I'm sure some women on this board would like equal treatment.

Ok, just got back from my Saturday league. I did ok, but not clearly up to par of what I wanted to bowl. I shot 214, 200, 246 for a 660 set. I'm upset b/c I made a few poor shots and they snapped strings I had going. All the poor shots I paid full penalty for and left splits. On a good note I made all my single pins spares.

I shot 185, 155, and 114. I made a worst shots on 3rd game when the ball went to the gutter, and missed spare.

I'd did alright. Shot a 203, 155, 180. Not the best and not the worst. Right now still in Plateau stage. I didnt worry too much and over think shots. Feet were slow just have to work on not droping my shoulders at the line.

Brandon, you have too much spread in your scores. It tells me your spares are not being picked up. Work on that and you will see the lower scores coming higher.

Consistency was my area of improvement for this year. Sort of blew it with my injury. But, what I did notice was the high scores still came, while the lower scores disappeared. Your series would be much different if they were within 10 pins of your high. 203-190-190 could have been reached if your spares were picked up. A 580 versus a 530 is a radical improvement without any more strikes.

The consistency I worked on with my Coach taught me 2 things. First, I had to be comfortable picking them up. I changed my targeting, especially for right side spares. It was hardest for me on the 10 pin. I always missed it to the left. But, I have improved that to 90%. It still should be higher. But, I almost never miss a 3-10 or 3-6-9-10. The second step was to know why I got a 3-10 and change my first ball so I wouldn't leave it.
Picking up spares, and knowing how not to leave difficult ones really helped.

Dennis,
I hear you on that. I dont know the first game i only missed one spare. a ten pin in the tenth which cost me a better game. Then the tenth i had around 3 open or so. Last game probally two open. You know ten pin i can usally pick it up i'm usually 90% on them but the easy spares for some reason i miss them. I think it has to me rushing on them sometime or overthinking it. Like second game i missed the 8 pin. I know those missed spares are hurting my scores and averages.

I think sometiems i overthink certian shots i just gotta relax be confident cause i think sometiem i second guess my self up at the approach and try to compensate for it and end up pulling the ball.

Spares are key. Last year, 2nd year of my return, I was 190+. My Coach and I focused on my consistency and shrinking the spread between my high game and low game of he night. The high games still came, but, the low games were higher too. I raised my average over 10 pins so far, by just picking up spares. I went from 530 being average to 570 being average to 610 over 2 years. Pick the spares up, and you too will see that jump.
Next year, I work on revolutions. I finally think my wrist is strong enough.

Yeah Spares are key. If i can reduce my open frames to maybe 1 open per series. I do much better. Just got keep working on spares especially when i practice.

Now that i pretty much got my timming back. jsut got to work on consitancey on spares and so forth.

I'm a few days late with my Sunday Nite Update, but its here now.

We started the night in a tie for 3rd place and one point behind second. And who do we bowl, yep 2nd place team.

Both teams started off really hot and we win by 26 pins. I started with strikes in first 5 and end with only a 200. I was way off on spares tonight and couldn't get much going.

Second game I start hot again and end 1 pin under my ave at 166. Team loses by 14 pins. My buddy on the opposing team bowls a 232.

Last game my teammates really get it going but I got nothing and pull it together at the end for a 150. We win last by almost 100 and take series. So we are now in second place with about 8 weeks to go. About 10 pts out of the top spot.

I barely get my ave with a 516. I did manage to keep it moving up a little and still hold the Most Improved Mark. Good news is that a low 500 series at about a 170 ave has been my lowest series in about a month.

Dennis, just like you said to Brandon that spares are one of the most important parts of your game. It's something I've been working on all year and Its one of the reasons my ave keeps climbing. This year is the first year I've actually used a spare system instead of just getting up there and guessing. Some nights either my concentration is off or mechanically I'm doing something wrong. Missed some really easy ones tonight which ruined a decent Series.

Travis

T Reed, good spare shooting can salvage an otherwise disasterous night. When your first ball is not working, the pins you leave allow you to at least get 10+ with a spare.
You have to look at spares missed as costing you 12 pins each time.
Both you and Brandon are about 170. One more spare per game puts you at 180+. And you both have another spare and a half to improve on. You could go higher with a better spare shooting technique.

Keep in mind, spares are an opportunity to score higher. Pick them up.

The hardest thing for me to learn was how to move feet and target to avoid harder spares. Leaving 1pin spares is my objective if I don't strike.