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

[vdubtx]

I need to be more patient.

That certainly can help you. One step at a time.

[Amyers]

You shot 772 on it including a 300-game. Correct?

And even Iceman shot a 598. What did I shoot? 550?

So yeah, I appreciate the positive reinforcement, but I suck.

It's okay. I'm gonna put in some extra practice this week. The lessons with Mark Baker have been informative and I just think I have a lot of things to get tightened up before swimming with the sharks. I tried the abta last year and same thing. I need to be more patient.

Hey if I shot 550 on white with a sub 50% spare shooting I would at least be pretty happy with the strike ball!!! Just think what you would have shot with 50% spare shooting 6 months ago 130-150 probably. I know it's disappointing to perform below your expectations but you have to be honest with yourself and look at what needs improvement but give yourself credit for what has improved too. That crap happens to me on the spare shooting sometimes too. I've tries to figure out what causes it but never have when it happens and lasts more than a night or two I usually have to adjust slightly with my feet or release to fix it honestly think it just gets in my head sometimes.

[Aslan]

Yeah...there's something psychological with single-pin spare shooting that sometimes just really hurts amateur bowlers. You don't see it as much at the higher levels...but at the mid-levels of bowlers....better league bowlers...but not the high level ones...you see how once a pin is missed...then another...it's like a snowball rolling down a hill.

I had NO IDEA how to fix it. I tried telling myself that it was no different than league night...I tried to stay confident...but again, my misses weren't "barely off" as they sometimes are during league play. I was missing my target 4-6 boards. I was throwing the ball in the gutters on both sides of the lane. I was chopping 6-10s and 4-7s....it was just a friggin disaster. And the minute I'd see a corner-pin standing...I'd get that crushing feeling that I was going to open. I felt like a Charlie Brown cartoon where the rain cloud was following me around.

And it didn't help that other guys in my foursome were striking Brooklyn constantly and hitting through the head and carrying strikes...yet I was leaving pocket 4-9s and stone 9s and stone 8s.

[Amyers]

Yeah...there's something psychological with single-pin spare shooting that sometimes just really hurts amateur bowlers. You don't see it as much at the higher levels...but at the mid-levels of bowlers....better league bowlers...but not the high level ones...you see how once a pin is missed...then another...it's like a snowball rolling down a hill.

I had NO IDEA how to fix it. I tried telling myself that it was no different than league night...I tried to stay confident...but again, my misses weren't "barely off" as they sometimes are during league play. I was missing my target 4-6 boards. I was throwing the ball in the gutters on both sides of the lane. I was chopping 6-10s and 4-7s....it was just a friggin disaster. And the minute I'd see a corner-pin standing...I'd get that crushing feeling that I was going to open. I felt like a Charlie Brown cartoon where the rain cloud was following me around.

And it didn't help that other guys in my foursome were striking Brooklyn constantly and hitting through the head and carrying strikes...yet I was leaving pocket 4-9s and stone 9s and stone 8s.

I've been there. Once that starts you can't fix it that day all you can do is finish up and hope they spelled your name wrong on the screen.

[Aslan]

Monday League: low oil synthetics, THS (38ft?) with some out of bounds at 1-3.

Got to the lanes early to try and work on some spare shooting and also to take a look at my arsenal top to bottom. With all the recent discussions on here, I'm starting to get a little less confident. The lanes I was practicing on hadn't been oiled since that morning so the Lethal Revolver was out. I looked at the Dark Encounter, worked on the Asylum a bit, then the Melee Jab and for the first time threw the Loaded Revolver.

I didn't keep score as I was using any spare leave to shoot corner pins (vs pick it up). But the two pearls (Melee Jab and Lo. Revolver) seemed to do quite nicely on the burnt up conditions.

534 Series: 160-186-188

Started with the D. Encounter. A chopped 2-5 and two missed corner leaves (6-10 and single-10); then a 5-7 split in the first 6 frames. Finished strong to salvage the 160.

Switched to the Asylum for Game 2. Needed to adjust a bit since the lines for the Le. Revolver and D. Encounter don't work as well for the Asylum. Only 1 open on a 8-10 pocket split in the 7th. Actually had a dutch-200 going through the first 6 frames.

Switched to the Melee Jab for Game 3. The Asylum just didn't seem to be working on the left lane...I thought maybe the Melee Jab would. It was okay. I made at least 4 bad shots in Game 3 so it was harder to tell.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.79 pins
Strikes: 33% (2 doubles, and 7 singles)
Spares: 70% picked up

Single Pin spares: 88% (8/9)
Most common single-pin leaves: 3-pin, 6-pin, and 10-pin (2x each)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 7-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 54% (6/11)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 6-10 and 2-4-5-8 bucket (2x each).

Splits: 33% (1/3)

Average over 3 games: 178.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 181.00.

Bad night but could have been worse. The spare shooting was still a bit problematic. The stats look better than they are given most of my single-pin spare leaves were in the middle. The rest of the stats tell the story. I was average on spares and couldn't strike.

Tonight was example of what RobM talks about with lane variation. Through 2 games;
- I struck on the right lane 7 times
- I struck on the left lane ONCE.

And part of that, and part of the reason I was going through my arsenal faster than usual is the league has 22 teams and only 20 lanes on each side of the alley. It's the only bowling alley outside of Vegas that I've bowled at that has lanes on two sides. So one pair of teams has to go to the west side of the alley to bowl...and for some reason they didn't oil that side. So I imagine the left lane had really had a lot of traffic up the right side because I really had to move in to find anything playable. Definitely couldn't figure that lane out.

Our team took all 4 points from the opponent so I'm sure we're in the top 3 now. But my potential dating interest hooked up with the other guy on our team...so I had to watch them playing little lover games during bowling...which was annoying. I can't blame her. The kid has nice eyes, a slim build, he's a great bowler, seems like a nice guy...she could do worse. And there's the added bonus that he's probably within 3 years of her age-wise versus my 14. But thats fine. I need to focus on my bowling during league night anyways rather than getting distracted with girls. Gotta find a way to consistently get in the 190s on these conditions.

[Blacksox1]

Consider this for game 3. Use asylum on the right lane and something else on the left lane. Ouch on the girl. Better to find that out sooner than later.

[NYMIKE]

Monday League: low oil synthetics, THS (38ft?) with some out of bounds at 1-3.

Got to the lanes early to try and work on some spare shooting and also to take a look at my arsenal top to bottom. With all the recent discussions on here, I'm starting to get a little less confident. The lanes I was practicing on hadn't been oiled since that morning so the Lethal Revolver was out. I looked at the Dark Encounter, worked on the Asylum a bit, then the Melee Jab and for the first time threw the Loaded Revolver.

I didn't keep score as I was using any spare leave to shoot corner pins (vs pick it up). But the two pearls (Melee Jab and Lo. Revolver) seemed to do quite nicely on the burnt up conditions.

534 Series: 160-186-188

Started with the D. Encounter. A chopped 2-5 and two missed corner leaves (6-10 and single-10); then a 5-7 split in the first 6 frames. Finished strong to salvage the 160.

Switched to the Asylum for Game 2. Needed to adjust a bit since the lines for the Le. Revolver and D. Encounter don't work as well for the Asylum. Only 1 open on a 8-10 pocket split in the 7th. Actually had a dutch-200 going through the first 6 frames.

Switched to the Melee Jab for Game 3. The Asylum just didn't seem to be working on the left lane...I thought maybe the Melee Jab would. It was okay. I made at least 4 bad shots in Game 3 so it was harder to tell.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.79 pins
Strikes: 33% (2 doubles, and 7 singles)
Spares: 70% picked up

Single Pin spares: 88% (8/9)
Most common single-pin leaves: 3-pin, 6-pin, and 10-pin (2x each)
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 7-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 54% (6/11)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 6-10 and 2-4-5-8 bucket (2x each).

Splits: 33% (1/3)

Average over 3 games: 178.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 181.00.

Bad night but could have been worse. The spare shooting was still a bit problematic. The stats look better than they are given most of my single-pin spare leaves were in the middle. The rest of the stats tell the story. I was average on spares and couldn't strike.

Tonight was example of what RobM talks about with lane variation. Through 2 games;
- I struck on the right lane 7 times
- I struck on the left lane ONCE.

And part of that, and part of the reason I was going through my arsenal faster than usual is the league has 22 teams and only 20 lanes on each side of the alley. It's the only bowling alley outside of Vegas that I've bowled at that has lanes on two sides. So one pair of teams has to go to the west side of the alley to bowl...and for some reason they didn't oil that side. So I imagine the left lane had really had a lot of traffic up the right side because I really had to move in to find anything playable. Definitely couldn't figure that lane out.

Our team took all 4 points from the opponent so I'm sure we're in the top 3 now. But my potential dating interest hooked up with the other guy on our team...so I had to watch them playing little lover games during bowling...which was annoying. I can't blame her. The kid has nice eyes, a slim build, he's a great bowler, seems like a nice guy...she could do worse. And there's the added bonus that he's probably within 3 years of her age-wise versus my 14. But thats fine. I need to focus on my bowling during league night anyways rather than getting distracted with girls. Gotta find a way to consistently get in the 190s on these conditions.

Wow I be uncomfortable if the girl I was after was messing with my teammate, probably I would quit that league, I realize most people are less sensitive than me.

[Aslan]

Wow I be uncomfortable if the girl I was after was messing with my teammate, probably I would quit that league, I realize most people are less sensitive than me.

It occurred to me.

I prefer to look at it as a life lesson...never try to date someone less than "half your age + 7". Dating rules exist for a reason.

It just means I'll be getting drunk more. No bigee...I walk home from the center anyways...so I can drink all I want.

[Aslan]

Tuesday Practice: medium-dry lanes, THS

I usually practice on every other Thursday, but I guess I have a date Thursday...which I'm not that excited about. I almost cancelled to practice bowling...but figured I might as well get it over with.

My goals for this practice:
- First 2 games; concentrate on a short first step.
- Second 2 games; try to walk straight and keep track of any drift.
- Third 2 games; focus on staying under the ball during the release.
- Last 2 games; try to put all the elements together.
- Work on corner-pin spare shooting

First 2 Games: 147-145
Had trouble getting the Lethal Revolver to work right up the 8-board. Mainly throwing between 2nd and 3rd arrow. Game 1 I was just rusty. Game 2 was a lot of splits and washouts.

Next 2 Games: 149-191
Game 3 was more of the same. I tried switching to the Dark Encounter for the 3rd frame but that didn't work. So I switched to the Asylum and moved back over to 2nd arrow. Managed to throw some strikes but it was still "off".

My drift was: 1R, 1R, 1.5R, stuck, 1.5R, 3R, 1L, 3R, 2R, 0, 3R. Game 2 was 2R, 2.5R, 2.5R, 1.5R, 2.5R, 2R, 1R, 1R, 1R, 2.5R, 1.5R.

Next 2 Games: 180-209 (clean)
Game 5 I switched to the Melee Jab that RobM gave me out in Vegas. Couldn't seem to find the right line until the 10th...but I DID pick up my first ever 6-7-10 split in the 2nd frame. Game 6 was more of the same. I had an all-spare game through 7 frames until running a few strikes together and finishing clean.

Next 2 Games: 227-209 (clean)
Game 7 was one of my better games. I was able to relax a bit now that I was just "bowling" (versus working on a specific approach/release/footwork item). Eight strikes and only one open frame. Game 8 was my second 209 game and my second clean game. Mostly spares though. I switched to the Loaded Revolver in frame 6 but had the same results as the Melee Jab.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.75 pins
Strikes: 38% (1 5-bagger, 2 turkeys, 6 doubles, and 11 singles)
Spares: 64% picked up

Single Pin spares: 77% (17/22)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (5x).
Never left a single 1-pin, 5-pin, 6-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 54% (17/31)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-4 (4x).

Splits: 22% (2/9).

Average over 3 games: 182.12.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 188.50.

Might still need more work on the footwork and drift. One coach seems to think a little drift isn't a bad thing so long as it's minor and consistent. As you can see from the data, my drift is VERY consistent. It's usually 3-5 boards right...but I tried to stay as straight as I could and it ended up being more in the 1-3 range. My other coach doesn't like it and claims it might be why I'm having trouble playing further inside (my body is naturally compensating by moving back right). The real benefit was seen when I started focusing more on my release.

Not sure about the ball situation. On fresh conditions, starting with my strongest solids up the 6-7 boards seems to work well on Wednesday nights but not as well on Monday nights. I had some luck playing more inside with the pearls (Melee Jab) in Vegas when I was working with Rob and I seemed to have some luck with the pearls (Melee and Loaded Revolver) tonight (at the Monday house). I'm wondering if maybe I'm just using the wrong balls on Mondays.

It just doesn't make any sense. Why would the solids work so well up the outside on a very easy THS...but on a pattern that seems to be a tighter shot...with a bit of OOB at 1-3...the pearls seem better. Logic dictates that either the Monday center has a narrower pattern and the solids are burning up when thrown up the 8-board...or the pearls are doing well simply because the lanes are so broken down for practice that the pearls are the only things that are playable. Unfortunately...I can't practice on league conditions unless I play in the colored-pin tournaments on Saturdays.

[Tony]

Tuesday Practice: medium-dry lanes, THS

I usually practice on every other Thursday, but I guess I have a date Thursday...which I'm not that excited about. I almost cancelled to practice bowling...but figured I might as well get it over with.

Get the date or the practice over with ? You " guess " you have a date, was it arranged by someone against your will ? Is she old enough to drink ? lol