BallReviews
General Category => USBC Tournament => Topic started by: Gene J Kanak on May 12, 2017, 11:46:04 AM
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If you've read my posts in the past, you'll know that I'm long-winded, so if you're not down for that, turn back now; you've been warned!
Travel - I still think that Southwest is the best option for bowlers since you can use the two "free" checked bags to account for your equipment. All in all, other than waking up mid-flight to find a strange woman's head on my shoulder as she napped, I have no complaints regarding travel. In fact, I like that Southwest now has kiosks for you print your own bag tags before going up to the counter (at Chicago Midway). It seemed to save time.
Hotel - I stayed with a buddy of mine at Mandalay Bay. Obviously, it's quite pricey. My share for the two nights I stayed was roughly $250. Still, it's a nice hotel, and if you're looking for a quality pool scene during down time, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better spot.
Gambling - Why do I bother? You know how Dick Allen calls himself THB (Typical House Bowler)? I'm going to call myself NBL, Natural Born Loser. I should've given them half of what I was going to bet, gone out back and let them kick me in the nuts and then called it a day. I don't think Syracuse is known for casinos, so maybe I can save a few hundred bucks next year!
SouthPoint - We've all heard that getting around that facility is something of a pain, and I can't say I disagree. Getting your stuff from the entrance to the regular bowling center for practice, from the regular center to the arena for the event, and then from the arena down to the sports book for bracket payouts is less than fun.
Now, with all of that being said, the arena itself is a very nice center. I king of like the back-to-back layout as opposed to having 60 lanes all in a row. I had zero complaints about the actual center. The racks were good, the approaches presented no issues, etc. The only think I didn't like was the march out. They march everyone out one way. If you're on the other side, you have to basically do a lap around the arena to get to your starting lanes. I did that with a 3-ball tote in each arm and my carry-on suitcase (since I had to go straight to the airport from bowling). That wasn't fun!
Squad room/weigh in - Everything was pretty much status quo there. Nothing really jumped out as being better or worse than previous years. One thing that I think was different was that each scale operator had a drill press behind them. I assume that would've allowed them to make subtle adjustments to balls that came in out of spec. In the past, I know that I had to run out and hit a booth when that happened to me, so I thought that was convenient. One oddity though was that I saw 2-3 bowlers have balls double-checked or disallowed on Day 2 after having been sent through without issues the day before. I guess it just depends on the scale operators day to day.
Team Practice - It's held in the main SouthPoint center, and, as always, I think it's a great benefit. It really gives you a handle on the shape of the pattern, ball choices, surface adjustments, etc. To me, they hooked a bit more in practice than they did in the arena, but the difference wasn't drastic.
Team
Scores - 173-136-160 - 469 - 2545\
Balls used - Hyroad (1000); IQ Tour Solid (2000); Black Widow Spare (Box)
I started out like we did in practice trying to go up 4-5. The shot was there though, as I said earlier, I felt like that area played tighter in the arena than it did during practice. As advertised, the shot is tricky. Playing up the extreme outside like that is difficult. You have to keep the ball in front of you because if you get it moving away, it's going in the ditch all day long. The plan was to stay out as long as possible and keep the moves as subtle as can be by balling down so as not to have to mess with the middle of the lane, which was really hooking. Sadly, our group lost its discipline as we had guys moving in pretty quickly. As you can imagine, that made things quite difficult. Now, I was surprised at how far left I was able to eventually get on that pattern, but the look was never great because there was no hold in, and I had over under getting it back to the pocket.
However, the biggest issue was right-side spare shooting. Knowing that the oil at Nationals is usually way slicker than what I see at home, I thought I could get away with bringing my Black Widow Spare, a cored spare ball. That was a mistake. There is a lot of friction in the middle of the lane, so that ball picked up just enough to make 6 pins, 10 pins, and the like trickier than they should have been. I should've just brought my Target Zone. That's probably my biggest regret. Now, if you're throwing end over end, you can get the ball to the right. However, if you're used to being able to throw your plastic the same way you throw your strike ball and have it glide to the right, be wary. If you have some hand, that won't work here.
Doubles
Scores - 169-144-203 - 516 - 1026
Balls used - Edge Solid (1000); IQ Tour Solid (2000)
This set was really frustrating as I really threw the ball well that first game and a half despite the terrible scores. I attempted to start off playing them the same way we had the day before, going as straight as possible up 5-7 or so. Being that I'd heard minors was a bit longer/heavier, I balled up to an Edge Solid at 1000 grit. I really focused on keeping my speed soft and going up the back of the ball to keep it from going crazy off the spot. The look was good, and the ball read beautifully. Sadly, I couldn't get it to carry. I went flush pocket 7 times and only carried three of those hits. Add in more pitiful spare shooting on my part, and a game that felt like 220 resulted in another sub 170 game.
I stuck with the Edge until I blasted a pocket 7-10 in about the third frame of Game 2. From there, I started creeping further and further left with the IQ Tour. Sadly, I found several opens and very few strikes before finally finding a home. Game 3 was better as my look was getting better as I continued slowly migrating left. Despite another gaff or two, I managed to grind out a 203 for my first decent score of the tournament.
Singles
Scores - 157-243-217 - 617
Balls used - IQ Tour Solid (2000)
One of my biggest struggles when I bowl no-thumb is maintaining consistent axis rotation. This game epitomized that because although my look was still good, release inconsistencies caused varying reactions, some splits, and very strikes. That led to another solid -43 start. To my credit (I deserve very little), I actually stayed composed and just focused on making better shots, and, for the most part, I did from that point forward. I started Game 2 with a four-bagger before a shaky release led to a partial bucket. I thought I made the spare, but I left one behind. Other than that, only a solid 8-pin and high-flush four pin kept me from striking. Still, 243 is a good score in that environment, so I was happy to take it.
As I had been, I just kept moving slightly left as I went on to Game 3. By that point, I was basically playing 20 to 8-9 or so, and the look was pretty good. The extra length of this pattern gave me a touch of hold if I was in, and I had no problem getting the ball back with authority as long as my release was good.
All told, I finished with 1602 for all-events, which is the third lowest effort I've had in my 8 years at the tournament. Still, considering I didn't shoot anything above 175 for the first five games, I guess I can't complain too much when it was all said and done.
Like always, this tournament is tough. There are no magic bowling ball or inside tip that is going to get you to a big score. You have to be a good player, one who can repeat shots in regard to accuracy, rev rate, axis tilt, etc. If you're capable of doing that, you'll do just fine because both patterns are more than playable. If you're a normal house hack like me who is somewhat inconsistent in the aforementioned areas, you're likely to struggle at various points because these conditions are far from forgiving. Then again, that's what this tournament is supposed to be about, showing us all what it really means to be a good bowler.
If you have questions that I have failed to answer during this manifesto, feel free to send them my way. Thanks for reading.
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I feel about the same. Worst look was during team. I shot 1601 AE. Tough as nails...But whatever lol.
Vegas seems twice as expensive as it was in 09...
That's the only reason I don't care, that it HAS to be in Vegas anymore. Too Expensive $$$. We had one meal under $30 at in and out Burger.
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Thanks for the detailed report! You made a "flight buddy"?
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And I tour Solid oob was my best look... Everything else didn't have a chance!
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And I tour Solid oob was my best look... Everything else didn't have a chance!
Is that due to the more smooth reaction?
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Yeah, flight buddy...or something. To this moment, I don't know if the woman was the wife of the guy she was sitting next to or his daughter. I'm kind of creeped out either way!
I'm glad I tripped the 4-pin on that last fill ball to edge you out for all-events, Bill! lol
One thing I noticed in regard to ball reaction was that the shorter length in team allowed for much weaker balls to be used. Last year, I started with 500-grit Nirvana. This year, I started with a 1000 grit Hyroad. Granted, I bowled no-thumb this year versus last, but that Hyroad is actually one of the weakest pieces I've got even at that grit. During the practice session, I balled down from there to a 1000-grit Tropical Breeze Hybrid and had a decent look. Had our guys stayed with the plan to play to the right, I might have used that as my second option instead of moving in with the IQ.
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And the question everyone wants to ask but won't. Was she hot?
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Nice report, Gene. I have a couple of questions on your equipment. Were you using pin-up or pin-down layouts? And were your surface grit choices straight 1000 & 2000, or were you using the "skip a grit" surface finish, 500-1000 & 500-2000? Fresh dull or a lane shine finish?
I'm still deciding what surfaces to use when I'm in Vegas at the end of the month. Taking an old Hammer Diesel Particle at about 800 pin-down, and two Syncs which are currently at 500-4000 with slight layout differences, both pin-up. All work great on our medium THS, but I'm trying to decide if I should change the Syncs to 500-1000 & 500-2000. Any thoughts?
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Bill,
Can you give any details on the equipment you were using in Vegas? Balls, layouts, surfaces, & reactions they gave?
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What pair(s) were you on?
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And I tour Solid oob was my best look... Everything else didn't have a chance!
Is that due to the more smooth reaction?
Yes. The outsides didn't hook, the middles hooked.
my best chance was play the hooking middle with a smooth reaction.
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The understanding I had before going. Team hooked a ton, minors did not hook an inch.
Truth was both patterns had movement start to finish.
I could hit the hole on either shot playing the track with a brand new DD trick. They hooked. Just couldn't carry.
My best look was a oob IQ tour solid, curled pinky, loaded wrist....Playing a lil soft and rolling it between both range finders at the breakpoint.
I didn't do well lol but I definitely wasn't lost...Just couldn't repeat shots...I was striking 3-6 times a game and most were flush.
If u can practice on things... Practice on a reverse block...Hooking middles, slick outsides.
And practice accuracy and spares....
If u really hit it hard, you can seriously hit 1800 AE..
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And I tour Solid oob was my best look... Everything else didn't have a chance!
Is that due to the more smooth reaction?
Yes. The outsides didn't hook, the middles hooked.
my best chance was play the hooking middle with a smooth reaction.
I'd like to know what the ratio is. Probably pretty flat.
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Great report Gene.
I found that my best reaction for the most part (until like game 5 of day 2) was my Forest Quantum at OOB.
I will also attest to the shot being there. I finished 1670 AE, and am currently sitting 24th in Standard Doubles...but man, had I either used the practice lanes or gotten the shot earlier in team....
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When you walk into the practice lanes area..
the lanes on the left side are a bit tighter and closer to the patterns you will see
the lanes on the right side have plenty more friction and aren't all that great of a basis to get good information
these lanes have 4000 league bowlers a month and are approx 13-14 years old.
the tournament lanes are 3 years old and don't have any league bowlers, just tournaments
So, the lane surfaces are far different in terms of the amount of lane friction
guys that missed in- feels like the patterns are short
guys that missed out- feels like the patterns are long
In general: the guys who are bale to score stay much straighter and can get it off their hand better than most.
Soft hand and good targeting is the key to scoring
I'm not saying its easy, but its do-able
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Nice report, Gene. I have a couple of questions on your equipment. Were you using pin-up or pin-down layouts? And were your surface grit choices straight 1000 & 2000, or were you using the "skip a grit" surface finish, 500-1000 & 500-2000? Fresh dull or a lane shine finish?
I'm still deciding what surfaces to use when I'm in Vegas at the end of the month. Taking an old Hammer Diesel Particle at about 800 pin-down, and two Syncs which are currently at 500-4000 with slight layout differences, both pin-up. All work great on our medium THS, but I'm trying to decide if I should change the Syncs to 500-1000 & 500-2000. Any thoughts?
The balls I used were all drilled for no-thumb bowling.
The Hyroad had the cg in the ring finger and the pin about 3-3.5" above the ring finger, which makes that around a 6" pin to PAP for me. The 1000 grit was applied using a spinner, and I simply took it down to 1000 from the 2000 it had been at. That is a 2009 Hyroad with a lot of games on it, so it's pretty mild by nature.
The IQ Tour Solid has the cg just under my ring finger and the pin above and right of my ring finger. That one is roughly 4.5" from my PAP. It was placed at a fresh 2000 grit finish via a spinner, and it definitely picked up some lane shine on top of that.
Edge - CG in ring finger, pin kicked right of ring finger approximately 2" from PAP. The surface was taken to 1000 grit via a spinner and was taken directly down to 1000 from the box finish.
As others have said, the shot is playable in all three events if you can repeat shots. The only slight surprise I had was just how tough right-side spares were if you weren't going 100% end over end.
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Thanks for the report Gene Kanak!! Lot's of good stuff here. I can't wait to try my hand on this pattern since I really honed my early skills of bowling on a reverse block house shot. OOB was gutter to 10, and 11 to 39 was a sahara desert.
Granted that the time of our bowling shift will factor in and also the flatter lengths of these shots, but all in all, it sounds like fun!
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To me, they didn't really play like a reverse block. Yes, the middle hooked during Team, but not like a reverse block. They just played flat, so if you got slow or pulled it, it was hooking. Also, at least for me, as a no-thumber, I was able to play the outside on both patterns. I think the notion of this playing like a reverse block is a bit misleading, at least based upon what I saw and how we played them.
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My opinion.........I don't really think shot's at nationals play like a reverse block, a reverse block, to me, has very very little volume and length from 2nd arrow in and long heavy volume (an OB effectively) from 9 out.
Nationals type patterns play flat, but they do have volume up front. The goal is to get a controlled (as much as can be) reaction and get the ball to slow down properly (because of that volume up front) off the end of the pattern.
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I had some friends talk about their Vegas experience, and my buddy was using a Fix around 3rd arrow. So you CAN play in if you want.
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I had some friends talk about their Vegas experience, and my buddy was using a Fix around 3rd arrow. So you CAN play in if you want.
Was he doing that in team or d/s?
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I went in late march and since have read many different reports on what the patterns play like. I was fortunate to have success on the patterns but there are alot of variables that come into play. Your style,who you bowl with(their style), and your game plan, with where you feel comfortable playing the lanes. I think the best advice is to try and bring equiptment to cover flatter patterns and take advantage of the practice sessions to adjust surfaces as needed to get the ball to read the end of the patter with predictability.
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I had some friends talk about their Vegas experience, and my buddy was using a Fix around 3rd arrow. So you CAN play in if you want.
Was he doing that in team or d/s?
Team, which I was shocked to hear.
Also, every year I've gone with him he's played them wrong, so maybe him shooting 460 means something lol
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It is incredibly maddening to hear bowlers say it's a reverse block when they don't have swing and hold. It's the default battle cry, "reverse block".
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It is incredibly maddening to hear bowlers say it's a reverse block when they don't have swing and hold. It's the default battle cry, "reverse block".
Dang my bad, u pro, u.
It was a generalized comment hahaha.
I didn't have any other way of saying it. In all reality it was more flat than reverse.
Sorry to upset you to such a maddened state. I am incredibly maddened at my actions bro.
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It is incredibly maddening to hear bowlers say it's a reverse block when they don't have swing and hold. It's the default battle cry, "reverse block".
I'd be interested to see if USBC releases the pattern details after the Open is over. From what I've heard, I'd be shocked it is was more than 1.5:1
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It is incredibly maddening to hear bowlers say it's a reverse block when they don't have swing and hold. It's the default battle cry, "reverse block".
I'd be interested to see if USBC releases the pattern details after the Open is over. From what I've heard, I'd be shocked it is was more than 1.5:1
You think it's that flat. I think it's less than 2:1. Not quite 1.5:1 though.
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It is incredibly maddening to hear bowlers say it's a reverse block when they don't have swing and hold. It's the default battle cry, "reverse block".
I'd be interested to see if USBC releases the pattern details after the Open is over. From what I've heard, I'd be shocked it is was more than 1.5:1
You think it's that flat. I think it's less than 2:1. Not quite 1.5:1 though.
I haven't bowled on it, but from what I've been hearing, I was trying to give people the benefit of the doubt.
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I've heard from too many people that know what they're doing that D/S start really tight.
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USBC has already said that pattern info will be released after the tournament is over. Can't wait for all the "well if I'd have known that, maybe I'd have done better!" Probably not.
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They could design the pattern with me in mind, and if it's not a house shot, I'm still going to shoot between 1600-1750. Sport patterns require quality shot-making, and that is what I lack over the long haul. It isn't about the ball or seeing a lane graph; it's about recognizing what you're seeing (I'm actually okay at that part) and then repeating shots (which I'm terrible at.).
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You are absolutely correct
I would go one step further and suggest that you also need a style of game that is versatile enough to match up with varying pattern lengths. Without that I don't think it us possible to repeat shots well enough to score on patterns that don't match up to your game.
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Won't be as detailed as Gene. Had 1810 AE and let me tell you they are tough. It is incredibly easy to miss the head pin going right. If you miss, I think the misses are in, especially in D/S, there is an absolute ton in the middle. If you're a shotmaker you can play out with urethane in D/S. I think the optimal approach is to break them down with plastic between 12-15 going towards the 3 pin in team. In D/S I think breaking down 5/6 with surface, 500-1000 is the way to go. Multiple 700 sets on our pair doing this. Team is VERY DIFFUCULT and a large portion of your pins will come from D/S.
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Won't be as detailed as Gene. Had 1810 AE and let me tell you they are tough. It is incredibly easy to miss the head pin going right. If you miss, I think the misses are in, especially in D/S, there is an absolute ton in the middle. If you're a shotmaker you can play out with urethane in D/S. I think the optimal approach is to break them down with plastic between 12-15 going towards the 3 pin in team. In D/S I think breaking down 5/6 with surface, 500-1000 is the way to go. Multiple 700 sets on our pair doing this. Team is VERY DIFFUCULT and a large portion of your pins will come from D/S.
Not going to tell us what you had each set? Rough!
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633 Singles, 585 Team, 592 Doubles. 2 2000+ in our group.
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633 Singles, 585 Team, 592 Doubles. 2 2000+ in our group.
Respect, bro.
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
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I had 633 singles and I don't even want to talk about team and doubles. I tried to stay right for far too long and didn't make the LEAP left nearly fast enough.
Thank God in Heaven I was able to walk out the door on a positive note. What (very) poor bowling in Vegas stays in Vegas.
While they are exceptionally difficult I have only myself to blame.
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
So you're saying apply turtle Wax to the ball?
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633 Singles, 585 Team, 592 Doubles. 2 2000+ in our group.
Respect, bro.
+1
They were tough
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
So you're saying apply turtle Wax to the ball?
Or don't throw it like a burger like I did.
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
So you're saying apply turtle Wax to the ball?
Or don't throw it like a burger like I did.
Don't nobody wanna be a burger at Nationals! #burgerking
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
For singles/doubles I had to look a little left of my usually targets on the right side (right handed bowler) because of the amount of oil on the lanes. My plastic ball was sanded at 1000 which for team didn't cause any issues, just be a little firm. Singles/doubles I had to aim for the left side of the 10 pin to better keep the ball on the lane, and more at the 3 pin if say the 3-6-10 or 3-6 or 6-10.
Lots of grinding for most mortals shooting lots of spares.....not counting the ugly leaves that come with it.
The key is you have to have people working together. Had a great look on team event more then singles/doubles and that look was quickly destroyed by 8 right handers playing everywhere but together. We had 2 lefties.
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I'd be remissed if I left out the following misses:
9 pin
4 pin
10 pin
3-6-10
2-5
3-6-9-10
6-10
2 pin (missed by 4 City blocks)
As you can see it was a spare shooting clinic. PLASTIC WILL READ THE LANE IN TEAM GO END OVER END.
Amen to that, the plastic ball reading the lane on spares to the right absolutely killed me during Team!
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I shot 1688 for all events with my best event being doubles with 627. My higher averaged son shot 558 for doubles so I got no help from him. 1185 together.
I will proudly point out that according to Pin Pal, I did not miss one (1) single pin spare in all nine (9) games.
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If you're a shotmaker you can play out with urethane in D/S.
I wouldn't consider myself a shotmaker, but I used Urethane all 3 in Team for 200-220-200 - 632.. In D/S we had a wicked hook spot on 33 that I threw my urethane at to get it to change direction and used a 2000 Primal Rage Remix dead up the lane along the same line (was playing up 3 4 5).. Shot 200-220-200 - 634 in doubles and 200-220-180 - 608ish in singles (missed a 4-7, greek church, and 3-9 in the 7th 9th and 10th. The last game. Attribute that to fatigue as we finished at 2am (5est)).. I also used the black hammer in the last game of the Bowlers Journal with a better look than I had in the Plaza to finish 243 - 603.. All 9 game I was sliding around 10 looking at the gutter or 1-3 with my eyes.. I used the black hammer at 500 for all my spares and had no issues, my only misses were the three I mentioned, 1 wash out, 2 splits, and a mental mistake on a 5 pin.
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If you're a shotmaker you can play out with urethane in D/S.
I wouldn't consider myself a shotmaker, but I used Urethane all 3 in Team for 200-220-200 - 632.. In D/S we had a wicked hook spot on 33 that I threw my urethane at to get it to change direction and used a 2000 Primal Rage Remix dead up the lane along the same line (was playing up 3 4 5).. Shot 200-220-200 - 634 in doubles and 200-220-180 - 608ish in singles (missed a 4-7, greek church, and 3-9 in the 7th 9th and 10th. The last game. Attribute that to fatigue as we finished at 2am (5est)).. I also used the black hammer in the last game of the Bowlers Journal with a better look than I had in the Plaza to finish 243 - 603.. All 9 game I was sliding around 10 looking at the gutter or 1-3 with my eyes.. I used the black hammer at 500 for all my spares and had no issues, my only misses were the three I mentioned, 1 wash out, 2 splits, and a mental mistake on a 5 pin.
Nice bowling. Those late night sets are tough if you are from the East Coast. :)
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just got done subbing for doubles/singles. The shot is tough but playable. I shot 525 & 540, just didn't throw the ball very well. Had 10 opens for the 6 games, only missed 3 makeable spares. Couldn't string any strikes together. Left 6 2-pins, 5 or 6 10-pins, 3 7-pins, a couple 9s and a couple 4s. Never threw more than a double, probably doubled 6 times in the 6 games.
I was on lanes 5 & 6, lane 5 was about 5 boards tighter than lane 6. First 2 games of doubles i left 5 single 2 pins on what I thought were decent shots out of my hand.
What was a little odd to me was my best look was actually with my Ridiculous Pearl. It seemed the quicker response to friction was more beneficial to me. The bigger scores I saw were from guys with hand playing inside. In hindsight I wish I had fixed the grip on my Grudge Pearl so I could have had that ball to throw.
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Faster response in D/S seems about right. Not in team, though.
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We had a pair in D/S (think it was 17-18), where the left lane had a hang spot near the range finder that just would not react. It made throwing a double pretty challenging. If missed outside a bit - was looking at 6 or 7 at the arrows, there was no recovery. We even tried to break it down a bit with surface warm ups plus game 1. It just never responded ...almost seem to get tighter. So I just bumped inside a few boards and had a decent look - outside of the left lane hang spot.
Absolutely atrocious spare shooting (for whatever reason, seems like any time I go to nationals, I have never thrown at a spare before). I think I had 12 opens and shot 520 in doubles.
For singles, the insides began to dry up, plus by that point, everyone on the pair was frustrated and seemed to migrate all over. One guy had a decent look hitting 15 with a little belly out to about 12 or 10. But he had to hit it misses any further outside were gone. I had a decent look there, but had to move a little deeper inside to get the ball down the lane. At this point, I had to be perfect downlane to get a consistent move back to the pocket. Didn't seem like I hit flush much at all during singles. Combine with a continuation of poor spare shooting and it wasn't too pretty.
I threw a pin down Fix for all of team, and most of s/d. At 1000 the surface was a good match for team. I wish I had a stronger cover for S/D.
S^2
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Just got back from Vegas, and all the responses on here are indeed accurate! I did not bowl up to my potential however, and have no good news to report! I basically shot 550 in Team, Dbls and Sgls! I got zero help from my team mates!
I had a great look in Teams, but failed to convert my single pin spares. 5 strikes and 5 opens for a 153. But my consistency with playing the same target paid off, finishing with a 192, and 205! These were the only two games I linked some strikes together.
Started off playing right in dbls and sgls, which garnered me a nice 213 game, but waited way too long to move left and add hand! So the last two games were some garbage 170ish games. Total 1653AE.
Everyone in my squad hated the Teams shot, but I loved the challenge of it. I learned a lot. At one point they started calling me "Rabbit" because of all the lucky looking strikes I got, but those came because of the piece I had.
Oh yeah! Kudos to Northface and JHutch with them scores! You guys ROCK!
Those lanes humbled a bunch of my friends carrying 220+ averages!! All you could hear was whining and crying........and then absolute silence, and shaking of heads!!
LOL! I would definitely do it again, but next time I'll have more ball choices to work with. I only took three, when I could have used 5!!!
Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
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Just got back from Vegas, and all the responses on here are indeed accurate! I did not bowl up to my potential however, and have no good news to report! I basically shot 550 in Team, Dbls and Sgls! I got zero help from my team mates!
I had a great look in Teams, but failed to convert my single pin spares. 5 strikes and 5 opens for a 153. But my consistency with playing the same target paid off, finishing with a 192, and 205! These were the only two games I linked some strikes together.
Started off playing right in dbls and sgls, which garnered me a nice 213 game, but waited way too long to move left and add hand! So the last two games were some garbage 170ish games. Total 1653AE.
Everyone in my squad hated the Teams shot, but I loved the challenge of it. I learned a lot. At one point they started calling me "Rabbit" because of all the lucky looking strikes I got, but those came because of the piece I had.
Oh yeah! Kudos to Northface and JHutch with them scores! You guys ROCK!
Those lanes humbled a bunch of my friends carrying 220+ averages!! All you could hear was whining and crying........and then absolute silence, and shaking of heads!!
LOL! I would definitely do it again, but next time I'll have more ball choices to work with. I only took three, when I could have used 5!!!
Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
You were there when Himmler was there? So was I. He did not bowl all that well. The St Louis guys made them look really easy. (Casey Murphy, Mike Mineman etc) As did a few guys on my team. My teammate had an eagle winning look slamming 740/740 in D/S. Another teammate of mine had the front 9 in singles as well. So if you break them down right, you can put up huge scores.
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Mineman drilled my stuff until I left St Louis 2 years ago....he is slightly good at bowling and drilling. Considering he had 1999 AE this year with a 589 in team.....umm...1410 for doubles/singles. Finished 218-280-257 for 755 in singles.
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Just got back from Vegas, and all the responses on here are indeed accurate! I did not bowl up to my potential however, and have no good news to report! I basically shot 550 in Team, Dbls and Sgls! I got zero help from my team mates!
I had a great look in Teams, but failed to convert my single pin spares. 5 strikes and 5 opens for a 153. But my consistency with playing the same target paid off, finishing with a 192, and 205! These were the only two games I linked some strikes together.
Started off playing right in dbls and sgls, which garnered me a nice 213 game, but waited way too long to move left and add hand! So the last two games were some garbage 170ish games. Total 1653AE.
Everyone in my squad hated the Teams shot, but I loved the challenge of it. I learned a lot. At one point they started calling me "Rabbit" because of all the lucky looking strikes I got, but those came because of the piece I had.
Oh yeah! Kudos to Northface and JHutch with them scores! You guys ROCK!
Those lanes humbled a bunch of my friends carrying 220+ averages!! All you could hear was whining and crying........and then absolute silence, and shaking of heads!!
LOL! I would definitely do it again, but next time I'll have more ball choices to work with. I only took three, when I could have used 5!!!
Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
You were there when Himmler was there? So was I. He did not bowl all that well. The St Louis guys made them look really easy. (Casey Murphy, Mike Mineman etc) As did a few guys on my team. My teammate had an eagle winning look slamming 740/740 in D/S. Another teammate of mine had the front 9 in singles as well. So if you break them down right, you can put up huge scores.
Oooh, WOW! So that was on Monday or Tuesday, right?
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I bowled Monday and Tuesday.
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Just got back from Vegas, and all the responses on here are indeed accurate! I did not bowl up to my potential however, and have no good news to report! I basically shot 550 in Team, Dbls and Sgls! I got zero help from my team mates!
I had a great look in Teams, but failed to convert my single pin spares. 5 strikes and 5 opens for a 153. But my consistency with playing the same target paid off, finishing with a 192, and 205! These were the only two games I linked some strikes together.
Started off playing right in dbls and sgls, which garnered me a nice 213 game, but waited way too long to move left and add hand! So the last two games were some garbage 170ish games. Total 1653AE.
Everyone in my squad hated the Teams shot, but I loved the challenge of it. I learned a lot. At one point they started calling me "Rabbit" because of all the lucky looking strikes I got, but those came because of the piece I had.
Oh yeah! Kudos to Northface and JHutch with them scores! You guys ROCK!
Those lanes humbled a bunch of my friends carrying 220+ averages!! All you could hear was whining and crying........and then absolute silence, and shaking of heads!!
LOL! I would definitely do it again, but next time I'll have more ball choices to work with. I only took three, when I could have used 5!!!
Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
You were there when Himmler was there? So was I. He did not bowl all that well. The St Louis guys made them look really easy. (Casey Murphy, Mike Mineman etc) As did a few guys on my team. My teammate had an eagle winning look slamming 740/740 in D/S. Another teammate of mine had the front 9 in singles as well. So if you break them down right, you can put up huge scores.
We bowled on 33 and 34, Minneman Rodgers, et.. We're on 35-36..was fun watching them bowl.. Brad Miller was a few pairs down and Himmler was a little further to the right..
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
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Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
I bowled S/D with Dave Traber! He only missed the pocket a handful of times over 6 games - didn't carry anything though. It was almost comical towards the end.
You indirectly saw me and DP3 then as well!
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Both shots were extremely difficult. It will expose any flaws that you have in your game. And mine is missing left. THS around here usually dump so much oil in the middle that over the course of a year you don't really realize how many shots you tug or get on the side of it early and it doesn't go right. It was just one of those shots that penalized every mistake and I made a ton :D
The shot was very playable from a few different angles, you just could not miss. There were many times where I hit the same spot, but I was off in my speed and/or release and pocket hits turned to washouts and splits. 9/ was hard to come by and I left a lot of pins out there not focusing 100% on every non-split spare.
It was super fun bowling with Strapper & Dave Traber. It was amazing watching him hit the same spot over and over and not even get rewarded with a double. Lane 17 definitely had a hang spot downlane that made it impossible to get the proper angle through the pins. Your window was so tiny. Watching some of the best bowlers from my hometown the week after me come in and struggle was amazing to see as well. The higher side does look like it has a lot more friction in the middle. I was looking for some extra "friction" all weekend but couldn't find it. That ICE oil they're using is very hard to break down.
It's really amazing watching the people who whacked em. Dbum, from here went +170-something I believe, using a purple hammer mostly. Big time hats off to the people here who put up big numbers.
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
Tall lefty? Two guys with two non straight swings? One guy who threw it like a million bucks? One guy with a 600 revrate? That was us. From Illinois.
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
Tall lefty? Two guys with two non straight swings? One guy who threw it like a million bucks? One guy with a 600 revrate? That was us. From Illinois.
Which one was you out of that description? :P
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
Tall lefty? Two guys with two non straight swings? One guy who threw it like a million bucks? One guy with a 600 revrate? That was us. From Illinois.
Which one was you out of that description? :P
The one that wasn't talking listening to hellabandz.... :P
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The one with the non-straight armswing that didn't have the front 9.
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
Tall lefty? Two guys with two non straight swings? One guy who threw it like a million bucks? One guy with a 600 revrate? That was us. From Illinois.
Well I'll be doggone! Wish I could've been there earlier to see your whole set! You guys were torching it, without a doubt!! Small world for sure! WOW!
I congratulated your partner, but he said he was just happy that he had a chance to beat you in brackets! Impressive!
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Oh yeah! I got to see Dick Traber, and Brian Himmler bowl. Traber treated dbsl and sgls like it was a house shot! He went 203-195- 206, or something close to that. Wasn't much of a problem for him at all. Now, I don't know how much he wagered but Jason Couch only cleared $25 in brackets.....so we are not alone!
I bowled S/D with Dave Traber! He only missed the pocket a handful of times over 6 games - didn't carry anything though. It was almost comical towards the end.
You indirectly saw me and DP3 then as well!
This is too funny! I looked straight at DP3 and said to myself, "I know this guy from somewhere!!" but it did not register right away because I was away from home. I also remember DP3 as a few pounds "lighter" so that threw me off too! LOL! Well, now at least I got faces to go with these names now....very cool!
Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
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The food is way too good in Vegas to not pack on some pounds JJ :D Sorry for the bad spare shooting clinic
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I gained 2 lbs in 4 days. If I lived in Vegas I'd be fat and broke.
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The high side lanes 31-60 has definitely seemed like the higher scoring side of the pavilion during the 4-5 events I've bowled there
I have to agree with you there! When I came back later in the week, there were two doubles teams putting up outrageous numbers on 31-32. I forgot to ask where they were from, but they threw so many strikes, the scoreboard stopped operating, LOL!
One guy already had 680 posted, and the other guy was working on a 300, through the seventh frame. Later on I found out he finished with a 278!! those were definitely the lanes to be on.
Tall lefty? Two guys with two non straight swings? One guy who threw it like a million bucks? One guy with a 600 revrate? That was us. From Illinois.
Well I'll be doggone! Wish I could've been there earlier to see your whole set! You guys were torching it, without a doubt!! Small world for sure! WOW!
I congratulated your partner, but he said he was just happy that he had a chance to beat you in brackets! Impressive!
What a donkey, we split the winnings anyway. Didn't matter who won.
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Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
Yes, it was Darnell. He actually had a look from a bit inside the track and that Purple Hammer was splitting the 8-9 like a $250 ball. That dull early rolling Saturn would have been great. I had issues keeping the ball on line all weekend but my best look was a 3" pin to PAP Gamebreaker 2 at 2000 grit and a Tyrant. I wish I would have taken the Tyrant down to 500 grit. I would have been able to carve a line a little better.
I averaged around 160 that day and still got back $80 in brackets. I'm still puzzled how this was possible. Our squad was THAT low scoring.
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Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
Yes, it was Darnell. He actually had a look from a bit inside the track and that Purple Hammer was splitting the 8-9 like a $250 ball. That dull early rolling Saturn would have been great. I had issues keeping the ball on line all weekend but my best look was a 3" pin to PAP Gamebreaker 2 at 2000 grit and a Tyrant. I wish I would have taken the Tyrant down to 500 grit. I would have been able to carve a line a little better.
I averaged around 160 that day and still got back $80 in brackets. I'm still puzzled how this was possible. Our squad was THAT low scoring.
500? We used 360 in D/S and plastic up 15 in Team. I think they were too tough for most people and I overheard quite a few guys say they don't know how much longer they will pay this money to come shoot sub 500 2/3 sets or even all 3 sets. My favorite was an older guy on pair next to us "I would've been better off taking all the money I spent getting here and staying here and putting it on red at the roulette table, at least I have a better chance of making money".
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You can't have chumps averaging 230 on the china then throw integrity at them once a year. Say goodbye to entries.
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Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
Yes, it was Darnell. He actually had a look from a bit inside the track and that Purple Hammer was splitting the 8-9 like a $250 ball. That dull early rolling Saturn would have been great. I had issues keeping the ball on line all weekend but my best look was a 3" pin to PAP Gamebreaker 2 at 2000 grit and a Tyrant. I wish I would have taken the Tyrant down to 500 grit. I would have been able to carve a line a little better.
I averaged around 160 that day and still got back $80 in brackets. I'm still puzzled how this was possible. Our squad was THAT low scoring.
500? We used 360 in D/S and plastic up 15 in Team. I think they were too tough for most people and I overheard quite a few guys say they don't know how much longer they will pay this money to come shoot sub 500 2/3 sets or even all 3 sets. My favorite was an older guy on pair next to us "I would've been better off taking all the money I spent getting here and staying here and putting it on red at the roulette table, at least I have a better chance of making money".
Yeah, that's just unrealistic expectations. There's maybe 50-75 guys in the entire country that have a realistic shot at winning this thing every year. I think the shot was the perfect for what this tournament was supposed to be. It wasn't hard to "figure out" but you had to execute your ass off. The guys that could do the latter are going to put up some numbers. Guys that bowl one major tournament a year and don't have the mechanics to get themselves line up are always going to be the ones crying.
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Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
Yes, it was Darnell. He actually had a look from a bit inside the track and that Purple Hammer was splitting the 8-9 like a $250 ball. That dull early rolling Saturn would have been great. I had issues keeping the ball on line all weekend but my best look was a 3" pin to PAP Gamebreaker 2 at 2000 grit and a Tyrant. I wish I would have taken the Tyrant down to 500 grit. I would have been able to carve a line a little better.
I averaged around 160 that day and still got back $80 in brackets. I'm still puzzled how this was possible. Our squad was THAT low scoring.
500? We used 360 in D/S and plastic up 15 in Team. I think they were too tough for most people and I overheard quite a few guys say they don't know how much longer they will pay this money to come shoot sub 500 2/3 sets or even all 3 sets. My favorite was an older guy on pair next to us "I would've been better off taking all the money I spent getting here and staying here and putting it on red at the roulette table, at least I have a better chance of making money".
Yeah, that's just unrealistic expectations. There's maybe 50-75 guys in the entire country that have a realistic shot at winning this thing every year. I think the shot was the perfect for what this tournament was supposed to be. It wasn't hard to "figure out" but you had to execute your ass off. The guys that could do the latter are going to put up some numbers. Guys that bowl one major tournament a year and don't have the mechanics to get themselves line up are always going to be the ones crying.
USBC is in a tough position, you make them too hard, the majority will show up and shoot 1500. Make them too easy, the elite will be slamming 2100+ left and right. Pretty soon those 50-75 that have a shot to win will be the only ones in attendance.
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Hey DP3, I probably could have killed the TEAM shot with that old Saturn you sold me awhile back! Just saying....in retrospect.
Was the Dbum you mentioned,......Darnell Bell?
I averaged around 160 that day and still got back $80 in brackets. I'm still puzzled how this was possible. Our squad was THAT low scoring.
I wish I had some of that luck. Averaged 175 in doubles, 180 in singles and got a big fat 0 in brackets.
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What they need to do is add another division to make it 4. If you want to bowl for a regular division Eagle you shoe up against the big boys and girls on the hard conditions. The other 3 divisions bowl for a division championship and bowl on softer conditions.
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I agree with another division, but it should be the "elite" division - essentially consisting of anyone who has paid taxes on bowling winnings - PBA or amateur.
I'm under no illusion that I have any shot competing with these guys. Not opposed to the patterns...
Just my 2¢
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I agree with another division, but it should be the "elite" division - essentially consisting of anyone who has paid taxes on bowling winnings - PBA or amateur.
I'm under no illusion that I have any shot competing with these guys. Not opposed to the patterns...
Just my 2¢
I'm with you guys on this, other division! I shot 550-549-554, which is pretty consistent, but I barely broke $150 in brackets after they "RE-RATED" me!
Boy, was that a big surprise!
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That's my opinion for the health of the tournament. The bowler in me says 1650 shouldn't expect anything back in brackets.
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500? We used 360 in D/S and plastic up 15 in Team. I think they were too tough for most people and I overheard quite a few guys say they don't know how much longer they will pay this money to come shoot sub 500 2/3 sets or even all 3 sets. My favorite was an older guy on pair next to us "I would've been better off taking all the money I spent getting here and staying here and putting it on red at the roulette table, at least I have a better chance of making money".
Do you guys put 360 on the plastic too? And any special drilling? Seems like you and your team has things figured out and I like learning new things.
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No. Plastic was just normal, not shined or cleaned. Just Lane wear. One left hander played out around 4-5. 7 of us used plastic at at 15 going towards the three pin. 2 people used 500 going up 3-4-5. After 8 minutes, everyone threw shots around 3-4-5.
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I personally think they have too many divisions now.
This is suppose to be the national scratch championship and it has turned into trying to make a lot of money for the USBC.
There has already been several disqualifications at the tournament due to the arcane average rules for the new standard division.
I wish they would go back to a Booster team division and everyone else bowl open for doubles/singles and all events.
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Unfortunately you have to start catering to the "everything should be fair" folks or nobody will show up.
The USBC got used to those 12-15k team years so the last 3 have made things a little lean for them.
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Unfortunately you have to start catering to the "everything should be fair" folks or nobody will show up.
The USBC got used to those 12-15k team years so the last 3 have made things a little lean for them.
People will show up, itll be +/-2k teams, but theyll still show up.
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It has actually surprised me that they managed to draw as many teams as they did from the mid 90s on. 70 % of the bowlers in the regular division had a very slim chance to cash. Nationals has been played on sport shot type of conditions for over 20 years. This year appears to be even flatter than normal and probably a couple of feet shorter. Prize money has been dropping noticeably, and will be even worse this year due to the added division. On the other hand it is going to open up cash possibilities for that group that falls in to the new division.
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I think you're right on all accounts. Why someone would want to travel to Reno 5 out of 7 years from 2010 to 2016 with no chance to cash is beyond me. It's one thing if you're close by or just really love the tournament atmosphere. But all the fringe bowlers left. 14k in 2010 to 8k in 2016.
It was ok when it was a different venue each year, you could call it a yearly vacation. But now, I hope the new division draws some of those bowlers back. They posted estimated low to cash. In standard you could shoot 1600 and cash in all events. That would never happen in previous years in the regular division.
Sure the prize fund in regular will take a hit, but I'm betting the 70 percent in the regular division you posted about could care less.
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
You'd be able to complete the tournament in one weekend if this were the route they went.
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
You'd be able to complete the tournament in one weekend if this were the route they went.
Yeah this is true also. I also believe it adding a Division is stupid. Pretty soon everyone will bowl in their own Division so everyone can win. Everyone is worried about having a shot at winning, but no one wants to work at it like typical bowlers it needs to be handed to them.
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
You mean like say, the USBC Masters?
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
You mean like say, the USBC Masters?
Kinda sorta but with the current rules limiting the number of pros per team.
PS comment was made with a hint of sarcasm
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One Division all scratch let the cream rise to the top just once.
You mean like say, the USBC Masters?
Kinda sorta but with the current rules limiting the number of pros per team.
PS comment was made with a hint of sarcasm
I'm okay with not allowing any PBA members. Or anyone who has cashed in a PBA event in the past 5 years.
If it's supposed to be an amateur event, let's make it amateur.
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Where does it say, or has it said, it's supposed to be an amateur event?
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True, guess I wasn't thinking correctly.
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Haha.. true does say no pros, but it's the equivalent of inviting Peyton Manning to my flag football league - if there was a lot of money on the line for passing stats.
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Haha.. true does say no pros, but it's the equivalent of inviting Peyton Manning to my flag football league - if there was a lot of money on the line for passing stats.
That was my meaning, albeit incorrectly worded.
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If Peyton Manning would have had to have a job in the off season you can bet he would have been at your flag football league if there was money to be won.
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If Peyton Manning would have had to have a job in the off season you can bet he would have been at your flag football league if there was money to be won.
Then maybe the PBA members should take control of their destiny for a change instead of letting someone else do it. Then they might not have to have off season jobs.
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One of the big problems the PBA has right now is with membership. A lot more of what I call "professional amateurs" would be professionals if it was a benefit. It's not unless you're elite. If you don't have a card, it opens up a huge amount of tournament opportunities that are more beneficial than it is to bowl on tour and inherit all the associated restrictions. I can't really see any reason to join the PBA outside of pride, myself. If you're looking to achieve a personal goal by winning a professional title, cool, but that's about the only reason I can see to do it.
If Peyton Manning would have had to have a job in the off season you can bet he would have been at your flag football league if there was money to be won.
Then maybe the PBA members should take control of their destiny for a change instead of letting someone else do it. Then they might not have to have off season jobs.
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One of the big problems the PBA has right now is with membership. A lot more of what I call "professional amateurs" would be professionals if it was a benefit. It's not unless you're elite. If you don't have a card, it opens up a huge amount of tournament opportunities that are more beneficial than it is to bowl on tour and inherit all the associated restrictions. I can't really see any reason to join the PBA outside of pride, myself. If you're looking to achieve a personal goal by winning a professional title, cool, but that's about the only reason I can see to do it.
If Peyton Manning would have had to have a job in the off season you can bet he would have been at your flag football league if there was money to be won.
Then maybe the PBA members should take control of their destiny for a change instead of letting someone else do it. Then they might not have to have off season jobs.
It sure isn't for the money. It's really pathetic how far the prize funds have come down.
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It was one thing to not be a member when the High Roller, Mini, Super Hoinke, team challenges and such were still going on. The "professional amateurs" during that time, bowling was their job.
I don't see that many tournaments that restrict PBA members these days, and I've live all across the country in the last 10 years.
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True . . there aren't quite the restrictions there used to be. I HAVE been surprised recently to see names bowling tournaments I didn't know they could bowl. I see a lot of "no PBA members allowed," stuff, but that's generally the smaller tournaments I guess. I must just be in a weird section of the universe . .
It was one thing to not be a member when the High Roller, Mini, Super Hoinke, team challenges and such were still going on. The "professional amateurs" during that time, bowling was their job.
I don't see that many tournaments that restrict PBA members these days, and I've live all across the country in the last 10 years.
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The mega buck tournaments were only lucrative when they were paying 6 figures and the fields were loaded with hundreds of donators. Brian Kretzer made more money than Anyone on tour over a 2 year period in the 90s. If the PBA paid one tenth of what the PGA dies bowling would be totally different
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I've said it before. All the guys that actually have the sense to not bowl because they would rather be able to feed their family would come out of the woodwork to bowl. Show them the money to show them it's worth the risk
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Back when there was a real tour with 140 man fields, everyone below the top 20 would have been gone if there was decent money to be made.