2015 USBC Open Championships!

[Perrin]

How'd you do in El Paso Perrin?
Did you also bowl the 40 frame game and the Bowlers Journal tournaments?

Better than I feared I would do and not as good as I had hoped.

I bowled a Fresh pattern BJI Friday morning and struggled quite a bit. the lanes are EXTREMELY speed sensitive which I wasn't expecting.

anyway team even we had 10 guys on the pair and pretty sure it was on at least 5 different lines. I started trying to burn an outside line but without others out there also I had no shot. I moved in and threw my slingshot and recovered a bit to shot 480 (way too many missed spares and 6 splits didn't help anything)

Doubles I had an ok shot to start but again missing too many spares missed a 3-10 in the tenth of the third game to miss a 500 (498 doubles score)

SIngles I lost all my carry. I starting picking up more spares but now I couldn't strike (481)

overall 1459 average 162

I am VERY happy that I got some practice but wish I would have gone with a group that worked together a bit better. If I would have started on the inside line in team I likely would have broken 500 there. and for Singles/doubles I should have gone with duller equipment or bought something that has a stronger core than my beatdown.

[vdubtx]

One thing is for sure, you were consistent. I agree with having a team that can play together. We have a few guys that we all play same line to begin with, but not the entire team on our crossing team that will stay with it.

As expected, spares are a huge deal this time around.

Watching scores from some friends that are there now and one guy that likes to think he is pro shot a 414 in team yesterday with a low of 129!! Yikes.
Just saw him last week in the pro-shop getting his stuff ready and drilling up a new ball.

My game plan for each event is to start with Hyper Cell at about 1500 grit dull for team and 2000 dull for dbl/singles and then move to my Disturbed at 2000 and finally First Blood at it's oob condition 1500 polished if needed.

Still couple more practice sessions to get in before heading down next month.

[Perrin]

One thing is for sure, you were consistent. I agree with having a team that can play together. We have a few guys that we all play same line to begin with, but not the entire team on our crossing team that will stay with it.

As expected, spares are a huge deal this time around.

Watching scores from some friends that are there now and one guy that likes to think he is pro shot a 414 in team yesterday with a low of 129!! Yikes.
Just saw him last week in the pro-shop getting his stuff ready and drilling up a new ball.

My game plan for each event is to start with Hyper Cell at about 1500 grit dull for team and 2000 dull for dbl/singles and then move to my Disturbed at 2000 and finally First Blood at it's oob condition 1500 polished if needed.

Still couple more practice sessions to get in before heading down next month.

I can say from what I saw in team the shot was actually further in than I was expecting.

your arsenal idea sounds pretty good. Have you shot on the ICE oil before? it keeps it's line longer than other oils but once it starts breaking down the line changes fast.

for spare practice I would say to practice targeting every pin in the deck. I ended up leaving some, for me, unusual spares and I wasn't well prepared to cover them. and the new lanes gave some unusual reaction with my normal spare shots. I normally throw spares at a lower speed and that caused issues with getting consistent ball reaction.

I should have focused on plastic for all spares rather the doing my normal plastic only for 6 and 10 pins.

Team went ok but in Doubles/singles about game five the line started moving about every third frame.

[vdubtx]

Yes, have shot on the ICE oil before. The last 2 years we have gone out to the USBC ITRC here in Dallas area and they can put any pattern requested out and they use the correct oil as well. I know that they won't be exact due to lane surface etc, but they are pretty close.

I have started to shoot in practice at all of my spares using plastic. Not too much issue so far that I have encountered. I am not going straight at the left side leaves, rather, I am crossing from right side over to left. Just feel more comfortable doing it that way I guess. I have always used plastic on right side leaves unless it is a 3-6-9-10 and I hook into that one to be sure I take out the sleeper 9.

[Perrin]

Yes, have shot on the ICE oil before. The last 2 years we have gone out to the USBC ITRC here in Dallas area and they can put any pattern requested out and they use the correct oil as well. I know that they won't be exact due to lane surface etc, but they are pretty close.

I have started to shoot in practice at all of my spares using plastic. Not too much issue so far that I have encountered. I am not going straight at the left side leaves, rather, I am crossing from right side over to left. Just feel more comfortable doing it that way I guess. I have always used plastic on right side leaves unless it is a 3-6-9-10 and I hook into that one to be sure I take out the sleeper 9.

Excellent sounds like you are already doing everything I would recommend

[vdubtx]

Local guys just took over Doubles event last night. Anthony Simonsen and Mark Sleeper Jr. Anthony is an 18 year old two-handed bowler and I posted about him before a long time ago. He was a guy that in my Tuesday league last year shot 868 on the pair next to us. Always awesome to watch wishing I could be like them.

This would be the 2nd year running if their score holds that Eagles come back to the DFW area. Last the the Team event that was won had 3 bowlers from DFW area. One of them I know and see pretty regularly.

[vdubtx]

I haven't had the opportunity to watch any of the feeds from this year, but from researching the pattern I am very excited to see the pattern flattened out this year. I'm bowling May 28th and 29th (so I may catch the last couple games that vdubtx bowls).

We might actually be bowling the same squads. Our captain changed out dates to 28th and 29th. Evening squads for both events.

[mc_runner]

Good luck to both of you!

[vdubtx]

Thanks mc_runner. Think we will need it with this flat pattern. Lots of people frustrated and ego's being checked at the door.

[vdubtx]

Back from El Paso. Will update soon with my results. Had a chance to see ALazySavage bowl in his team event. The shot was tough as expected and had to be accurate both with ball placement and ball speed.