Shadd's Scores

[shadd]

So, I just recently got back into bowling after being away for quite some time. Currently, I only bowl 2 games a week in a Friday lunch-time work league. I really want to find more time to get some practice games in, the schedule makes it difficult/near impossible. If I do get a chance to throw some practice games, I'm planning on recording and posting videos to get some feedback from those better/smarter than myself. Enough rambling, here are my scores from earlier today...
06NOV15
Game 1: 213
X 9/ X X X X 8- X 9/ 9/X
Stuck and yanked my attempt at the highly difficult 5-8 in the 7th frame (left lane) haha.

Game 2: 225
9/ X X X X X X 9- 9/ 9-
Stuck some more and missed the 4 in the 8th and 7 in the 10th, extremely disappointed with a 225...left a lot out there in this game.

Early in warm-ups, I was completely lost on the right lane and only slightly more comfortable on the left. I started to find my way a little in the last 2-3 minutes of warm-ups. I guess everything fell in place at the right time.

It's days like today that make me really question whether I need to update/upgrade my gear. I have a 20 year old AMF XS (the white ball from the mid-90s) that I've always liked the move and action of. Everything I've read said that the ball is extremely dated, has a very weak coverstock, and hits like a marshmallow. I've bowled 16 games so far in the work "league" with a high of 252 and 8 or 9 other 200+ games with my weak covered marshmallow. I'm not ignorant or naive and think all I need to do is get a modem ball and I'll be rolling 250s all day, but I am wondering what (if anything) I'm leaving out there. I recently watched the pyramid pathogen video and I'm feeling the same way I did when I was a kid in '95 when I saw the XS for the 1st time on the telecast...I kinda want it, a lot haha.

[shadd]

Ordered the Pyramid Pathogen last night...can't wait to try some modern gear! I just need to do some due-diligence to find the right place around here to have it drilled.

13NOV15
Game 1: 204
8S1 X X X X 8/ X 63 81 XXX
Opened with a pocket 7-10, missed the head pin in the 8th for the 1st time in a while and chopped the conversion, and chopped the 4-8 in the 9th. Another game that I left some out there.

Game 2: 158 (yikes haha)
X 8/ 7- X 9/ 63 9- 9/ X 9/X
Guttered the 6-9-10 in the 3rd, missed the head pin (again, grrrr) in the 6th and left the 5 on the 1-3-5-6 attempt, and missed the 10 pin conversion in the 7th (more grrrr). With as sloppy as that game was, I feel fortunate to even hit a 158.

I had a pretty big deadlift night last night...my posterior chain and grip/forearm were very fatigued/lit up. I was definitely struggling with my back tightening up in the 2nd game.

[shadd]

The new ball came in on Wednesday and I'm meeting with a PSO tomorrow about the drill. I'm kinda taking a leap because I haven't met with anyone who has used him before. He is having me bowl a game to check my axis point, thought that was a positive start! Before today's games I started thinking how this might be my last time using my old ball, got a little nostalgic about the ball being my 1st 270+(multiple 279s), 280+ (3 times), and 290 (lifetime high of 290) game ball...it was a good run!!!

20NOV15
Game 1: 195
9/ 9- 9/ X 9/ X X 7/ X 9/X
Miss the 4 in the 2nd costing me a clean game. Other than the 2nd, the spare game was solid, which was nice since I only had 5 strikes haha.

Game 2: 214
X X X X X 6/ 7S2 9/ 6/ 6/X
Had a nice run going on the front end and then the wheels started falling off. Forearm was getting very fatigued (another decent deadlift night last night) and didn't turn my hand over in the sixth, through damn near a straight ball, missing the headpin. Missed the head pin again in the 9th.

I really need to find some time to practice, my inconsistencies and marginal bowling muscle memory needs to get ironed out.

[shadd]

Got the ball drilled and threw a couple practice games during last week. The lanes were totally burned out and was probably 50% with hitting the head pin haha. I went in to today's games up in the air about using the new ball...we were in 1st with this week and next left in this half of the league with decent money on the line. My worries quickly vanished with 3 or 4 explosive strikes in warmups.
04DEC15
Game 1: 243
8/ X X 8- X X X X X X9/
Missed the 6-10 in the 4th or I would've been in the 250s. I used my old strike bar as the spare ball, not sure it was a good idea. I used to be able to target my spares based on how the strike ball was moving. Without having the knowledge of how the ball was working on the lanes, my marginal spare game was even more marginalized (game 2 was really impressive).

Game 2: 157
8S1 X 8- 8S- X 9- 8/ 9/ XX9
Missed another 6-10 in the 3rd and the 10 in the 7th. I left the 4-6 in both the 1st and 4th, leaving me with 4 disaster frames...dang!

I'm really excited about this ball!!! Not only the ball, but Pyramid's customer service has been great.

[Blomer]

Well looks you still have the stuff when you bowled regularly before shooting good games. I have similar issue with having a low game in a series, we bowl 3 games. Always fun edge tying a new ball, always a short time frame to get use to it. I'm sure very shortly you will be killing it with the new ball.

[shadd]

Well looks you still have the stuff when you bowled regularly before shooting good games. I have similar issue with having a low game in a series, we bowl 3 games. Always fun edge tying a new ball, always a short time frame to get use to it. I'm sure very shortly you will be killing it with the new ball.

In the past, it has taken me a lot longer to get acclimated to a new ball, which is why I was on the fence about even using it. Doing well, even if it was for only a single game, got me really excited. Can't wait for next Friday's 1st half finally, we're 1 point ahead with a huge cushion in the tie-breaker, if needed.

I'm trying to get on with a team that bowls in a "legit" league, depending on my schedule. Bowling in the 2-game fun lunch league is nice and all, but I've realized I really want to bowl in something more competitive/official. Hopefully, it'll work out.

[shadd]

Today was the finals/championship week for the 1st half of the work Friday lunch league and there was a decent buzz around the office this morning. I had a 1-on-1 with my boss in the AM and the 1st thing he wanted to talk about was bowling haha. I had a great deadlift night last night (I pulled 585# for a double) so even though I was a little tired, I was on cloud 9 and ready to rock!

11DEC15
Game 1: 197
8/ 62 X 9/ X X X X 8S- X 9-
Wasn't very comfortable at the end of practice and the kind of carried into the 1st 2 frames, after the I found my way. Blasted the pocket in the 4th only to have the 7 looking back at me. Same thing in the 9th, this time the 7-10 laughed at me. Again with the 2nd ball in the 10, leaving the 10. We won the 1st game to get 1 step closer to the 'chip!

Game 2: 258
X X X X X 8/ X 9/ X XXX
Even though the 1st game score didn't really look like it, I was VERY comfortable after the 2nd frame of that game. Opened the 2nd with 5 explosive strikes. As I put my thumb in in the 6th, I had a feeling of some moisture...I should've stepped off and dried to make sure, instead I proceeded and thought about it on the entire approach and missed my mark by I think 6 boards, leaving the 1-8. Killed the pocket again in the 8th, leaving the 8...I think the ball missed by about a millimeter haha. I ended up with a clean game and we ended up winning to lock up the championship and the decent payday!

Unfortunately, I don't have any bowling set for the next few weeks. The 2nd half lunch league doesn't start until sometime in January and I haven't got the Tuesday regular league setup yet.

[shadd]

Me and the guys from the work team figured we'd get some practice in, so I bowled a couple games for the 1st time in over a month. It sure did feel good to get back out there!

15JAN16
Game 1: 205
9- 7/ X X X 8/ 8/ X 8/ X9/
Game 2: 215
9- 7/ 9/ X X 9/ X X X 9/9

Not much to say about today...not great, not bad, just there haha. Spare game was decent aside from both 1st frames.

Since I found out I won the Roto Grip Critical, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I was going to do with it. Since I mainly bowl ths and the pathogen really seems to be working WELL, I've been wondering what type of layout I should go with. I was thinking of having a similar layout and have the critical be my 1st ball with fresher/heavy oil due to the surface and go with the polished pathogen if the lanes are drier/lighter oil. Anybody that reads this, feel free to chime in...I'd really appreciate any thoughts/opinions.

[bowl1820]

Two pretty good solid games after not bowling for a month.

Saving the Critical for a 1st ball on fresher/heavy oil is one idea.

You could also start the night out with the pathogen (Sym.) and then switch to the Critical (Asym.) when you move inside later on.

[shadd]

Two pretty good solid games after not bowling for a month.

Saving the Critical for a 1st ball on fresher/heavy oil is one idea.

You could also start the night out with the pathogen (Sym.) and then switch to the Critical (Asym.) when you move inside later on.

Thanks 1820. Everything felt ok yesterday just not great, targeting was just a bit off. I'm thinking ill try and throw a couple games a week to sharpen things up before the end of the month.

Also, thanks for the insight on the ball order! I was thinking more about surface than taking other factors into account.