Aslan's Scores (of the non-lady kind)

[Aslan]

Sweeps in Las Vegas: medium-heavy oil synthetics

465 Series: 172-162-131
Game 1 was clean until frame 6 when I couldn't convert the 4-6-7 split and then chopped a 1-2 in frame 8. Couldn't strike worth a darn.

Game 2 started off wonderfully; chopping a 1-2-4-8...then a chopped 1-2-10 in the 4th and a missed single 10-pin in the 5th. Stayed clean the rest of the way in a game that was impossible because the machine kept breaking down and when they tried to move us, the opponents threw a fit because their anchor had the front 7.

Game 3 we moved to a different pair...another chopped 4-6-7...a chopped 2-4-5-8...and 4 missed single-pins.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.52 pins
Strikes: 30% (10 singles)
Spares: 52% picked up

Single Pin spares: 50% (5/10)
Most common single pin leave: 7-pin and 10-pin (3x each)
Never left a single 1-pin, 3-pin, 6-pin, nor 8-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 53% (7/13)
Most common multi-pin leave: 1-2-4-8 (3x).

Splits: 0% (0/2)

Average over 3 games: 155.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 173.00.

What can said about my bowling game that can't also be said about Afghanastan?







I spend 3 days practicing two weeks ago. I waste a vacation day to get to Vegas early and practice. And...well...that was $200 NOT well spent. And I come away this time with one less bowling ball because I gave away the Jab to that guy I promised it to. I kinda wanted to reneg on the agreement...since the Loaded Revolver and Jab are the two balls I primarily use...especially after seeing that he bought a new ball...but when I mentioned it to him, he said the Hyroad Pearl he bought wasn't working very well for him. I figured if I didn't give it to him...I'd be battling karma for the remainder of the Monday league...so, easy come easy go.

Lesson with Mark tomorrow. Lesson with Missy on Wednesday. I thought the slump was over...not so sure now. I just couldn't get the ball to get back to the pocket. Lots of 1-2-4-8s, 1-2s, 2-4-58s, etc.. And when I tried to straighten out the line to get to the pocket...I'd go through the nose and leave a 4-6-7 split.

And it was a mental disaster as well. The opponents were loud and obnoxious...and they'd hit the pocket light...go through the nose....strike Brooklyn...and seemed to find a way to get the pins to fall. I'd hit the pocket and leave a 10-pin or 9-pin or 7-pin. Add to that the Gold Coast having a MAJOR problem with Lane 15...it broke down 3 times...and that took up nearly an hour. Then we got moved to a new pair...had to re-figure that out.

And like last year...the people throwing straight balls...with tons of handicap...and horrible form/technique...they did pretty good. The truly elite bowlers... they did good too. But the guys like me that have 190-210 averages...inflated by an easy house shot at the AMF center...we got smoked.

[Aslan]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

536 Series: 157-200-179

Game 1 I started out with the Dark Encounter but I just couldn't carry. Switched to the Loaded Revolver in frame 7 after two straight flat 10s. But it took me the rest of the game to try and adjust...had a 4-6 split in the 9th...not a great game.

Game 2 I managed to string a few strikes together early on...but only salvaged the 200 because of decent spare shooting. 7 /, 7 2, 7 /, 7 / isn't necessarily indicative of finding the pocket. But only one open frame...I always struggle with the 6-9-10.

Game 3 the spare shooting was awful. A missed 7-pin in the 6th, missed 6-10 in the 8th, then a missed 10-pin in the 9th.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.70 pins
Strikes: 39% (2 turkeys and 7 singles)
Spares: 63% picked up

Single Pin spares: 62% (5/8)
Most common single-pin leaves: 7-pin (4x)
Also left a single 5-pin (1x) and single 10-pin (3x).

Multiple Pin spares: 63% (7/11)
Most common multi-pin leave: 4-7 and 6-9-10 (2x each)

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 178.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 189.67.

I really hate having lessons at easy houses...and it looks like I'm doing well...then I can't perform on Mondays in a normal house. During my lesson with Mark...I was striking so much it was almost boring. Last night...I made some good shots...spare shooting was "okay" at best...and I'm back to being a 170s bowler.

Now, I could just say "screw it"....I mean, this is just for fun right? But...the team is a complete MESS. The new guy and young girl are former friends/couple...and they hate each other. So he spent the whole time ignoring her...and she didn't like that very much. By the end of Game 1, some girl showed up and there was some drama between the girl and the girl on our team. So...that other girl left...figured that was the end of it...but then before Game 3...the girl on our team went out to smoke and claimed this other girl threatened her. Then our teammate started crying and sobbing and claiming that girl had drugged her and raped her and she was afraid for her life.

I literally couldn't make this up. Meanwhile, the guy on the team was drinking shots like a maniac...trying to cope with his broken heart caused by the girl teammate...so between the two of them over 3 games, they probably bowled less than a 500. My 200 helped us squeak out one point at least.

So, the girl got escorted out to her car by a security guard...but later that night returned to the bowling alley bar. She said she only had $7 so the other woman on the team paid her bowling fees...but I guess guys were buying her drinks...I guess she wasn't as terrified as she let on given she returned to the alley to hang out in the bar. I gave the young kid a ride to a nearby bar where he was meeting some friends. I came home and watched "Better Call Saul" and went to sleep. I may be a c&*ppy bowler...but at least my life is generally drama free...I can be thankful for that. 6 more weeks of this hell(o)....then I can take some time off...away from crazy people...let by elbow heal up...I think I have tendonitis and/or a ligament strain...too much trying to "help" the ball using my fingers...which are not meant nor designed to propel a 15lb object.

Oh well...I got another lesson tomorrow...not sure why....but, what the heck.

[Amyers]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

536 Series: 157-200-179

Game 1 I started out with the Dark Encounter but I just couldn't carry. Switched to the Loaded Revolver in frame 7 after two straight flat 10s. But it took me the rest of the game to try and adjust...had a 4-6 split in the 9th...not a great game.

Game 2 I managed to string a few strikes together early on...but only salvaged the 200 because of decent spare shooting. 7 /, 7 2, 7 /, 7 / isn't necessarily indicative of finding the pocket. But only one open frame...I always struggle with the 6-9-10.

Game 3 the spare shooting was awful. A missed 7-pin in the 6th, missed 6-10 in the 8th, then a missed 10-pin in the 9th.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.70 pins
Strikes: 39% (2 turkeys and 7 singles)
Spares: 63% picked up

Single Pin spares: 62% (5/8)
Most common single-pin leaves: 7-pin (4x)
Also left a single 5-pin (1x) and single 10-pin (3x).

Multiple Pin spares: 63% (7/11)
Most common multi-pin leave: 4-7 and 6-9-10 (2x each)

Splits: 0% (0/1)

Average over 3 games: 178.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 189.67.

I really hate having lessons at easy houses...and it looks like I'm doing well...then I can't perform on Mondays in a normal house. During my lesson with Mark...I was striking so much it was almost boring. Last night...I made some good shots...spare shooting was "okay" at best...and I'm back to being a 170s bowler.

Now, I could just say "screw it"....I mean, this is just for fun right? But...the team is a complete MESS. The new guy and young girl are former friends/couple...and they hate each other. So he spent the whole time ignoring her...and she didn't like that very much. By the end of Game 1, some girl showed up and there was some drama between the girl and the girl on our team. So...that other girl left...figured that was the end of it...but then before Game 3...the girl on our team went out to smoke and claimed this other girl threatened her. Then our teammate started crying and sobbing and claiming that girl had drugged her and raped her and she was afraid for her life.

I literally couldn't make this up. Meanwhile, the guy on the team was drinking shots like a maniac...trying to cope with his broken heart caused by the girl teammate...so between the two of them over 3 games, they probably bowled less than a 500. My 200 helped us squeak out one point at least.

So, the girl got escorted out to her car by a security guard...but later that night returned to the bowling alley bar. She said she only had $7 so the other woman on the team paid her bowling fees...but I guess guys were buying her drinks...I guess she wasn't as terrified as she let on given she returned to the alley to hang out in the bar. I gave the young kid a ride to a nearby bar where he was meeting some friends. I came home and watched "Better Call Saul" and went to sleep. I may be a c&*ppy bowler...but at least my life is generally drama free...I can be thankful for that. 6 more weeks of this hell(o)....then I can take some time off...away from crazy people...let by elbow heal up...I think I have tendonitis and/or a ligament strain...too much trying to "help" the ball using my fingers...which are not meant nor designed to propel a 15lb object.

Oh well...I got another lesson tomorrow...not sure why....but, what the heck.

The different house effect is real. I've been having some of that with my coach too. The house I take lessons in has a lot of friction and often times are not oiled so I feel like I spend half my lesson learning things to keep the ball from hooking and playing areas of the lanes I wouldn't normally bowl on.

How often do you leave the 6-9-10? I have left it but that's an unusual leave for me.

You really need to spend some more time hanging out with higher end bowlers. Maybe things are different in So. Cal (other things to do lol) than here but most of the serious bowlers all know one another and besides Friday night (when everyone bowls) it's not hard to put together a team where you don't have crap like that.

[Aslan]

Saturday Weekly Color-Pin Tournament:

489 Series: 169-145-175

Only a few opens in Game 1...but only a few strikes...so I guess it evened out.

Game 2 I struck even less...and missed a couple 10-pins by a hair.

Game 3 I only had a few opens...struck a bit more...but one open was in the 10th...so there goes that game.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.25 pins
Strikes: 28% (1 turkey, 2 doubles, and 2 singles)
Spares: 52% picked up

Single Pin spares: 66% (4/6)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (2x)
Also left the 2-pin, 4-pin, 5-pin, and 7-pin (1x each).

Multiple Pin spares: 46% (7/15)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 2-7 and 4-7-10 splits (2x each)

Splits: 33% (2/6).

Average over 3 games: 163.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 169.67.

Just wasn't making great shots. And this house isn't very forgiving....unless you're an old man with poor form that hits brooklyn 2/3 of the time....then for some reason it's rather forgiving. Game 1 my thumb insert was probably a little too tight. That should help the ball hook more...but I think it was messing with me mentally and causing my release to be funky. Game 3 I was very "inside"...which is not my strength...but it was good practice.

And I can't complain too much. I bowled horribly but won $13...so the whole thing only cost me $17. And $10 of that was strike ball and 50/50...which I normally don't do...but figured I'd try my luck.

[Aslan]

Monday League: Older Brunswick synthetics.

591 Series: 197-202-192

Game 1 was okay...a 4-6-10 split in the 7th frame away from a clean game.

Game 2 I switched to the Loaded Revolver...but couldn't quite carry...great spare shooting though. Only open was a 4-7-10 split in the 1st frame.

Game 3 I felt great and was striking like mad...but a big 4 split in the 5th frame...then my first missed single-pin in the 8th...and opened on a 2-8 sleeper in the 10th.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.09 pins
Strikes: 50% (1 4-bagger, 1 turkey, 3 doubles, and 3 singles)
Spares: 62% picked up

Single Pin spares: 87% (7/8)
Most common single-pin leaves: 10-pin (6x)
Also left a single 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 37% (3/8)
Most common multi-pin leave: 6-10 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/4)

Average over 3 games: 197.00.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 200.67.

Things kinda came together in Game 3. Balance, form, release....everything was clicking. Then I lost the line...couldn't quite get it back. Spare shooting seemed automatic...but once I missed one...then I kinda knew the 10th wasn't gonna be great.

Still a tough house though. The shot is further inside than I like to play...between 11-15 at the arrows...a little miss room on the outside...but not much...and virtually no miss room inside.

Best series in this league this season...so I'm not gonna get too upset. It's progress. Combining the two things I've been working on with the coaches seems to be working.

[Amyers]

Congrats man i know you have struggled there. Pretty nice series for a guy who was threatening to quit.

[Timmyb]

Nice bowling!

[Aslan]

Nice bowling!

Congrats man i know you have struggled there. Pretty nice series for a guy who was threatening to quit.

Thanks all.

Yeah, I thought it was "just me", but my coach is a pro and she says she likes bowling there because it's a challenge. She wants me to keep bowling there and even work on my outside and inside lines...away from the track...to expand my ability a bit. Personally I don't think I've quite mastered the track yet.... ...but...I'll add it to my training/practice routine.

The main, physical, things I'm working on are:

1) Improving my launch angle.
2) Staying low at the line.
3) Improving my spine tilt.

Spine tilt and low at the line....kinda go together. I have trouble with my release when I raise up at the line. It moves my hand position towards the top of the ball versus under the ball....and I can't get anything on the shot. By staying low....it forces my hand into the proper position (under the ball). But, when you're 41.5 years old....with a "questionable" knee and are nearly 6 feet tall...trying to get as low as Mike Fagan can be difficult.

Once I started getting lower...it's a matter of launch angle. Sometimes I get low...but with no spine tilt...throwing at the dots...I end up throwing the ball DOWN instead of OUT....which puts my hand on top versus beneath the ball again. Spine tilt helps me get the ball OUT...

...and that leads to launch angle...which is the most important of the three. Even if I stay straight and tall...I can still make good shots lofting the ball...because my launch angle is good. It's not ideal to loft the ball 15ft...but it works. On the flipside...I can get so low my slide leg knee is dragging on the floor...but if my launch angle is sending the ball DOWN instead of OUT...I'll end up with nothing/less on the shot.

So, those are the big three things...trying to take shorter first steps (so I don't run out of room at the foul line...which forces me to rise up so I don't foul)...

...getting in a good, balanced finish position where my slide foot stays on the floor and I have a little forward spine tilt...

...and then launching the ball OUT (not DOWN, not UP)...letting it come off my fingers...with as little effort/force as I can.

I don't move as much (laterally) as I used to. And I don't have the 5-ball arsenal anymore...so I don't change balls as much.

Now...the MENTAL side...that's still a huge work in progress. I MUST find a way to miss a make-able spare...and not have that lead to disaster. As long as I'm drilling corner pins and 6-10s and 4-7s....I seem unstoppable. Then I miss ONE 10-pin in the 8th frame...and then my only other non-split open was the next frame on that lane...I almost KNEW it was coming...my mind had conceded that I could no longer bowl. Once I miss or chop a non-split...it's like a snowball rolling down a snowhill....gets worse and worse. I have to learn to accept imperfection...and not let it cripple me.

[Aslan]

Saturday Weekly Color-Pin Tournament:

524 Series: 176-215 (clean)-133

Only two opens...but one was a split...so I guess it isn't the end of the World.

Game 2 I finally shot my first clean game since I don't remember when.

Game 3 I was clean on the left lane...opened every time on the right lane. Good Times.



PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.53 pins
Strikes: 37% (1 turkey, 1 double, and 7 singles)
Spares: 65% picked up

Single Pin spares: 75% (6/8)
Most common single-pin leave: 4-pin, 6-pin, and 10-pin (2x each)
Also left the 5-pin and 7-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 58% (7/15)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 1-2-4 (2x)

Splits: 0% (0/1).

Average over 3 games: 174.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 180.33.

Once my feet got left of 25 and my target left of 15...I just can't make that shot. My coach wants me to practice the inside line more...work on things outside my comfort zone. Granted, I'm not 100% confident about my ability to play INSIDE my comfort zone...but whatever. The good news is, got my first clean game in quite awhile and as long as I stayed between 18-25 with my feet and 12-15 with my target...I was actually playing well...and thats not really my "comfort zone"...but I just didn't have a shot up the track.

Tried the Dark Encounter to start...but with two decent shots resulting in a flat 10-pin and weak 5-pin...I just think the low RG and solid cover of that ball..even hand polished....I just can't seem to get it to conserve any energy...finds the pocket...but doesn't carry. I sure hope when I switch arsenals and start using the Defiant Edge...that I don't have the same problem with the low RG. Otherwise...I'm gonna go from only being able to throw the Loaded Revolver to only being able to throw the Track300A...and that is NOT an upgrade.

[Amyers]

I think you have the opposite problem than what you think with the Dark Encounter. You don't have enough surface underneath the polish on that ball. if you just hand applied the polish on that ball the OOB surface on the Dark Encounter was 2000 grit and I'm sure you had not had the ball resurface recently before you applied the polish so the actual surface of the ball was probably around 4k to 4500. Take it to your proshop have them take the ball to 1k or 500 and apply polish over it. There is a reason why the OOB finish on pretty much every ball on the market with polished finishes is 500-1500 before polish. I know your getting ready to switch arsenals but $25 is very little to pay to learn a lesson.