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

[Aslan]

One thing that kinda held me back was some splits. Had a 7-10, had a 4-7-10....and had 2 or 3 (1-2-4-7-10s). Missed some 10s, missed some 6-10s. Made most of the easy spares though and that was the difference. Didn't miss the easy 2-4-5s or 3-5-6s. Would have been nice to make more strikes, but I was grateful for the practice at picking up spares. When I did strike, it was unfortunately Brooklyn strikes...but I'll take em.

Played the right side, standing center and aiming at boards 8 and 9. Given it was wood lanes, I could get away with aiming that far right and having the ball come back. On synthetic lanes I think I can use the same approach/target to start...but a lower ball speed and I need to "snap" my release...and I'll need to move left as the game progresses. Thats the game plan for Thursday anyways. I'm hoping to at least get "some" hook before I have to start aiming at board 15 and throwing straight up the middle. The ball speed and release are going to be more important on synthetic lanes. I don't "snap" the wrist...there will be no hook. And if I do a 3/4 to full backswing...it'll dart straight through the oil and hit way right.

[Bunny]

I wonder what their averages were. I'm thinking Donnie 157, the Dude 119, and Walter 179. Smokey...123...The Jesus....189.

Funny, you never see Donnie, Duder, or Walter actually bowl. They brought Barry Asher in to teach the guys some basic stuff, but I guess those scenes got cut. Barry's the guy you see bowling in the background at the end of the movie when The Dude is talking to the Stranger.

True story...I would watch that scence a few times over beacuse I thought the old guy's swing was pretty classic and smooth. I wondered to myself, "Who is that old dude?"

When I found out it was Barry I told him what I had thought, (who's the old guy?) He laughed! I knew he could take it! He's pretty cool!

[Aslan]

But what do you think their averages would be? Just guessing based on their characters.

I think Jesus has to be the best. They don't just hate him for the pedo stuff...I bet he brings it. I'd say Walter is the next best...because he takes it seriously. Not sure on Donnie. I'm thinkin the Dude probably has a fairly low average just because I don't think he cares. I think it's one of his favorite activities...so he's experienced...but as long as he bowls +/- 15 pins of his average I don't see him caring. He's probably more concerned if the cost of white russians goes up 25 cents than he is if he rolls a 105.

For me...Donnie is the wild card. Is he the middle player? Does he totally suck?? Hard to say.

[Aslan]

First series was practice before leagues started:
366 Series: 104-125-137
Kinda sucked. I think the ball was slightly big due to being left in my trunk. I'm not sure.

Thursday League Night:
383 Series: 131-141-111
Extremely inconsistent. I'd throw a spare, a double, a couple spares...then a -/3 and a 5/-. I mean, I started out the 3rd game with a -/-. Some throws felt great...but the majority just felt horrible. I was tempted to give up on the new things I've been working on...but I tried to press onward. Had a LOT of thumb issues. Thumb would get stuck...I'd powder it...then the ball would slip out of my hand and go in the gutter. Didn't seem to have any "in between"...either the thumb sticks and I throw it 25 feet or it slips out and goes 10ft into the gutter.

Fortunately, I had such a miserable week 1 that I actually helped the team in week 2 and raised my average by 6 pins. The lanes seemed a little drier than usual. Usually I don't hit left much on synthetic lanes but quite a few of my throws missed the headpin and went left which was unusual.

[Bunny]

First series was practice before leagues started:
366 Series: 104-125-137
Kinda sucked. I think the ball was slightly big due to being left in my trunk. I'm not sure.

Thursday League Night:
383 Series: 131-141-111
Extremely inconsistent. I'd throw a spare, a double, a couple spares...then a -/3 and a 5/-. I mean, I started out the 3rd game with a -/-. Some throws felt great...but the majority just felt horrible. I was tempted to give up on the new things I've been working on...but I tried to press onward. Had a LOT of thumb issues. Thumb would get stuck...I'd powder it...then the ball would slip out of my hand and go in the gutter. Didn't seem to have any "in between"...either the thumb sticks and I throw it 25 feet or it slips out and goes 10ft into the gutter.

Fortunately, I had such a miserable week 1 that I actually helped the team in week 2 and raised my average by 6 pins. The lanes seemed a little drier than usual. Usually I don't hit left much on synthetic lanes but quite a few of my throws missed the headpin and went left which was unusual.

Yeah, but we had a great time! We have the best team! Carter is a tough. Not sure why. I had to ball down to my Rising Star last night. The First Blood was so over/under. Luckily, I decided to switch early in the first game. First roll with the RS was a strike, good sign. That 13 lane was giving me trouble. The last game was open-mark-open-mark. I finally was able to break the unlucky lane 13 curse in the 5th with a strike. I think I went turkey after that but couldn't keep it going.

My spare shooting was not so great. Weird, I've been pretty solid in that area lately. Per Aslan's observation, I went back to using the RS for left sided spares and that helped.

Thanks Aslan, or Asia, or Walter, or whatever your name is!!

[Aslan]

It'll be interesting to see where we are in the standings after this week. Me and Babs had better games in week 2, you had to be "near" what you did last week, and Buddy was killing it later in the night. We could be as high as 2nd place going into next week. I mean, I think in that last game Buddy rolled a 186 or something...that might be the high game last night.

[Bunny]

It'll be interesting to see where we are in the standings after this week. Me and Babs had better games in week 2, you had to be "near" what you did last week, and Buddy was killing it later in the night. We could be as high as 2nd place going into next week. I mean, I think in that last game Buddy rolled a 186 or something...that might be the high game last night.

Yes it will. I was above last week's ave, and yeah Buddy finished strong striking out for the 186. That's more like him. It's hard to tell, I didn't see everyone's scores but judging by the scores from last week, there was some MAJOR sandbagging going on. That's why I look at scratch scores after the first week. I'm not too concerned about winning the league because as we've discussed before people cheat.

That reminds me...

We were bowling next to a guy at Carter. He bowled a 300. We were congratulating him and clapping. He started going, "Shhh." "No 300, just practice." "No 300, just practice." Then immediately high-tailed it out of there.

Whatevs.

[Aslan]

I'm not too concerned about winning the league because as we've discussed before people cheat.

Well I AM! I plan on dominating the **** out of this league. And if I gotta go Tonya Harding on somebody...then so be it. This is league play, it determines who goes ot the next round robin. Am I wrong?

[Aslan]

Well...what word can describe tonight's practice...***p, abortion, disaster, horrible, bull****, garbage, refuse, defacation...I could go on and on...

Wasn't gonna bowl...but I was bored. So...went to the lanes...took advantage of the great league practice benefits.

342 Series: 103-116-123
Tried not to get too worked up. I wasn't striking much, but I was doing "okay" on spares and getting practice...and I figured I'd score better as the night went on and I found my spot.

374 Series: 145-119-110
The 145 was the highlight...from there I started to lose it. Just lost it. Couldn't get the ball to do anything. I was missing my mark, throwing it in the gutter...the I'd hit my mark but the ball would either sail straight into the right side or cut too far left and hit the 4-7.

But...even though I could feel it...that game 6 I was "done"...I just couldn't end with a 110. So...

360 Series: 127-99-134
The first game was "okay"...just wasn't hitting pins after spares...like 9 /, - 9, 9 /, 3 -, 7 /...just stupid. Then things got BAD. My thumb tends to stick in the ball...and if I powder it...the ball slips off my hand and goes into the right gutter. So...I'd throw it...stick...hit the 4-7. Powder... -/7. Then...stick. Then, powder and gutter. Then stick...etc... etc... etc... And to make matters worse...I had been biting my nails earlier in the day...and kinda bit the cuticle on my right ring finger. Didn't hurt much early on...but after 7 games...it was so swollen, it was getting stuck in the finger hole. BUT...I couldn't end on a NINETY-NINE!!!....so I went to buy ONE MORE game!

But...apparently, Bowlmor/Carter believes in having only one person on the register at it's busiest times...so I had to wait in a huge line. There was a hot blonde in line I really wanted to hit on...but of course I p*$$ed out and didn't. So when I finally go to pay for one more game...the guy can't enter it in because it's "extreme cosmic bowling time"...and I can't use my practice rate during that time. I politely told him that I was in line since before cosmic bowling started...but he couldn't enter it in the computer and had to go get the manager...but she was busy...so I ended up getting the last game for free...after waiting about 25 minutes. : (

And...my reward?? The last game was like trying to bowl in a closet...with no lights...and your annoying hispanic neighbor kids running around. Neither group to my left or right...seemed to grasp the whole "courtesy" thing...and I lieterally could not see anything to aim at. Nothing. Completely dark. I just aimed where I thought my mark would be, lucked into a couple strikes, picked up a couple spares...but it was stupid. By then my finger was throbbing and my left knee was aching and pretty much just blown out.

So...I kinda wanted to bowl tomorrow...but I think I'm gonna take a day off. I might bowl on Sunday afternoon...I don't know. But...I think I'm gonna take a break from the bowling forums...gonna punish myself for such an embarrassing performance. I need to "reflect" because I'm supposed to start my 2nd league a week from tonight...and I don't know...I gotta re-think that. If I'm THIS bad...I gotta re-think my strategy.

[Aslan]

I did some practicing today. Trying to rid myself of the memory of Friday night.

420 Series: 165-123-132

445 Series: 131-142-172

Was having trouble with spares the whole practice. And the strikes were few and far between. Had to aim more center than usual...boards 11-13. The ball had some "flare" after the bath it got a couple nights ago. But it still isn't coming across the lane like it used to.

Started finding my "groove" by game 6. Not so much my mark, but my entire swing motion. Was disappointed in my spare shooting. For a couple games I switched to a spare ball, straight across the alley approach, but then went back. Normally I try to practice on synthetics on Sundays, but I didn't feel like paying $5.50/game...plus I needed to get back in the swing of things...bowling on wood where I knew I could probably get back on track.