Boomer's Winter Season

[boomer]

Season started out . . . poorly.

Evidently we've moved to a new house shot that is longer, wider and wetter than the old.

I had JUST redone my arsenal to get me a couple of balls drilled and finished to go longer . . . and put my Nova in the garage. Bad move.

I also need to take some acetone to my grips. They have an edge to them that's unpleasant, but the PSO wasn't there on Mondays (his match-point league with is father-in-law is that night).

So it was a struggle . . .

Game 1 - slidy slidy slidy. Off the deck going for 6-10 (whaaaa?) and whiffed a 2. 162.
Game 2 - started good but whiffed a 4 and a 10 . . . 196.
Game 3 - still struggled. 2 splits. 156.

Need to fix inserts, re-do what's in my bag, learn what the two new balls really DO, and get back to it. Won't be bowling this Monday, though. Going camping up the Kern River with my wife (her birthday) so . . . relax time!

Also - was working on upping my ball speed to overcome dry lanes. Now to slow it back down for the wetter ones. That's an adjustment to my brain.

[boomer]

Week 2 - adjustments and success

So - after a week out camping with my wife (wherein we did NOTHING! SO sweet! ) we came back, had a very busy weekend, and then bowling on Monday, Thank goodness for pain-killers! LOL

When we got back, I DID take some acetone to my grips. They had an edge on them that was . . . unpleasant. Little acetone on a rag and rub the edges down and they became nicely smooth. (Note: NOT on my ball. . . JUST on the finger-tip inserts. . . LOL)

Game 1 - started with my new benchmark, the Teal Rhino. I put 1500 on it so it had a bit more teeth and boy did it respond. I made a point of smooth and having my hand behind the ball. Few adjustments in practice, then found where Mr. Teal really REALLY liked it and strung the front 9. Every hit, solid. 10th frame? Let my hand come around a bit - still hit pocket but left a ring-10 which I subsequently whiffed for a 267.

Game 2 - pick up where I left off. Had to move a board left but was still fine. Around 5th or 6th I noticed that I am starting to come in heavy so need to make an adjustment . . . didn't make it in time so left stone 9, then 1-2-8-10, but made two board adjustment and was fine with 244.

Game 3 - I can tell the lanes are transitioning but Mr. Teal is not going to make a big turn. He's made for a smoother line and . . . well, 4-6 and then 1-3-4-7-10. Hmmm, ok, let's swap. I SHOULD have swapped to a ball that I KNOW will make the turn and that I'm familiar with his behavior - my Zen Master. But noooo, let's grab the brand new Trouble Maker, which DOES make the turn but I'm not quite familiar with and how he talks to me. I hit a turkey, but then push him a bit wide and get bit for it with a 2-8-10. Finish with a 186.

We took all four - basically my wife (who bowled awesome - 155, 191, 196) and I scooped everything up! I finished with 697 - DANG it! Needed three more pins for a 700. DOH!

But wow did Mr. Teal just smooth out this new pattern we've got. No over-hooking, no snappiness, just smooth and communicative. My only problem with him was that I didn't listen when he started to struggle making the turn. No big deal - I know what he's saying now so I can use him as benchmark and then adjust as needed.

[Timmyb]

Nice night!

[boomer]

Yeah - but THREE MORE PINS . . . LOL. Haven't had a 700 in a LONG time!

TY

[boomer]

Wow I love this Teal Rhino - it just is so smooth in its motion that it just talks to me. I guess I'm still old-school enough that I can understand that language rather than the hard hockey-stick shape language of today? IDK

Took a bit to line up. We were on 39-40 last week and this week got moved to 25-26. REALLY different lanes so I used the normal change for this. Mr. Teal said, no, do what you were doing and loosen up. Let ME do the work, not you.

OK, Mr. Teal. Let's go that way.

We are also bowling the winner of last season who is standing at 10-2 so far, top of the league.

Game 1 - good start. Strike, ring-10, couple more then float it with no follow-through for some reason and leave a wash. Meh. OK, string four more and finish with a ring-10 for 216. Better game than that, actually, but I'll settle for 216 and the point.
Game 2 - strike, stone 9, strike then float it again but spare, trip-4 strike, then leave the 4 (Mr. Teal telling me to make a little move) couple more then wash in the 9th. Bah. really? Strike and whiff the 6-10. 191 and we lose the point by 7.

Mr. Teal says, OK settle down.

Game 3 - Clean and 257. OK, by this time I've had a TON of Smarties (LOL) and am just bouncing along. One ONE errant shot and everything else is solid. I swing it a touch wide a few times but Mr. Teal covers my arse and we're good to go. We don't just take the point, we CRUSH the point by a TON and take total. 3 points from the #1 team.

665 series. Could have been higher had I listened to Mr. Teal a bit more in game 2. That said - really enjoying this ball.

[Aslan]

I'm starting to wonder if it's not best just to get a ball, like your Teal Rhino, and just play 2nd arrow.

Every night I try to start out with my Trident Odyssey "superball"...and it either is burnt up before it gets to the pocket...or I have to move SO far inside...that I got no miss room and can barely get it back to the pocket.

Meanwhile, I start out with the Scorpion Sting and ball down to my Vintage Gold Rhino...just stay in the 8-10 board area...and I'm golden. Sure, I might lose a few strikes because the balls don't got the same power...but I also carry more because I have miss room to the outside.

I just don't got the technique to play inside 11. I thought I would develop it...but it ain't happening.

[boomer]

I've actually been playing 3rd arrow quite a bit with Mr. Teal. Straighter - hook around 8-10ish. He won't make a big turn so that works nicely. If I try to go down and in with him, he isn't pleased with me.

[boomer]

Went first game and pain throughout shoulders, down back and into my left "buttockular" area. Could NOT deliver the ball well at all. Stopped after a 138 first game. Talked with my opposing captain and he chuckled and said I didn't look right or sound right. . .

Ugh.

buttockular. LOL

[J Anderson]

Went first game and pain throughout shoulders, down back and into my left "buttockular" area. Could NOT deliver the ball well at all. Stopped after a 138 first game. Talked with my opposing captain and he chuckled and said I didn't look right or sound right. . .

Ugh.

buttockular. LOL

I’d like to think that if I had pain like you’re describing I would quit right away, but it’s quite possible that I would do the same thing🥴
This sounds really serious. Take care of yourself.

[boomer]

It's fine now (hopefully) - went home, got some heat on it and a muscle relaxer and have been more or less good since.

Had another art show on Saturday (wife and I do Ceramic sculpture on the side) - that might well have been part of it. Ceramics are HEAVY. Sigh.