its been a wild weekend for me. on thursday i found me a new coach. mikes a usbc certified coach and he runs the Pro Shop where i get my balls from. and got me a new sole for my shoe but i got my first new lessen with him next monday oh well i can wait.

next on july 4th i shot my first 200 game. 208. and had a 155 and 140 with it. so that wasn't too bad i guess. i just made it all click it seems. i didnt know what to think. i felt good. so now i got to just remember how i did it and then that nite my wife won a ball at work. she won it by drawing tickets. its an AMF extreme boogie. one of those black light balls. new spare ball for me yay.

sunday i joined my first ever league. the lucky 13. they bowl on sundays at night. my wifes boss bowls in it. he's been in it for 5 years now. so i thought i would give it a try. i'm not going to get any better just getting to bowl once a week and i dont have anybody to bowl with, so this i hope should help me understand the game a little better. but is it always mad chaos? this is my first one ever so i'm not use to it at all. i was trying to hard also i think. i shot only 130's the whole time. i usually hold 170 - 160 when i bowl by my self. is that normal to be that nerves ? i just thought too much i think. but the pres said dont worry about it. id get the hang of it before too long. i hope so

thanks for listening !!

Don't sweat it. First league? Probably got excited and it affected you. It could have also been that you're likely used to bowling on lanes that have already been bowled on. In addition to that, if so, you're probably not used to bowling with more than one or two people. When you bowl with 5-8 more people the lane conditions transition a lot faster and that possibly got you too.

Either way, it was only the first week and you'll be able to improve your average quickly. Just stay alert for any transitions and you'll be fine.

By the way congrats on your first 200, there will be plenty more to come.

Don't sweat it. It probably was a combination of nerves, you wanting to do well, and not being used to the lanes transitioning so fast. Once you get in the swing of things you'll be up their throwing your 260-170 average in no time. Plus averaging around the 130s and throwing 200 games will help your tam win a few games.

It happeness to all of us nerves. Either it first league, first tournment, or 12 th ball for a 300.

I had some nerves this weekend too entered my first tournment and had a bundle of nerves didnt do good either. So dont worry about it. Just go in have fun and take one shot at a time.

Once you get in grrove of things your scores will improve.

Its not a big deal and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Depending on the league, LOL, it can be pretty chaotic every week. They might do side pots, card games etc.....

Also when you bowl by yourself you are used to just getting up and bowling and bowling quickly. Now you have to learn how to pace yourself and wait for your teammates to bowl.

Good for you though, and good luck with the lesson today.

Erin

Putting pressure on yourself can really cause your game to suffer. I know,.. I have been doing it all summer so far. I practice on the PBAX patterns and put up some respectable numbers ( I cant turn off the scoreing when practicing). But get into league play and I am really struggling,..all due to overthinking, trying too hard. We all want to do well but sometimes we have a tough time, its common it happens to all of us.

Just relax, have fun and good things will happen. ( I need to follow my own advice..LOL.)

That's great news, fury! Just remember not to put pressure on yourself. One frame at a time, and you'll be fine. (What do you know I am a poet!) Congrats on the 200, and cheers to many more.

your right erin i am use to getting up there and just bowling quickly. i'm not use to having 3 other people in the pit with me its wild thats for sure.

thanks people for the encouragement and i'm trying my best not to put pressure on my self as much but i still replay most of sunday in my head i think i got to quit that. like pelmer ( league president ) said " don't think about the last ball or frame. just think about the one your on. " makes sense.

now i just got to watch everything that happens on the lanes. i got to use to the way the lanes change rapidly. and how my ball reacts and how to adjust to all of it. this is some that i need to learn and i thought maybe just maybe a league would help. i know one thing though now- the lanes change quick, and you got to learn to adjust to them fast and watch the ball more after you throw and think before you go, etc.... that seems to be the fun of it though.

This is where lane reading really gets put to the test. If anything else watch the ball react down the lanes. Watch how it moves, where it breaks, and how it hits the pocket. My best series and games have all been when my lane reading has been at its best. I would also suggest to move half board slowly if you start to notice your line going away. Entire boards are good too, but I like half boards. At the same time, you need to move your target on the approach.

Your scores should increase significantly if you can read the lanes.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T ADJUST TO A POORLY THROWN BALL.

If you do the first part properly, you can make adjustments on poorly thrown balls.

Yeah I suppose. It will give you information that you can use to help your next shot but that isn't exactly what I was talking about. I was talking about adjusting to a ball that you just chicken winged or you bounced it off your leg and it threw off your swing plane and you didn't stop or that you had the Vulcan Death Grip on. Something of that nature where you know you did something wrong.

vulcan death grip i liked that one.

boy this weekends league was a lot better. i'm getting use to it more. i made up my first games i missed also. much much better. i shot a lot higher and a lot better. more flowed better. i was more comfortable. i shot my first 500 series too. so i'm getting use to thanks for the encouragement !

i saw my coach on monday. i can see improvements in my body now. my approach is better and i'm understanding how the lane changes a little more now. my release is improving he said. i'm putting more revs on the ball and still controlling it better too.
i got my MoRich redrilled and down to 1000-grit. i use it monday and the ball is so much better now. i will try it sunday to see how i'm going to do with it. i also learned better on when i should change balls or how to adjust with the same ball. now i'm done with guessing and have a better perspective on how to adjust. its amazing how much a coach can help and improve what your doing. i worked with him for a hour and a half. no i need to put all of it into play and see how i do. thanks for the help people!!

i shot better but scores wasnt that high. 157,125,151. we had to take my little girl with us tonight. we had to keep up with her and bowl to. no baby sitter like last sunday. got to do what you got to do. got out of the rhythm of things. plus the guys we where bowling with where bowling fast. i mean fast. first game was only 15 mins long. fast. i got in that, and was trying to slow it down a bit. they wanted to bowl fast and go drink. so it went fast. oh well. go fig. but i feel like i shot better. my whole everything felt better to me. i was figuring things out and adjusting, but was having trouble with one of the lanes. one lane i could get everything right. the other lane i couldnt figure out. i tryed hard to but just couldnt. one reason i'm seeing a coach also. i would use my line and it would go striaght in the head pin. so i would adjust to the right 2 boards and i would get to close to the gutter and fall in. so i would move back over 1 and hit the 3 & 6 . so i just took the head pin and hoped for the best. it was all night like that too. that one lane i never had a stike on but the other lane had all the others. go fig. i still had fun. i was 1 in the league but i know thats gone now at lest i was once yea!

90% of the nights I bowl the two lanes are different but only a lil. If I'm completely lost on one lane and perfect on the other I'd usually make a ball change for that one lane only. Trying to get a simular line as the good lane.

Alot of ball changing is knowing how each ball plays and when it plays better then another ball you've already pulled out.

If you're having to play 3-5board then it's a tight shot to repeat pending where you are standing. If it's still smashing the face, move your feet 2bd to the left (if right handed) and throw to the same break point. The weight of the ball should let it hang out there for a split second longer and flip back flush into the pocket. If it's hitting high after those 2bds, move one more board to dial it in. If still a lil high, move up 1" on your approach if you have room to spare at the fowl line. Remember to make adjustments only on good balls thrown otherwise you'll be lost all night.

Don't forget to have fun!!

Hey, 180fury, i've got a small quesion for you.

You're a beginner, bowling wise, right (no sweat, everyone has to start somewhere, sometime)?

Do you know that until you get to around about a 180 average, this game is all about picking up your spares and, until you're at that level, you don't have enough skill (nor enough knowledge) to use a lot of different equipement?

Why did you spend a lot of money on buying a 6 ball arsenal when you probably only need 1 strike ball and a spare ball?

IMHO the rest of your money could have been better spent on a few lessons with a coach.

humm i see my coach every week and i have balls that i use that suits me. i spend 25 a lessen. which is an hour long. i also have one saturday. so yeah i spend money on both and i have went from 90 to 180 in only 4 months and keeping around it. not bad for someone that started using a hook ball in feb. i have only 6 balls. some people have more. most people use the same one all night, and never get 200. because they dont want to learn more about what ball can help you at what time. skill and a good ball become one when you figure out which to use at what time. and want to learn which and when. also been bowling with a straight ball for years and use to pick up spares better before i started using a hook ball. but i'll keep on buying balls and getting lessens as long as i can bowl. both don't hurt. i'm pretty smart at knowing which to use at what time and i just miss. and i learn why i miss and how to correct it threw mistakes. i have shot 200's before. i just can keep my self on point sometimes. there is also people on my league that have been bowling for years that hold around the same avg. they want change balls nore get lessens like i do.use only 1 ball for spares and strikes. not bad if you dont want to get any higher. but i want to. so both will help me and getting to practice will to. got to stay out there working on release and approach. so i think i'm doing far for only using an advanced ball for a short amount of time. and only having a coach since i first posted this thread. but i dont want to be on the pro tour either. i like just bowing on sunday and working the rest of the week to buy balls and have an arsenal thats as big as any pro. so thanks for questions i hope i answered them.

180 fury, how long have u been bowling?

on and off for years wtih my straight ball. the t-zone i have. i first picked up a hook ball in feb this year. i didnt even know this kind of stuff was real till i got into it hard this year. i've had 2 different coaches. one got sick and retired from it. the other is the guy in huntsville. i'm pretty dedicated to it since i found out how much more i could learn about bowling and how i could get higher scores with a hook ball. so i found another coach finialy and got into more. now i bowl league and hold a good avg. i just mess up a lot on my own and dont blame no one but my self. but the league i bowl with is made up of good people that help ya when they see what you did wrong and most tell ya good game at the end. i'm in second and was in first in my league so i'm pretty sure i'm getting better but i got to practice more and more and still see mike when i can. btw justin did you ever find a ball?

im leaning towards the Ebonite nvd, but if not that, then prolly the Hammer anger. i havent fully decided yet but i will prolly get it for christmas, i am wanting to get shoes first so ill just have to see what happens. And thanks for asking!

you bet. the anger is a great ball. mike uses the anger and psycho combo. he' a well oiled machine with that combo. plus that up rising is one serious ball.

180fury, I once had a piano teacher who died. My Dad said that was because of my playing. So, I gave it up.

I have found a new Coach for bowling, now. Hope he doesn't die, cause I don't want to give this up.

Coaches can do wonders for your game. Stick with it, and it will come. Takes time, practice and effort. But, when you see good results, you know it was all worth it.

thats cool, and plus, when our junior league starts back up we will have four ppl on our team, me and my brother and then two other ppl who both use angers, one of them's hand spand is about the same as mine, so im gonna use his anger sometimes and see if i like it.

dennis i always like how you think of things. believe me when i say that a coach is the best thing i have done so far. money well spent . and i called mike today to make sure i'm still on for saturday.

justin you'll like the anger if you get a chance to throw it. so give it a wirl if you get to.

ive thrown it a couple of times, and i liked it, it hooks a lot and is also cheaper than the nvd. And i just figured out that the nvd is being released worldwide on August 4th

The NVD comes out on August 5th actually.

I find myself getting nervous sometimes even when i'm just bowling with my friends; they sort of expect me to win all the time ever since i won my first local tournament

Congrats on winning the tourney. So, you know you can do it. Don't get nervous. Do it.

i'm thinking about trying to use my old t-zone on spares. i like how it rolls. the span is not like my hook balls. my lucky strike spare ball is drilled just like my twisted fury. same span and tips and thumb. my t-zone is not. its drilled like you would have it drilled the first time you have ever bought a ball. as in normal span. not tipped. it seems i can aim better with it. but i'm going to try it out tomorrow at lessens. if i roll my spare tip ball wrong it rolls to far or not enough. i can just put a straight line down with that t-zone. any ideas ?

Not recommended. You want all your equipment to have the same grip including span, pitches and even the inserts that might be in the ball.

you dont want to have ur plastic spare ball drilled for finger tip, u want it drilled conventional, but the other balls should be the same

No, all of your equipment including a plastic spare ball should be drilled exactly the same, no if, ands or buts about it. They should all be the same weight so your timing doesn't get thrown off as well. This game is about repetition, how can you repeat a shot if you are using two different grips. A conventional grip leads to grabbing, you switch back to your fingertip and you will want to grip it which leads to inconsistencies. Even using a different brand of rubber inserts, or thumb slug could be enough of a difference to not be consistent much less a whole other grip set up.

No argument, Cal's right. All equipment should be the same to maintain consistency among all of them. Different span will ultimately cause gripping on the other balls.

Plus on really scorched lanes the plastic ball could be used as a strike ball when even the weakest of reactives want to react too much.

thats why i have two plastic balls, one is drilled like my hook balls, but the other one is drilled for conventional, and it works better for me so i just keep it that way

humm i had that ball drilled up conventional. it is fun to have it that way as i can throw that thing about 20 mph. lots of fun. i also see what ya'll mean about keeping my spane the same. i had no problems with the span change but i like how my lucky feels. its more comfortable and yes i use it as my spar ball. i had the other to use as a fun ball. i can do the belmonte with it too much fun.

awesome! the belmonte is very fun!

awesome! the belmonte is very fun!

yes sir it is . i love doing that. i hit 3 strikes in a row sunday with that ball and doing the belmonte. then missed a few, but i had to start league so i quit only after 5 frames. but 3 out of 5 anit to bad .

nah its not, jus dont let it mess up ur routine!

so heres another one.

saturday i bowled a bowl-a-thon. it was junior achievement for toyota. i was captain and i had to get 3 other bowlers. so i got another guy from work and got to 2 of my bowling league buddies. ( ross and nick ) mite have been unfair but they said i could bring anyone. so i did. it was amazing. i bowled a 177 232 and 197. the 2 guys in my league never came under 200 in all 3 games. the other ol' boy shot over 150 every time. so yeah we had great games. it was the first time that ross had rolled on synthetic. he had a 230 245 and 265. nick had 245 232 268. they where killing it. but after it was all over. we moved down to other lanes in the alley and rolled 2 more games. i didnt do to bad but i had another 197 last game. nick and ross both shot a 300! didn't do it in the first games but did them in the games that didn't matter. but it was they're first ones so they where happy it ended great ! we had the highest over all and we wont get the results till this week. but it was fun and thats what counts some.

sunday i didn't do to good. i didn't feel good and didn't want to go bowl in league but i did anyway. i shouldn't have but i tryed anyway. i lost 2 of 3 gmaes. so i lost the match. i wont do that again. i wont go if i dont wont 2 next time. i'll just make it up. i mite come out out to the better. plus the lanes where oiled the night before. and they sat for more than 12 hours or so before we bowled on them. mind you this is wood. oils not going to sit there that long without having some problems. synthetic maybe but wood. humm i just dont get it. and we had to move during the first game because of a black out and he couldn't get the power back to the lane. so i wont do that again.