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

[Aslan]

Tuesday League Night: low-medium oil synthetics

413 Series: 152-140-121

&^$%%^#& ($&&%^!

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 7.74 pins
Strikes: 22% (7 singles)
Spares: 41% picked up

Single Pin spares: 33% (2/6)
Most common single-pin leave: 3-pin (3x).
Other leaves were a single 4-pin, 7-pin, and 10-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 44% (8/18)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/6)

Average over 3 games: 137.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 148.33.

*#$&&% %*&$ ^%$^#.

So, playing the same team we played in Vegas at Sweeps…where I put up a 591 series (on Vegas conditions)…back in my home center…I display a 413??

In Game 1, 3 splits and a missed single 4-pin (despite 4 games of low-ball practice last week). Game 2…2 splits…a missed single 3-pin, and a chopped 1-2-4-8. And to add insult to injury…in the 10th frame I SLAMMED the ball into the inside of my left ankle deflecting it about 5ft into the gutter. Lets just say Game 3 my swing was destroyed as I was so afraid to get that ball anywhere close to my ankle (which was bruised and sore).

The last 6 games, starting at sweeps…over two leagues…I've averaged a 547 series (182). And now this. I was hoping to FINALLY answer my coaches question, "How have you been bowling lately?" with "Great actually!" But instead…I gotta answer with my usual, "Up and down".

[Amyers]

Well at least you can say it was a total disaster. I hate those days when my strike ball is working and I just can't spare or vise vs. and u have to wonder why. Looks like the wheels fell clean off now time to put them back on again

[Hampe]

Also, Hampe, VDub, and RobM might be extra proud of me that the 218 clean game I was using different balls for each lane as the left lane seemed noticeably drier/shorter than the right lane.

Well, I can't speak for the other two, but for me, rolling a score like that while having to play a completely different line on each lane is more impressive than just playing with different balls (especially if you're playing with 2 different balls so you can play the same line).

BUT (despite what I consider impressive or not), it is good that you were using the ball that gave you the best chance to strike on each lane. That's the most important thing


And don't get too down regarding your most recent lapse. It happens to everybody. Bowling and golf are similar in that way.....as soon as you think you got everything figured out, a round like that comes along and knocks you back on your butt . Some nights it just seems to snowball on you. The important thing is to just put it behind you, think about what you were doing wrong (in my experience, a lot of times I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong while it's happening, but after contemplating on it for a day or 2 it will usually occur to me what it was), and try to do better next time.

[Aslan]

Well, I can't speak for the other two, but for me, rolling a score like that while having to play a completely different line on each lane is more impressive than just playing with different balls (especially if you're playing with 2 different balls so you can play the same line).

BUT (despite what I consider impressive or not), it is good that you were using the ball that gave you the best chance to strike on each lane. That's the most important thing .

I can't remember if it was the same line or not. I usually decide on the line for each lane during practice. I try my strongest ball up the outside (5-9) and up the 'middle' (10-14). If it's going left on those lines, I may get brave and try the 'inside' (15-21)...but that usually isn't successful. I just can't create enough angle to hit the breakpoint from there and have it come back.

I then try my next strongest ball up the outside and middle...and once in a great while up the inside. I usually end up using the strongest ball and I usually end up playing the outside line. Those are my "defaults". But given that little protocol....it's very often the case that I'm using a different ball on 2 lanes or playing different lines with the same ball or even different lines with different balls. I try to let the lanes dictate what I should do rather than me just throw my strongest ball over and over up 2nd arrow.

The coach might have figured out my ankle issue. It appears I was developing a bad habit where my initial push-away was slightly out to the right. This led me to 'figure 8' the ball in the swing so the ball wasn't coming straight BY my ankle...it was coming TOWARDS my ankle.

Some signs of improvement are:

1) The ball is getting closer and closer to my ankle...and it SHOULD. I used to have a swing that was too far from my body...now it's better.

2) I bought my 6th VISE IT insert last Thursday. Apparently...as I'm gripping the ball less and my swing has become more relaxed...my thumb is coming out of the ball easier...which means previously drilled inserts are getting "too big".

Other than that...a LOT of work on release. Like most others, my coach doesn't like my loft. Thus far all attempts to eliminate it have somewhat failed. It's almost at the point where I wish I lived closer to Mika so I could get him to coach me since it's a part of his game and he's successful with it. But, I'm still trying to get rid of it. Right now we're trying to move eyes in from the arrows to the dots. I have a tendency to throw the ball wherever I'm looking (rather than TOWARDS wherever I'm looking). So we're going to try to move my eyes in and see if that allows me to release the ball only a 'little' late versus a "lot" late.

I worry about this approach for 3 reasons:
1) As our target moves in...our accuracy should increase...but if we miss...we miss much bigger down lane. (Think of a rifle barrel versus a snub nose revolver).
2) I have a tendency to limit my follow-through if I target too early.
3) It limits my ability to adjust for pin carry by moving my target forward and back.

Where it might be helpful to adopt is:
- Releasing it earlier adds revs...and it's the "good" kind of revs (hand behind the ball, etc...).

And...I need to say focused on my mark until the ball is past it...sometimes (like golf), I pick my head up too soon.

[Amyers]

I've tried targeting at the dots and I cant do it. my accuracy goes everywhere

[Aslan]

Monday Practice: medium oil synthetics

Warm-Up Game: (didn't keep score; 178 I think)

453 Series: 118-159-176
First 2 games I was back to missing right. Calmed down and had a decent 3rd game which would have been a higher score if I hadn't ended with a pocket 7-10 in the 10th.

574 Series: 208 clean-168-198
After really struggling to get back to the pocket, I took drastic measures and put my big wrist brace on. Missed a couple makeable spares in Game 2. Game 3 was a chopped 6-10 in the 8th away from being a clean 209. I tried to take the wrist brace off in Game 3, but almost immediately started missing right so I put it back on.

613 Series: 198-215-200
I was going to cut it off (practice) after 6 games but felt I was on to something so I stuck around for another set. I felt like I was keeping my hand behind the ball better. I took the wrist brace off for Game 1 and did 'okay'. Game 1 I chopped another 6-10 in the 6th and then again in the 10th. I put the wrist brace back on for Games 2 and 3. Game 2 I strung a 5-bagger together which made up for a - 8 open in the 1st and a missed 10-pin in the 3rd. Game 3 was clean until the 10th when I missed right and left the 2-4-5-7 which I chopped.

Arguably Useful/Non-Useful Statistics:
First Ball Average: 8.45 pins
Strikes: 39% (1 5-bagger, 1 4-bagger, 2 turkeys, 4 doubles, and 15 singles)
Spares: 59% picked up

Single Pin spares: 78% (15/19)
Most common single-pin leaves: 7-pin and 10-pin (5x each).
Never left a single 1-pin, 6-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 50% (19/38)
Most common multi-pin spare leaves: 6-10 (7x).

Splits: 0% (0/5)

Average over 3 games: 182.22.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 186.22.

Kind've a bummer. But a much needed practice after my worst league night ever last week and after my recent lesson.

I don't want to wear the wrist brace…but at this point the results seem to favor using it at least temporarily. One problem I've been having is that I take lessons at one of the easier houses in the area. So even if I don't release the ball well or hit my mark…the ball tends to strike. That makes whatever I'm working on in the lesson seem like, "whoa! This is really working!" Then I get back to my home center, one of the more challenging houses in the area, and suddenly things aren't working.

I mainly focused on getting my stance right…making sure I was pushing the ball away properly…and yes, targeting the dots. Not sure I'm sold on targeting the dots just yet…but I'll keep giving it a shot. Like Amyers eluded to…a miss that close on the lanes…ends up being magnified as the ball travels and ultimately reaches the pins. I'm tempted to abandon the idea given it was supposed to help me lay the ball down sooner and get more revs…which I can get fom the wrist brace. But I'd like to use the wrist brace temporarily and really only to keep my hand in the proper position. I still want/need to learn how to generate revs properly, lay the ball down (not loft it), use the lane, etc…

The trick will be adjusting to the wrist brace. A large wrist brace does a few things to my game:

1) It negatively affects my spare game. My goals is > 80% on single-pin spares EVERY time. That will be more challenging with the wrist brace on and I hate taking it on and off between shots.

2) It changes my lines. My "lines" that I use are based on how the ball has been moving in the particular center with my standard release. I may need a couple weeks of adjustments to take into account the ball hooking more.

3) MORE TAPE. I know…I already have WAY too much tape in my thumbholes (8-9 pieces). And using a large wrist brace causes your thumb to come out even easier…making the thumb hole seem too large. So I'll probably have to add even MORE tape.

I still have 199 games left (total, not per ball) before I make an arsenal change. But I'm far too cheap to have 5 balls plugged and re-drilled with smaller thumb holes. That would realistically cost about $175 MINIMUM. Even having the holes just widened to accept the VISE IT inserts would run at least $100. But that assumes it's that easy. These balls all have slightly different layouts and some are tri-grip drilled. There may be other layout related issues that need fixing. And that $100 or $175 could suddenly grow to closer to $275. All this for 5 balls that will be retired in < 200 games. And the biggest CULPRITS are actually the tri-grip trio (the Encounters (2) and the Slingshot). The Rhythm is actually "okay" and the spare ball was drilled more recently by Mike after my game had changed a bit and that thumb hole is smaller to begin with. But since I don't often USE the Encounters or the Slingshot…it's even less incentive to have them plugged and re-drilled.

ETA: For Hampe; I did practice using alternating lanes (league style) and I played the outside line on the left lane and the middle line on the right lane. Most of the time using different balls as well as different lines.

[Amyers]

Aslan why not just have the thumb holes slugged and redrilled? I know things are more expensive there in SoCal than they are here but I get charged $10 bucks for it here.

[Mike White]

Aslan why not just have the thumb holes slugged and redrilled? I know things are more expensive there in SoCal than they are here but I get charged $10 bucks for it here.

If it's a round thumb hole, I charge a whole $5 to drill the thumb hole in the slug, drill the hole in the ball for the slug, and glue the new slug into place.

[Aslan]

Aslan why not just have the thumb holes slugged and redrilled? I know things are more expensive there in SoCal than they are here but I get charged $10 bucks for it here.

It's $10-$15 to slug them. Then you have to pay another $35-$55 to re-drill. It might be lower if it's just the thumb...I'm just going off the prices I've gotten to have a used ball slugged and re-drilled.

Thats why I think buying used balls is kinda a waste of money. You end up getting a nice ball for $100 (rather than say $179 new); but then you need to slug and re-drill and now you've spent $170. It's still better than $179 + $55 = $234...but many shops drill the ball for free if you buy it from them (usually at a slightly higher than retail price...lets say $199). So it becomes a question of whether you want a brand new ball drilled once for $199-$234 out the door or if you want a twice drilled used ball for $170.

And thats where it depends greatly on the pro shop. Some pro shops mark up the balls $20-$90 and offer free drilling ($55 value) and they make their money in the mark-up. Other pro shops give you the same price as the internet but always charge the $55...so they make their money in the drilling. And just looking at the numbers...the 2nd way is more profitable because the shop can likely get the ball at below the internet cost...so they make a tiny bit in mark-up in addition to the $55 to drill.

But no, I don't think you can get one plugged AND re-drilled for $10...not around here anyways. I might be able to find a shop to drill each thumbhole for VISE IT inserts for $20 per thumbhole and then another $10-$15 for the little part the insert screws into. But thats probably my cheapest option of $30-$45 per ball x 5 balls = $150-$225 total.

Hey...another 199 games and it won't be an issue. Arsenal #2 is anxious to debut and ready to go! At my current rate of practice/league play/tournaments I should be making a wholesale arsenal change by the end of August. That'll give me 1-2 weeks to get used to it before my two leagues sweep in Vegas on September 12th.

So; 3-4 months of either dealing with the tape issue or just dropping the $200 on getting them slugged/re-drilled. Tough choice. I guess it'll depend on just how much of an annoyance the extra tape is. Also, there's an above average chance that when I meet again with my coach in 4 weeks...that the wrist brace might go back into re-retirement. Every time I've went to a positioner or brace...we've worked on fixing issues so wearing those devices would be unnecessary...and I don't see that opinion changing anytime soon.

[Amyers]

If it's a round thumb hole, I charge a whole $5 to drill the thumb hole in the slug, drill the hole in the ball for the slug, and glue the new slug into place.

Yeah the 10 bucks covers the drilling with the slug. Who charges separately for that it's insane. Anyone getting a ball slugged needs a new hole drilled unless your going from one handed to thumbless or something.