My winter league started today, the first of 36 weeks. We establish average thru the first three weeks. Last year I averaged 200.

First week totals:
Game 1-145
Game 2-177
Game 3-233
Total-555

I want to get a new thumb grip and my ball polsihed before next Tuesday.
I will update you on my progress.

Well, how many times have you practised this summer? Did you bowl summer league and if so, was there a break between that league and the one you just started?

Were the lanes similar to the last time you bowled on them? Perhaps they changed the roller in the machine, put extra stripper in the mixture to strip the backends, maybe there's new pins? Keep in mind that there are many aspects of this game that are totally out of your control and out of your information realm.

Now one thing to keep in mind is when you shoot your first 650+ series this next season, that you are just as much over your "average" from last year as you were under when you started. I kow that no matter how you think of it, its always pretty crummy, but hey! better to do it now then 1/2 way through league when you need the score for position round.

Don't take it too hard and next week you'll be more in the swing, I'm sure.

Erin

I Agree with Erin, I haven't bowled in several years as a league bowler. I have been praticing a couple times a week but with the lane conditions changing I'm finding it hard to ajust, my first week I bowled not great 136 avg, this week I bowled a 176 avg, I think it will take a few weeks to get ajusted to the conditions, try not to place to much pressure on yourself to be so consistent.

The shot was there as it should be every week sonce I'm lefty. It was the first week of the league and like Ms.Erin said, "Don't take it too hard and next week you'll be more in the swing"
Love that advice!!!

I shot my first 2 700's(706,759) last season, so hopefully this year I will shoot my 800.

Thanks for the advice and will update ya'll on week 2.

BTW, my Columbia phirana cracked in the heat of the trunk of my car!! **** ****...now I am keeping my other 2 balls in the house.

I was thinking and I missed 5 spares which it totally uncharacteristic of me. That's 100 pins people! Unacceptable. Two 7 pins and 3 mutiple pins spares. I can't wait till next tuesday redemption baby!

I'm consistently inconsistent. Ok, I was. I've been drastically improving over the last week and hopefully will at least be able to break 400 this week during league. Yes, 400 will be a major accomplishment for me. :rolleyes: It'd be better than my 281 from last week.

*lifting glass of water* Here's to us both doing better this week.

-Josh

Well my second week I was more on par with my average.
Game 1-190
Game 2-193
Game 3-236
Total-619

I hope you achieve your 400 Josh.
Good luck.

I believe I also missed 5 spares for the second week in a row,that is still concerning for me. I couldn't get a turkey to save my life. I would get a double then open. We have one more week to establish average my series so far are 555, 619.

Now birdman, I'm gonna say something about spares that you may not like, but here goes. There is no excuse for missing a single pin spare. Now, so you don't misundertsand me, I'm not knocking you. Just saying that your spare system could use some refinement. In conversation with with some very good quality players and coaches, Parker Bohn III, Fred Borden, Dick Ritger among many others, they all say cover your spares. Now how to go about doing that can take many different paths. One route a lot of pros are using is throwing the nall very straight at spares, using a plastic ball for bowling hand side spares, and thier strike ball for opposite hand spares. For me, that would be using my spare ball for right side spares, and my strike ball for left side spares. I'll stand on 33 and throw it straight over the 4th arrow directly at my spare, using an end over end roll with very little if any hook. 7 pins, I stand on 20, use the same end over end roll and use my strike ball. One thing more, spare ball speed should be firm. With firm speed, and using a broken wrist, flat hand position, even if you do turn it a little by mistake, you will still make the spare...

Practice your spares, its the fastest way to get better without changing any physical part of your game.

I heartily agree with Exbronxite....you cannot miss single pin spares. It doesn't matter what corner they are on. You cannot miss them, along with any other single pin spare. Those leaves should be "given" spares.

Cluster spares start to get tough, especially if they have a back pin involved. So you really need to perfect your spare system. Know immediately where you need to move to, in order to get your ball to the "key" pin in the spare.

I still think you are doing great. But recognize that there's no excuse for missing single pin spares once you start averaging over 180.

But I will also reiterate that once a break is taken, whether it is two weeks or a summer, you have to expect inconsistencies when coming back. That's why I never take the summer off, or slack on practise. I don't need the hassle I give myself for not living up to my own expectations, simply from not continuing to bowl.

Many many people do not bowl summer. And then come into the fall with expectations left over from two months of non bowling. YOu just can't do that. It doesn't matter what level you are at. If you are going to take a break during the summer (understandable), then give yourself some mental room to get back into the swing. One week,two weeks, isn't going to do it. I mean for 12 - 16 weeks your brain wasn't thinking of bowling, now it has to? All of a sudden? Heck you can't pick the remnants of BBQ out of your teeth in that amount of time. Your tan hasn't even begun to fade.

Erin