Progress slow and frustrating...

[Aslan]

Excellent advice, my last game during a practice session I try to hit the 10 pin and only the 10 pin on my first ball, and the 7 pin and only the 7 pin on the second ball. My goal is to eventually bowl a "perfect" game of 22, but it is MUCH harder than it sounds LOL

That sounds interesting.

I don't think corner pins are a problem right now. I think my biggest "frustration" at this point is trying to consistently hit that pocket under varying lane conditions. I no longer will be bowling on anything but low-oil wood until March...so hopefully I'll see better results for the next few months. If I can consistently hit the pocket and leave just single 5s,7s, 10s...I think I'll start seeing more 525+ series. But like last night...slick, heavy oil synthetic lanes...it took 2 games to figure out the lanes and hit the pocket. First game < 120. Second game < 130. Third game just shy of 160. But it took 2 WHOLE GAMEs to figure out what to do. Left lane completely different than the right lane. On the right lane I had to stand right of center and throw straight up the 12-board. On the left lane, I had to slow it down, stand left of center, and throw out towards the 9-board.

The problem...and the reason I vary where I bowl so much...is my league ends in March and sweeps in Vegas. Well...Vegas is likely to have moderate oil synthetics...so no matter how much I raise my average on wood/low-oil lanes...I'm gonna need to adapt come March. Money will be on the line. AND...with the wood lanes being replaced in May 2014...I want to get a head start on adapting to the new conditions. BELIEVE ME....believe me....there are some guys bowling in my current center...wood lanes/low oil...that are going to struggle MIGHTILY when things change over. Those guys are FIRING that ball at 21mph up the side and it hooks back to the headpin. Lots of higher loft bowlers. When the lanes switch...they are all gonna have to figure out how to use more of the lane like I have been working on...gonna be interesting to see how some of the 200+ average guys who ONLY bowl at that center do under those new conditions.

[Aslan]

STILL frustrating!!

So pre-league…I bowl a few games…start off with my highest ever game…235. So I'm thinking all the video and internet and bowling on TV…all the studying…all the practice…that it has finally payed off and started reaping rewards.

Then I bowl a 115…

I bounce back…and bowl a 145, then league starts and I bowl a 150, 160, 169.

And there is the frustration. A 495 series and a 479 series. And the dang 479 series was 7 pins below my average. Seemed like I was doing okay…hitting the headpin and all. Spare shooting started off solid and then trailed off a bit.

SO here I am…midway through the season. 11 weeks down, 11 weeks to go. My goal was a 190 average at season's end. Currently at 162. To reach my goal, I need to average 219 per game for the next 11 weeks. Thats about a 657 series per week…which is 50 pins higher than my highest series to date.

If I just settle for finishing at an "average" level…the "average league bowler"…I need a 175 average which means I need to average about a 189 per game or approximately a 567 series per night.

Yet…despite the occasional 600 series…occasional 500 series…I am still STUCK with 400 series nearly every time. On a bad night, 400-450. On a really bad night…high 300s. On an "okay" night, high 400s. On the rare "good" night…low 500s.

Maybe it's time for a lesson with someone i haven't tried yet. My first coach was inexpensive but had me high lofting it. Working with Barry at the clinic has helped me with a more traditional release…more relaxed…but it's hard to get really better with 2 minutes of lesson time once per week. Even with greatness as the instructor. And I hate to get yet another coach to tell me yet ANOTHER different way I'm "supposed to" bowl. But…flip side..if I'm gonna even come close to my goal by the end of March…gotta do SOMEthing…!!

[J Anderson]

STILL frustrating!!


SO here I am…midway through the season. 11 weeks down, 11 weeks to go. My goal was a 190 average at season's end. Currently at 162. To reach my goal, I need to average 219 per game for the next 11 weeks. Thats about a 657 series per week…which is 50 pins higher than my highest series to date.

If I just settle for finishing at an "average" level…the "average league bowler"…I need a 175 average which means I need to average about a 189 per game or approximately a 567 series per night.

First I thought your goal was clean games and 525+ series.

Second, considering your initial average was somewhere south of 150 to finish the season with a 190 average was never realistic. It's rare to see some one's average increase more than 25 pins in the course of a season. Once you pass the half way point there are just too many games already bowled to make a big jump.

My suggestion is to re-word your goals and start smaller or rather shorter term. For example you could shoot for 500+ series for the next 3 weeks then raise the bar to 510+ for three weeks in a row. If you can get to the point where you average 175 for the last five weeks of league you have made it to mediocrity. When you start your next league you will most likely be hitting around 175 most games.

[bowl1820]

my league ends in March and sweeps in Vegas.

Sweeps in Vegas, you know what center they'll be at? maybe you could talk to Rob Mautner while there, he bowls in Vegas.

[Aslan]

Sweeps in Vegas, you know what center they'll be at? maybe you could talk to Rob Mautner while there, he bowls in Vegas.

Lesson 1: Buy 3-ball roller bag.
Lesson 2: Fill with 3 bowling balls.

Lesson 3: Repeat Lessons 1 and 2 until you own every ball for all conditions imaginable.

[bowl1820]

Lesson 1: Buy 3-ball roller bag.
Lesson 2: Fill with 3 bowling balls.

Lesson 3: Repeat Lessons 1 and 2 until you own every ball for all conditions imaginable.

Heheh That's right! You'll never understand that nobody is saying everyone needs dozens of balls.

As I figured you wouldn't answer the question, "Sweeps in Vegas, you know what center they'll be at?"

[dnhoffman]

Good to see I not missing anything, lol.

[dpatrickv]

There is nothing wrong with multiple balls for lane conditions. I have 4(light/med/heavy oil ball and then a spare plastic ball) and typically carry 3 depending where Im bowling at. The main alley I throw at now is heavy oil so I carry my most aggressive ball, my medium oil ball if they start breaking down and then a spare ball for anything on the right side of the head pin.

[Aslan]

Heheh That's right! You'll never understand that nobody is saying everyone needs dozens of balls.

As I figured you wouldn't answer the question, "Sweeps in Vegas, you know what center they'll be at?"

Settle down Sparky. You made a "joke"…poked fun…I respond…poking fun. And…Hoff came in to add nothing to the conversation…but all in fun. I was just commenting on what the original post was about. If we wanna beat the "multiple ball horse"…feel free to start that thread and I'll comment.

And I think the center is…checking…nope, it's "The Orleans". I thought it was Sam's Town…but nope; "The Orleans". I've never been to Vegas so not sure if I can answer too many other questions about it. Hopefully that satisfies your curiosity??

[Aslan]

First I thought your goal was clean games and 525+ series.

And yes, thats still my goal every time. Honestly…despite missing my 190 goal…I would be happy with 3 clean games or a 525+ series. Having both goals is helpful because when you get a split or miss a spare…I can still tell myself, "that's okay…525 is still in play." And same goes for the opposite…if I have a couple rough games and am going to miss that 525 mark; I can say, "thats okay…just bowl a clean game." Same thing when I don't strike…"it's okay…clean game."

The good news lately is in the last 55 games (all bowled at one center with one ball) I've averaged over 165. The bad news is…it's a very normal distribution…very "slight" slope to the trend line. So it's hard to tell graphically if I'm just "better than before" or if I'm making progress. And I can't rely on my league average because in week one I rolled one of my highest series (at the time my highest)…so kinda hard in a handicap league when ya start out like that!

But…as it was mentioned before…PATIENCE. 5 months ago I bowled twice a year and averaged 120. 4 months ago I was rolling 350-420 series. Now I'm rolling in the high 400s to mid-500s. 4 months ago I bowled my first ever clean game. Now I'm up to 7. Patience Daniel-Sun…patience.