It wasn't all that long ago that It was suggested to me that I don't talk about participating in 9 Tap events, and one of the reasons for that was because it doesn't have much validity to it.

During the summer I have been bowling in a non-sanctioned coached league and a PBA Experience league (Viper, Scorpion & Cheetah) because I wanted to get better at bowling, and to truly see what pro bowlers go up against on those port patters.

Some will say bowling on sport patterns helps your game, some say it doesn't.

After 12 weeks of those 3 animal patters, I can tell you that it DOES help when you get on the different length of house shots here in Las Vegas. With a THS ranging from 38-42ft around here, you can get some pretty wild reactions when most typical bowlers have a great tendency to play only 1 line from beginning to end.

The 9 Tap Tour uses a modified house shot that has more oil to the outside than a typical THS. The 1st squad has difficulties, 2nd squad (burn) gets tougher and the 3rd (double burn) has it really rough. I prefer the 2nd squad (burn) because it works the absolute best for me.

The 2 summer leagues have taught me valuable lessons on making adjustments, especially moving left, on the 9 Tap Tour.

So much so that I'm in the 1000's on my scores and getting more consistent with my cashes. More importantly, these 1000's usually are within the top 6.

While some will say "big deal" or "who cares", the fact is I keep cashing, and I'm averaging only 6-7 taps in a 4 game series.

I don't care what tournament you play in, there are 2 objectives. Cashing and winning. And while I haven't won one yet, the consistent cashing, and climbing up in the finishes is a part of learning from the mistakes and becoming even more consistent.