couple pocket 10s...I decided to switch to the Force Pearl. Had to make a couple adjustments because I was getting a good deal of hand in the ball and it was hooking too much.
X, X, 9 -, 8 /, 9 /, X, S6 2, 7 /, 9 /, XX9.

Still had to try a little harder than usual to keep the ball right of the headpin...but the Force Pearl hits like dynamite when I trust my line and execute effectively. Only open was a 9-pin in the 5th...just pulled the shot when trying to convert it. Also dumped the first ball into the gutter in the 10th. Fortunately I was able to strike on the two fill shots.
X, 8 /, X, X, 9 -, X, X, 9 /, X, - /X.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.97
Strikes: 51%
Spares: 60% picked up

Single Pin spares: 55% (5/9)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin and 10-pin (4x each)
Also left a single 9-pin.

Makeable spares: 64% (9/14)
Multiple Pin spares: 80% (4/5)
Most common multi-pin leave: n/a

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 196.00.
Average had I picked up all single-pin spares: 210.67.

Positives
- I felt great. The form and timing is really starting to finally get back to peak levels.
- Took 3 out of 4 points in a closely contested match.

Negatives
- Left corner pins 8 times and only converted 5 of them. Spare shooting still needs improvement...big time!

If I can keep my physical game at this level, I should be able to score in the 550-600 range every night. And, if I can improve carry and corner pin spare conversion...I should be able to get into the 600-650 range consistently. And that would be quite the achievement given at my peak I was in the 550-600 range back in 2017.