2013 USBC Masters

I registered today for the 2013 USBC Masters. I will get a sample of the pattern this weekend at a local tournament. After that, the hard part will be waiting till February. Carolier Lanes is about a 4-hour drive from my home, so I am planning to stay in North Brunswick, NJ, for the week. This will be the third tournament I have bowled at Carolier Lanes, but nothing on such a grand scale as the Masters. I am looking forward to the experience.

Of all the tournaments in bowling, the Masters tournaments are my favorite. I enjoy the double elimination matchplay brackets, and how most formats use multiple game matches. I'm looking forward to bowling my city Masters tournament this year. Here in Tucson, our city Masters is held in very high regard. It may be a few years before I feel like making a big travel to participate in the USBC Masters, but I will someday in the near future.

I just got a copy of the 2013 USBC Masters roster so far. It's gonna be fun crossing lanes with:
Brad Angelo
Parker Bohn III
Ryan Ciminelli
Osku Palermaa
Sean Rash
Mike Scroggins
Walter Ray Williams, Jr.

Wow Joe, that sounds like a awesome experience.
Good luck! and take some pics of you with some of those names you mentioned.

-Mark

Good luck Joe! I'm going to be moving into the bigger tournament territory probably in 2014. Like you I'm looking forward to the experience.

I've got the itch to bowl something big. If I had the money for travel, I'd be very tempted to enter. Sounds like an awesome experience. I'll definitely be there the next time they have it at the stadium.

Oh how I envy you!
Show those old dogs some tricks

I know you can do it, JB.

I saw the local Masters in Detroit when I was there. For top finishers it was grueling, not physically but mentally.

Match play went on all day the second day. Folks would bowl a 700+ series and lose.

Then came the final match. The guy who came in second threw a 299 / 800 series just before he went on to the final match play that determined the winner.

In other words, the winner plays his best in every game in every match during match play, or he goes home.

No pressure....

Thank you for your support. No pressure. My attitude going into this tournament is not so much this is my chance to bowl against the best bowlers in the world. I know that their knowledge, skill, and experience far exceed mine. It is more like this is my chance to bowl with the best bowlers in the world. If I were to make the qualifying round, and win a few matches, that would all be a bonus. Making the TV finals would be a dream come true.

Still, I plan to do my best. Once on the approach, it will be business as usual. One ball at a time. Strike or figure out how to get the next ball to strike. Make the spares. Watch for signs of transition. That will be my focus, and whatever happens, happens. I am okay with knowing that in the worst case scenario, I will get to bowl 15 games with the best bowlers in the world, and watch and learn the rest of the week. And, in the best case scenario, I could surpass everybody's expectations, win $50K, and have my 15 minutes of fame. We'll see...*turns on Rocky soundtrack*...

A few things I am doing in preparation are focusing on diet and exercise, particularly stretching. And, I am bowling tournaments and/or practicing every weekend. I am planning to take 6 balls with me, and have some decisions to make which ones to bring. I am considering an all Motiv lineup. After rolling the Raptor P7, I have been taking a closer look at their core/cover technology, and liking what I see. There are 4 balls on my bench waiting to be drilled and tested this weekend, and 2 more on the way.

One more month to go. A few more names that I recognize have been added to the roster:
Joe Biscardi
Tom Daugherty
Mike Edwards
Mike Fagan
Martin Larsen
Chris Loschetter
Amletto Monacelli
Danny Wiseman

I am happy to have all of my equipment ready now along with a general lane play strategy. Other incidentals include dress pants and my name embroidered on a collared shirt. I am used to bowling in shorts, sweats, and T-shirts, so it took some shopping around. I found the most comfortable dress pants for bowling to be in the golf section at a sporting goods store. What, no bowling attire section?! Hehe, maybe someday.

Also, I wanted to be able to touch up the surface on my equipment while I am there, but really did not want to bring my spinner. I am already planning to have 10 bowling balls in the car. So, I found a bowling ball cup mounted on ball bearings that should help get the job done and be much more portable. http://www.polishyourball.com/Ball_Holders.html

I have tournaments lined up almost every weekend leading up to the USBC Masters. I have been doing well so far, and that has given me a boost in confidence. Only 4 more weeks to go...

Btw, there is a Win-A-Spot tournament on 1/23 at the host bowling center, Carolier Lanes. For anybody interested, there is a $55 entry fee, and 1 in 10 entries will receive an entry to the 2013 USBC Masters tournament. http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/masters/2013/win_a_spot_entry_form.pdf

Joe, have you bowled in any Pro Events or is this your first one?

Also, do you know if they have released the pattern yet for the 2013 Masters? I have not been able to find it anywhere.

While the PBA considers the USBC Masters a "major" event, technically, it is an invitational tournament open to "any USBC league member who has averaged 190 or higher for 21 games during the past two seasons, any non-USBC league member who is classified by the PBA as a Full Member, any bowler who has averaged 190 or higher in his/her past five USBC Tournaments and any state/provincial representatives who have placed first or second in the all-events category of their association tournament."

Personally, I have bowled in other national events, like the USBC Open, but I have never been a PBA member, and I have never bowled a PBA event, except a few Pro-Ams. Still, it is not unusual for me to see regional pros, or occasionally former national pros or up-and-coming national pros at some of the tournaments I bowl. But, nothing I have ever bowled has come close to the 2013 USBC Masters field of international superstars.

Concerning the pattern, the rules say that it will be Sport compliant, with the details to be posted at the tournament venue, no later than the start of the official practice session.

Besides wearing pants and a collared shirt the other thing to get use to is the two pair lane curtosey. It was weird the first time I did it and actually had to wait for a bowler that was three lanes over to go before I could but I got use to it quickly and it flows a lot better then I thought.

Good Luck!

Best of luck Joe! Be sure to give us all a shoutout when we're all watching you on TV.

I had the chance to go see the US Open two years ago at Carolier, but unfortunately other priorities prevailed. So you'd better take pictures for us!

Thanks guys for your support. I found the following lane courtesy guidelines on PBA's website. Since there will be so many pros there, they will probably follow the same practice automatically. It's good to know ahead of time. Thanks for the tip, spillup24.

"The PBA employs a one (1) pair lane courtesy at all times and is referred to as the “Double Jump” rule. A “Double Jump” occurs when, following another player’s delivery on your pair, you step onto the approach before one (1) competitor on the pair to your left and one (1) competitor on the pair to the right have thrown a shot. When you master this rule, you will find that the pace of play is much smoother and faster than when using the ordinary two (2) lane courtesy rule."

The way I envision that working is both bowlers on every other pair, for example, lanes 1/2, 5/6, 9/10, etc. would bowl. Then, the bowlers on alternate pairs, for example, lanes 3/4, 7/8, 11/12, etc. would bowl. Then, repeat. As long as everybody bowls at the same approximate pace, that should work just fine.

My mindset was always like this when it came to the lane curtosey:

I bowl
they bowl (meaning the pair to your left and right)
he bowls ( meaning the other person on your pair)
they bowl (the pair to your left and right)
then I bowl.

That is how it works...Good luck!

Hey Joe, I'm about 45-50 minutes south of the Carolier Lanes. Maybe I'll stop up sometime that week and see what's going on. I've always wanted to check out the events they host there. I was only there once for a tournament I bowled in a fews ago it's a nice center. Also, if you have some downtime from the tournament maybe we can roll a few practice games...

That would be great, VFF. With only 5 games to bowl each day of qualifying, I expect there will be quite a bit of downtime those first few days. I will have my laptop with me, so send me a PM when you plan to stop by.

Sounds good I'll send you a PM.

I think it's great you can get together, Joe and VFF. I bowled w/ MikeHL from the forums a couple of times and enjoyed his visits. I hope you find your meet a similar experience. Just post a photo here if you can.

The latest additions to the 2013 USBC Masters roster:
Chris Barnes
Norm Duke
Liz Johnson
Tommy Jones
Kelly Kulick
Bill O'Neill
Missy Parkin
Ryan Shafer

So excited just to be on the same lanes as some of my all time favorite bowlers.

That is a good list of bowlers. Have fun and let us know if you would happen to be on the same pair as any of them.

Good luck Joe! From what all you guys are saying about Motiv, I might have to try them out. The tournament I bowled in on Saturday and Sunday had a pro shop that carries Motiv whereas my normal pro shop does not carry Motiv. In fact, my normal pro shop only carries about 4 brands.

I bowled the Masters in 2004. It was always my favorite tournament to follow and watch on TV and I decided to give it a shot that year. I didn't make it past qualifying, but was proud of my performance. It was an experience of a lifetime. I crossed with Mika Koivuniemi the whole first day (and he's my favorite bowler) got to meet lots of pros and very good amateurs, and the thrill of the whole tournament was practicing a few games with Mark Roth one of the nights (though he wasn't there to bowl the event.) I stuck around to watch the week unfold, and Walter Ray went on to win. It was an unforgettable experience.

Thanks, Doogie. I will post here once I know more about the lane assignments.

Sounds like you may have found a new pro shop, cgrimes. Motiv rocks.

House Bowler, your experience reflects my hope going into the Masters. At a minimum, I am looking forward to bowling 15 games with the best in the world. Everything else is a bonus. As far as scoring is concerned, a fellow league bowler, a high speed/high revs lefty power player, who crushes the local house shot, and everybody is always talking about, bowled the Masters last year. He averaged 179 for 10 games. If I at least average 180 or better, I would be a hero among the down-and-in strokers in my world.

Speaking of world, this year's roster also includes several bowlers from other countries including Canada, Colombia, England, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

And if I, years down the road, average at least 180 on tough shots like those, I would be a hero to all the down-and-in "power strokers," or I would at least hope that my style in the future would resemble a "power stroker."

The latest update to the 2013 USBC Masters roster includes:
Diandra Asbaty
Jason Belmonte
Michael Haugen Jr.
Mika Koivuniemi
Scott Norton
Bill O'Neill
John Petraglia

I also found out that I am bowling on the A Squad. I will know who that includes soon.

Carolier is a little less than 2 hrs from my home and I'll probably go up at least one day. A couple friends and I are talking about participating in one of the pro-ams on Monday.

I see them scheduled between 4-7pm on bowl.com, but I didn't see any details as far as cost...etc.? I guess they would accept walk-ins if they have slots...

For pro-am info, see http://www.pba.com/Content/images/proams/USBC_Masters_Flyer_final.pdf

For event info, see http://masterstickets.eventbrite.com/

For full roster info, see http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/masters/2013/2013_masters_roster.pdf

This includes which pros are scheduled to bowl the Pro-Am at 4:00pm and at 7:00pm.

My preparations for the 2013 USBC Masters are just about complete. This past weekend, I bowled in a 10-game scratch tournament. I was hoping for a confidence builder. Instead, I got a wake up call. Unknown to me, they had put down the 2011 Women's US Open oil pattern.

I thought I was lucky finding a line early around 5 board, but over time, it seemed like splitting hairs to hit the pocket and carry. It became a challenge to put two strikes together. After 4 games, I was only +31, and well behind the leader. For the next 4 games, I experimented with different balls and different lines to try to catch up and only wound up creating a larger deficit. The last 2 games, I moved back outside with a weaker ball, and scored a little better, but still finished the day only +11...ouch!

Later, after I got home, I looked up the pattern and found it to be 39 feet, with a 5:1 ratio. The area around 5 that I was playing was flat. I needed to be in deeper, around 8-10, to get a little help from the pattern. I had the right ball in my hand. What I needed to do is make a 5 and 5 move inside with my feet and target. But, that never occurred to me, and I wasted time trying everything else instead. Doh!

When I get to the Masters, I will have to be sharper. Even with the right ball, playing the right line, the ratio is likely to be closer to 2:1. So, there will be a premium on making good shots. If I gained anything from this weekend's experience, it was practice playing on a flatter shot, and a realization of the challenge ahead.

+11 on the flat part of the pattern is nothing to be ashamed of. We just had a 10 or 12 game marathon (15 maybe?), on the flat US Open pattern, and -1 won it. I didn't bowl in it, as it was held on a Sunday night before MLK day, and I didn't have the day off, so I stayed home. They do that around here- whenever there's a holiday that falls on a Monday, there's a tournament that starts Sunday night at about 11.

Thanks Fin. I like watching the following video for inspiration. It shows underdog lefty stroker Mike Scroggins, wrist-brace-and-all, playing straight up the outside to win against Norm Duke in the final match of the 2005 USBC Masters. Norm was pointing the ball from the outside, too. He almost took it from Scroggy after he got a little over-confident and said "you can't beat that" on a solid strike, then left a 7-10 split the next frame. Norm struck out to force Scroggy to mark in the 10th for the win.



I won't know this year's pattern until the first day of practice. But, if it plays straight and outside like that for the righties as well as the lefties, I like my chances better, being a lefty stroker myself.

Scroggy, he's not just a pretty face. He's one of those "favorite pros who wear wrist braces" I mentioned in another thread, Shannon O'Keefe and Liz Johnson also coming immediately to mind. That 7-10 was BRUTAL, as much as I'm a Duke fan I'm glad this didn't cost Scroggins the title. Great performance by both bowlers. Good luck at the Masters!

Thanks, Rick. Yes, Scroggy may be underrated, but he is a bowling machine. I believe he still holds the PBA record for most 200 games in a row. He once had fifteen 800 series in a single season. And, he used to hold the USBC record for highest league average, 256.8 (now Jeff Carter, 261.7, yikes!). While Mike Scroggins is the nicest guy off the lanes, when he steps up on the approach, his eyes look like a hungry shark. I will be bowling the same A squad as him this year, and I hope to get a chance to see him in action. Another favorite you mentioned, Liz Johnson, will be bowling the B squad.

I told Joe earlier in a PM that he's bowling in the same squad as Ryan Yelle, who is my association's reigning Bowler of the Year and won his entry in said Bowler of the Year tournament. I'd be very interested in seeing the A squad lane assignments to see if Joe and Ryan are together.

I will be sure to say Hi for you, Richie, if I cross paths with your friend, Ryan Yelle.

I have not mentioned them by name in this thread, but there are a number of regional pros and other local bowlers whose names I recognize on the roster from various local tournaments I have bowled. It will be fun seeing them and competing with them on the national stage.

These guys are all great bowlers. But, as an amateur myself, it's encouraging to know that not all of the competitors are seasoned national tour veterans. The first cut is down to 63 bowlers, plus last year's champion (Mike Fagan). I figure that 30-40 spots will likely go to the recognizable names. The rest of us are competing for the remaining 20-30 spots.

To my surprise, there is a link already on USBC's site to see the 2013 USBC Masters pattern.

http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/...oil_pattern.pdf

The pattern is pretty flat as expected. Of course, I will have to wait to see my ball reaction, and where the other bowlers are playing. But, with a 39 foot pattern, and looking at the area of increasing oil, it appears that 8 board is the key, both vertically and horizontally.

Keep an eye on David O'Sullivan he's my coach, great bowler, he'll probably do decent

I'm really looking forward to this as a spectator. It'll be interesting to see how everyone attacks the pattern. Maybe I'll be brave enough to enter this next time it comes around mainly for the experience.

It's almost time to pack. All of my equipment is ready. I am planning to arrive early Monday, 2/18, check in at the hotel, and get to the bowling center in time for the afternoon practice session. I think I may bring my spinner after all, and let the practice session determine whether I need to make any surface adjustments. I will likely stay around to watch the 4:00pm Pro-Am, and get some photos. Tuesday morning, I will be back at 8:00am, ready to bowl. From that point forward, it will be all business on the lanes, doing my best to make the cut, and stay alive as long as possible. Off the lanes, I hope to take in all that I can of this once in a lifetime bowling experience.

Best of luck Joe. We'll all be routing for you to make the show. Have fun and enjoy the experience. Share some pictures and give us updates if you get a chance.

Thanks champ. The good news is that I am not in last place. But, after my amateur performance the first round, the show looks like a distant longshot. But it's okay, I am having a great time. There are too many pros to list that I have seen bowling right in front of me or on the lanes next to me. My games so far:

Game 1 - 157 - Welcome to the Masters!
Game 2 - 200 - Better, but still not feeling in the groove.
Game 3 - 155 - Raptor Talon was done, and would not make the turn. Missed a 3 pin on the left, then on the right, argh!
Game 4 - 180 - Switched to Ascent Pearl. In the pocket, but not carrying.
Game 5 - 179 - More of the same. Four splits/opens in a row trying to angle the ball to hit high flush.

I might never use rough sandpaper or Scotch-Brite on a ball again. In the practice session the day before, I found a good line with the Raptor Talon sanded 600/dull. Today, it clogged, became shiny, and lost its reaction, one shot at a time, enough to continue missing the pocket and/or carrying.

When I switched to the Ascent Pearl, all I was thinking was I wanted a ball in my hands to hit the pocket reliably, and it did, but the backends on this pattern were not strong enough for it to carry. I was playing a moderately tight line, 20 feet -> 10 target -> 8 breakpoint zone. My plan for tomorrow (fresh oil again), is to start with the Primal Impulse. It's a pearl, high RG, high Diff ball. It should be equally clean and straight through the heads, but give me a little more movement on the backend. Time to put on my game face, and show these pros what an average Joe can do, hehe.

Btw, it was great to meet VFF57 there. No lanes were available for us to bowl together, but maybe another time. Richie, I did not see your buddy, Ryan Yelle, but I did see his name on the board, and it looked like he did well the first day.

Yeah, I saw Ryan was #254 while B squad was in progress, Joe. Averaged something like 184.

Same here Joe. As I said to you earlier, I think you were rolling a good ball today and bowled well for the conditions. You weren't that far down from Norm Duke and Kelly Kulick. I seen some guys struggling out there with 120-130 games today. There's still a lot of games left. Btw, when you get some time maybe you can explain what you were saying about what the Pro's were saying about playing the lane front-back vs left-right. I thought I understood, but now I'm not sure....


Squad B had a lot of top pro's out there as well. We got a chance to sit right behind Pete Weber, Ryan Ciminelli, Sean Rash and quite a few others. Watching these guys roll a ball especially PDW in person, was both inspiring and humbling. The deep inside lane play, precision rotation and high revs can't be appreciated on TV. Makes me want to either practice more or just give up.

Are you sure it was the ball? The Raptor Talon has one of the most stupidly aggressive covers ever put on a ball. At 600, I can't imagine being able to stay on the same board for more than 2 shots, since that is just ripping the oil off the front end. Not to put any doubts in your mind, just a thought.

Do you happen to know if you were on an Xtra Frame pair? I only got to catch the b squad's qualifying today, and normally I wouldn't go back to watch qualifying blocks but seeing how you bowled could be cool.

Thanks, VFF, for your support. You are right. Scoring was tough, even for the pros. Several recognizable names finished under for the day. Still, I hope to do better tomorrow. One shot at a time.

What I meant about the pros playing the lanes front to back versus left to right has to do with where to find the friction. On most house shots, bowlers are able to find the friction on the outside. As long as the ball is heading inside to outside, the house shot bowler can count on the ball coming back towards the pocket. On flatter shots, like the pros are used to seeing, the only friction they can count on is at the end of the pattern. A miss outside and the ball might not make it back to the headpin. With more experience on flatter patterns, I believe the pros become adept at placing the ball more precisely down lane where it needs to be to hit the pocket and carry.

Have you tried a weaker ball, when the ball stops making the turn back? I have seen the head oil go away, leaving you with next to no side rotation past the arrows, making the ball go straight down lane. Lofting the ball farther down lane might also be the answer.

I am basing my assessment on how shiny the ball looked after wiping it with a towel, that oil rings were still coming back on the ball the fifth game, and the crud that came off the surface of the ball when I cleaned it after bowling. While I was bowling, I was thinking carrydown, but there were two other lefties bowling on my pair, one relatively straight, and the other a two-handed, high rev/speed power player, and both continued to have decent ball reaction.

In retrospect, I think the Raptor Talon has sufficent friction built into the cover that it would have worked better, more consistently, and without loss of reaction with a smoother surface. My bad, not the ball. I set it up to fail. Lesson learned.

Sorry, I don't know if I was on an Xtra Frame pair. I totally blocked out everything behind me while I was bowling.

Best advice I have ever heard.

Thank you for the suggestion. I was thinking weaker ball when I switched to the Ascent Pearl. It allowed me to roll straight up the 8 board. I needed a little more pop on the back, though. Tomorrow's session is fresh oil again, then the burn on Thursday. My plan for tomorrow is to start with the Primal Impulse, then switch to the Ascent Pearl. Both are high RG pearls. The Primal has a higher Diff, so I am hoping for a stronger backend.

That's what I figured...makes sense - thanks.




A lot of guys were playing deep 4-5th arrow on the burn. Then others were still doing well playing more down-and=in so who knows.

I have seen them do this a couple times, the shot changes very rapidly, but only the front. The old C pattern did this (now the chameleon)I would find a line, then it would go away, and I would spend the next two or three games finding a line, then I would find one, but farther inside than before, and a different break point, 8 instead of 5, then 11 instead of 8. I would get a fresh back end reaction moving inside parallel, moving my feet and target and breakpoint in. Being left handed you may not make it inside far enough up front to prevent lofting the ball. The right handers will take some of your head oil before you get there I'm afraid, so moving back outside and lofting with more speed and more ball might be the answer, you will have to make these moves very quickly at the cost of a frame to be wrong up front.

One of my buddies did pretty well there yesterday- Gary Faulkner- sitting +93, said he threw a HyRoad.
Joe- good assessment of the pros playing them front to back. There's no free hook on that kind of pattern, at least not until it gets late in the block. I keep hearing how Belmo and Osku tear a pattern apart with their rev rates, leaving it almost unplayable for everyone else. It's possible you ran into a little of that crossing with the two-handed lefty. Moving out with either a strong shell/weak drill or weak shell/strong drill combination might be the answer to that problem. Hopefully fresh oil makes a difference for you. Good luck, have fun, and stay focused!

"Left-right" is easy because it's what most of us do. On a THS (blocked) lane we get lined up, and ideally after a trip-4 or a near stone 8 we know to start moving inside, chasing the oil line left (for a right hander). You don't HAVE to do that, but it allows you to take advantage of the miss area to the right and the hold on the left. If you chose instead to shell down and/or throw harder, the oil line will still be moving left even though you didn't go with it, and your hold will be gone. In my league this is only slightly complicated for me because I tend to have a lot of traffic bowling to the left of me, so when I move left I'd better move a LOT, 2 and 1 will only put me into the other bowler's burned area and I'm thru the nose for SURE.

"Front-back" is harder because I never get to bowl on flat patterns (poor me, right?) An amateur bowler might hear "short oil pattern" and equate that with "dry lane", thus try to play inside. Well, your ball will be hitting the friction fairly early, and thus will be covering a lot of boards... so what you really need to do is get that ball to the OUTSIDE, this way the ball hits the friction and has room to hook all those boards and get to the pocket.

Conversely, a house bowler might hear "long pattern" and think "oily". Being a house hack myself, it's ingrained in my brain that when the lanes are oily, move right until you find friction. I don't care if I have to play 3 at the arrows and 1 at the breakpoint with my strongest ball, I'll find something. But "long" is different from "oily". If the lane is oiled way down, the ball will be hitting friction later. Play that outside line like my house hack self will want to do, and the ball will have to cover a whole lot of boards "right to left" in not much distance. I cannot do that. Instead, you need to play more inside with a break point more inside, closer to the pocket, so the ball can cover the required boards in the shorter time it has once hitting friction.

So it's all about the breakpoint and managing that. As oil is stripped off the lane by reactive resin balls, there are things you can do other than moving left to manage your break point. Shell down, roll harder, more up-the-back, you can look farther down the lane or change wrist position, maybe the same ball with different layout and/or surface... there isn't any hold to speak of anyways so the incentive to chase an oil line isn't there like on a THS. A pro has to make all of those decisions and they DO also make left-right adjustments, watch pretty much any telecast and you'll see it.

Thanks, Fin. The top amateur after 5 games (+203), Allen Rice II, or A.J. as he likes to be called, is the two-handed lefty that I was paired up with yesterday. I don't know him that well, but we have bowled tournaments together before in Pennsylvania. One tournament that he won, he averaged in the 260's for 10 games. He is a likable, young guy with monster potential.

Yesterday, he was rolling a Sync. We were hitting the same mark around 8 board at the arrows, but because of his rev rate, he was circling around to the outside of the other lefty and I, and bringing it back and carrying all of his light hits. That was part of my reason for rolling my strongest ball, the Raptor Talon, to try to stay inside of his line. I think we are bowling together again today, and my strategy is to play more direct, but still inside his line, if possible. I need a ball that will make the turn quickly at the end, and have enough traction to carry the rack. Hopefully, my pearl Primal Impulse will help get the job done. Execution will be the key.

Btw, I did get to see Osku bowl in practice, and he was hooking the whole lane, like it was a house shot. It was amazing to see how many revs he puts on the ball.

I believe that is the key for most of us. Because of work schedules, dwindling PBA Experience/Sport Shot leagues, and other factors, it is hard to find the time and place to practice on the more challenging patterns. How can a bowler get a true assessment of their ability, and practice that helps them genuinely improve their form, accuracy, and power without the kind of feedback that a more challenging shot provides? It seems like the only place to "practice" is at tournaments where they put down a different shot, and for newbies to that level of competition, it can be an expensive way to learn.

So true. My old house, Carmel Bowl in Carmel NY was pretty cool about putting out a shot for you if you asked, as long as you gave some consideration to scheduling. Unfortunately, you could say I lost that place in the divorce (d'-oh!) It was there I took part in a "ball motion seminar" put on by the pro shop, Bob Learn and Bill O'Neal and got a basic grasp of the ideas in my previous post. They put down most if not all of the animal patterns, and I learned that I could hit the pocket on Shark really consistently. Unfortunately it was the 3-6 pocket. Carmel is a 2.5+ hour drive for me now, a little much for bowling practice.

I was looking at the results and I found this link for live scores:

http://www.carolier.meriq.com/scoring.asp?alley=155&showdate=1824

What is Joe's last name so we can follow his progress does anyone know?

Doogie, my name is Joe Marinucci. Thanks for your support.

How hard is bowling the Masters? I moved up 30 spots waiting for my 5:00pm squad to start.

I am currently around 370th. Below is an additional link to follow the scoring/ranking after each game. http://pba.com/LiveScoring/qual_results.aspx?RoundID=2156

Bowlers on the B Squad are kicking butt.

I intuitively played front-back on the PBA patterns. What usually tripped me up though was the unexpected wet/dry somewhere in-between. With the lower oil ratios the middle part of the lane would start playing like a reverse block along with the usual oil pushing down situation. The lanes also tended to transition quicker than a THS.

There is a saying in the boxing world, everybody has a plan until they get punched. That is pretty much how day 2 of the Masters went for me. The good news is I scored a little better. I had a higher high game and a higher low game compared to day 1. But overall, I did nothing to improve my position.

In warm-ups, I tested the Primal Impulse 20 -> 10 and it just sailed. It was never going to make the turn like I hoped, at least not with my stroker revs. I was thinking my best line might be 16 -> 8 with my Ascent Pearl, but I already knew that would require pinpoint accuracy. I tested the Ascent Solid on the same line, and it read the lanes a little sooner. I decided to try a 5 and 5 move to the outside, and liked what I saw, although I knew I would be flirting with the 3-7-9 all day long if I missed left.

Game 1 - 219 Right ball, right line, right release
Game 2 - 160 Moved to right end pair, much tighter, too slow adjusting
Game 3 - 162 Moved to other side of house. Best darn 160 game of my life
Game 4 - 182 Started to see some backend movement and switched to Ascent Pearl
Game 5 - 171 Three 6 pins in a row. Moving half board each time was not enough

Today was all about execution. I was relatively happy with the ball in my hand and the line I was playing. But, I paid for every variation in my delivery and release. It seemed that good shots left a 6-pin or 7-pin, and bad shots left 3 or more pins standing.

On my way out, I stopped to watch Rhino Page who was still bowling. He was standing in the same spot on the approach and rolling over the same mark at the arrows. The difference was he was carrying. The pros seem to generate a stronger backend reaction due to their faster speed and higher rev rate. But, what makes them really special is their ability to repeat shots.

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to bowling on the burn. A lot of scores have come out of that session from the other squads. I am hoping to finish strong, then find a good seat to watch and learn.

Btw, one of the bowlers I am enjoying watching and bowling with is 21-year old A.J. Rice. After 10 games, the two-handed lefty is still the top amateur (+257).

That's what impressed me the most watching the top pros. They repeatedly hit the same mark and the ball would travel down lane with the same crisp rotation and speed. Most amateurs have much more slop in their release which adds another variable. An amateur could mistakenly interpret a delta in their release as a lane transition on sport conditions. In all fairness to amateurs, many of us don't have the time or the resources that a lot of these top guys have either. We're involved in our daily routines doing our jobs that we're trained to do which the bowling pros most likely can't do at all!

Nice 219 game Joe! If you can walk away with a 180+ average that's not too shabby.

I love using the phrase "delta". Throws people off

Sorry for the offhand comment. Back to your normal programming....

I was happy to finish today's qualifying round with an improved 5-game total. The scores were nothing impressive, but at least more consistent.

Game 1 - 188
Game 2 - 170
Game 3 - 186
Game 4 - 184
Game 5 - 188

Day 1 total - 871
Day 2 total - 894
Day 3 total - 916

Today, I started with the QZ2 Backdraft. It was great in practice, rolling 3-4 strikes in a row. But, the thumb was a little snug, and I removed 1 piece of black tape. Unfortunately, all of the tape became a gooey mess. The pace with only 4 bowlers on the pair was too quick to fix it properly, so I finished the first game hanging up in the thumb. After each game, we moved an average of 20 lanes in the 82 lane house, so I tried to fix it between games. It was still sticky, even after applying EZ-Slide, so I switched to my Venom Strike. The low RG, low Diff solid was definitely the wrong ball for the condition, and I had my worst game of the day with it. For the remaining 3 games, I toughed it out with the Ascent Pearl.

Even though we only bowled 5 games each day, it felt more like 9 or 10 games, because of shooting so many spares. Now that qualifying is over, I am happy to be able to relax, and trade in my competitor's shirt for a fan's hat. Today, I got to see Chris Barnes only a pair away roll a 300 game. And, the two-handed lefty amateur that I bowled with, A.J. Rice, is still in the top 63. I will be cheering for him in the next round.

Joe, happily for my association, Ryan Yelle fared a little better w/ a 191+ average for the 15 games. Jon VanHees from New England was doing well and will probably make match play, so he becomes my rooting interest in this.

Updated link below for current scores/ranking. B squad is currently in game 13. Wes Malott is still way on top.
http://pba.com/LiveScoring/qual_results.aspx?RoundID=2157

Unfortunately, Richie, it looks like your friend Ryan will finish around 300th place, and get the same prize as everybody else who finished below 116th...an invitation to come back next year.

I was hoping for some bragging rights, too. A fellow league bowler, a power player who averages in the 230's, came out to the Masters last year and averaged 179. I thought I could do better, but fell short a couple of pins at 178.73. I am sure I will hear about it next league night.

It's okay with me. If I get to heaven someday, I won't care about my number. I will just be happy to be there. It's the same with bowling the Masters.

After 15 games of qualifying, below are the top 63, plus last year's champion, Mike Fagan. The list includes 14 amateurs, denoted by an asterisk. Double elimination match play begins tomorrow morning.

1 Wes Malott
2 Todd Book
3 Pete Weber
4 Mike Moore
5 Brian LeClair
6 Mika Koivuniemi
7 Rhino Page
8 Chris Barnes
9 Scott Norton
10 Osku Palermaa
11 Dan MacLelland
12 Ryan Ciminelli
13 Tom Daugherty
14 Matt McNiel*
15 Sean Rash
16 John Szczerbinski
17 Jason Sterner
18 Scott Newell
19 Josh Blanchard
20 D.J. Archer
21 Mike Edwards
22 Jason Belmonte
23 Jon VanHees
24 Kyle Bigelow
25 Craig LeMond
26 Ryan Shafer
27 Walter Ray Williams Jr.
28 John Janawicz*
29 Stuart Williams
30 Parker Bohn III
31 Michael Machuga
32 Martin Larsen
33 Allen Rice II*
34 Ildemaro Ruiz
35 Andres Gomez
36 Marshall Kent*
36 Tommy Jones
38 Dino Castillo
39 Jeff Kubasak*
40 Doug Kent
41 Mike Scroggins
42 Brian Ziesig*
42 Patrick Allen
44 Matt Gasn*
45 Timothy Foy Jr.*
46 Michael Haugen Jr.
47 Lee Vanderhoef
48 Nathan Bohr
49 John Brockland*
50 Tyson Branagan*
50 Devin Golden*
52 Michael Markis
52 Chris Loschetter
52 Ronnie Russell
55 Eddie VanDaniker Jr.
56 Gary Faulkner
57 Manuel Otalora*
58 Brian Kretzer
59 Daniel Dunleavy*
60 [censored] Allen
61 Adam Chase
62 Tetsuya Kobayashi*
63 Eugene McCune
64 Mike Fagan

Sorry you didn't get the bragging rights you wanted, but at least you laced up and got the experience. I bet its pretty awesome. I'd love to bowl it sometime in the next few years.

As for the rest of the tournament, my three "horses" are still in the race. In order, who I'd personally like to see win:

1) Matt McNiel. He's an incredible talent, and quickly becoming an ambassador of the USBC Open. I'd love to see him add a Masters to his resume, and I'd also love to see an amateur win.

2) Chris Barnes. I may be one of the few non-haters, and I'd love to see Chris wrap up the Grand Slam, and see him finally add his name to the list of winners after so many close finishes.

3) Mika Koivuniemi. By far my favorite pro bowler, and I always love to see him win. The only reason he doesn't rank higher in my top three is because he already has a Masters title.

My top 3 to win are
Mike Moore, Great guy he manages the shop my coach drills from and is great friends with him
Scott Newell, Great guy again, works at the shop close to me, would love to see one of those locals win
Mike Fagan, who wouldnt love to see a repeat?

Seconded on McNeil for the reasons you mentioned. Also would be great to see a 900 Global staffer make TV and stick it to the PBA.

Great job Joe, can't say I'd average anything more than 180 in the Masters, I'd love to give it a run in a few years though.

Super excited to watch match play in a couple of hours. The Masters and the US Open matchplays are always fantastic to watch.

There's so many I'd love to see win it, but I think Barnes, Belmo and Norton are my personal favs (and at this point, I really wouldn't put money on anyone else).

Thanks, champ and KL. If you get a chance to bowl the Masters, go for it. I am looking forward to match play starting in a little while. I will be rooting for the lefties, but enjoying watching some of my favorite righties. Unfortunately, they don't allow any cameras, so I can't post any photos/video.

Joe,
Nice going on jumping in and getting your feet wet at that high level of competition. TYVM for the "reports from the front."

Nice job Joe- you'll know even more of what to expect next year when you go back! I've been toying with the idea of going one year, so maybe next year for me. My buddy (Gary Faulkner) made the cut, but lost his first two matches (710-623 to Norton, then 611-589). He bowled great all week- was +215 in qualifying, and just ran into a buzz saw. I think if he could have pulled an early upset, he might have gone pretty deep.

I wish I was there with you, congratulations on the excellent performance, you steadily got better every round I can't help but think you would have done nothing but get better every round after. If this was a league you would be one of the top competitors in a season or two.

Thanks guys. Fin, I was thinking you would do well there the way you have been whacking the pins. I hope you decide to go next year. It would be great to meet there and compare notes. I am already making a list of what I need to do to improve my chances next time around.

The first thing is, there is no getting around it is a 1-board-downlane-accuracy-required shot. Yesterday, I had the chance to sit and watch the pros attack the pattern from all different angles. The ones that scored best were all lined up to hit 8-board at the downlane markers. But, if they hit 7, they might miss the headpin. Hit 9 and they might go through the nose. And, that is assuming they did everything else exactly the same (speed, tilt, rotation, etc.). Even guys with the highest speed and revs still had to hit their marks or they would pay the price.

So, the first thing on my list is to find a house with downlane markers to practice. Second, is to adjust my work schedule, if possible, to bowl a sport shot league. Targeting at the arrows, and bowling only on a house shot and an occasional sport shot tournament is not the best way to prepare for the Masters.

The second thing I realized is that, even though I brought 10 balls with me, I only had 1 medium RG ball to match the medium length pattern. And, I waited too long to try it, and then after adjusting the tape, it became sticky and unuseable. The other balls I had with me were either too long or too strong for the shot. So, next year, if the pattern is 39-feet again, I will only need to bring 3 balls with me plus a spare ball, but they will all be medium RG, with different Diffs and covers, to be able to adjust angles. And, I will redo all the tape before the event.

The third thing is to go lean. I weighed in at 250 pounds before this year's event. I had hoped to be closer to 200 pounds. When you see the pros in action, you are reminded that bowling at this level is an athletic event. It is just smart to be in your best physical shape. My wife and I both decided to join a gym, so she will be my accountability partner.

Those were my three major lessons learned. The more I think about it, I am sure there will be others.

I rode up there yesterday with some friends to watch the match play and had a chance to briefly chat with Matt McNeil. He was in the pro shop when I went in. He had just finished a very tight match with Parker Bohn III and I complimented him on the match. It was one he easily could have won if he had caught a break. He seemed like a really good guy and I wish him a lot of success on the tour.

Barnes... didn't seem to be personable at all. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and chalking it up to his intensity.

Mika... looked like a high school English teacher or college professor. I didn't interact with him at all but he seemed friendly.

Wes Mallott was very personable. He was talking with an older woman who was obviously a big fan. He signed something for her and posed for a picture. He was genuinely friendly.

I wanted to give a shout out to 21-year old Allen (A.J.) Rice II for his excellent performance in his first-ever Masters. The two-handed, lefty amateur won his first match against Martin Larsen 737-683. He bowled great his second match, but ran into the ultimate buzzsaw, #1 qualifier Wes Malott, and lost 732-668. With barely a rest in between, he faced two-time Masters champion Doug Kent, and lost a close match 698-695. Unfortunately, that's the luck of the draw with the Master tournament. To be the best, you have to beat the best. I am confident that A.J. Rice will have his day, and a promising career awaits him if he chooses to turn pro.

There were lots of other great, memorable matches. For updated results, see http://scores.bowl.com/2013-Masters/2013MastersBrackets.pdf

I am watching the live scoring for Belmo and PB3 right now. Belmo would have a had a 300 if not for the dang 7th frame with an open.

Belmo made it to the show regardless of if he loses to Stuart Williams. Yay!!

Belmo is the number 1 seed with Stuart number 2. Wes is the 3 seed, PBIII the fourth and Mika held on in the final frame to be fifth seed.

And the winner is...Jason Belmonte. Well deserved!

It was a great telecast, drama in all the matches, I liked that they put in the conversations with the coaches and players during the tv time out, wish they would do more of that kind of thing.

Watched parts of the show while i was bowling a tournament, that didnt go well so i ignored it went home and watched it, great show, great bowling by all the guys, unfortunately the guys i really wanted to win couldnt but oh well congrats to belmo

From my past experiences, I can say a few things.

First, you don't know how quickly the leader board can change. Sean Rash was way in front after day 1, then fell from sight. While Wes came from behind to lead the qualifying.

Second, there is nothing you can do when your opponent is hot in elimination. Mika could just watch PBIII roll strike after strike in their match. PBIII never gave him an opening.

Third, being a 1 or 2 seed is no picnic, as you wait for the others to finish. Anxiety builds and you often never get into rythym, like Williams who had the lowest game in elmination.

Fourth, at the same time a bad game from an opponent often takes its toll on you. Wes rolled his lowest game against Williams. He rolled to the level of his competition.

Fifth, gotta give Belmo credit. He waited for the first 3 matches to finish, then came in to take care of business. And, it wasn't decided until the final ball was rolled. Unbelievable pressure, and supurb performance.

My favorite line from the show, from Randy Pederson, after Jason Belmonte rolled the third strike in the tenth frame..."Well, you can't throw it any better. I mean, he let go of that ball, and there wasn't a hair on his head that moved when he let go of it." That's the way to post a shot.

It was a good telecast. I liked that the players had a bit of banter at times. PBIII and Malot especially and that they showed some of the coaching and the banter. It makes it more fun to watch and makes the players more likable.