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

[fortheloveofbowling]

Nice bowling Aslan. Keep it up.

[manke]

Keep up the good work!!!

[Aslan]

I will tell you from my experience bowling in the 190-200 range kind of stinks your good enough to expect to compete with the big boys but not good enough to beat them on even a simi-regular basis. My Win, Lose, or Draw league from last fall was an eye opener for me on how much difference there is between a high 190's average and a 210-220 average.

The only advantage at 190 is I still get some handicap for sidepots that the 220+ guys don't get. I've won a couple sidepots because I'll throw a 240 game and even though the other guys might throw 250s/260s...I win. But yeah...I still get annoyed when I bowl a 215 clean and think I really did a good job then I look next to me and see one of the 200+ guys rolling his 2nd 250s game in a row.

In that house I have the 3rd highest season scratch series with a 689. The guy ahead of me has a 715-720...but the guy in 1st place is like 780 scratch. And that's where my game is still limited. I can catch fire and find lightening in a bottle and get near 700...but most nights I'm in the 500-620 range. Those guys roll almost entirely 600+ and sniff 800 series from time to time.

But...on Tuesdays...highest average bowler (and best non-pro form I've ever seen) rolls a 206 average. I think one other guy is at like 201. The rest of them are in the 190s. In that league I average 170. So, average can be misleading because the difficulty of the shot can vary so much. I used to always tease Iceman that he must bowl on tilted lanes in Missouri because he was rolling 700+ series and had a couple 300 games. Back then I was really just doing it to annoy him...but now that I've seen first hand the level and degree a center can affect their shot...good or bad...averages are almost useless in terms of comparing bowlers from different centers. It's why sweeps in Vegas can be so humbling or amateur tournaments so humbling. A LOT of bowlers average in the 180-230 range on some easy, shorter, heavy oil in the middle, grooved track to the pocket kind of house/center...then get to Vegas and average in the 150s. I think sweeps complaints were a driving factor in my Tuesday house making their pattern much harder than before...they got tired of league members complaining that once they get to Vegas...they can't bowl.

What they (Tuesday house) NEED to do is turn on the damn foul line buzzer for league play. It was annoying in Vegas when people all over the center were sliding over the foul line because they got so used to being able to do it in our house. During warm-up in Vegas it sounded like a fire alarm was going off as nearly everyone was sliding past the foul line. I play multiple houses and practiced on those lanes beforehand so I didn't have that issue.

[Aslan]

Tuesday League Night: medium oil synthetics/longer pattern

497 Series: 147-199-151

Game 1 I missed every multi-pin spare I left until the 10th. Made my single-pins…but couldn't make a 7 / to save my life.

Game 2 I missed a 4-pin and a 1-9 but was otherwise clean. Put a few strikes together in the 9th/10th to at least sniff a 200-game.

Game 3 had all the makings of an all-spare game but I missed a 6-10 in the 4th, struck on a lucky shot in the 5th, and chopped a 1-2-4 in the 6th…the rest spares…until I missed converting the 4-8 in the 10th. Should have used my spare ball on the 4-8 but it's a spare I rarely have ever left so for some reason I went for it with the strike ball. I missed left…which the spare ball wouldn't have helped…but I would have lined up much differently and that would have allowed me to pick it up.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.67 pins
Strikes: 33% (1 turkey, 1 double, and 6 singles)
Spares: 57% picked up

Single Pin spares: 88% (8/9)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (4x).

Multiple Pin spares: 33% (4/12)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-8 (2x).

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 165.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 169.00.

The epitomy of why I average 20 (now 21) pins lower in this house. Last week I had success with my left foot on 12 targeting 6. This week I had to move the target to 9 because everything right as much as a board of that wouldn't come back to the pocket. And I had to move my left foot from 12 to 14. So I had to move my target in 3 and my feet in 2. And then it was almost a straight shot at the pocket…too much speed and you left the 10 or a 2-4-5 or 1-2-8. You pull it so much as a board…you were through the nose. I missed 2 boards right and left the 1-2-4-5-7-8. I missed 1 board left and left the 4-7-10 split.

And a lot of bad shots…particularly multi-pin spares. Chopped the 6-10, 2-4-5, 1-2-4, 4-8, 5-9…these are not difficult spares to make! But I'd leave them and be annoyed that I wasn't getting back to the pocket and the throw it too hard or pull it. Our lefty/anchor shot a 770 scratch, nearly breaking the season record for the league, so obviously there was more miss room on the left side…and again…thats what one would expect if you oil in the morning and then let people play on them all day (most statistically being righties) with plastic house balls…now you have oil smeared all over the breakpoint while the left is pretty much normal.

33% isn't terrible and my single-pin spare shooting was above average…so it's not the end of the World…but I just couldn't the axis rotation today. I had my wrist brace cranked all the way to the right to maximize the axis rotation…but some shots seemed almost end over end. The release is still causing me issues despite the wrist brace.

[Amyers]

My summer is not off to a good start either. I had major thumb swelling issues to start the season and just now staring to get back on track. Keep at it I've got a sport league supposedly starting today

[Aslan]

Pre-League Practice: low-medium oil synthetics

578 Series: 209-200-169
Mainly it was just a warm-up…but I tinkered with a few different approach options. Focusing on getting low, a relaxed release, and focusing on the target seemed to still be the best option. I also tinkered with more forward tilt and my hand position…which was okay. In game 3 I tried to just focus on having good form…but that was less successful.

Wednesday League Night: medium oil synthetics

600 Series: 195 (clean)-205 (clean)-200

Game 1 I was on pace for an all spares game until I lucked into a strike in the 7th. Just couldn't get a line to the pocket. Timing might have been off as well. But, I picked up all the spares and kept things clean.

Game 2 I finally figured out the left lane but couldn't figure out the right lane. Almost a dutch 200. But again; clean.

Game 3 I started out with a turkey but finally opened in the 7th when I chopped a 2-4-5-7. And then, to make matters worse…with 2 points hanging in the balance…I chopped a 1-2-4 leave in the 10th.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.62 pins
Strikes: 46% (1 turkey, 3 doubles, and 6 singles)
Spares: 88% picked up

Single Pin spares: 100% (5/5)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin (3x).
Only left the 5-pin, 6-pin, and 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 83% (10/12)

Splits: N/A

Average over 3 games: 200.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: n/a.

Kinda disappointed that I almost had an all-spare game, I almost had a triplicate series, and I almost had a clean series. But it was a battle all night trying to get to the pocket. The ball just wasn't moving that much. Still having inconsistent release issues. I can't rely on 88% spare shooting every night to save a 600 series.

[Amyers]

Sometimes the strikes aren't there congrats on another 600 and what looks like a pretty decent night.

[mc_runner]

Nice job Aslan - sometimes the games are a battle, and anytime you can get a 600 on a night where strikes aren't coming easily is a win in my book. That's why they say spare shooting is a critical part of the game!

[Aslan]

Thursday Practice: medium oil synthetics

I split practice into 4 things I wanted to work on; 3 games for each 'thing'.

494 Series: 159-169-166
This series I was just working on bending the knee and getting low. Nothing else. Getting lower has been something I've been working on for over a month. It wasn't AS bad as the scores indicate. For example…that 166 was two splits away from being a clean game. The biggest problem I was having with getting lower was I would tend to cheat and LEAN…and then I was off balance.

478 Series: 127-160-191
This series I was working on a relaxed swing. I was trying to put as minimal effort as possible into the backswing, swing, and follow-through. But, it didn't go well. For some reason as I completely relaxed the swing I lost my accuracy.

591 Series: 185-179-227
This series I was working on forward spine tilt (fancy word for leaning over the foul line). I found last week that when I added spine tilt..I was getting more power. So, I incorpotated that in and found that I was getting a bit more hand on the shot. It wasn't "effortless"…but I was seeing more power…especially by the 3rd game of the set when I finally found a ball that would work on the right lane. The left lane I used the Bullet Train for all 12 games…started targeting 6 and ended up targeting 13. But the left lane was a disaster. The Bullet Train and Rhythm took me too far inside. The Rhythm is essentially dead….so it's currently in the pro shop getting de-oiled and resurfaced. And the more aggressive Encounter is about useless. But the less aggressive, polished Encounter…was doing very well on that right lane.

600 Series: 152-211-237
This series I was working on hand position. Rob M. showed me a trick when I was out in Vegas. Kind've a way to stay behind the ball more than the traditional "up the side" style. So I JUST focused on that. First game of the series I only had one frame where I didn't get a strike or 9 on the first ball…but my single-pin spare shooting was off for some reason. Game 2 it was 6 strikes in the first 9 frames…so that was solid. And Game 3 I struck 9 times on 12 shots…a missed single 8-pin away from a 247 clean.

Arguably Useful/Non-Useful Statistics:
First Ball Average: 8.84 pins
Strikes: 44% (1 5-bagger, 2 4-baggers, 2 turkeys, 9 doubles and 22 singles)
Spares: 54% picked up

Single Pin spares: 74% (23/31)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (10x).
Never left a single 1-pin nor 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 40% (16/40)
Most common multi-pin spare leaves: 4-7 and 1-2 (3x each).

Splits: 0% (0/11)

Average over 12 games: 180.25.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 187.25.

Not a bad practice. It started out horribly…but once I stopped forcing the knee bend and swung more naturally (vs "easy/effortless")…with some tilt and a workable hand position…I managed to really do well.

There are some downsides of course.
1) My physical therapist is not going to be happy that I bowled 12 games in one day. As I've been working on getting lower and a better knee bend…I've managed to expose some left knee weakness and have had some moderate pain. So I try not to overdue it as much as I was previously.

2) The coach has really been pushing more knee bend and a relaxed shot…so I'm going to need to keep that as part of the process…but now I'm thinking of 4 things on the approach…and I tend to have issues if that number gets in the 4-6 range. Maybe I'll watch some more Earl Anthony stuff on the net. He had great spine tilt and a significant knee bend…a relatively relaxed swing…so maybe I'll try to find a video I haven't already seen (if it exists).

3) Theres always a chance with this many games…even on a pair of lanes…that by the last 5 games I've just worn myself a nice track. And obviously had it been league night…I'd have shot another 490s game unless they give me 2 hours to practice…

Hopefully I can still use the Rhythm The Encounter (A) is almost unuseable right now. I put some polish on it to try and give it some distance…but that ball just starts hooking way too soon and enters the pocket with virtually no energy nor angle. I really need the Rhythm as a ball down option and it's my best ball in terms of performance. But lately…it flops into the pocket like a wet noodle…just seems dead. Still 108 games (probably 4 months) away from debuting "Arsenal #2". I need to come up with a flashy name for it though…gonna have to think on that.

[Aslan]

Tuesday League Night: medium oil synthetics

461 Series: 121-166-174

Game 1 I was all over the place. I made the mistake of trying a new longer approach that I just learned Monday evening…without practicing it…and I just couldn't adapt. Starting further back was supposed to keep me from rising up at the foul line…but instead it made me rush to the foul line and take huge steps. It just wasn't working. I need to practice it first.

Game 2 I was clean through 7 and then just lost it.

Game 3 was more of the same…a few opens…but I managed to run a few strikes together to bump the score up a little.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.10 pins
Strikes: 25% (1 turkey, 1 double, and 3 singles)
Spares: 45% picked up

Single Pin spares: 80% (4/5)
Most common single-pin leave: 4-pin and 5-pin (2x each).

Multiple Pin spares: 35% (2/3)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 2-5 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 153.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 157.00.

Ughhh. NOT encouraging.

Gonna be a LONG and EMBARASSING week if this continues. I have a league night tomorrow, a pro am on Friday, and a pro am on Sunday. And there's a chance the pro am will be on the PBA Chamelion pattern…at least Friday…so scores are already going to be low…I really don't need to help the matter by bowling like "poo".