Barring any unforeseen deployments , I'm going to roll in the PBA regional at FWB Bowl in Fort Walton Beach, FL this November.

-How many of you have rolled in a regional?
-What was your experience like? Glad you did it?
-What would you do to begin preparing this?

My coach is the owner at FWB Bowl, and I rolled in their PBAX league this summer so am pretty comfortable in that house. Pattern will be the Shark on wood lanes that are showing their age a bit. I've actually felt more comfortable on the longer patterns in the summer league because of all the friction the lanes offer. I think I'm OK ball wise with the Break, Twisted, and Break Pearl.

Any experiences you've had would be fun to hear. Good, bad, indifferent, funny, whatever the case may be. Thanks!

I bowled in a couple back in the 90's. It was a good experience, you will feel like you don't belong at first but after a while you will realize that you CAN compete, and get more comfortable. The guys in general are just like your scratch league bowlers.

I have bowled in a couple recently. Got to bowl one series with Pete W in Coldwater. My advice - be yourself, stay within yourself and don't get star struck. Have fun, just like you are bowling in leagues.

This is my second tournament and each time, I improve a little more - just keep at it.

Update: won't be rolling in this after all. Had two chances to get in and dorked up both times.

Two weeks in a row, I narrowly missed out on winning a spot for this through an amateur qualifying tournament (5 game block on the Shark, one game on each pair). Yesterday was my second miss and I finished second by less than 20 both weeks. Was just under scratch both weeks, but both weeks I got caught from behind late in the block as my nerves got the best of me. My coach was running the tourneys, and he said as the pressure mounted I started to get happy feet. Feet got fast, timing got late, and I left some washouts, 2-8-10's etc.

Not ready for the bright lights just yet, but I can't be displeased with my progress and will learn from this. After averaging 180 in PBA league this summer, being just under 200 over ten games on the Shark is a good sign.

Chubbs, feet are usually on auto pilot and they don't get fast without a reason. Feet usually get fast because the swing is past where it should be in that part of the approach either because you started the swing a bit early or extended the swing too far out in front of you or you pulled the swing back instead of letting it just drop.

Try video taping yourself after 3 or 4 games and see if you aren't doing something different than you were earlier.

Headed out to practice some, so I'll watch for that. Thanks, Coach!