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

[Amyers]

Monday VBT Tour
Forest Lanes; Lake Forest, CA
low oil synthetics

I decided to join Bunny and bowl in Lake Forest since it's always better to have a bowling buddy AND I avoid a -10-pin per game penalty bowling at AMF Carter…where I don't bowl well. : )

Practice: 209
XXX Series: - - -

Managed to find my strike ball and strung together a 4-bagger. Only open frame was a 6-7 split in the 10th. So I was feeling pretty good about these conditions going into the match. Unfortunately, I was also worried because the lanes were QUITE dry and I was already moved very far left…almost on the verge of balling down.

PinPal Stats:

Scores and stats to be displayed once Amyers bowls and scores are posted.

Me vs. the lion man. Did he mane up after that high practice round or fall like humpy dumpty. I haven't bowled at galaxy lanes since juniors state championships in what year I don't remember. I believe my team was fourth that year. I'm waiting on the arrival of the asylum to bowl my games. Will the arrival of my new ball spell aslan's doom only time will tell.

[Aslan]

Monday Practice: low-oil synthetics

Was focusing on primarily TWO things: Slowing down my feet and keeping my hand behind the ball longer.

517 Series: 141-186-190
Well, after game 1…I was about to give up completely on this whole "behind the ball" nonsense. I couldn't hit my mark at all and had 4 open frames to show for it. Game 2 was better…and I started to strike a little. Game 3 was clean except for a chopped 3-10 split in the 6th. Some strikes…more than I have been, but not as much as I had hoped.

532 Series: 133-210-189
Again, after Game 1…I was mumbling some "not nice" words regarding the hand behind the ball advice…as my accuracy was abysmal. I struck a few times and picked up a couple spares…but 3 splits and 2 opens ruined the game. Game 2 was clean through 7 until I chopped a 2-5. I finished with a couple spares for a very good 210. Game 3 was better than the score indicates. I opened with a 4-9 split but then was clean. But, not a ton of strikes…so I was still hesitant about this new approach. But the slowing down of the steps seemed to be helping…even more so than the wrist position.

507 Series: 165-166-176
I was pretty tired at this point so I lost a lot of "zip" off the release. In game 1, struggled with accuracy…a few opens…only a few strikes. Game 2, more of the same…a couple opens, a split, only a few strikes. Same thing with Game 3. No opens, but 2 splits and only a few strikes.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.40 pins
Strikes: 32% (2 turkeys, 7 doubles and 11 singles)
Spares: 60% picked up

Single Pin spares: 91% (21/23)
Most common single-pin leaves: 6-pin (7x).
Never left a single 1-pin nor 2-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 42% (16/38)
Most common multi-pin spare leaves: 6-10 and 6-7 split (3x each).

Splits: 0% (0/9)

Average over 9 games: 172.89.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 174.78.

Didn't see a lot of difference keeping my hand behind the ball. I mean, it was faster, hit the pins harder, and went straighter with more revs…which is what I'd expect. But I struggled with timing and accuracy…pulled a lot of shots trying to "throw" it.

I did see some positive results from concentrating on slowing the feet down. Hard to do since it's sort of a natural thing…so I have to really, really concentrate on it. And by slowing it down, it also messed with my timing. I had to intentionally lengthen the backswing to make up for the slower approach to the line.

So, jury is still out. I think I'll continue to work on the feet and slowing things down…try to get the timing synced up. Then I'll see where I'm at and whether I can incorporate the new release or not. I think way too much and can only incorporate one new thing at a time.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Hey aslan, how far from the arizona border are you?

[Aslan]

Hey aslan, how far from the arizona border are you?

3 hours from Blythe. 4 hours from Yuma. 4 hours from Needles. In good traffic...which is rare.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I live about 3 1/2 hours from blythe. Maybe i will get involved next time with the virtual tour and we can bowl in blythe sometime.

[Aslan]

I live about 3 1/2 hours from blythe. Maybe i will get involved next time with the virtual tour and we can bowl in blythe sometime.

Absolutely!

[MICHAEL]

3 hours from Blythe. 4 hours from Yuma. 4 hours from Needles. In good traffic...which is rare.

Needles... ( I remember when we lived in Modesto Ca, My wife had a business trip to Texas,,, she ran out of gas in the middle of the desert Needles, in august, in a FRICKEN PRIUS!!! A PRIUS!! 50 miles per gallon car!! Gas stations can be pretty good distance apart... she got help! We have road side assistance, she got 5 gallons of gas, which got her to her destination, Fort Worth. She was getting unbelievable mileage out of that car. many times right at 60 mpg! We have had 3 of them.... Today we got 77.2 on a short tip from the store.... Great cars, now made in America!

[tccstudent]

Needles... ( I remember when we lived in Modesto Ca, My wife had a business trip to Texas,,, she ran out of gas in the middle of the desert Needles, in august, in a FRICKEN PRIUS!!! A PRIUS!! 50 miles per gallon car!! Gas stations can be pretty good distance apart... she got help! We have road side assistance, she got 5 gallons of gas, which got her to her destination, Fort Worth. She was getting unbelievable mileage out of that car. many times right at 60 mpg! We have had 3 of them.... Today we got 77.2 on a short tip from the store.... Great cars, now made in America!

I do not believe that at all there is no way she went from Needles to Ft Worth on 5 gallons that would be over 250mpg

[Aslan]

I do not believe that at all there is no way she went from Needles to Ft Worth on 5 gallons that would be over 250mpg

Yeah...but you're not taking into account how gifted the car was.

Geesh. Have you guys learned NOTHING yet on this site!!

I dislike PRiusis. I bought one for my wife...soon to be ex-wife...and it had a rather annoying flaw that if you left it on, but didn't actually drive...it would run the battery quickly down to zero. And since, the battery is needed (at least somewhat) to operate the car...well, you're screwed. This is usually not an issue for those of us now on the sunny west coast. But as those in the frigid north will tell you...often times in the winter, one will start their car and let it run before actually driving to work. Thats called "letting it warm up"...and it defrosts the windows, etc... Many people in the North have automatic car starters so they can start their car without even going outside. Well, we did that one morning...back in my Michigan (state Mudpuppy loves) days...as I shoveled snow out from under it so I could actually get out of the driveway (joy)...and when I was done....car died and wouldn't start...I had drained the battery.

Thats not nearly my only horrible Michigan/snow/cold/driving/car story....I have amassed many, many, many reasons not to live there anymore. But the one that stands out...is when it turned - 70F where I went to college...and like an idiot....I walked out to my car (wind at my back so my face wouldn't freeze)...and when I opened the door...it was SO cold...that the speaker wires inside the door snapped. I tried to start it, but it wouldn't turn over. I walked BACK to my dorm (backwards, wind always at your back)...called my dad...and he said to take baking soda and water and with a brush, clean the contacts on the battery. So I followed this advice and by the time I got to the car, the baking soda and water in my bucket had frozen solid...so I walked BACK to my dorm room and decided not to go out.

True stories.

[Aslan]

Thursday League: medium oil synthetics

457 Series: 163-149-145
Got to the league night too late to practice so I kinda went in blind…lanes were slicker than usual…so first frame I left a 1-2-10 washout. Missed a single 5-pin in the 5th then chopped a 2-5 in the 6th. Game 2, just bad spare shooting. Missed a 6-10, a single 9-pin, and a single 6-pin. Game 3 I felt like I was actually doing better, but I threw a first ball in the gutter in the 4th and only got 9 that frame. Then 3 splits…not much I can do there.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.41 pins
Strikes: 31% (1 double and 8 singles)
Spares: 42% picked up

Single Pin spares: 50% (3/6)
Most common single-pin leave: 5-pin (2x).
Never left a single 1-pin, 2-pin, 3-pin, 7-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 40% (6/15)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 3-6 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 152.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 162.33.

Stats were different tonight. Twice as many strikes…but my spare shooting was off a bit. I tried to keep working on slowing down my approach…which was causing me some problems with my timing.

Really embarrassing though. One of the new bowlers actually beat my scratch series…which is a first. I mean, sometimes they go on a good run and I've had a beginner beat me one GAME…but never a series. After the match, the only decent player on the other team came over to shake hands and when I tried to shake his hand he said, "I'm not shaking your hand. You obviously weren't trying because I know you're a better bowler than that." Not sure if that was a compliment or a put down. I mean, I guess on the one hand he was saying that he can tell from my approach and posting that I'm a better bowler. On the other hand, maybe he just saw that a guy with a 171 average just tanked and figured I did it on purpose.

Good news? The team had fun and we took 4 points so we're in the 2nd -7th place range. And I DID strike more this time (31% versus 15%). Not sure why I missed easy spares tonight. I didn't drink too much. I "felt" good. But thats 4 sub-500 series in a row. I know I shouldn't give up…but I think it's time to figure out whats going wrong. Maybe I'll hit the clinic Saturday if it's going on. If not, maybe get a lesson or something.