I did something last Wednesday night that I hadn't done before. I shot 245-257-300-802 with a ball change early in the 2nd game. All of my prior honor scores were shot with the same ball I started with. I left a pair of 7 pins early in the 2nd game with my Rocket Ship, so I switched to my Phaze 2 and threw 20 of the last 22. I haven't gotten much use out of the Phaze 2, so I was glad I could throw it. The 2000 grit finish just burns up too quickly for me on league conditions, so I shined it up with Storm Step 2, and it does a lot more of what I want. I tend to gravitate towards a finish they call "sheen". Polished with a light scuff from a 3000 or 4000 pad.

Very nice, Fin!

Congrats Fin.

Rough night for me: 181, 168, and 234 for 583. I had wanted to throw the Grudge Pearl that I just got but had trouble getting my fingers in the holes. I thought having them installed with Vacu-Grip was going to help me with this issue but I guess not. Had to go to my Arson High Flare which really wasn't enough ball for the lanes until there was some break down in the 3rd game. Wish I had some of my other stuff with me but really too much of a pain to bring more than 1 bag especially with the single digit temperatures we're going through since I can't leave anything in the car.

Nice going Fin.

I could not lined up last night for the life of me but manage to win my first game by a pin and my second game by a pin... Finally I switched to my spare ball (Arctic Sniper) and could either be the shim daddy or get it out and it would hit like a truck... Shot 269 with a 9 pin in the 2nd frame and a 4 pin in the 3rd... I'm seriously considering just taking my spare ball next week... In the last two weeks ive thrown 2 games with it and one was a 250 something and a 269...

Tonight's bowling, frame-by-frame

Respectable night tonight, though with a bit of a letdown in the third game, in which I had my only single-pin misses. Second game was clean, and I think everyone knows I'll take any clean game.

Result: 176-214-183=573
Average (51 games): 181
Average for last 9 games: 174
Next week's AVG+1 score: 589

Composite average (96 games): 181

Team won all four, but we needed the first place match to split 2-2 to force a one-game roll-off for the half, and Dawg Pound won all four, meaning we ended the half in second place.

Awesome series Fin!

Man I had a weird hiatus. No league two weeks ago, missed last week cause I was traveling. Didn't bowl for like 20 days straight.

My league is Tuesday but I subbed in a Friday league last night to shake the cobwebs off. Lucky I did, I bowled like doo doo.

Had a 550 series with only my middle game of 217 worth noting. Dunno what I was doing but I just could not get my balls to react. I ended up throwing my Mastermind, which I almost never take out of the bag on a house shot, straight up the 7-9 board and still barely could get it back. No way it was the lanes, something is up with my release. Got some work to do!

I've had release trouble the past 3 outings. And, I don't know why.

I see it when the ball doesn't finish. And, that's too late. I replay my shot in my head. Trying to remember where my hand was and when. I think I know. After a few rolls, it happens again.

I have developed a habit of opening my hand at the release. That causes the ball to come off thumb and fingers together. Fingers are not behind and under the ball. And, I also notice my arm is down at a 45 degree angle, like I'm rolling the ball into the floor.

I don't know where this came from. But, I better fix it quickly.

We returned to league Friday night after our center's decision to have no leagues. I was bowling on the same pair where I shot both of my 300's this season. I used my Danger Zone in practice and it worked great. However, I sailed my first shot right and left a split to start. After that, I left a solid 10 and nearly left a pocket 7-10 the next shot. I made both spares and switched to my Critical Mass. I finished that game with strikes and 9 counts spares for a 215.

In the second game, I had the front 8 and left a 7 pin in the 9th frame. I struck all 3 shots in the 10th for a 279. My other 300's on that pair were the 1st and 3rd games. I had jokingly told my wife before league that if I managed to shoot a 300 the 2nd game that I had a 900 on that pair spread over 3 different weeks. I wore a shirt from the same band that I wore the other weeks that I shot 300 on that pair. It almost worked.

Right at the beginning of the 3rd game, my line was burnt and when I tried to move a little left with the Critical Mass, it wasn't able to get back to carry. I threw 1-2 shots too many with it and eventually switched to my Super Natural to stay more direct. I finished that game with a 225 for a 719, my only open was the split in the 1st frame of the 1st game. Our team took 5 out of 7 and stayed in 1st place.

Mark

Tonight's bowling, frame-by-frame

I didn't quite start the second half of this league the way I ended the first half, but, where I was still over 600, I'll take it. The first game was either nine or strike, and there were just too many nine-drops. Carry was better in the other two games, with a five-bagger in each.

Result: 173-210-235=618
Average (48 games): 182
Average for last 9 games: 196
Next week's AVG+1 score: 568

Composite average (99 games): 181

A bad game by Peter cost us the first game, but we won the other two and total.