That's a good point - no matter what you're using for statistics tracking, there is no need to go all or nothing. Taking down the information that works with you can (hopefully) help point out deficiencies that you may not know you had (Hey, I thought I hated 10 pins, but it turns out I'm even worse at 3 pins! Better work on those more!)

I wish I could go practice tonight, but this shaping up to be a busy week. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll find some time to practice over the weekend. If not, my first shot at trying out those suggestions won't be until league night again. :-/

One of the main things he told me, which seems so incredibly basic, is to pick your spot, and don't take your eyes off of it until the ball is out of your hand on its way down the lane. I have a bad habit of looking down, either at my hand or at the foul line as I'm releasing the ball. These is probably what is causing me to drift across my body, sending the ball too far to the right causing me to hit the 6 pin rather than the pocket. Finding the right mark is important, but if I only hit it half the time, it doesn't do me much good.

I'm not letting the bad performances so far effect me, though. I know I'm capable of bowling better than I have been, I just need to be more consistent, and hit my marks. I plan on getting my first reactive ball in November...I'm leaning towards a Brunswick Avalanche, but I'll try to put up a practice video before then and see if anyone can make some suggestions. I get a decent amount of hook out of my urethane ball, so I really cannot wait to see what I can do with a good reactive ball.

I try to sub when ever I can to get a lil extra practice in at league pace. As far as hitting your mark every time. Sure its hard, but find a way to give yourself room.

If you hook your ball, your mark is 90% of the time same from night to night unless there is a drastic change in oil. Be even then the ball breaks in the same spot, some times sooner, some times deeper. For me my mark is 5-7 board, thats on THS, some nights are really picky and I have to stay on the 5 or even just on the 7. Its just a matter of getting your body and eyes used to throwing in the same loction.

I got my boss into bowling last year, he ever watches the ball or understood why it was important but wanted to play with a hook. This is what I told him.


Picture the breakpoint as a oval shaped, call it your foot ball that is laid down back there. From night to night, your foot ball gets longer, meaning speed doesn't matter cuz it will hit flush, sometimes the football is wider, you can miss 2 boards to the right and still make pocket. Sometimes it's the size of a real foot ball, very small and picky. But the location of the football never changes much. It's always there. Different lane condidition will require you to change your angle to get to that football shaped breakpoint. Drier nights, the angle to the football is steeper, meaning I bowl from the 30-35 across the 5th arrrow to the 5. Flooded nights, means I'm standing middle 20-25, throwing to the back corner to the 5 maybe even 3 to work the oil on the corner. Never take your eyes off the football and watch your ball.

Another series ruined by losing focus for one game. The lanes have been dry, very dry so I pulled out the Paradigm since it's my oldest and weakest ball. That worked out with a 234. By the enhd of the game the ball was floating to the pocket. I KNEW I should have made a ball change sooner. I went to the Venom then the Bite and the ball barely wanted to move until the 8th frame where the ball started taking off. I ended that game with 4 straight UGLY splits for a 148, pathetic. I didnt give up I moved left since the ball was taking off and rolled 243 for a 625 series, a hard fought 625.

As a team we took 5 of 7 points only losing that middle game due to my 148 and the anchors matching 148 after a 226 game. The lanes changed THAT much, this is what makes these lanes that much more difficult. Would you believe we faced off against each other in brackets and advanced with a tie with those 148s? lol My 243 was enough to make a little $ on the night. Next year no way Im only doing one league a week, Im just not competitive as I was doing 2-3.

Did you ever read the "Tale of two Cities"? Well, that's how I bowled. Started with a 152 ad finished with a 255. Hit average in the middle. Frustrating start.

We didn't have but 1 practice ball on each lane due to a late start, and I didn't get lined up, choosing to shoot 10 pins instead of a first ball. Actually, I think I picked up 6 of the 8 ten pins I left on the night. So, maybe it helped.

As a team, we won 5 of 7 again, and have been bouncing around the top 3 spots so far.

Something was done last night, and I don't know if that is Kosher. My teammate has been on a diet, and it is noticeable.
But, tonight, she coldn't hold on to her ball, claiming her thumb has shrunk. She took the ball into the Pro Shop, and they changed the thumb slug for her. She used a different ball for 2 frames, waiting for her ball to return. When it did, she used it again.

Is that modifying a ball during league? What if the thumb slug broke? Could it have been fixed, and used again in the same game?

what are your thoughts?

Repairing a thumb slug or a finger insert I think is permissable since it has 0 bearing on the roll of the ball.

My thoughts are, she should have used tape!

I don't see how it would be any different than changing to a different switch grip mid-competition, which I believe is legal...

Is'nt changing the thumb slug and adding tape basically accomplishing the same thing? I would'nt think there would be a problem with it. Like GP says it does not effect the roll/ball surface. But what do I know..

She was up to 4 pieces of tape, which she never uses. The smaller size slug was needed. There was a major discussion on my team regarding this. As you know from my posts, I have 3 coaches on my team. The concensus was, 4 pieces was too much and was an indication that a change was needed.

My question is brought up because, without the change, she really couldn't hold on to the ball. She started with 4 opens and was not close to her target on any ball. After the change, she rolled 2 220's. The new slug had a significant affect on how she rolled. In fact, as our anchor, she finished the first game with a 4-bagger, and we won by 6 pins.

Anybody else ever throw a 600 series that felt like a 400? That was my night last night. Frustrating doesn't even begin to sum it up. Felt like I was walking around in someone else's clothes all night . The only highlight was picking up a 7-9 for the first time.

Bowl SK League Week 4