first tournament

[Aslan]

Still waiting for them to post the scores...I'll update when I find out.

FINALLY they posted the scores.

In their defence....I think they "thought" they posted the scores bu didn't. I ended up e-mailing them and asking them why they never posted the scores and well, they finally did.

I finished 5th out of 18 bowlers in Men's Singles B Division (averages 151-169 scratch).
1) 661
2) 600
3) 596
4) 584
5) 563 (ME)
6) 543
7) 514
8) 505
9) 495
10) 469
11) 459
12) 458
13) 456
14) 446
15) 440
16) 419
17) 414
18) 390

The bummer is, I finished 18th in the optional handicap prize pool and they paid up to 16...so I just missed actually cashing in my first ever tournament (even if it was only $15). The other bummer is in 2013, nobody in Division B scored in the 500s much less 600s.

As to the guys that finished above me, the top 2...that was their home lanes...so I imagine that helped a little. And the guy in 4th had not only actually won the B-division in the past, but was in the A-division the prior year. And the interesting thing about him is...I BEAT him in the squad I was in. We bowled together. But he had entered multiple times. So he scored that 584 in the AM session and then in the PM scored lower than I did.

Gonna enter my second tournament this Saturday!! It's not a USBC tournament...it's ABTA. It's going to be a LOT more competitive given that $1000 is on the line. But, should be a fun experience!

[Aslan]

The "dilemma" is...do I enter early and re-enter a couple times to try and get the best score and make the finals?

Or, do I just go in and bowl one squad and I get what I get?

If I enter 1 squad...it's a very reasonable $57...which is less than I'd lose playing poker. And if I win, I probably will win MORE than I'd win playing poker.

However...if I enter and then re-enter...thats another $54...now I'm out $101. If I bowl THREE times...now I'm out $148. And that doesn't include side pots.

So...that'll be the dilemma I'll have to consider between now and then. Hopefully I bowl really awesome the first game and then just say "screw it...save the money." But I don't think thats going to happen.

[RobLV1]

From what I've seen, a great majority of bowlers who cash in tournaments with multiple squads enter more than one. It usually takes one squad to get comfortable with the shot and the circumstances. If you're going to consider bowling the tournament, just consider that it's a $108 entry fee and bowl 2 squads.

[Aslan]

From what I've seen, a great majority of bowlers who cash in tournaments with multiple squads enter more than one. It usually takes one squad to get comfortable with the shot and the circumstances. If you're going to consider bowling the tournament, just consider that it's a $108 entry fee and bowl 2 squads.

Good advice. Thats what I'm thinking.

[Aslan]

From what I've seen, a great majority of bowlers who cash in tournaments with multiple squads enter more than one. It usually takes one squad to get comfortable with the shot and the circumstances. If you're going to consider bowling the tournament, just consider that it's a $108 entry fee and bowl 2 squads.

Actually, after giving it some thought...I've decided to go to the 1st of 5 squads with the goal of bowling a 584 (scracth) or higher. IF I hit that goal, I'll go home or to the beach and chill and go back later in the day to see if I made the semi-finals.

However, if I fail to hit 584 or higher (a series level I have only hit 3 times in my bowling career), I will bowl again in squad 3 with the same goal...if I don't hit it...bowl again in squad 5. The way I figure it....I can probably make the semi-finals as long as I bowl over 511 scratch. I'm getting about 111 pins total of handicap. However, I figure I'll need a 570 to have a real good chance. A 584 should be a "lock" given that it would give me 695 handicap. That should almost certainly put me in the top 25 and give me a shot at the semi-finals. And thats really all I want. I have no delusions that I'll show up and take the top prize. Anything is possible...but I just want to perform well enough that I get a "shot" in the semi-finals.

I think I got a good shot. My book average is 165, but currently in my league I'm averaging 174. 165 at 75% of 215 should give me a 633 handicap if I bowl my current average (174). But in the last 4 weeks of May, I have been averaging 183. So if I bowl like I have been the past 4 weeks...I could be up in the 660 region. I won't be "comfortable" bowling less than a 584 in terms of making the semi-finals...but even if I bowl in the 522-549 range (far more likely than 584)...I should still have a chance. My only other "real" (non BB tourney) tourney result was a 563...but I had to get lucky in the 2nd game and throw a 223 in order to make that happen. Not sure if I'll have that "magic" this Saturday.

The "bad" news is...I've never bowled at these (Irvine) lanes. I bowled at Tustin once which I think are similar and bowled quite well (195-220-209-149). But that was on a weekend after a holiday so I can only imagine how much drier than usual the lanes were. And I'm the opposite of most bowlers in that the less oil there is...the better I usually do. My worry is, if they have moderate-heavy oil...it's a very reasonable assumption that I may average closer to 159. And a series lower than the 490s I really got no shot at the semi-finals.

Still very, very excited...but also getting a little nervous. On the one hand, this is going to be more talented bowlers than I'm used to...so mentally I have to not get "psyched out" thinking, "geez....I'm out of my league, I don't belong here, this is going to be embarassing." On the OTHER hand...as my recent matches against the GREAT MWHITE have shown...I DO have the tendency to BOWL UP to my competition.

Obviously...In tru to form Aslan fashion...FULL ELABORATE non-Mudpuppy cliff note write up to follow the event.

[Amyers]

Best of luck here's hoping for a 600 series for you

[RobLV1]

Good luck!

[Aslan]

In a word; ***ptastic.

My keys to victory were:
- 584 series
- 75% single pin spare pick-up rate or higher
- 40% strike rate or higher

My keys to defeat were:
- A heavy oil lane similar to AMF Carter, AMF Riverside, or Vegas
- Bowling against people who were having better than average nights

Well, none of the keys to victory happened and all of the keys to defeat happened and thus it was embarrassing.

Re-Cap:

Most people didn't start showing up until the 4:00Pm squad, so the 12PM and 2:30PM squads were my best bet as far as winning the squad and getting in the semi-finals.

In squad 1 (12PM) I really struggled to keep my speed down. The lanes were about the 2nd heaviest oil I've played on in California behind AMF Riverside and slightly slicker than AMF Carter. I wasn't the only one struggling and average scores were down. Many guys were missing right, getting washouts, because there was just very little dry area on the outside and the pattern seemed longer than a THS.

I shot a horrible 129 in game 1…I only struck 3x and only made one spare. The 136 in game 2 wasn't much better. A few opens and a split in the 10th…only struck once the whole game. Managed to improve my spare shooting in game 3 and shot a 165 with only 2 open frames….but can't score very high when you only strike once!

So in the first series, my spare shooting was "okay" at 77% (single-pins) but I couldn't strike (16%). And my first ball average was under 8 pins…which is rare for me. Ended with a 430 series; -62; a 538 series handicap.

In squad 3 (2:30PM), I returned to try again. The oil was still very slick. I spent this squad and last squad moving about 4-6 boards right of my normal starting point and trying to play the 7-board. Normally the ball will do much of the work, but on these conditions, even at a slower speed, I couldn't get the ball to do anything with my low rev release. All 3 games of this squad were similar. My strike rate was UP (32%) and my first ball average was up to 8.26…but I was leaving almost entirely multi-pin spares which I was only 52% at picking up. Finished with a 167-159-161 for a 487 series, -5, 595 handicap series.

I decided to join the 6:00PM squad and make one last attempt at getting in the semi-finals. The oil had broken down over the course of the day and I was able to stand closer to center and move over to the 8-9 boards in terms of targeting. I still figured I needed a 584 scratch series…one of the guys running the thing said I probably needed at least a 547 scratch. Well, squad 3 worked out even worse than squad 2…first ball average was down to 8.12 and the strike rate was down to 27%. Spare pick-up rate was up slightly due to leaving more single-pin spares (8 versus 3). Finished with a 483 series; -9; 591 handicap series.

I don't think they were using any sport pattern. They didn't say anything about that. But it was EXTREMELY difficult. There was NO dry area to the right. Anyone that missed more than 2 boards right…you weren't making it back to the pocket. Even the higher rev guys with the stronger equipment…if they missed right, they were dead in the water. You were better off missing left and throwing through the river of oil where at least the ball would hold and probably hit the headpin…at the risk of splits and multi-pin spare leaves.

Overall, VERY bad experience.

1) Tournaments are WAY more expensive than they appear. If you see a flyer or something in the paper…they make it seem like you pay about $50…maybe another $15 to get in on some side pots and brackets…so about $65 per squad you participate in. Well, by the time you add in the various different categories in order to get the highest payout…I think I spent nearly $250 to bowl in 3 squads and all I kept out of the experience was I got a nice collared shirt and 2 bowling towels.

2) I don't have the equipment nor rev rate to compete on heavy oil. It was VERY evident that even at low speeds, my ball was working against me. Remember Rob's "you can't out bowl a bad ball reaction"? Well, I spent all 3 squads trying to out bowl a bad ball reaction. I couldn't move inside and didn't have a stronger ball in my bag…so I was at the mercy of the heavy oil and it was the Vegas nightmare all over again. Most of those guys were throwing pro level equipment…masterminds, mastermind genius, virtual gravity nano, C Systems, SYNCs, Lucids, Networks, Totally Defiants, Defiant Souls, Hammer Deadly aims….a lot more "big hook" equipment than I was used to going up against. So they could throw it out…and if they hit the 3-4 board break-point area (right around 10-8 boards down lane)…they'd have a nice pocket hit. Gonna drill up some stronger equipment late July/Earl August and hopefully that will give me something to be competitive with when I bowl sweeps in Laughlin. If not, I need to go back to the drawing board and develop a much higher rev rate release…which means I'll be back to "trying" to make the ball hook…which I've tried to stay away from as best I can.

3) I think this tournament was a "reach". I thought I could compete…figured I had a 584 series in me…but I was out of my league with these players. I think I'll put ABTA tournaments on the back burner until I can increase my average to say, 193. I mean, if you're a low 190s bowler, ABT and ABTA tournaments could be fun and you might even win some money. But I just think until my game is at that level, I'm going to stick to the local, smaller USBC tournaments where it's not quite as costly and I have a better chance.

[Amyers]

I understand. I definitely think it's time to punch some of that stronger equipment low revs and weaker equipment on tougher conditions can get in your head and if your like me you start trying to make the ball do what it needs to and that just makes it worse.

[Aslan]

I just have to settle down, be more patient, and remember my goals:

My goals for 2014 are:

1) Improve my average to 190+.
2) Always either bowl a clean game and/or have a 525+ series.
3) Improve strike rate to 40% or higher.
4) Improve single-pin spare shooting % to 70% or higher.
5) Improve split pick-up rate to 10% or higher.

I'll change #1 to "193" instead of 190+…but those are my goals. And I need to stop getting ahead of myself and stop worrying that my release is PBA ready and I don't understand ball specs the way I want to and, etc.., etc…, etc… I'm far too impatient.