New best series tonight

[Ryster]

Our center also has a strike jackpot that league bowlers can enter. $1 per night. Although in our center anyone with a 215 or greater league average is disqualified from participating.

We have been seeing a lot of dramatic transitions at our center recently as well. Having to move around way more than usual. I heard the bowling center manager telling someone last week that this is by design. They put down a shot that requires bowlers to move left (if right handed) towards the end of game 1, through middle of game 2, and then the pattern will start to carry down, requiring bowlers to move back to the right and end up back where they started by the middle of game 3. Not sure how they "designed" the pattern that way, but what he said mirrors what we have all been doing the past few weeks.

[boatman37]

Did some experimenting tonight. Started off rough but was able to figure it out. Tried the Squatch a few weeks ago and realized the thumbhole was too big but too tight with tape in so left it with the PSO tonight to have him put a switch grip in. I'm comfortable with the 2 inserts I have now so should be good for that ball.

Not much to report tonight other than I'm happy with my adjustments tonight and think I learned a few things on spare shooting.

Rolled a 174, 202, 250 (626)

[boatman37]

Must have been a tough night. I had 3rd highest scratch game of the night with a 250. Typically 3rd highest is over 260. Lanes have seemed dryer the last 2 weeks. The week before they seemed pretty wet. Been having trouble keeping it on the left of the headpin. I try moving way right but have trouble getting it back to the pocket then and am erratic but am going to work on that. I think that is what I need to do to keep up with the transition. 3rd game even my weakest ball crosses over the headpin. Last night I really had to crank up my speed to keep it in the pocket.

[boatman37]

About ready to quit. 2 teammates texted me (husband and wife) and said they weren't coming because of bad roads. Roads weren't bad at all and they are in their 30's. Had they given me more notice (they texted 15 minutes before we left) we might have been able to get one of our other guys to show up. But we had to take a 60 pin per game penalty for 2 blind scores. Yeah, we lost all 3 games. On top of that my spare shooting was so pathetic that I don't deserve to call myself a league bowler.

Used the Uppercut and threw 7 strikes in warmups (every ball I threw). Strikes were easy tonight. Threw 21 strikes yet only rolled a 574. Stuck with the Uppercut all night. 8 strikes in game 1, 8 in game 2, and 5 in game 3. If I had even picked up half of my missed spares I would have had about 620 or so.

Just very frustrated after tonight. We finished the first 3rd in last and are probably in last after 3 weeks into the second 3rd. Even when we do have everyone there we still lose. I rolled 193, 210, 171. One teammate rolled 204, 216, and 147. The inconsistency kills us. My average is 193 and his is 204.

I'm happy I'm striking as good as I am lately but missing stupid spares ruins it. I'm averaging 17.5 strikes a game in the last 10 weeks and 18.6 in the last 6 weeks. Yet my average in the last 10 weeks is only 197.26 and only 203.28 in the last 6 weeks.

I really think my spare issues are psychological. When I'm not striking alot I am pretty consistent with my spares but when I am hitting strikes alot I struggle with my spares. I think I get frustrated or rush my shots or something.

Rant over.

[Ryster]

Keep in mind, some people are not comfortable driving in winter weather. Most of the people I work with are in their 20's and 30's [way younger than me], and panic at the first snowflake and immediately want to get home. Some literally live 1-2 miles from work and start to panic. I have a 25 mile drive to work, and have no problem driving in snow. It is all just a comfort level thing and if they didn't feel safe being out you cannot really hold that against them.

Taking 30 pins off for a blind is pretty extreme, especially for a handicap league. I get that you want to encourage people to show up, but wow. I am on a super competitive scratch league, and even we only take 20 pins off for a blind. Most other handicap leagues in the house are 10 pins off for a blind.

Rolling a 574 with a 193 average is nothing to be upset about. You basically bowled your average. Parker Bohn III was at our house last year, and during the Q&A basically said that any game that is within 10 pins above or below your posted average, he would consider having "made your average". He also reiterated that is why it is called "average". Sometimes you will be below, sometimes you will be above. It is simply an indicator of where you are most often.

I know a lot of seasoned league bowlers who would absolutely love to average 193, bowl a 574, and have 21 strikes on the night.

[ALazySavage]

I think the 30 pin penalty that boatman is referring to is series ( 3 x 10 = 30).

Weather/Road conditions can be in the eye of the beholder; when I drive into the office I have to go on I-70 through the Rocky Mountains - during the winters this can be a very dangerous drive due to conditions. If you were to ask my boss he has made a similar drive (from a different direction but same danger level if not more) and would say that in 40 years there has only been one or two storms that has justified not driving in (10,000 foot elevation in Colorado Rocky Mountains). Not saying the teammates were correct or incorrect, but there is some understanding in opinions.

[Ryster]

Boatman said they had to take "60 pin per game penalty for 2 blind scores." That's why I assumed it was 30 off for a blind per game.

Exactly, everyone has a different comfort level with winter driving which is why I try not to hold it against people. Bosses tend to be overly critical of weather as an excuse. Several years ago I was looking out the window at work while the snow was coming down really heavy. A VP stopped and asked what I was looking at. I made a comment that I was just checking the weather conditions because I lived 25 miles away. He responded "Hmm...I suggest you move closer." and just sauntered away.

[boatman37]

No it is 30 per game per bowler so 180 pin penalty for the series. On top of that I just looked at the results and our opponents had the 3rd highest team scratch series for the night and highest team scratch game for the night. Seems every week the team we go up against has their best night of the year.

[J Anderson]

No it is 30 per game per bowler so 180 pin penalty for the series. On top of that I just looked at the results and our opponents had the 3rd highest team scratch series for the night and highest team scratch game for the night. Seems every week the team we go up against has their best night of the year.

Some seasons seem to be like that. Every week you hit a team that’s hot or at least one or two of their bowlers have a super night. When I bowled in a league that started at 8:00 p.m. ( later after switching centers it became a 9:00 p.m. start ) there were seasons when it seemed like every week we were on the pair where the slowest teams from the early league were stiil bowling after the rest of our league had started practice.

[boatman37]

Seems like every week our opponents hit that hot streak. I know it isn't every week but seems like most weeks since I returned 3 years ago