WHY?

[cenastyle]

I am sort of a beginner (I've only been bowling since January after a 13 year layoff); but, I have a pretty decent amount of bowling knowledge.  However, I can't seem to improve my game.  I am VERY consistent...I don't have high games and I don't have low games, I'm always right in between (currently averaging 200-ish in the one league that I am in).  Today for example, I went and bowled 12 games of practice (3 different balls, 4 games each).  Here were my scores with each ball:
Roto Grip Cell:  194, 211, 204, 188 (199 avg)
Hammer Black Widow Bite:  195, 195, 213, 189 (198 avg)
Brunswick Twisted Fury:  184, 206, 214, 190 (198 avg)
My highest game since coming back has only been a 245 and, in fact, I have only broken 220 10 times (in league and in practice).  I can't seem to get any better.  I practice, practice, practice (I've bowled nearly 50 games this week), read everything that I can about bowling (including getting on this site AT LEAST 10 times a day!), watch everything that I can about bowling; but, I just can't seem to get that high game.  Like I said, I'm consistent...I haven't thrown a game under 170 since coming back.  Should I be happy with a near 200 average (even if I don't have high games to get it that way)?  What would you do to improve?  I would get a coach, but, everytime I try to track one down, no one at my local center seem to know anyone.  I guess this is more of a venting post; but, if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know!  I would try anything to get that first game in the 250-280 range!
Thanks,

[bowlingmaniac017]

Take a week off, bowl league and see how you feel...

Sometimes I have noticed I bowl way to much which gets me thinking to much and it doesnt allow me to bowl MY game.

I shot 485 4 weeks ago in league, took a week off and came back to shoot 645 then later that week I bowled 3 games and came back to shoot my first league 700 of 775 the following Monday.

Tonight in league however I screwed up and I think that was because of bad practice Friday (15 games). I threw 4 games Thursday and had 959 but Friday I wasnt keeping count and I was just doing that... PRACTICE.

Sometimes I had to fight the lanes and that wasnt good and I think that is what threw me off.

As I said above, I think your doing well by staying that consistant, but you might want to look at your game and be like what am I practicing and am I over doing it?

I say take a week or two off and see what happens and go from there.
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Mike

Edited on 3/31/2008 11:53 PM

[myrddin97]

http://members.bowl.com/SearchUSBC/SearchCoaches.aspx

Have you also asked your driller if they know one, or if they can take a look at you.  I'm somewhat curious as to what's happening when you get to the 3-4th strike.  I have been struggling this year, and don't have anywhere near a 200 average, I know nerves plays a big part as to why I can't seem to through a really good set consistantly.  If that's the case for you, I'm not sure there's much you can do, other than to have confidence in yourself and simply make a good shot.  You can't do much more than that.  If they fall, they fall.  If not, cover the spare and throw another good shot next frame.
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To err is human--and to blame it on a computer is even more so.
- Robert Orben

[tah161]

quote:I am sort of a beginner (I've only been bowling since January after a 13 year layoff); but, I have a pretty decent amount of bowling knowledge.  However, I can't seem to improve my game.  I am VERY consistent...I don't have high games and I don't have low games, I'm always right in between (currently averaging 200-ish in the one league that I am in).  Today for example, I went and bowled 12 games of practice (3 different balls, 4 games each).  Here were my scores with each ball:
Roto Grip Cell:  194, 211, 204, 188 (199 avg)
Hammer Black Widow Bite:  195, 195, 213, 189 (198 avg)
Brunswick Twisted Fury:  184, 206, 214, 190 (198 avg)
My highest game since coming back has only been a 245 and, in fact, I have only broken 220 10 times (in league and in practice).  I can't seem to get any better.  I practice, practice, practice (I've bowled nearly 50 games this week), read everything that I can about bowling (including getting on this site AT LEAST 10 times a day!), watch everything that I can about bowling; but, I just can't seem to get that high game.  Like I said, I'm consistent...I haven't thrown a game under 170 since coming back.  Should I be happy with a near 200 average (even if I don't have high games to get it that way)?  What would you do to improve?  I would get a coach, but, everytime I try to track one down, no one at my local center seem to know anyone.  I guess this is more of a venting post; but, if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know!  I would try anything to get that first game in the 250-280 range!
Thanks,

LOL, Good Luck with everything. I used to average 200ish and took a measley 1 year off. Now im lucky if I crack 500. I havent hit 600 once this entire season (only 2 weeks left), and my highest game was a 257 (in practice). Other then that I have bowled less then 10 200 games all season, with my highest being a 232 in my league. I am currently averaging 165 which is a 35+ pin drop off.
It totally sucks

[cenastyle]

quote:I am sort of a beginner (I've only been bowling since January after a 13 year layoff); but, I have a pretty decent amount of bowling knowledge.  However, I can't seem to improve my game.  I am VERY consistent...I don't have high games and I don't have low games, I'm always right in between (currently averaging 200-ish in the one league that I am in).  Today for example, I went and bowled 12 games of practice (3 different balls, 4 games each).  Here were my scores with each ball:
Roto Grip Cell:  194, 211, 204, 188 (199 avg)
Hammer Black Widow Bite:  195, 195, 213, 189 (198 avg)
Brunswick Twisted Fury:  184, 206, 214, 190 (198 avg)
My highest game since coming back has only been a 245 and, in fact, I have only broken 220 10 times (in league and in practice).  I can't seem to get any better.  I practice, practice, practice (I've bowled nearly 50 games this week), read everything that I can about bowling (including getting on this site AT LEAST 10 times a day!), watch everything that I can about bowling; but, I just can't seem to get that high game.  Like I said, I'm consistent...I haven't thrown a game under 170 since coming back.  Should I be happy with a near 200 average (even if I don't have high games to get it that way)?  What would you do to improve?  I would get a coach, but, everytime I try to track one down, no one at my local center seem to know anyone.  I guess this is more of a venting post; but, if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know!  I would try anything to get that first game in the 250-280 range!
Thanks,

Yesterday was a little bit better.  I practiced for the first time in about 2 weeks and only decided to take my Cell with me (I didn't even take my spare ball).  Shot 179, 232, 257, 208 (219 avg).  Not great, but, 22 pins better than my average and the 257 was the highest game I've had in 13 years!  Last night in league (again, with the Cell...I didn't take anything else), I shot 210, 192 (201 avg...a few pins above my average).  My biggest problem is understanding which ball to use when.  I just randomly picked my Cell for no reason and shot pretty well with it.  I don't know when to use what ball.  I guess it will just take some more practice with each ball and a lot of mental notes!

[AngloBowler]

I'm of the opinion that the only difference between 200 average and 230 is in the bowlers head.
Unless you're bowling on the softest conditions ever created, most people around the 200 mark have a decent enough physical game. In order to get to those higher scores a number of mental steps have to be undertaken, including:

Believing you can do it (this may seem obvious, but I mean a real, deep-seated belief)
learning to trust your instincts if you think you should move your feet, then do it, that is what can turn the turkey into 4/5 in a row creating potential for bigger scores.
Making sure you stay relaxed
Other than that, just wait. Obviously it goes without saying to pick up as many spares as possible which I assume you're doing in order to have a low game of 170ish
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Reporting from England

[cenastyle]

Anglo, thanks for the advice!  I would like to say that I do believe that I can average 220+, but, I don't honestly know that I can say that!  It seems that when I throw a decent game, my head gets in the way and I try to do something different to get a better score.  I have to stop doing that.  The other thing that gets me is worrying about what everyone around me is doing.  I just can't stop looking and then start to doubt my own game!  Case in point, I am a very "old school" bowler...that is, I stand around the center dot and play between the 1st and 2nd arrow and arc the ball into the pocket.  My dad taught my how to bowl in the early to mid 80's and that was how it was done!  I can't stand left, throw right and make it come back to the pocket (no offense to those who can); but, when I see people around me do it, I start wondering why I can't and then I start worrying about their score more than my own.  Even though I have seen one individual in particular throw a 150 with this style, it is the 285 that I saw that I remember him throwing.  I know this is all part of the mental game...I just need to work on it!  I just read a thread in the MISCELLANEOUS section about "prick" bowlers and their attitudes...that was me in my teens!  I was the "Billy Bad A##" of the youth leagues...I got all of the awards and had the attitude to go with it!  I never really had the mental game.  Now (15 years later), I am not like that anymore; but, I never had the mental game so I don't remember what to do...I am basically learning it for the first time.  I am working on it and I know it will take some time.  I also understand that I am at a disadvantage by taking almost half of my life off from bowling (I just turned 30 and haven't bowled since I was 17) and that, if I really want to make a run at this, I am going to have to make up for those 13 years.  Thanks again for the advice and for letting me rant some more!

[CharlieBrown]

Give yourself some credit, I think you are doing pretty well after 13 years layoff!

I came back to the game last October after 2+ years off due to injury, and I’m still nowhere near your level!

Good luck!

[cenastyle]

quote:1.  Don't practice alot.  Keep a limit.  Cause when you do you run the risk of hurting yourself, getting tired and the scores will show it.  Then you will be down cause you bowled a 149.

Where were you this morning?  I bowled 17 games today!  I did have a purpose, though.  I was really working on figuring out ball reaction and spare pickups.  I actually had a GREAT day, averaging 219 over the last 16 games (the first game was spent finding the line, speed, etc...).  I only had 2 of those games UNDER 200 (191 and 185) and the other 14 were between 201 and 258 (with a couple in the 230's, 240's and 250's).  I had 6 clean games on the day (a very good accomplishment for me!)!  The 258 was actually my high game since coming back!  I did all this with 1 ball (my Twisted Fury).  I threw my Cell for the first 7 or 8 frames of the first game and switched to the Twisted.  The Cell just never felt right.  Besides the blister that I ripped open on my thumb, I feel fine.  We'll see come tomorrow morning when I have to go to work!

[SprayNpray]

To me tearing of the skin is a sure sign that you need your grip specs checked and re-fitted.  Since you mentioned that you were having skin tearing (blister tore open), I will tell you that the single biggest jump in my average since I started bowling occurred after I had my span checked and received a whole new grip and set of pitches.

If you have a solid physical game and accuracy (sounds like you do), the one thing that will hold you back more than anything else, in my opinion, is a poorly fitted ball.  You may not even realize that you don't have your optimal grip specs, and you may not feel the subtle flaws in your delivery that the wrong fit can cause.

Once you get the right fit, you will wonder how you ever bowled without it.  I haven't had a skin tear of any kind in over 4 years, even bowling long formats or many games in a short period of time, all because of a properly-fitted ball.  

I would go so far as to say that the proper fit can add at least two more good shots to any and every game where before there would have been two bad shots with a poor fit.  Say you string an extra couple strikes every game: you just shot your average up 15-20 pins.
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~SprayNpray

-formerly known as SawFreak
-official house hack
-There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.

[se7en]

You made the same mistake I did when I came back after 10 years off. You bought the most hyped up hook in a box balls on the market. Your stuff is too aggressive in my opinion. Buy a ball that is smoother and more controllable, like a Buzzsaw THS or something.
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There is nothing so easy to learn as experience and nothing so hard to apply.