Nymike's scores

[NYMIKE]

Another thing that adversely affects my scores are gutter balls, I would love to write about a 3 game series where I did not throw a single gutter ball on the first shot. Sometimes they jappen following a spare, my coach tells me I'm chicken winging some of my balls, not keeping my arm next to my body.

[Mike White]

Totally agree. I've experienced this first hand. Late 2013 I was in the EXACT same place NYMIKE is. I practiced a lot, sometimes I'd get a huge score, sometimes barely break 120.

But then...I bought a spare ball (due to some missed 10-pins in the now apparently defunct BB.com Virtual Bowling Tour). Started working with the same coach every few weeks and developed a very specific spare shooting "system". And NOW....fast forward about 2 years...it's rare, rare, rare that I don't break a 450 series....and about 3-4 times this year I've actually knocked on the door of 700. Threw my first (non-sanctioned) 300-game earlier this year, and was able to get my first 8-bagger (front 8) last week.

But until you have a solid spare shooting system...you're going to initially see a very significant variance in your scores. Once you start getting better at spares...you'll start to see that variance game-to-game reduce. And once you have spare shooting down...then you'll need to perfect other areas that may currently be keeping your scores low...like pocket percentage, strike rate, pocket carry, etc... That's where I am right now...two years later. I've now graduated to fixing stance, approach, timing issues....and actually starting to look at the NEXT level items such as pocket carry and where the ball exits the pin deck...and using that information to change my starting point and/or target....and starting to look at ball speed variance shot to shot.

In some ways, to be honest...although I hated it when it was going on....having a low (20%) strike rate early on was actually a blessing in disguise. It gave me a LOT of practice shooting at spares. I'm not at the VDub level of spare shooting where a miss on an easy spare is the same probability as winning that night's 50/50 drawing....or the Pros where single-pin spare misses are so rare that they're exciting to see...but I can tell you 80% (ish) is a LOT MORE FUN than 50% was...with a LOT MORE stable scores and a LOT MORE 500+ series and 200 games.

You say 80% is a lot more fun than 50%.

What if one day while you were stuck at the 50% level, you came to bowl and noticed they put a 2" thick rubber ring around the middle of the pin.

Now you instantly achieve the 80% level, would it still be a lot more fun?

Consider the fact that your opponents would also gain because of the ring.

How about if we made it 3" thick.

As some point, everyone is going to be at the 100% level.... still fun?

[Aslan]

Another thing that adversely affects my scores are gutter balls, I would love to write about a 3 game series where I did not throw a single gutter ball on the first shot. Sometimes they jappen following a spare, my coach tells me I'm chicken winging some of my balls, not keeping my arm next to my body.

I was in the same boat 2 years ago. I'd gutter 1-3 times per series...then it became more like once per series...then 1-2 times per month...and eventually it got so rare that when it happens now I almost can't believe it...and MOST of the time if it happens now it's because I've either been forced well outside my comfort zone of the 6-board...OR... my thumb sticks or the hole is too loose and I drop the ball. I'm more likely to FOUL than to gutter on the first shot...although I'd prefer to gutter than to foul because the buzzer tends to mess with psychologically.

[Aslan]

You say 80% is a lot more fun than 50%.

What if one day while you were stuck at the 50% level, you came to bowl and noticed they put a 2" thick rubber ring around the middle of the pin.

Now you instantly achieve the 80% level, would it still be a lot more fun?

...As some point, everyone is going to be at the 100% level.... still fun?

I think it would still be more fun...because higher scoring and more success is fun. But I think the more changes like that the BPAA and USBC make...the less likely the sport will be taken seriously and eventually it'll be less of a 'sport' and more a 'drunken bar activity'. And unfortunately the BPAA LOVES that idea...because that makes money...sport bowling doesn't. Last time bowling was on during the week, prime time, I tried to watch it on the TV between lanes while league was going on and everyone complained that they wanted to watch the baseball game. Customers want booze and high fives for getting strikes....that makes them happy...that makes them come back...that makes owners $$$...that makes the BPAA $$. And money is all that really matters at the end of the day.

The USBC doesn't have the muscle it used to that is needed to force standards on BPAA centers...because they need the centers more than the centers need the USBC. The BPAA could just adopt a super-easy pattern, certify their own leagues, set their own rules, and still make $$$. The USBC can't exist with no centers...and the PBA isn't popular enough mandate USBC standards. Those the breaks. : (

[NYMIKE]

07/17
130, 167,142 439
Game 1 took off my wrist brace to see if I still need it, I feel unmanly for using it, seemed like my ball had a kittle more revs, but less velocity, did not bowl a single strike, I guess not horrible for no brace my bowling center does not have the ball velocity, but it sure looked slower than normal, which makes my game look less manly.

Game 2, put on the brace (?) my wife calls it robo cop glove, and threw first ball strike, could have been a better game with better spare shooting.

Game 3 left the first 5 frames open, for a while it looked like I'm not getting to 100, then 2 strikes, followed by 3 spares.

Not a single gutter ball!

5/32 strikes
7.97 first ball average
12/25 spares, 6/11 single pin spares

Next week my lanes will have new computers installed, but they canceled league night, I hope to get some practice in, maybe even go to another house.

[NYMIKE]

Did not go Monday because they were installing new machines, went yesterday 07/21, only half the lanes were available as they were continuing work. Lifted the bumpers it was ugly, failed to break 100 in 3 games. Same shot was not playable at all. Asked to be moved to another lane, same thing, but I figured this weird line, I would start out on right gutter, i'm left handed and straight shot over the middle arrow, managed 130 and 131. I saw someone posted earlier about following bumper bowling, that's some experience.

Went again today, similar situation, was given a lane next to a family of 5 bowling with bumpers. This time it was glow in the dark bowling too. However my lane was fresh as I struck my first 3 shots.
191, 146,150 487
8.39 first ball average
1 gutter ball after a strike in the second game
10 /33 strikes
11/21 spares, 5/12 single pins 1/1 on the split ( 3, 10)

[NYMIKE]

07/23
131, 145, 111, 148, 182, 171 888 (glow in the dark)
Game one threw without my brace, only one strike, also a foot foul negated a strike
Game two five strikes, but a double gutter ball on the 8th frame following a strike, ouch
Game three a gutter ball following a spare
Now the first three games there were kids on the lane next to me, the new computers were on, but they still installing them on the other half, so I was put next to kids. Yes, I know poor musician blames his instruments.

Paid $8.70 for additional 3 games, glad I did

Games 4-6 were a 501 series

Strikes 20/63
Spares 18/42, single pin spares 10/17

Ball speed was 13-16.5 on first balls, seems like 15.5 is my ideal speed, I had some in the 16s but they tend to go on right side. I had a couple of slower strikes as well. Seems like I'm throwing more strikes, but my spares are where the points are at.

[NYMIKE]

07/24
191, 132, 154, 118, 136, 158, 141 1030 that's a 147.14 average

Basically similar results to yesterday, game 1 was a heartbreaker, struck sixth to ninth frames, on the tenth missed a pocket, would have been an unlikely 1, 3, 6, 7 spare, but I got called for foot foul, I picked up full ten pin spare, a strike on the tenth would have got me 200. Some bad luck on game 4, 4 splits, hence low score.

This week I bowled 21 games. I wanted to go t o another house, but they had kids there this morning, that house has 2 hours for $15 special.

[NYMIKE]

07/27

Lanes were not fresh, which is actually good for me, my best performance to date.
Game 1 162, no glove, only 2 strikes, but made all but 2 spares
Game 2 130, put the glove halfway in the game, left open first 5, bowled better the last 5 frames
Game 3 180 left 2 open, 4 strikes
Game 4 157 Again 4 strikes, also 3 splits
Game 5 197 Converted 3 10 to start, left another split on 5th, failed to convert, missed 4, 7 on the 6th, struck 8, 9, 10, if I threw a second strike on the 10th would have been a 200+, however left a 5
Used up my free games, paid for the 6th
Game 6 202!!! Missed an 8 pin on the first frame, also failed to convert 1,3 on the third, struck 5 through 9, 5 in a row ties my record, was so excited that split 7, 6, 10 on 10 but hit 6, 10 for my 4th career 200 game and 6 game total 1028, by far my best

[NYMIKE]

Imperative that I do it in a sanctioned league, nobody cares for batting practice champ, I would love a 200 single, 500 series, I believe my best in a league so far are 182, 484