Author Topic: My first PBA experience. (Read 3962 times)

Scolai · « **on:** November 16, 2003, 06:05:12 PM »

For those of you who are thinking about bowling in a PBA Regional event in the future, I want to share my experience from my first PBA event in Newport News, VA this past weekend and offer a few tips:

First, show up early. There is a line at the check-in table if you don't. Also, you get some good time to meet/chat with some of the regional pros and pick their brains about bowling in general.

Before you ever go to one of these tournaments, practice...a lot. Practice in blocks of 10 or 12 games so you can be ready for the 8 game format they have on Saturday. If you stuggle with picking up spares, learn to do it better. Invest in plastic coverstock and learn to throw straight. I can't begin to tell you how many people this weekend were struggling with sub-par scores mainly because their spare shooting was not where it needed to be.

Also in practice, honestly assess whether you really hit your marks consistently. If you cannot hit both marks with the same speed and rev-rate each time you throw the ball, be prepared for some interesting leaves. Above all on PBA conditions, keep the ball in play and leave makeable spares. Your overall pinfall total will thank you. Keep your cool after bad shots. It does you no good to get aggravated after a bad frame because the usual result is another bad frame or two. Stay focused and realize that it is an 8 game block. One bad frame can be made up by two good frames later.

Know your lane etiquette. Failure to know it can create animosity, which is never good while bowling at that level.

Above all, have fun and learn something from the experience. Even if you don't cash, you can still leave the tournament with a game plan that will better prepare you for the next tournament. This weekend, I left with the following plan of action:
* practice converting right-center spares (I'm a lefty), specifically the 9, 5-9, 3-5 and 3-6.
* work on varieties of angles, including playing 5th and 6th arrow.
* remember that stepping off the approach and reassessing your next shot is perfectly acceptable. I missed a key spare because I wasn't sure of my placement on the approach. Instead of thinking about making a quality shot, I was debating my position on the lane. I will, in the future, pull back from making a shot I am not ready for.

If anybody plans on being in Norfolk, VA on December 19,20, or 21, let me know. Maybe we can connect and have a drink.
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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

cgilyeat · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2003, 10:38:13 AM »

Pin-nut, you left out the key part of your experience - your score

Scolai · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2003, 10:55:57 AM »

Umm, yes. I suppose that would be informative, wouldn't it?

I finished at -2 for my 8 game block. I missed the cut by 14 sticks, placed 27th out of 103 bowlers and took home $200. The 14 sticks could have been taken care of but for the "key spare" I mentioned before.

Overall, though, I think I handled myself pretty well for my first PBA event on what was considered by all to be a pretty tough shot. Pattern B (shudder).

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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

mumzie · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2003, 11:27:15 AM »

PinNut,
Great advice. But it seems as though your advice would carry to all scratch tournament experiences as well...
I have bowled lots of PWBA regionals, and have watched the lane etiquette thing blow away more newbies... That is more confusing and upsetting than anything else, I think. New bowlers bowling with me get a quick and easy tutorial and some extra help the first game.
And spares... Oh, yeah. The difference between the "men" and the "boys". I don't recall who said it, but "Strike for show, spare for dough" really applies at that level.

Scolai · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2003, 11:50:17 AM »

quote:
Congrats Pin, I didn't cash until my 3rd.
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LEFTside
iT's nOt tHe bALL fOo, iT's yOu!!

I had doubts that I would ever cash in one, but lo and behold I start chucking in my first tournament and wind up carrying home a check. My original goal for this tournament was to not finish dead last. I think next time I'll go in with a little loftier goal, say, to make match play.

Congrats on cashing yourself. Did you join or just take the $$$ and run like I did?

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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

Edited on 11/17/2003 1:02 PM

seadrive · « **Reply #5 on:** November 17, 2003, 11:52:54 AM »

Pin-Nut,

Congrats on cashing in your first regional; that's an impressive accomplishment.

I thought pattern B was considered the highest-scoring of the 5 PBA patterns, at least it was last year. I think D is considered the most difficult.

I probably shouldn't say this, never having bowled in a PBA event, but I don't understand why so many people (not you) seem to find the PBA's lane etiquette rule hard to follow. After the guy on your pair who bowls ahead of you finishes, you wait for one guy on the pair to your left and one guy on the pair to your right to bowl. Then it's your turn. What is so difficult about this?

Again, congrats. If I ever bowl in a regional, my goal will be to avoid finishing dead last!

On edit:

I wrote that last line before seeing your reply to the other posts. I guess we all feel that way!
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seadrive
Cogito ergo bowl

Edited on 11/17/2003 12:50 PM

Scolai · « **Reply #6 on:** November 17, 2003, 12:13:56 PM »

I'm not sure why this particular time with Pattern B was so difficult. There was literally zero room for error in the first 3 or 4 games until the shot opened up, even for the lefties (and there were a ton of us there). If you pushed the shot out a little far, it never recovered. If you pulled it up snug it went through the beak. There were many a bowler having trouble with these issues. Outside of 12 was history; get ready to cover a pocket split or washout. Our only hope was to survive the first few games without falling -50. After that, scores could be shot that would bring one back up to par (or in my case, really close to par).

I personally like Patterns D and E. If you give me the opportunity to play the twig, I will stay out there all day long. Versatility is a key however. I saw quite a few lefties who were unwilling to move inside the lane. They tried repeatedly to make the outside work for them to no avail. I only saw 1 lefty who managed to play out there and survive, and he could rev the ball with the best of them.
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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

mumzie · « **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2003, 12:16:50 PM »

seadrive,
I can answer your question about lane courtesy - I'm curious to see if PinNut has found the same thing in PBA tourneys as I have found in PWBA tourneys...
The "pba style" lane courtesy is different than the courtesy we normally encounter. That's all. However, some of the more seasoned bowlers make a big deal out of it to the newbies, and get them all nervous about it. So then the newbies trip up, double jump someone, get chewed out by the tournament director (or another bowler), and get more nervous. This is an effective way to eliminate some of the competition...
That's why I'm very careful to work with the new bowlers, and show them that it's nothing to be worried about.

I bowled the PWBA Regional Player's Championship in August. This was the tournament that combined ALL regions, and a whole lot of experienced bowlers. We had one or more bowlers on EACH side of us constantly double jumping - and these were bowlers who should have known better.
On the second day, I finally asked the tournament director to do something, because the things I said to the bowlers made no difference. But my goal here was NOT to eliminate the competition, but remove some of the stress from our pair!

cgilyeat · « **Reply #8 on:** November 17, 2003, 12:23:58 PM »

Pin-nut, congrats on the finish. I wish my first one had been that sucessfull. Was this a one shot deal or will there be more? As close as Norfolk is (I'm in Southern Maryland), my budget (and inconsitent bowling

) just isn't going to let me make that one. That, and I'm getting too old to get be up on by the "kids" anymore

.

Scolai · « **Reply #9 on:** November 17, 2003, 12:40:14 PM »

My wife is telling me to send a check to the Southern Region to enter the Norfolk tournament, so no, this wasn't a one-time deal. There will be many more to come. My wife is already talking about finding hotels for any tournaments that are too far away from my parents or in-laws. I think she's a little fired up about me bowling on the Regional Tour.
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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

seadrive · « **Reply #10 on:** November 17, 2003, 12:59:39 PM »

Mumzie, you're probably right about the reason why the newbies get so nervous about it. I would bet that most of the "advice" they receive on this comes from the middle-tier guys, looking to improve their odds on cashing.

Who knows, maybe this newbie can actually bowl. Why take a chance?

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seadrive
Cogito ergo bowl

seadrive · « **Reply #11 on:** November 17, 2003, 01:20:29 PM »

"-2" means you finished two pins below par, which is 200 per game. So if you bowl 8 games, and you're "2 under", you rolled a 1598 series.
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seadrive
Cogito ergo bowl

Scolai · « **Reply #12 on:** November 17, 2003, 01:34:12 PM »

The National Tour guys have 9-game blocks, so par for them is 1800. On the Regional Tour, we bowl 8-game blocks, so par for us is 1600. I finished my 8 games at -2, or as seadrive pointed out, 1598. It's a 199.75 average for my 8 games.

Had I not washed out in the 10th frame of game 8, I would have finished over par. Stupid nerves.
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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

star · « **Reply #13 on:** November 18, 2003, 06:28:26 AM »

Nice to hear Pin-nut and good luck in further ventures.
Just remember dont let them mess with your head as Mumsie said in the double jump stakes. They tried on my friend and he went to pieces for 2 frames, cost him qalification.
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Happy go lucky bowler from the UK

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Did someone say tough luck

Scolai · « **Reply #14 on:** November 18, 2003, 06:38:35 AM »

I was very cognizant of the lane courtesy rules on the Regional Tour. I had been to several events before ever bowling in one. I watched how the pros gave deference to other bowlers. There were a couple times when my league courtesy (one lane courtesy) kicked in and I accidentally jumped, but those times were few and far between.

And as for any of the other pros messing with my head over this or anything else, no one tried. If anything, I received a lot of encouragement and support from the guys on my pair. Others expressed goodwill when the qualifying squads were over. I'm sure the mental games come into play at some point or another, but I can give it as well as I take it.
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Nut

If you wonder if you're good enough, then you're not good enough.

Author Topic: My first PBA experience. (Read 3962 times)

Scolai

My first PBA experience.

cgilyeat

Re: My first PBA experience.

Scolai

Re: My first PBA experience.

mumzie

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Scolai

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seadrive

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Scolai

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mumzie

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cgilyeat

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Scolai

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seadrive

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seadrive

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Scolai

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star

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Scolai

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