Well, I just got back from this tournament in Westchester County, NY and I must say...I believe I just bowled in the hardest tournament pattern in my entire life (and I'm 32). I average about 195 currently, but today I swear I probably averaged 140. When I talked to the guy oiling the lanes before we started our 10 minutes of practice, he said that the pattern was out to 50ft. Now I'm not sure if it's a pattern simillar to a PBA ToC pattern, but I can tell you this much: I started with my normal shot (standing on 20R throwing to 15 out to 5-7, then swing in [lefty]), but when it finallly started to swing back, I wound up with a 3 count. I had to settle for the down-and-in shot standing between 0-5R. I was so frustrated because the pattern affected everything (not just my strike shot, but spares as well). I was completely thrown off it was not even funny. In the end, I learned a valuable lesson: No matter how good one is, always be humble because there's always someone better than you. This is coming from someone who never shows off his game or has an ego. I just love to bowl. Even though I feel a bit horrible because of how poorly I played, I'll keep trying until I either drop dead or if I loose one of my necessary limbs. What else can I say? S**t!
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Laughter is the language of the Gods.