I've never been more depressed about my bowling than I was tonight.  It was more of the same at this house, but 10 times worse.  To start off with, I wasn't bowling particularly well, but I've done worse.  My arm and wrist weren't giving me much trouble tonight, it was just inaccuracy on shots.  I couldn't carry anything, and I'm dead serious when I say it seemed like the pins were against me.  I tripped ONE 4 pin all night, and other than that there were no carried 10's (6 pin off the wall, or whatever), and even when I hit the pocket flush I wasn't carrying.  There did seem to be an inordinate amount of 8's and 9's for everyone tonight, however.  My good shots were 10 pins every single time.  My bad shots were either luck strikes (a very few evenso) or splits (I only had 4, so it wasn't exactly AWFUL), and my decent shots were 4's, 8's or 7's.  

I have NEVER done this before, and always looked down on people who did, but it was so bad tonight that I just gave up.  I had a great practice session last night, and was feeling great during warmup tonight, but things started out bad and stayed that way.  The shot was there all night, I was just moving to find carry, and never found it.  I played everything from 4th arrow to 8, 4th arrow to 12, 3rd arrow to 10, 3rd arrow to 6, 2nd arrow to 8, 2nd arrow to 5, and everywhere in between, and nothing made a difference.  I'm sure everyone looking thought I was being unusually inaccurate, and on some shots I was, but for the most part I was trying to find a line that would carry.  Nothing worked, period, and it was 90 percent carry issues.  I only had release problems 3 or 4 shots, I made all but one of my makeable spares (before I gave up in the 4th game), I only left a few splits, a couple of them being track burn issues, but still not great shots to begin with.  There was one ball I threw from 2nd arrow to 6 that I KNEW was going to react and set up perfectly right off my hand, and it was by FAR the best shot of the night, and probably my best shot in the last month, everything clicked and felt perfect, it just rolled off my hand, slid down the lane, set up, and left me another 10 pin.  I can honestly tell when a shot is going to hit weak or not carry, but some of the leaves at this house make my shake my head.  

Bowling is the only thing I'm good at, and because of reasons I won't get into, it's the only thing I look forward to every week, and anyone that watches me can tell you that I'm extremely hard on myself, I always try to do my best, and never let myself get comfortable.  I'm absolutely NEVER satisfied with any scores, I might be happy for the moment, but I always find the places where I screwed up or could have done better.  I'd sure save a lot of money and time if I quit, but I don't know what I'd replace it with.  I wouldn't have anything to look forward to, I don't have friends I see more than once a week, I just don't have anything else going for me.  You can say I'm just having a pity party, that I just really suck and don't know it, but I don't care.  I'm being honest, and dead serious, and I just need either some help or advice.  Again.
--------------------
I know Kung Fu!

I am the one, the one that will bring balance.  All the pins shall be destroyed!

Don't deal with adversity too well, do you?

Bowling a good score doesn't make you a good person. Bowling a bad score doesn't make you a bad person. Its just a score that sometimes doesn't reflect how well or poor you executed the shots. All you can do is execute shots well and let the score take care of its self.

Thanks, I think.  Strider, I don't usually have to worry about trip 4's or carrying 10's, I just meant I wasn't getting any help tonight, that's all.  I get your point and know you weren't trying to be an ass, but I think that's part of my problem.  My most common leaves are 10's and 4's, I pretty much live in the pocket, but I think there is some small thing that's keeping me from being perfect in the pocket.  It's probably just trying too hard, like you said.  I've been trying to keep my elbow straight and my wrist cupped, and it just isn't working, I don't have the wrist strength for it.  I've been working on it for months, and I'm just getting worse.  I've always had more of a Brian Voss armswing, just with my wrist in a more cupped position, but not necessarily very cupped at all.
--------------------
I know Kung Fu!

I am the one, the one that will bring balance.  All the pins shall be destroyed!

First off, What did you learn by quitting in the fourth game? Nothing….. You have to keep trying until the last shot.

Read your ball reaction. Look at others that are having success to see what line they are playing, where their breakpoint is, what is their entry angle, etc. Make adjustments in line, speed, where you are playing the lane. Sometimes you have to play where the amount of help to the pocket is not as good in order to improve your carry.

Second, find a style that suits you, your body and your temperament, and use it. Maybe you should drop trying to cup the ball. Not everyone has the body type to crank a ball. Learn an “A” game and become proficient at it. Use it until it is clear that it will not work at all on the condition. Example, if you threw a slow big hooking shot as your “A” game and the lanes are fried everywhere then you are going to have to go with more speed and a less aggressive ball.

Lastly, sometimes it just doesn't happen. We have all been their. For some reason you just don't match up and can't score high. But if you stay clean you can generally shoot a decent score and in a season format that may be enough.

First, thanks guys.  My defensive nature comes from a long history of being looked down on and such.  And my "references" to other people are just to mean that it's not a one sided thing, that I'm not the only one seeing what's going on, and that myself and others have determined what the problem was.  I know I put too much pressure on myself, I can't remember the last time I actually had fun, practicing or in league.  I can't even go cyberbowling with friends without using it as "distraction training."  Maybe I just ought to go back to doing things the way I used to.  I've been working on my armswing, like I said, for months now, and it's just getting worse.  My wrist strength has improved, yes, but I never had a problem with it before I started all the changes.  My elbow has always been slightly bent, and my wrist as always been loose, and if nothing else, my armswing could always have been described as loose.  It looked a little funny, but nothing really crazy, and it was effective.  I'm to the point where I might as well try everything (I even tried being a fluffer for a game last night).  I have a small bi-weekly tournament there tonight, so I suppose I might as well try to relax and see what happens.  I've never made the cut before, so there aren't any real expectations I guess.  Thanks guys.
--------------------
I know Kung Fu!

I am the one, the one that will bring balance.  All the pins shall be destroyed!

Shake it off man, don't quit.. if you do, you will look back on this and wonder why you did it..

If I quit eveytime I had a bad night, I wouldn't be bowling right now. Earlier in the fall season, I shot 802 in my Thursday night "fun" league with my wife and came back the very next Thursday with a 525 and I was saying to myself, "take the carry when you can" because most nights are gonne be struggle and no carry..

Seriously, just practice, keep your chin up and most of all have fun!! Thats whats its all about.. I love bowling!!

JIM KISER

I've even watched as true 240+ averagers would struggle on a normal league shot and shoot a sub-600 set.  And, if I had a dollar for every time that I considered giving up the game, I'd have a nice little nest egg.