I have decided to write a blog of sorts on here since joining my first PBA Experience league. I like reading about the experiences of others on patterns other than a THS and figured I could maybe offer some insight myself. This is the first time I will have bowled on any of the PBA patterns and I'm quite excited. I have bowled 3 leagues on USBC Sport conditions in the past. I'm also not too big to admit that I crashed and burned on them. I've always admitted to being a hack- I am proud of the averages listed in my profile but I understand that they are a product of the easy lanes and my matching up well to them. I thought this league would give me a more suitable tool to measure my ability.
Week 1- Chameleon
Lanes- 1 yr. old HPL Synthetics
I spent all of my practice time trying to loosen up a back that has been giving me fits for 3 weeks. Tonight was especially bad even though I received treatment at my chiropractor earlier in the day. Something about my SI joints being locked up and adjustments not working well due to muscle spasms. I've been in a fair amount of pain but tried to work through it.
I realized right away that my release, which offers very little tilt and is more up the back, would be an asset. I decided to use my 2000 grit Yeah Baby! with a low pin. This ball has always been strong, yet very controllable in my hands. The first game I played up 8 on the right lane and up 10 on the left. I went a tad softer on my speed than I normally use. Part of this is because I was aiming the ball...the other reason is because I had no room to the right with my normal speed. 5 to the ditch was OOB for everyone except a lefty on my team. This did not change the entire night. The first game I actually bowled very well. I had probably the best look out of anyone on our pair, and I was throwing it well. Unfortunately, I missed 2 one-pin spares in the 7th and 8th. I finished with a 205.
I was waiting for the lanes to transition at the start of game 2. I noticed a bit of carry-down developing by about the 4th frame. I honestly wasn't sure what to do here. I was afraid to move deeper because I was unsure and didn't want to lose the pocket after being in it the whole time. I couldn't go around it since there was no free hook to the right. I ended up doing the worst thing and stayed in the same spot. My thinking was that I would eventually be able to bump off this track. My opponent was struggling bad and I wasn't going to give the point away by experimenting. I left lots of easy spares, but only had 2 strikes. I chopped a 3-6-10 in the 3rd for my only open. I finished with a 180.
The third game came, and it was time to do SOMETHING different. I decided to make a large jump left and also changed balls. I went to my 4000 grit Odyssey. This ball for me revs up very strong in the midlane but offers a stronger move on the back. I figured I could bump the dry that had been created earlier and still have a tad bit of hold to the left. I was now looking at 18 at the arrows with a breakpoint of 8 on each lane. It turned out to be a lucky guess. The first couple shots were right where I wanted, but it didn't look like the ball would make it back. It did. I had a couple boards area to the right at my breakpoint, but no hold to the left. I flagged a 7 pin that shouldn't have stood in the first place in frame 5. This really hurt since I was on a double and threw a turkey after that. I also had 2 terrible shots in the 2nd for another open. I ended the game with a 203 for a 588 series. I took all my points.
Overall, I'm fairly happy with my performance for the first time out. It's obvious that I need some work on my spare shooting. I gave away 55 easy pins. However, it gave my a lot of confidence to see that when I finally adjusted to the transitions, I seemed to have made good decisions. I just have to trust my instincts more. Thank you for reading.
Don
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"On-base percentage is great if you can score runs and do something with that on-base percentage. Clogging up the bases isn't that great to me. The problem we have to address more than anything is the home run problem."
~Dusty Baker being a total fool
