Didn't do too well, but actually bowled better than my scores indicate (they were low)

First game (201) started by converting a washout and two splits. Not a lot of strikes, but was near the pocket the whole time.
Second game (176) I whiffed one makeable split (6-10 - guttered it) and missed 3 splits. Mostly spares but still in and around the pocket. Cut was +76 at this point and I knew I was well outside of it. Time to relax and enjoy and just learn.
Third game (147) - yeah, but strangely I was still bowling OK. Few splits, picked up 3 10-pins (I didn't miss any of them) but the score didn't reflect it. My buddy (20 something no-thumb lefty, incredibly good kid - made the cut second month in a row) was encouraging.

Lessons learned (or need to learn), I THINK:

1. I've been setting up and stopping and overthinking. . . this day I thought BEFORE getting my ball. Got up there, found my place and set my feet and fingers, and started going as SOON as my thumb was placed. I was MUCH more fluid and didn't try to do so much. I rarely missed my mark (by much, LOL) and my ball speed was much more consistent than when I would get up, and be really deLIBerate with everything.

2. I NEED to figure out my ball switches. I SHOULD have moved away from the Zen Master, probably first game but at least second game. I did move mid third game to the Nova and swung it quite a bit and it was GOOD (except a target-miss which left a Church. . . sigh) and I probably could have gone the whole day on the Diva going down and in.

3. I made adjustments OK - but the Zen Master doesn't recover as much as the Nova so I can't move quite as far left as I really wanted to - I need to figure out a different set of lines that I can use for that.


Overall - I enjoyed myself. I really enjoyed bowling with Chris - really good kid. He shot the second highest series (700 scratch) but the delay between that and the round of 32 cooled him off a LOT and he didn't hit the lanes well so he lost it. He actually had a chance going into the 10th, but threw a church. He was bowling with a 20 pin deficit and his opponent bowled right at his average so. . . he took it like a champ. He was 7th last month, and made the cut again so he's doing really well.


This is the second time I've bowled in the Beast. Last month I scored better but bowled worse. Go figure! LOL