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

[Aslan]

Monday League: heavy oil synthetics, THS (38-40ft?) with some out of bounds at 1-3.

497 Series: 166-174-157

Tried to start out with the Melee Jab in practice but the lanes were playing very heavy (oil). I was barely clipping the 3-pin much less having a chance to get back to the pocket.

All 3 games were the same and unworthy of both writing and reading.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 7.94 pins
Strikes: 18% (1 double and 4 singles)
Spares: 75% picked up

Single Pin spares: 75% (6/8)
Most common single-pin leaves: 10-pin (3x)
Also left the 2-pin, 5-pin, and 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 75% (12/16)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-8 and 1-2-4 (3x each).

Splits: n/a.

Average over 3 games: 165.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 172.33.

Very frustrating. Made a LOT of spares. Not good enough to have to pick up 8 spares a game. The highlight of the evening was picking up a 1-2-8-10 throwing a back-up ball. Thanks to RobM for teaching me a back-up ball way back the first time I was out in Vegas. It was also significant because it was the 4th frame of Game 2 and at that point I was on track for an all-spares game...but struck the next frame....but it still kept my clean game bid alive which lasted till the 10th when I pulled a shot at the 1-2-8.

Not a good night. Our first place team lost 3 of 4. The other team members can't seem to show up on time. Our best bowler was late and missed Game 1...then proceeded to absolutely stink two games in a row. One of our players only shows up once every 3 weeks. And just impossible conditions tonight. I left a ringing 5-pin, ringing 7-pin, and ringing 10-pin. Thats more "ringing" leaves in one series than I've had accumulated in 2 years. I always leave flat 7s or 10s.

And it should feel strange. Because tonight I played 4.5 to 7.5 the ENTIRE NIGHT. I usually never target outside of 6 at the dots...too chancy that a slight miss puts it in the gutter. And after 2-3 games...I'm usually targeting inside of 11 (at the dots) and my feet are 20-24. But tonight it was firing it up around 5...with a 2-board miss right being a 6-9-10 hit and a miss 2 boards inside and you're leaving a 1-3-9.

I'm tired of doing well in "fantasyland" on Wednesdays, happy and whistling a tune on the way home...only to go in on Monday Night at the other "Non-Fantasyland" center and struggle to get above a 500 series. Six strikes and six opens. I gotta go re-read Suzie's article on BTM about "mental something" because I was so mad tonight that I even got mad when I didn't win the mystery score....which I usually don't give two poopdonglers about. And with all that tenseness and frustration and insecurity piling up...it's no wonder I laid a ripe bomb in Game 3.

Oh well. I'm tired. Probably understandable when you throw the ball 56 times when you should be throwing it 39.

[RobLV1]

Tried to start out with the Melee Jab in practice but the lanes were playing very heavy (oil). I was barely clipping the 3-pin much less having a chance to get back to the pocket.

It seems like you've overlooked your angle. If you are playing outside and barely clipping the 3-pin, you simply have to decrease the angle that you are trying to play. To do this, close down your shoulders and hips slightly, so that you are going more directly at the 1-3 pocket. Sometimes there is area to swing the ball, and sometimes there's not. The lanes will tell you how they want to be played... you simply have to listen.

[Jessiewoodard57]

Sunday I had the reverse conditions. I tried starting with my Haywire as I usually do at this house but when I seen the first roll and realized how dry it was I immediately switched to a ball I had zero games on, my Joy-Ride. Got to say on dry lanes I love the ball! Quickly found the pocket and managed a 173 out of the ball. My Hammer Taboo spare use to be my dry lane ball but as predictable as the Joy-Ride is I will be retiring the hammer.

[Aslan]

Wednesday League: low-medium-oil synthetics, easier house shot

523 Series: 156-192-175

Game 1 I was coming in right. Not sure why. Probably release....maybe angle. Could be ball choice/line choice. Amazingly was still alive in one of the 3 brackets going into Game 2 but that ended quickly. Only 3 opens in Game 1; but I could only strike twice. Lowest score this season in this league. Three more opens in Game 2, including a missed single 4-pin and a missed single 10-pin. Game 3 I only had two opens; both splits...but strikes were few and far between.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.61 pins
Strikes: 33% (1 4-bagger and 7 singles)
Spares: 57% picked up

Single Pin spares: 71% (5/7)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (3x)
Only other single-pins were the 2-pin, 4-pin, and two 7-pins.

Multiple Pin spares: 50% (7/14)
Most common multi-pin leaves were the 1-2-4 and the 2-4-10 split (2x each)

Splits: 0% (0/4).

Average over 3 games: 174.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 181.00.

Pretty much poo.

Had a lesson. Things looked pretty good. Had confidence. The shot didn't seem that tricky. But I'm just not very good. This was my lowest single-game (156) and lowest series (523) of the season in this league. The only good news is that the team took 3 out of 4 points.

[J Anderson]

Wednesday League: low-medium-oil synthetics, easier house shot


Game 1 I was coming in right. Not sure why.

Aslan, you are among the five most analytical posters on this site. The other four would be Mike W. Rob M. Bill F. and Bowl 1820. You couldn't figure out why???????

Seriously, unless doing something wrong that's easy to try to correct like not using your balance arm or essential like your timing is way off, it really doesn't matter why. If you are consistently missing the pocket right you are not likely to suddenly start throwing it "better" and get the ball to finish in the pocket. In competition, your physical game is what it is; the result of habits set from your practice sessions and your state of health and fitness at that moment. Aside from getting tired as the match goes on it is not going to change. Keep the variables simple. You can change the angle of your line. You can change where your line is on the lane. Once you find that combination that gets you from consistently right of pocket to consistently in the pocket, you can figure out by the pin carry whether it's the right ball.

[bubba809]

Aslan, you are among the five most analytical posters on this site. The other four would be Mike W. Rob M. Bill F. and Bowl 1820.

In the top 5? Really?? That's an insult to Aslan.

[Aslan]

In the top 5? Really?? That's an insult to Aslan.

I'd prefer top be on the "Top 5 Best Looking" list....but I'll take it.

I will honestly say that while I do approach the game analytically and critically...I have nowhere near the substantive value of guys like Rob, Bill, and Bowl1820.

WAY better looking though!! Maybe not "way"...and I am struggling to lose a bit of weight around the midsection...so it might be a 'push' right now.

But it's an "honor just to be nominated".

Seriously, unless doing something wrong that's easy to try to correct like not using your balance arm or essential like your timing is way off, it really doesn't matter why. If you are consistently missing the pocket right you are not likely to suddenly start throwing it "better"...

I see what you're getting at. And to some degree you are right. That's why I try not to (and don't recommend) using things I JUST LEARNED in my lesson...until I have some time to practice it.

But what I was trying to explain (but was and am slightly too dejected and humiliated and still am to really give a POO); is that with my lessons with the two Pros I see every 4 weeks (different pros, different times)...I'm continuing to see approach issues:
- First step too big
- Too far back rushing the line vs. too close and the timing impacts
- hand position: Under the ball? coming through the ball? Consistency?
- swing: muscled?
- form at the line: knee bend too much or not enough? balanced? spine tilt?

And that's just off the top of my head. The point is that both coaches are seeing the same problems...but their approaches to fixing it are slightly different:

Coach #1 wants me to improve my release by getting lower at the line with a slight forward spine tilt. And the reason for this is through observation...seeing that when I'm low (where my knee is bent and my slide foot is on it's side touching the approach)...my hand almost is forced to stay under the ball. And when I can get low, relax my swing, NOT raise up or pop up at the end (even though WRW does it)....I see a lot of downlane movement.

But when I DON'T do all those things....I don't get that good release and I don't get the backend motion and I don't get the carry.

Coach #2 doesn't worry as much about getting lower or spine tilt...but is more concerned that sometimes I release the ball properly...and get good results...and sometimes I release it more like a 'suitcase' release...and then I get very little movement...poor carry.

So for the past couple months...I've been working on a shorter first step....staying balanced at the line...good form, don't bend the elbow prematurely, focus, and come through the ball with my fingers...but in the last couple weeks...I've focused a little less on the shorter first step and getting low and spine tilt and focused more on getting that hand to stay more under the ball.

So...there you can see the dilemma. There's a LOT going on in the old duder's head. And I can't use the excuse that maybe one or both of the coaches are wrong...because both are current/past PBA bowlers...and all my coaches (including Rob) are at least USBC Silver. And they ALL see very similar things and similar flaws...and most of the time the approaches to fixing those issues are very similar.

I'm just starting to question whether I have that "Gift" that Iceman always preaches about. Most of the time I think he's full of poo regarding that...but maybe not? Like Mark Baker and Marshall Holman said at last year's WSOB (answering my question on Facebook) when asked whether a bowler needed natural talent (the gift) or if a bad bowler could through hard work and dedication become an elite bowler without said natural talent....and they both kinda agreed that they've seen a lot of gifted bowlers that don't work hard enough and don't reach their potential....but they've seen relatively few bowlers that are 'bad' and work on their game enough to become 'elite'...which I took to mean that you need to have at least some of the "gift" to go with the work...you need both.

I don't know. Maybe I'm burnt up...like a strong ball thrown up the dry outside...I just don't have enough of "it" at the end when I need it. I think I'm gonna just relax...maybe keep doing the lessons for awhile...probably stop doing sidepots and brackets...and just have some drinks and relax and try to have 'fun'. If I roll a 98...hey, as long as I had fun...it's all good.

[NewToBowling]

I've seen plenty of people with ugly uncoordinated releases still average well above 200. At some point you have to do what's comfortable (big first step, etc) and as long as it is consistent and repeatable to hell with what others say. Keep doing it.

[RobLV1]

I've seen plenty of people with ugly uncoordinated releases still average well above 200. At some point you have to do what's comfortable (big first step, etc) and as long as it is consistent and repeatable to hell with what others say. Keep doing it.

I hate to say it, but that point is when you've given up on improvement. A "big first step" may be consistent and repeatable, but it will also consistently result in timing issues at the line. That's what coaching is about: seeing causes and effects to help bowlers to improve. You're not helping anyone to improve with advice like this.

[Aslan]

I've seen plenty of people with ugly uncoordinated releases still average well above 200. At some point you have to do what's comfortable (big first step, etc) and as long as it is consistent and repeatable to hell with what others say. Keep doing it.

Agreed, but I also agree with Rob.

To be honest, that's whats so hard about trying to be a high-level bowler is that you see SO many people...bowlers that have the absolute worst form and release and balance and just everything...and then you watch them string 6-9 strikes together...most of which were "questionable"...and you can't help but think, "Wait. Should I just "give up" on doing things the "right" way? Because many people think the "right way" = whatever works...and what THEY are doing is working...and what I'm doing is NOT working."

But like Rob said...as soon as you do that...as soon as you fall into that trap...you've now reached your limit of what you can truly accomplish. I'm trying to break through barriers...and do it later in life....in a short time frame. Most bowlers on this site and most better league bowlers have a 30-year head start on me...and it's hard to be "patient" because I don't think I have 30 years left in me...I KNOW my knee doesn't. Either I use resources to acquire knowledge and improve at a fast pace...or I accept that I just waited too long to start this journey...and need to lower my expectations to what a standard league bowler expects...once a week have some drinks with some other adults and every 5-12 minutes you get up and roll a ball. Once a month ya roll a 200+...a few times a month ya roll in the 120s...but you care more about the drinks and quality of the food than you do about the score.

I'm even considering a total re-start...stop lugging 6 balls around and go back to just bowling with one ball. Get my old 70s ball bag with the little wire rack in it...stuff my shoes and a towel and a rosin bag...maybe some powder in there...throw a flat release at corner pins...and take all the ball/arsenal stuff out of the equation. Throw the Rhythm until it cracks in half...then move on to the next oldest ball...just use one ball like most everyone else on league night. And since I can't score with chicks (even if I could...I'm limited in discussing it), why not just wear gym shorts or sweat pants and a t-shirt? Who am I trying to impress? Just have some fun, have some drinks...maybe win a raffle or mystery score or something...just chill.

I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind by next Wednesday. I'm travelling for work the next week so I'll miss Monday league night anyways...got a week off from bowling. Might bowl Saturday night...maybe do the one ball thing...maybe not...we'll see.