Well, there are a couple misconceptions about what Liz did

[Aslan]

When I move in too quickly...I leave a TON of 1-2-4-10s, 2-4-5-8s, 2-4-5s, 1-2-4s, and 1-2-4-7s.

And I HATE 1-2-4-10s with a passion! I've been trying to pick them up using the new USBC method of throwing straight at the pocket with a straight ball...and it's still just a nearly impossible spare to pick up while not getting the "split" designation. So I've been very gunshy about moving too far inside too quickly. I just don't have the arsenal nor hand to play that game.

Concerning Liz's victory...it's also fair to note that:
1) Liz was using a No Rules Pearl with surface....a very aggressive ball. Zavjalova was using an Ebonite Gamebreaker 2 with surface...a much, much weaker ball.
2) Liz didn't bowl that well...but Zavjalova went threw the nose in the 10th and chopped a 6-7 split. Liz just got lucky.

I couldn't tell what their speeds were. It seemed like Diana Z was trying to play a lower speed than usual...and was still bowling about 18.5mph. I think Liz was around 18 as well.

Zavjalova is not only the hottest bowler in the World (my personal opinion)...but has amazing form...probably the best on the PWBA tour. Her downside this season has been the mental side. Earlier in the season she was having thumb issues and missed a single 5-pin to cost her a higher finish. She has dominated qualifying and then just completely "poo"ed the bed in match play. I don't what is going on with her....maybe it's the new "Frozen" hairstyle...I'm not sure...but if she can ever fix the mental side of her game...her physical game is top notch.

Liz Johnson, on the other hand, is in her 40s and the physical game isn't what it used to be. But her mental game is almost untouchable. With her experience...she can make moves like that...inside of where she normally would play...in a title match no less...and it doesn't rattle her. Kelly Kullick is also in her upper 30s/low 40s and has been absolutely dominant early on in the PWBA Tour. I watched her bowl in Fountain Valley, in person, and it was one of the best bowling performances I'd ever seen.

The question is the same for the women that it is for the men...how long can the older crowd like Dorrin-Ballard, Johnson, Barnes, and Kullick continue to hold their own against a huge crop of collegiate and international women that are so physically gifted. And how long before we see some of the 40 something women debut on the PBA50 tour and how well will they fare? At that age, the PBA50 men have lost alot of the physical advantages they had over the women earlier and on the National Tour. I could see the PWBA 50 somethings holding their own quite well against the men in the PBA50 environment.

[Aslan]

Rather than respond in my usual manner...lemme try something different (since RobM and I seem to disagree alot about things that I'm not sure we even disagree about). Maybe instead of responding, let me ask a question instead:

What are you (RobM) wanting bowlers to do?

Because...you and I completely agree (I think) that bowlers should not shy away from moving inside as the lanes transition...and that far too many bowlers are stuck in their ways and refuse to move laterally as the lanes transition.

I don't really understand what that has to do with fresh conditions? Are you advocating that bowlers should develop multiple speeds, approaches, and releases and move into 3rd-4th arrow on fresh conditions? Why? The current THS is specifically designed to score well in the track. Why would I develop multiple releases and speeds...and make the necessary changes to my arsenal...at the risk of jeopardizing my timing...just so I can play inside of everyone else...before even knowing if I SHOULD play inside of everyone else?

I thought you point about playing inside was to let the lanes dictate where you play and move inside accordingly. But, now I'm confused.

[bowl1820]

What are you (RobM) wanting bowlers to do?

I believe what Rob is trying to tell bowlers is, They don't have to be afraid to play the deeper inside lines (if the lanes call for being played there).

Just because they think they don't have a high enough rev rate. It had nothing to do with whether the conditions were fresh or not.


IMO most bowlers when you say play deep inside, they see/think this:


Someone hitting 4th arrow, sending the ball out wide with a lot of revs to bringing it back from way out there.

[bowl1820]

They don't think this "Liz Johnson 2017 Storm Sacramento Open ":

Oil pattern used for the 2017 Storm Sacramento Open
http://scores.bowl.com/2017_PWBA/Sac...OilPattern.pdf



Someone like Liz Johnson (or themselves) with lower revs, hitting 4th arrow (looks like around 13-15 at the BP) and hitting the pocket. Because she kept her breakpoint closer to the headpin and was not throwing out toward the gutter and trying to bring it back from there.

[fordman1]

Or you can move a little right and take you hand out completely and pipe up the 2nd arrow. Let the side weight flip it to the pocket. Just remember to throw hard.

[RobLV1]

Rather than respond in my usual manner...lemme try something different (since RobM and I seem to disagree alot about things that I'm not sure we even disagree about). Maybe instead of responding, let me ask a question instead:

What are you (RobM) wanting bowlers to do?

Because...you and I completely agree (I think) that bowlers should not shy away from moving inside as the lanes transition...and that far too many bowlers are stuck in their ways and refuse to move laterally as the lanes transition.

I don't really understand what that has to do with fresh conditions? Are you advocating that bowlers should develop multiple speeds, approaches, and releases and move into 3rd-4th arrow on fresh conditions? Why? The current THS is specifically designed to score well in the track. Why would I develop multiple releases and speeds...and make the necessary changes to my arsenal...at the risk of jeopardizing my timing...just so I can play inside of everyone else...before even knowing if I SHOULD play inside of everyone else?

I thought you point about playing inside was to let the lanes dictate where you play and move inside accordingly. But, now I'm confused.

What I am wanting bowlers to do is to PRACTICE shots with which they are not comfortable. I'm not talking one or two games. I'm talking ten or twenty or a hundred games until they get comfortable. Being that you often post your practice scores, I know that you don't do this. As my wife tells me weekly when I tell her how well I bowled in practice, "Who cares! Practice scores mean nothing." While house shots are set up to play the track when they are fresh, new, super-absorbent balls, and new oils (that are cheaper for proprietors), make that shot go away quickly. If you remember my friend, Mike Tucker to whom I introduced you two or three years ago, is bowling his first Senior League with me this summer. During the fourth game last week, he was playing the 6th arrow on a house shot! He didn't do it for his health, or even to show off, he did it because it's what the lanes demanded at that time.

[Aslan]

Not the game...practice. We're talkin bout practice? Not the game...not the game. Practice.

Somewhere Iceman is spinning in his grave.

I'm not gonna argue...cuz I kinda get what Rob is saying and understand what he's getting at...and there's no use getting into the whole, "how do you practice an inside shot on a fresh pattern when no center is going to give you a fresh pattern to practice on thus you're always practicing on garbage of varying degrees...etc, etc..."

Sometimes...there IS a shot like what Liz Johnson played at the Sacramento Open. It's rare...and apparently to win with it requires a very powerful ball and the opponent throwing a split in the 10th...but yes...sometimes it is there. And...I guess adding that to a practice regiment wouldn't be a bad idea. Of matter of fact...I've noticed this summer while PRACTICING a great deal...that given the centers rarely put down fresh patterns unless there is a league coming in...ya kinda got no choice but to move inside and practice that "C-Game".

The problem is...if any of those leagues or open bowlers that bowled on that pattern between when they oiled it and when you practice on it...and you're gonna try to play that Liz Johnson line...you better hope everybody was throwing reactive resin...I doubt Liz battled much carrydown in the final game of the stepladder finals.

[RobLV1]

The idea of practice is to learn to hit your mark regardless of where you are playing on the lanes. If you forget about score when you practice, it doesn't have to be on fresh oil. You simply throw a non-reactive ball until you are comfortable hitting your mark consistently. By the way, please read the latest article that I wrote for BTM where I give the empirical results of lane tapes which proves, once and for all, that CARRYDOWN IS NOT A FACTOR IN MODERN BOWLING!

[Amyers]

Not the game...practice. We're talkin bout practice? Not the game...not the game. Practice.

Somewhere Iceman is spinning in his grave.

I'm not gonna argue...cuz I kinda get what Rob is saying and understand what he's getting at...and there's no use getting into the whole, "how do you practice an inside shot on a fresh pattern when no center is going to give you a fresh pattern to practice on thus you're always practicing on garbage of varying degrees...etc, etc..."

Sometimes...there IS a shot like what Liz Johnson played at the Sacramento Open. It's rare...and apparently to win with it requires a very powerful ball and the opponent throwing a split in the 10th...but yes...sometimes it is there. And...I guess adding that to a practice regiment wouldn't be a bad idea. Of matter of fact...I've noticed this summer while PRACTICING a great deal...that given the centers rarely put down fresh patterns unless there is a league coming in...ya kinda got no choice but to move inside and practice that "C-Game".

The problem is...if any of those leagues or open bowlers that bowled on that pattern between when they oiled it and when you practice on it...and you're gonna try to play that Liz Johnson line...you better hope everybody was throwing reactive resin...I doubt Liz battled much carrydown in the final game of the stepladder finals.

Even if you do care about scores during practice the middle is always the last part to break down. Simply because its where the highest volume of oil is placed and it's the least used area of the lane.

[Aslan]

The idea of practice is to learn to hit your mark regardless of where you are playing on the lanes. If you forget about score when you practice, it doesn't have to be on fresh oil. You simply throw a non-reactive ball until you are comfortable hitting your mark consistently.

It's not quite that simple.

Sure, we practice so we can reduce our =/- (in terms of boards we miss our target). But, we also practice to try and work on other aspects of our game.

For me; I also work on:
- Staying down and posting my shot.
- Keeping my hand more under/behind the ball.
- Making the proper adjustments based on what the ball is doing (or not doing).

And, sometimes...you need to see what the ball is doing in order to know if you're doing the right thing. Sure, you could use video...but now you're setting up a camera and reviewing footage and trying to see certain things that might be hard to see. Sometimes...especially concerning the adjustments...you NEED to have the ball reacting the way it would in competition...so you can make adjustments and evaluate/improve those adjustments and decision-making. Am I correct on that?