It is nice to see someone acknowledge their problems and know how to improve on them then find a quick solution like getting a new ball just to solved the problem.

Also, I like how you are humble with yourself Dennis. Thats something a lot of bowlers that I encounter can not accept. There is a problem with them then their equipment.

But thumb ups for improving.

I agree there aren't many Average Joe Bowlers who will admit to having a problem and will blame their equipment or the condition. Their idea of adjustment is another ball, yet they missed their target by 6 boards.

This past season I had a teammate on one of my teams ridicule me when he said it was the ball and I honestly admitted I screwed up on something like missing 3 boards inside or turned my hand early when I knew it was me.

PBA Leagues will teach you three things. The first is humility. And the second is where the weak points in your game are. The third is explore and try new things.

Me personally, I noticed that I do a lot of things wrong that are detramental to my game. And I've been trying to fix them and it has been showing like my muscling and grabbing the ball. However, my spare game has been suffering (and spares are critical in these leagues)because I don't have a plastic ball to throw at spares and these conditions are very unforgiving unlike house patterns. So I have to improvise and throw one of my balls with the finger position that eliminates as much hook as possible and come up under the ball to get a straight roll. I'm having more trouble on my multi-pin spares and almost no trouble on single pin spares.

That aside I almost rarely ever blame the ball and for that matter the lanes. Every now and again there will be a puddle on the lane or a belt mark on the Track, but more often than not it's my fault. I'd say that about 9 out 10 times it's me that threw the ball bad. People tell me to move boards when I pull balls and drift. They tell me to move and I'm say, "I can't move. I threw the ball bad. That line could still work for me." And it's the simple truth, I could take their advice and move right off of my strike line.

Regardless it's tough and definately worth the experince, just don't have high hopes that you'll have a 200+ average (somewhat of an exaggeration).

I have bowled by one saying that my first instructor said to me. "The ball only goes where you roll it". Thanks, Dad.

and this is one reason i like seeing what dennis has to say --->" humble" yes sir you are and i think that makes a big difference. i would like to see one of these pba leagues but it anit going to happen around here. also i agree with inferno. i like to say i'm doing it wrong when i'm doing it wrong. i know i mess up and i can tell when i mess up. when you bowl like i do you can tell when you roll a good ball. you feel it. and you also feel a bad one to. i try to adjust and go on with it. i wasn't the ball that put itself in the gutter i'm pretty sure i had something to do with it. but does the usbc website show where i mite could find one of the pba leagues?

Sort of. you could go to find a league. It will list all of the centers "that have registered" in your area. We have two leagues in two different centers in my town and neither of them are listed on the web site.

180fury, get the phone of your Association in your area from your bowling center. They will have the location of any PBA/Sport league. They have to since there is an extra sanction fee charged, and the House has to submit tapes of the oil pattern to them.

I know my Association has a website that lists all leagues in every (13) house.

dennis i can't figure out why you dont live in alabama move please !
anyway... thanks i'll do that. i can call alvin and see what he says. he's my wifes boss at AMF, so he should know who i can talk to.

what is the extra sanction fee for ?

coming into this thread kind of late, just wanted to say that i had a 'PBAX summer' too and i would recommend it to anybody who really wants to work on their skills. warning, the usual house shot will seem really boring to you afterwards.

Good question. I was told it is for extra record keeping since PBA and Sport leagues have separate honor scores and indications on your sanction records.
But, the common practice of late is to lay down a sport shot, and NOT sanction it to avoid the extra fee.

Alabama huh???? I travel light. 4-ball roller, golf clubs and a 26' boat that I can sleep in if I have to. Yeah, bowl, fish and golf. Oh, can I bring my guns? I hunt too.

Let's see, in a few years, I can live on my boat. Hunt and fish for food. And a monthly Government check can pay for bowling and golf. Mmmm
Seems like a plan.