So I've been reflecting on my performances this season so far in both league and tournaments. Here's something I've noticed.

I tend to perform better games 1 & 2 of league, with game 3 sometimes being trash.

I tend to perform better on sport patterns games 4+, so later in blocks.

Anyone else seem to fall into this rhythm?

I can play about as deep as one should ever need to go as shown in the later blocks of sport patterns, so not sure what happens game 3 of league yet that I'm apparently missing.

On the fresh for sport patterns, I must just not be attacking them correctly or having the right piece in my hand, because it's seems like I'm always having to save my count with the back half of the block.

What you are seeing is not uncommon.  House patterns lend themselves to being played from multiple angles depending on the style of bowler and the equipment used.  When those fresh patterns transition the adjustments can be tricky  as the heads break down leaving a heavy amont of oil in the middle down lane, and little oil outside. Best way to attack such a pattern is with a lot of hand allowing the player to get around the middle oil from deeper inside.  Straighter players have a difficult time finding a carry angle on these broken down patterns.

Sport patterns on the other hand can be difficult in the early transitions, but more bowlers tend to attack such patterns with straighter angles.  As a result a track tends to develop that makes the pattern more playable, especially on the longer sport patterns.

Hmm so I might be making too conservative of a move game 3 of league then. I'll jump in more and circle the pattern a bit more and see how my carry looks.

My go to for sport is to try and play straighter with the Phaze 2, I get in my own head and tell myself the ball isn't finishing hard enough and go to the bag. Then my line changes and I go down a slippery slope of trying to get lined up. I think like you mentioned, once the track develops, my line comes a bit easier to me and I get in a better groove.

So I've been reflecting on my performances this season so far in both league and tournaments. Here's something I've noticed.

I tend to perform better games 1 & 2 of league, with game 3 sometimes being trash.

I tend to perform better on sport patterns games 4+, so later in blocks.

Anyone else seem to fall into this rhythm?

I can play about as deep as one should ever need to go as shown in the later blocks of sport patterns, so not sure what happens game 3 of league yet that I'm apparently missing.

On the fresh for sport patterns, I must just not be attacking them correctly or having the right piece in my hand, because it's seems like I'm always having to save my count with the back half of the block.

I can relate to this issue. On house shots in my neck of the woods, they tend to get beat up within a game. I'll have a decent game 1, a rough game 2, and a 50/50 game 3. Lately, I've been trying more and more to make zone moves on THS - 5&3 or 7&4. The goal here is for me to carry corner pins a little better. Honestly, my success has been middling at best.

On sport shots, I realize that I have to kind of camp out in a zone for 2 games before adjusting. I bowl a sport pattern league, and we bowl on a 37' pattern, a 40', and 44'. On all 3, I will find my breakpoint and try to approach it straight up. For example, I played straight up 5 for my 37' pattern. I tried to stay there for as long as possible, using all sorts of adjustments. I notice that just moving in too early creates this extreme over/under reaction. If I can grind out two decent games playing straight up 5, I'll be able to move in with the same ball, or ball down, and get a wonderful shim. It's hard, because sometimes I'm ringing 10s all day. But the results are wonderful.

In a longer block, I'll keep migrating in as the pattern continues to evolve.

Agree, I have learned that the old way of adjusting to house shot drying of going with weaker and trying to play straighter never yields as good of returns.  The more modern way is to get a stronger ball and play through the oil in the middle with more hand.   

I do this as well. With all the volume in the middle on house, going with the bigger core does help with carry from deeper..

Quote from: AlonzoHarris on January 17, 2019, 12:51:53 PM

I tend to perform better games 1 & 2 of league, with game 3 sometimes being trash

yes I do that often. for me I am usually tired by 3rd game, not sure why cause I can usually bowl 5-6 games by myself. I have a 150 average and last week was a great example of this, 1st 164, 2nd 147, 3rd 75. i brought 4 balls with me and i was switching around in 3rd trying to find a good line with something

More mental concentration can make your body tired (brain burns calories).  Not to mention lots of time for muscles to get sore as you sit and wait.  Edge to a doubles league is less waiting and less transition which is more my cup of tea.

I think that the OP statements are pretty typical.  Sport patterns get easier as the block progresses provided that they are broken down correctly.  They get wall-like as a defined burn area develops that you can throw into.

House shots depend on how you are bowling with.  If you like to play the track, and you are on a pair with bombers and/or people using snowtires through the middle, you will be moving into their traffic.  This is what happens to me.  I am forced to jump the bombers which can leads to carry problems