229 average over 4 weeks, up a mysterious 51 pins in average.
Despite starting off just terrible this year, I’ve picked up and I’m currently averaging 229 over my last 12 games. I’m finally regaining some confidence. The reason, more oil is being laid down. Suddenly, I’ve gone from being totally clueless to being totally locked in the strike zone. Not only locked in, but ripping the rack time and time again when I go a little light. Many times I must play inside to find enough oil, but at least there is some oil. It is making all the difference in the world. Last night I shot 235,267,246=748. I had a chance for 300 and an 800 series up to the 7th frame of the last game. That series followed other decent nights. Those bowlers with no hand struggled as the way it should be. Those who have worked to develop heavy rotation should be rewarded, not lower average bowlers who can suddenly hook the ball due to dry lanes. Dry lanes in many cases will negate the skill level of the higher average bowler. Suddenly, the higher average bowler can begin to bowl bad time and time again after continuously bowling below his/her potential as it happened to me. When a lower average bowler is suddenly striking and the higher average bowler is lost, something is wrong and it isn’t the higher average bowler is getting worse and the lower average bowler is getting better.
I began to talk to some of the other bowlers last night and both those on my team and the opposing team saw it very plainly that I need OIL. Unlike those on this board who have never seen me bowl, they all agree that I simply get too much on the ball (despite a lower ball speed 15-16 mph to keep what accuracy I have, not that I can’t throw it harder) to bowl well on bone dry lanes.
Those of you that responded “suck it up†and “adjust†and so on for those bone dry lanes I discussed, really don’t understand that it’s the maintenance man that determines your score. I don’t think you know as much as you think you do. Bowlers bowl well on certain conditions and struggle on others. If that weren’t the case we would see the same bowler winning week after week and last time I checked even Walter Ray Williams didn’t win last week. He’s the closest thing to what you guys are thinking every bowler should be like. That just isn’t reality. For a league situation to be fair, OIL should be laid down. It rewards the person who has worked hard on his/her game.
I think I’ve made my point. While I’m no Robert Smith or a pro bowler, I do know when it is a terrible condition (or none at all) and NOT me. My point is, I'm still the same bowler I was 5-6 weeks ago, I didn't get any better.
