Local Bowling Updates:

[GMan 3,569]

I've bowled like crap the last three weeks...three straight sub-600 weeks...but the average is still 200. We still have four weeks left in the season, plus the State Tournament the third weekend of April, hoping I can turn things around and bowl like I was bowling in Jan/Feb.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I typically don't have much good to report for Tuesday nights, but this is one of them.

 

192-174-246 for the 612 series (my high game and high series for this league, not a good thing). Started that 3rd game X-X-X-X, next two were 9/-9/, then X-X-X, ended it 9/9. Those last two were 9 pins, believe it or not. The 5th was a 3-pin and the 6th was a 4-pin.

 

My team is in 2nd. We face the 1st-place team the next two weeks in position rounds. If we can overcome them, we'll bowl in 3 weeks for the league title. We're on a huge hot streak now. I've even won 2 of my last 3 games the last 2 weeks, which is always fun.

[GMan 3,569]

I took the week off...had a muscle spasm in my back Monday morning and I couldn't have rolled a golf ball if I had wanted to...

[GMan 3,569]

Back spasm gone...slump over...

 

223-244-255 - 722

 

Started last game with a ringing 10-pin then eight straight Xs...tugged first ball in 10th and left 4-7-9...only open of the night...

 

I've been trying to figure out this State Tournament pattern for a few weeks (41 ft./med.-heavy oil with a little room outside the 8-board) and I tried something the last time I bowled (two weeks ago)...a weaker ball drilled to go long but with a lot of surface (RotoGrip Mars drilled with pin over bridge and CG kicked slightly to the right, sanded to 1000 grit abralon). This is the same ball I rolled my 781 with last year but with much more surface.

 

I liked what I saw with the ball, able to play a straighter line to the pocket with not too much over-reaction when it hits the dry boards. It will miss light with too much speed but the only way it will go left/through the nose is if I tug it. This will probably be my "go to" ball for the State Tournament, especially at Mountaineer. As for the singles and doubles at Green Valley, this will probably be a good ball to start but I'll have my Columbia Jazz (weaker cover with less surface than the Mars) to switch to, if needed, when the lanes start to dry out.

[GMan 3,569]

That puts you one up on me on the 700s. I've got four...three this season...781, 704, 701, 727...

 

Make that a total of five...four this season...781, 704, 701, 727, 722...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Back spasm gone...slump over...

 

223-244-255 - 722

 

Started last game with a ringing 10-pin then eight straight Xs...tugged first ball in 10th and left 4-7-9...only open of the night...

 

I've been trying to figure out this State Tournament pattern for a few weeks (41 ft./med.-heavy oil with a little room outside the 8-board) and I tried something the last time I bowled (two weeks ago)...a weaker ball drilled to go long but with a lot of surface (RotoGrip Mars drilled with pin over bridge and CG kicked slightly to the right, sanded to 1000 grit abralon). This is the same ball I rolled my 781 with last year but with much more surface.

 

I liked what I saw with the ball, able to play a straighter line to the pocket with not too much over-reaction when it hits the dry boards. It will miss light with too much speed but the only way it will go left/through the nose is if I tug it. This will probably be my "go to" ball for the State Tournament, especially at Mountaineer. As for the singles and doubles at Green Valley, this will probably be a good ball to start but I'll have my Columbia Jazz (weaker cover with less surface than the Mars) to switch to, if needed, when the lanes start to dry out.

 

Very nice series. I like the consistency and continual improvement throughout. Isn't it a shame to throw your last shot of the night and have it be an open! We're even with five 700-series a piece this year. And that helps you get right back into the swing of things just in time for the state tournament.

 

I like your ball selection for Mountaineer. I think your ball selection would work for Green Valley, too, though I think you'll have to adjust your line to account for the increased grip you'll get from those wooden lanes there.

 

I wish I could go to the PA state tournaments, but they're almost always held in Northern PA, which makes freaking perfect sense when 80% of the population lives within 50 miles of the state's southern border. I think the 2012 PA state tourney is being held in York, which is less than an hour from my house. Something I hope to do.

[GMan 3,569]

I like your ball selection for Mountaineer. I think your ball selection would work for Green Valley, too, though I think you'll have to adjust your line to account for the increased grip you'll get from those wooden lanes there.

 

True, I'll probably have to move left but that's also the reason the Jazz is going along for the ride...polished pearl, drilled pin under bridge for some decent read but far enough away from my PAP that it will get down the lane before it reads too much.

 

The balls that I bowled so well with earlier in the year, the Nomad and the Rival, just don't cut it on this 41' pattern...or at least, I haven't been able to figure out how to play the lanes with them consistently. They're too strong for the down and in shot and they get a little squirrely when I move inside (either throw it through the break with too much speed or they read too early when I "let up" on 'em).

 

Its been a while since I've bowled out there...going to have to go Friday afternoon, I guess. They've refinished the lanes so they're not quite as bad as they were the last time I bowled there. I've heard mixed results from folks who have already bowled...some liked them (read: bowled well) and some didn't (read: bowled like crap). If I can figure out a little in practice, I'll lock it in during the tournament and see where it takes me.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

True, I'll probably have to move left but that's also the reason the Jazz is going along for the ride...polished pearl, drilled pin under bridge for some decent read but far enough away from my PAP that it will get down the lane before it reads too much.

 

The balls that I bowled so well with earlier in the year, the Nomad and the Rival, just don't cut it on this 41' pattern...or at least, I haven't been able to figure out how to play the lanes with them consistently. They're too strong for the down and in shot and they get a little squirrely when I move inside (either throw it through the break with too much speed or they read too early when I "let up" on 'em).

 

Its been a while since I've bowled out there...going to have to go Friday afternoon, I guess. They've refinished the lanes so they're not quite as bad as they were the last time I bowled there. I've heard mixed results from folks who have already bowled...some liked them (read: bowled well) and some didn't (read: bowled like crap). If I can figure out a little in practice, I'll lock it in during the tournament and see where it takes me.

 

It's great to have a nice arsenal. ;)

 

I'm glad to hear that those lanes at Green Valley have been refinished. They were in poor shape when I was last there, and that was 5 years ago. That'll lessen the effects of the grip, but not by too much. Practicing there Friday is a great idea: even though they won't have the 41' pattern on them, it'll give you a base line by which to judge the lane.

 

Having seen you bowl, on a 41' pattern, I'd say that straighter would be greater. You should get nice angle with your #1 ball if you go down-and-in. Keep us posted on how you do in the coming weeks. Hopefully you can throw up a 700. Tall order, but not impossible!

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I always say that I don't have a lot to report on Tuesday nights. Well, tonight for me was all over the place. 158-220-197 for a 575 series. Not great and not terrible, but I lost 2 of my 3 games.

 

Before I go further, our Tuesday night league has a unique scoring pattern. We bowl the guy across from us heads-up with handicap. The winner gets 1 point for the team. The winning team with total pinfall gets 2 points. So there's a maximum of 7 points per game in a 5-man league. The total pinfall for the series is 2 more points. So, a total of 23 points for the night.

 

Tonight was Position Round 1 of 2. My team was 1.5 games out of first (a tiny amount, given 23 points/week). I lost 2 points, games #1 and #3. The other teams' guys bowled just awfully, while the other guys on my team bowled great (our #2 bowler had a 675 series) My team went for a whopping 19-4 tonight, and now we're up on the 2nd-place team 17.5 games for the half. If my team wins 6 games next week in Position Round #2 (against the same team we smoked tonight), we'll bowl for the league title 2 Tuesdays from now.

[GMan 3,569]

Awesome! I think 6 should be easy enough...looks like you better mark your calendar for that title match.

 

Our team is in second place with two weeks to go. We were 12 points out of first (8 pt. format) going into this past Monday night. We won all 8 and the first place team only won 2, so we picked up 6 on them. This week, the team we bowl is fairly weak (all have league minimum averages and can't bowl to them) so we should get another 8, even if we have an off night. So we will be no more than 6 out of first going to the last week.

 

We bowl the first place team the last week.

 

They want to beat us bad since we knocked them out of winning the last quarter...they were in first by a 4 points going to the last week of the quarter, we took 6 from them, while the #2 team won all 8 and won the quarter. We bowled next to them this past Monday night and one of their guys kept coming over and checking our scores...I think he hears footsteps coming up from behind him...LOL.

[gwave0333 69]

I had a good night last night in league. Bowled 193-185-203 (581). Would have easily had my 3rd 600 series ever but opened in the first frame every game!! Overall, i am pleased with my bowling, my avg (163) is up 11 pins since the end of 2010 season. I feel i am ready for my tourney next weekend in VA Beach

 

Never did hear how the tourney went any update?

[mv91 259]

Update from wheelchair tourney at VA beach.

 

I was in A division and qualified 1st with a 171 avg after 12 games of qualifying. Top 5 qualified in a step ladder format. So I just had to wait for the other 4 to battle it out to get to me LOL. Unfortunately i finished 2nd, I think the nerves got the best of me in the championship match. $800 for 2nd kind of eased the pain tho LOL

 

I am already planning for Nationals in June in Massachusetts. So I hope to get redemption then!!! lol

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Update from wheelchair tourney at VA beach.

 

I was in A division and qualified 1st with a 171 avg after 12 games of qualifying. Top 5 qualified in a step ladder format. So I just had to wait for the other 4 to battle it out to get to me LOL. Unfortunately i finished 2nd, I think the nerves got the best of me in the championship match. $800 for 2nd kind of eased the pain tho LOL

 

I am already planning for Nationals in June in Massachusetts. So I hope to get redemption then!!! lol

 

Man, this is awesome! Congrats on the 2nd-place finish! I think the stepladder format puts the top qualifiers at a distinct disadvantage. I bowled in a tournament back in October where I qualified 2nd, and managed to lose by 21 pins to the #5-seed.

 

$800 isn't bad, either! Rock 'em in nationals!

[mv91 259]

Man, this is awesome! Congrats on the 2nd-place finish! I think the stepladder format puts the top qualifiers at a distinct disadvantage. I bowled in a tournament back in October where I qualified 2nd, and managed to lose by 21 pins to the #5-seed.

 

$800 isn't bad, either! Rock 'em in nationals!

 

Thanks man!!

 

I would have rather bowled as soon as the qualifiers were announced. It was probably 2 1/2 hrs before i bowled after my last qualifying game!! It was quite an experience though. Had never bowled with other wheelchair bowlers before. Looking forward to Nationals!! If i was lucky enough to win my division, i would get a ring just like the 300 rings!! Woohoo!! lol

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Well, I almost went one-up on GMan yet again in the 700 department.

 

246-215-238. Doing the math, that comes out to...699. I needed a strike on the 1st shot of the 10th frame in my last game. Threw it a little quick, didn't get the bite I needed, and had 2 messengers ram into each other going straight for the 7-pin I left. Left 30+ pins on the table by missing 3 spares, only 1 of which was a split. Only carried 3 on a bucket and missed a 10-pin barely inside. Threw 24 strikes tonight, 10 of them coming in the first game. I noticeably tired in the 3rd game, needed 5-in-a-row to set up the chance at the 700 series. At one point in the 2nd game, I had thrown 14 of 15 strikes.

 

The down-and-in line was just money tonight. The shots I missed were user error. I made a few dumb mistakes, throwing the ball 2 boards plus outside my mark on a few shots. But given how this day has turned out for me, I'll live with being 1 pin outside a 700.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Well, yours truly will be bowling for the Intermediate Classic title Tuesday night!

 

224-200-192. Comes out to a 616, one of my better series in this challenging league. We needed 7 wins, as I said, to salt away the 2nd-half title. We went 5-2 in the first game and 6-1 in the second game to clinch it. We lost 2-5 in the last game, but won the total worth 2 points. 15-8 for the week.

 

The first game was full of excitement. ALL FIVE matchups went down to the final shot of the 10th frame: our 1st bowler lost by 7, our 2nd bowler lost by just 1, our 4th bowler won by 5. I bowl 3rd. My opponent started out with an open, then the next 5. I had 1 strike through the first 5 frames, another open, and 3 spares. I was down by 52 in the 5th frame, and came roaring back in frames 6-9 with a 4-bagger, while my guy went O-/-/-/. I nail a clutch shot in the 10th to give myself 5-in-a-row and clinch my game: I came all the way back from 52 down to win by 11. My opponent was PISSED.

 

And that's not all. After our anchor bowler struck out, his opponent could strike out not only to tie their match, but tie the overall pin total for the game. First shot, flush. Second shot, ringing 10-pin. Swung the total from 3.5-3.5 to 5-2.

 

Take a wild guess who we bowl for the league title? The same team we bowled tonight. They were the 1st-half champions, too. This will make the 3rd-straight week of it. And as they say, it's so hard to beat a team three straight times.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Another plus for me.

 

My Friday night doubles teammate's going back to his home in Michigan this weekend, so he had to pre-bowl today before he left. He pre-bowled his career high series: 234-202-232 for a 668. Very nice, considering his high-170s average. We have a legitimate chance to scratch 1300 Friday night.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

After a year-long climb, my average is back to its 196 perch, where I've ended the last two seasons.

 

Tonight was a banner night for my team. I told you above that my teammate prebowled a 232-202-234 for a 668 series. Well, we bowled the team with the highest pinfall in the league tonight on the best possible week we could've faced them. We got 32 pins of handicap each game, which we certainly didn't need. I shot 201-194-263 (my 2nd-highest game of the whole year) for a 658, giving us 1326 scratch and 1422 handicap. We won game 3 (497 scratch, 529 handicap) by a whopping 252 pins, the highest margin I've ever seen in a doubles' league. Of course, we won the first two as well, both by 84 pins. We've went from 12 games below .500 to 14 games above .500 in just 10 weeks.

 

Tonight's series was especially nice for end-of-the-year prize purposes. The 1422 handicap series is 59 pins higher than 2nd-place. The 529 handicap game is 2nd-highest in the league. I still have the 3rd-place series for that league, the 748 I bowled back in October. And since position round's next week, we're in the 3 v. 4 game, with a chance to claim 3rd for the 2nd-half, a decent purse in itself.

[GMan 3,569]

State Tournament = too graphic in nature to give details on this forum

[Deleted Account 5,203]

State Tournament = too graphic in nature to give details on this forum

 

That bad, eh? :(

 

Hate to see a poor ending to your best bowling year.

[GMan 3,569]

Let's just say, I haven't had back-to-back-to-back sets that low since I was a junior bowler...awful is too nice of a word to describe it...

[GMan 3,569]

Well, the season came to a somewhat disappointing end. Needing all 8 points, we had nearly a 100 pin lead in the 9th frame of the first game...and lost...season over.

 

190-206-207 - 603 almost 100 pins better than every set of the State Tourney...WTF...at least I finished with a 200 average.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Well, the season came to a somewhat disappointing end. Needing all 8 points, we had nearly a 100 pin lead in the 9th frame of the first game...and lost...season over.

 

190-206-207 - 603 almost 100 pins better than every set of the State Tourney...WTF...at least I finished with a 200 average.

 

Geez, how in the world did you guys blow such a big lead so late? Did they have several bowlers working on doubles? I've been on a team that came back from 119 down in the 9th frame before, but that's awfully uncommon.

 

But a congratulations are in order for finishing with a 200 average. A strong season by any measure. That's been my goal for 2 seasons now, and I'll end just short again. 196 is what I'll book this year. My Tuesday night season ends tonight, and my Friday night season ends next week.

 

Then, to find 2 leagues to bowl in this summer.

[GMan 3,569]

They hammered us in the 10th. We had two opens and two spare/count in the 10th. Their first two bowlers went X/ in the 10th, one was working on an X and their last two bowlers were both on doubles going to the 10th and struck out. 100 pins evaporated quickly.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

What can I say after the series we just bowled? I don't know if words can do it justice. Sure, my team "Ronnie's Raiders" won the closest league final I've ever seen, 12-11. I suppose you'd just have to be there to get the full gist of it.

 

My series: 202-206-223 = 631 (high Tuesday night series of the year, highest on the team tonight)

My record against opposing bowler: 3-0.

League Title #1.

 

Game 1: 4-3 good guys.

An odd game that saw my team blow our handicap advantage early then stay close for the last half of the game. Our #2 bowler and me beat our opponents by 51 and 62 pins, respectively. However, our leadoff, 4th, and anchor bowlers each lost by over 30 pins. Our anchor man made a crucial strike in the 10th, giving us the pinfall by 12. Since pinfall is 2 points, we came out with the early lead.

 

Game 2: 6-1 opponents.

Our opponents showed flashes of why they were #1 in the first half and #2 in the second half. They came out and just flat out blew our doors off. The only chink in the armor came from my opponent. He led me by 31 pins in the 5th frame. I then strung 4 strikes together, while he opened in the 7th. I took the lead in the 9th frame, only to spare-strike to end my game with a 206. He needed a strike on his first shot of the 10th to close me out, and it didn't help matters that both guys before him threw 3 each. His 1st shot went through the nose and left a 4-6-7. Not that it mattered; we lost that game by 106 pins, putting the total deficit at 94 after 2 games.

 

Game 3: 5-2 good guys.

We knew heading into the 3rd game that we either needed to sweep all 7 points in this game, or make up the 94-pin deficit while winning 5 points. We started out decent, but not exceptional. Our 2nd-bowler threw 4 in a row through the 5th, but we all either alternated strike-spare or did like I did, and rolled off four 9/ frames in a row. However, a funny thing was happening: their 2nd and 3rd bowlers were missing uncharacteristic shots. Their 3rd bowler (my opponent) had a 61 in the 5th frame, and the 2nd bowler had a whopping 50 in the 5th frame. Instead of rolling over, we had come storming back to take the lead by 102 heading into the 6th frame. Then, a reversal. I missed a 3-pin in the 6th frame, a shot I hadn't missed all year. Our 4th bowler missed a spare. Our leadoff man threw a split, one of 6 in the last two games. The deficit shrunk back to 50.

 

Before going up in the 7th frame, I told myself: "The difference between a good bowler and a great bowler is how the bowler reacts after a mistake." I struck in the 7th. And again in the 8th. And again in the 9th. Our anchor bowler matched me strike for strike, and the lead started to grow. 70. 80. 90. We capitalized on 2 misses in the 9th frame to get the lead back to 100. Then, our lead bowler falters in the 10th, throwing a split. The other lead bowler throws 2 in a row to clinch his point. Now, we MUST take the total pinfall to win the title. Our 2nd bowler, who had faltered down the stretch, took care of his business in the 10th by throwing 3-in-a-row. I come out with 2 more strikes in the 10th (5-in-a-row in one of the biggest games in the biggest series of my life?!?!), and am practically shouting with each strike. With every bowler that comes up in the 10th, both teams get louder and louder. Our 4th bowler throws 2-in-a-row to lock down his point.

 

It all comes down to our anchor bowler. He is working on 3-in-a-row. The opposing team's anchor bowler threw 3-in-a-row to end it. We're up by just 72 pins now, as every bowler but our leadoff man threw at least 2-in-a-row. With the season on the line, he MUST his his 1st strike to win the title. With the most pressure I've ever seen on a bowler with my own two eyes, he steps up and buries the most gorgeous pocket shot I've ever seen. The lead jumps to 102. WE DID IT! I leaped about a foot off the floor when those 10 pins scattered. His 2nd shot was inside, costing him his point, but it didn't matter. Wins by bowlers 2-4 gave us 5 for the game.

 

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, total pinfall counts for 2 points. We won total pinfall by just 19 pins tonight, which put us over the top by one point, 12-11.

 

I said that I couldn't do tonight justice, and I still don't think I did. How can you put the feeling of roaring back to win like that? I'm just thrilled that I could save my best series in this league for the championship, and that I could pull off 5-in-a-row when my team absolutely had to have it. This is probably the proudest I've been aside from throwing my only 300. I've thrown five 700-series, but this 631 means more than all of them combined. That 223 was a Pantheon-level game for me, one of the few times that almost transcended bowling on a personal level, given what we needed in that final game.

 

Thus concludes my first ever title-winning season. :)