First adult event tonight was a sad affair.  I used 7 pieces of tape, and took out 4 through 3 games.  My thumb was against me!  I couldn't slide well either, and adding that to a shot that was a tougher shot that I couldn't even fluff it on as well as being a handicap event, everything went wrong.  It was three game qualifying, top 16 go to stepladder.  I, and another good bowler in the city, both with 3 measly pins of handicap a game (90% of 220) were among the 7 that didn't make it.  We'd have easily made it scratch, but it wasn't scratch, so saying that doesn't really make a difference.  The good news was that I got 2nd in a bracket (they were scratch) and only ended up losing 30 bucks on the night (20 to enter, 20 to get in four brackets, 10 for my 2nd place).  The shot was medium oil, 45 foot pattern, SCREAMING backends.  It was flat oil, 2-2, no wall and no recovery outside 6.  The best shots were down and in or really deep.  I realized that after it was too late.  The shot is AWESOME, very rewarding if you make good shots.  I've done really well before on that shot, just everything went wrong tonight.  Gotta wait 2 weeks for the next one.  Disappointing start to my great adult career, but all you doubters have to at least give me credit for being honest about my horrible beginning!
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Kung Fu Hamster X, Jujitsu Guinea Pig, or Legend of Drunken Ferret?  New names still being pondered . . .

?  Did you say what I think you said, or am I just really tired?  I knew I should have gotten drunk tonight.
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Kung Fu Hamster X, Jujitsu Guinea Pig, or Legend of Drunken Ferret?  New names still being pondered . . .

Yep, in a handicap tournament, it typically takes a 30 pins over average per game pace to land at or near the top of the pack.  And, since you were entering with a high average and you hit a tough shot condition, that too worked against you.

Although my house doesn't use a flat oil shot, they don't have any bumpers to play with either, so most bowlers are forced to play more down and in to get the ball consistently to the pocket.  If you botch a shot and send it out too wide, you are usually looking at a washout or worse, as the ball just won't make the trip back.

Well, at least you can say that your first adult event was a learning experience.

Welcome to the club.  When I started bowling tournaments I was told I would have to pay my dues.  Just didn't realize I'd have to pay dues for 40 years.  

Still great shooting, especially at West Ridge.  Those have to be the slickest lanes in the country.

When I can get the ball off my hand, YEAH!!  I wouldn't have owned a house shot that night.  I did better tonight, I played them like I should have the other night.  They have a strike pot, and depending on your average, you either have to get 5, 6, or 7 in a row to break it.  I had the front 6 the first game, needed the last one.  Threw a GREAT shot, and people were already clapping and cheering before the ball hit the backend.  Buried the pocket and left the hardest 10 pin of my life.  The 60 bucks would have been nice, and even nicer if I'd have strung a few more, 300 would have been about that much money.  Switched balls after the second game to test some options for when the lanes started breaking down (they were getting just a tad drier), but I still ended up with a halfway decent set.
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Kung Fu Hamster X, Jujitsu Guinea Pig, or Legend of Drunken Ferret?  New names still being pondered . . .

Points taken, Leftside, but when things are actually working (getting my hand out of the ball and sliding cleanly) I rarely make bad shots.  I'm still working on a good fit in the ball for my hand.  The span is fine now, but I have to have a certain amount of reverse and left pitch because I have a nerve on the inside of my thumb that gets pinched if I don't.  So I have to grip the ball to hold onto it, because I also need a good deal of bevel as well so I don't have to add so much reverse.  Honestly though, that's really all that's wrong.  That's really all I need is to get the ball off my hand cleanly and slide cleanly.  Everybody makes bad shots, and I'll be the first to say I make my fair share of them, but I wouldn't make nearly as many if I could just get my hand to cooperate.  Nearly every shot in my last game last night was just short of awful, the track was drying up, and there was no recovery outside, I was shorting myself and wasn't trusting the ball.  I was getting the ball off my hand well and sliding well the first two games, and made a bad shot the first game, and two the second game.  

What I meant by sticking as well was that it wasn't just little stick/slide things, it was nearly falling down.  It's mostly my fault though, I have a bad habit of hurrying my approach up to get more speed if the ball is hooking early.  I usually don't have that much trouble sliding though.  I don't know how else I'm supposed to explain it then.  Just because I'm young means that I'm making excuses instead of valid observations?  I took a bad approach to the shot the other night, and couldn't buy a clean release to save my life.  Last night I made a few bad shots through the first two games, and about 7 the last game.  Knew where I wanted it, just was trying to force it and was being stupid.  Changing balls and lines every shot wasn't helping, but I knew both inside and out, so it shouldn't have been hurting either.  

I'd rather bowl scratch events, but there aren't a whole lot of them.  I know I'm not perfect, that's why I practice 50 games a week, yelling at myself the whole time.  That's also why I stuck around the night of the shootout after all the losers had already gone home to watch what that particular shot does when it starts breaking down, and where the players started moving.  That's why I watched the best in the city bowl every single week this year.  That's why I'm going to watch a center top ten tournament tonight.  That's why I'm joining a sport league this summer for my first ABC league.  That's why I listen to Bob Benoit every time he opens his mouth.  If I don't push myself, it's not fun.  All that is why I only have release problems.  Excuses nothing, if I can get my hand out of the ball cleanly, I'm going to hit the shot.  I know a bad shot when I make one, I don't patronize myself.  I expect myself to be perfect, and when I'm not, I'm not a nice person to be around.  One of my friends made the comment to me the other day that I'm over-stressing myself.  That particular game I shot 230-something, but made very few great shots.  Most of them were decent, but not what I'd wanted.  If I'm not competing against the best and beating the best, I don't want to bowl.
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Kung Fu Hamster X, Jujitsu Guinea Pig, or Legend of Drunken Ferret?  New names still being pondered . . .

Yup, I hear ya.  I can take being beaten, but I can't take losing, if you know what I mean.  If my opponent bowls a better game than I did, I can live with that, and respect it, but if I screw myself, I can't tolerate it.  I work at pushing through things all the time.  I complain too much and do make excuses sometimes too, but it's just my competitiveness.  It's not an "If I could just do this, I'd beat you all," it's more of a "WHEN I can do this, I'm competitive."  I bowl through injuries, like when my foot was swollen up and I could hardly walk about a month ago, I was limping up to the line trying to work on things.  Didn't really work, but nothing is going to stop me from practing.
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This post is A+ Hamster certified!

Kung Fu Hamster X, Jujitsu Guinea Pig, or Legend of Drunken Ferret?  New names still being pondered . . .

^^^ The best bowler ive ever seen mental wise is a left hander around here, down and in corner guy, great solid form. I saw him leave 10 smash back row pins in a row rangin from 7's to 10's, i told him man id be hittin stuff and cursing up and down about it, he simple replied, why waste the energy? Its not gunna change it. I will tell you now YOU WILL NEVER BE MISTAKE FREE, EVER. Period. Even proffesionals make mistakes, but if you can learn off of them. If/when i see you beating yourself up over a bad shot in matchplay, all i know i have to do is start stringing and your done, because you then start squeezing, which makes it even harder for you to make agood shot. Think calm, be calm, its a game, remember that always.If you do bad make some mistakes, learn from them dangit, or else the mistake is worth nothing.
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am i still considered a lefty, i never get to play the left side of the lane

Edited on 5/5/2003 4:03 PM