Honestly, I don't practice enough. But when I do it's usually 10 pins, so I usually shoot the 10 pin on a full rack, then I throw my strike ball for the 2nd ball so I can work on both.
This is my problem when practicing. The lanes are always dry and on those dry lanes I average over 220 but on fresh oil my average is much lower.Originally Posted by Aslan
I am a proud member of Bowlingboards.com bowling Forums and a ball contest winner.
Honestly, I don't practice enough. But when I do it's usually 10 pins, so I usually shoot the 10 pin on a full rack, then I throw my strike ball for the 2nd ball so I can work on both.
Thats likely because you either have a lot of revs or not enough revs.
With not enough revs, the dry allows you to play the track and get the ball back to the pocket. With a lot of revs, the dry allows you to bounce the ball off the break point. With a dry enough breakpoint...you can miss as many as 9 boards...especially right (for RHers) and the ball will still hit pocket.
I used to love the wood lanes as a stroker with < rpms. Miss 6 boards right...still find the pocket. Then I'd play on synthetics and go from averaging 168 to averaging 139. Good times.But, I just had to learn how to bowl and be more accurate. Now, if the lanes are too dry I have the opposite problem. Lower speed, more rpms...now dry lanes force me inside...force me to play a much tighter line...very little miss room.
In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Brunswick Endeavor; (: .) Radical Outer Limits Pearl; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 175; Lifetime Average = 171;
Ball Speed: 14.7mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181
Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!
I'm a low rev stroker. In summer league after 5 weeks my average is 196 and they oil for the league. Over the same time period though in practice which is usually on dry lanes my average is 229.Thats likely because you either have a lot of revs or not enough revs.
With not enough revs, the dry allows you to play the track and get the ball back to the pocket. With a lot of revs, the dry allows you to bounce the ball off the break point. With a dry enough breakpoint...you can miss as many as 9 boards...especially right (for RHers) and the ball will still hit pocket.
I used to love the wood lanes as a stroker with < rpms. Miss 6 boards right...still find the pocket. Then I'd play on synthetics and go from averaging 168 to averaging 139. Good times.
I am a proud member of Bowlingboards.com bowling Forums and a ball contest winner.
As I suspected, judging by the number of comments about lanes no being oiled, most bowlers are bowling for score whether or not they want to believe it. I can't even imagine knowing my average in practice vs. my average in league. This information is totally misleading; for instance is it the unoiled lanes that is causing the higher average, or is the lack of pressure and distractions? Whether or not the lanes have been oiled, you can work on your timing. You can also work on your release to change the axis tilt and rotation. You can see how the ball rolls, even if you never get it to the right side of the headpin!
I feel compelled to respond to this, because I am about to enter some recent practice scores....
Okay, I'm going to have to come clean... My lifetime average (see awesome Aslan signature below)...is an average over 2,466 games over a span of roughly 30+ years. So, for me, recording the score has been a part of the routine. But here's where I would like to clarify, in defense of the kids who are getting interested in bowling and still recording things like this,
1) When I just bowled as a kid up until about 3 years ago...score was all we had. I never analyzed shots, or tried to wonder what improvements I could make to my bowling game. Bowling was just a great place to go on a date or when you want to have an excuse to hurl a heavy ball 20 feet while drinking. Score is all you have.
2) When I started to learn to "bowl" (still a work in progress), I would take notes and write down things...in addition to the scores. In other words, I was starting to learn from those scores. At this stage of a bowler's development, scores (as you are saying) become less relevant.
3) Fortunately, with the dawn of apps (not Apes)...we suddenly have a useful tool....in addition to our own observational talents. When my dad bought our first family calculator....that was thin and the size of a credit card...he paid $50 for it. Now calculators are either no longer necessary (we can just google it or ask Siri) or absolutely free to anyone with a computer or cell phone. In 1968, observation, a note pad, and a pencil were our analysis tools. Now we have video cameras in our phones, biometric analysis, slow motion, drones, and apps like Pinpal.
The great thing about keeping track of scores while you practice with Pinpal, isn't the scores, it's the statistics. If you don't keep track of the score...you have no statistics. You don't know what your first ball average is, or your strike rate, or your single-pin spare %, or how many splits you through. Which leads me to:
4) My current level, I probably record 1/4 of my actual practice games...because 50-70% of my practice is done during coaching sessions, which I don't keep track of in PinPal. So, while I still record some practice games at this stage, it's the combination of 1 through 3 above...routine, not my most useful stat, and essentially a way to get stats...
5) PBA Level elite....so upper echelan that their game is so solid...there are very few physical things to consider...the score is irrelevant...and they've had the same stats for the last 8 years.
6) See #5, but this guy is also so wealthy, he/she can also hire others to film him/her while bowling, analyze said data with a team of experts, put it into a useful presentation...and add that to #5.
Mudpuppy Cliff Notes: DATA. It isn't the score, it's the DATA. The more data you have, the better you can be. However you get that data...is up to you. Maybe you hate calculators and have 100 USBC and PBA experts on call to stand around and watch you. I bet you'd get some great data and feedback. Some, possibly conflicting...but you'd have a great volume of data. However, in 2016....for free (or $3.99 for something like PinPal), you can have a huge volume of data. Sure, I get more out of the games where I have a coach standing there...than I do from my PinPal stats. But the App, over the course of the year...costs $3.99. The coaches cost more than that for 4 minutes. If the only cost is $4/year and taking the time to press a few buttons on my cell phone...isn't the end data, the raw data, worth that price?
In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Brunswick Endeavor; (: .) Radical Outer Limits Pearl; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 175; Lifetime Average = 171;
Ball Speed: 14.7mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181
Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!
I'll usually get between 3 & 6 games of practice in during a week. My latest attempt has been to learn how to shoot a deep inside line. I've always been an stroker and the last few years actually more of a twiner, but always shot 10 to the ditch. I've been playing around with the surface on my aggressive Brunswick and just recently hit on a combination that works well.
Outside of that, timing, accuracy, swing line, consistency of speed and release are the main things I pay close attention to. From time to time I do like to bowl on fried lanes because it gives you an opportunity to use all of you balls to figure out which one will work the best.
I might add Rob, that the one thing all bowlers have in common.... we're stubborn !! We will always try to make that first ball work, and usually wait too long, to make that ball change or angle adjustment. When we do and find out we did make the correct change, we kick ourselves in the butt for waiting so long. Probably include 99.8% of all bowlers. (have never met the other .2% !!
Last edited by Tampabaybob; 06-21-2016 at 07:31 PM.
Bob
"There truly is such a thing as a bad night and when these doomed evenings arrive you can't avoid them. But there's a bright side to this, it's that bad nights won't kill you, and sometimes will make you a little smarter."
Aslan: Data is as useless as scoring in practice. Can you control changes in your ball speed? Can you change your axis tilt? Can you change your axis rotation? Can you maintain good timing even when you have no shot? Can you honestly say your rev rate is higher today than it was two months ago? Are you staying behind the ball better? All of these things are valid aspects of your game to learn to control, and none of them have anything to do with anything on your APP on your cell phone! Rant over.
Yes, While collecting data ( like on pin leaves, etc. ) during actual games can be of some use in helping define what you want to work on in practice.
Collecting that same data during practice isn't particularly useful.
Right handed Stroker, high track ,about 13 degree axis tilt. PAP is located 5 9/16” over 1 3/4” up.Speed ave. about 14 mph at the pins. Medium rev’s.High Game 300, High series 798
"Talent without training is nothing." Luke Skywalker
Absolutely agree. I never bowl for score in practice and work on a few things I know need help in my game each time I go.
High Sanctioned Scratch Game - 300(12) Hi Sanctioned Scratch Series - 822(3)
2016/17 Book Average=221, 2017/18 Composite Average=223
Equipment in the bag - Storm Crux Prime, Storm Physix, Roto Grip Idol, Roto Grip Idol Pearl, Roto Grip Hyper Cell Fused, Storm Sure Lock, Storm Drive, Roto Grip Winner Solid, Roto Grip Haywire, Storm Fever Pitch, Roto Grip Red ball spare.
Rev Rate 400. Speed 18 at heads, 16.5-17 at pins. Axis tilt 10, Axis Rotation 55. PAP 5 5/8 x 5/8 up
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