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Author Topic: Don't throw it bad enough?  (Read 2038 times)

BrunsHeat

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Don't throw it bad enough?
« on: March 15, 2005, 03:06:25 AM »
I'm not sure if this is going to come out right, but do you ever feel like you sometimes don't throw the ball "bad" enough to get lucky?  For instance, after bowling for college and some difficult tournaments, I have regressed from playing an "area" of the lane and now I shoot for boards.  In doing so, I find that a bad shot on my behalf either goes 2-10, washout, or directly through the face.  In a league that I bowl in, there are guys that basically get up wrap their hands around the ball and hurls it down the lane.  They appear to have the whole lane, and then on top of that they can cross and carry with the best of them.  I'm not complaining about this fact, by no means do I want to cross over, but do you feel that your drive for consistency sometimes limits the amount of breaks you get?

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Edited on 3/15/2005 12:02 PM

 

DP3

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2005, 11:12:24 AM »
Oh my God!!!  Someone else that FEELS MY PAIN!

I've been feeling this way for about 2 years now.  The league I bowl uses the peterson point format so the emphasis is always placed on beating your opponet.  But I've won 3 points(possible 5 per night) out of the past 5 weeks losing to men and women with 160 talent that are shooting 220-260 on me every other game plus the 20 or so pins I'm spotting them, it's impossible to win.  They'll throw the ball anywhere at either 12mph or 20mph and they'll have the entire lane to play with and carry the sloppiest stuff.  It never fails when I get up in the tenth and need to double to shut out a win I'll ring a tenpin or go ever so slightly high for a 4 pin, while they can carry the world.  I feel that my equipment rolls so true and keeps the pins so low that I'm not going to get that off-beat carry on bad shots.

I do believe in the philosophy that sometimes you have to throw the ball "Bad Enough" to score in today's THS enviornment.  I can't wait until sport shot league starts this summer.
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Pinbuster

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2005, 11:19:39 AM »
That is a common refrain I hear. I have even thought it to myself at times. But I’ll pick the bowler who knows how to play the lanes correctly and is accurate over the flinger any day.

Big misses sometimes do lead to breaks where little misses can sometimes kill you. But on the THS if you are lined up correctly little misses still hit the pocket and often strike.

Bowlers remember those times they beat you with a break but you forget how many times they beat themselves.  

DP3

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2005, 11:46:29 AM »
The experienced bowler will ALWAYS win over the flinger in a long format, but in the short 3 game format, it's hard to beat someone who can shoot a sloppy 190, then luck up back to back 240s, while you're going 9/ 9/ X S8/ X X S72 9/ X 9/8 all night.  Do you understand what we're saying?  In the short format you have to throw at least 7 in a row per game to beat the hack in this type of format that throws a 670-680 with 5 opens and you shoot a low 600 while missing 1 spare, not to mention the fact that you're giving them 50-60 pins in a set.
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Strokewiththelefthand

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2005, 11:57:16 AM »
I've felt like that for the most part of a year now. It's like the more I learn and try to implement into my game the worse I bowl. I can throw great shots but just can seem to get the reaction I want and adjusting is like a mind game. However, I bowl at DP3's league house and it just upsets me because I can bowl with my eyes closed and shot 230+, however, quality shots equal wash out, solid and ringing 7's and 4-6's. It's frustrating to know that your best efforts don't reflect your scores, but I decided to not let it bother me and just keep bowling those quality shots no matter how low my scores are.
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Strapper_Squared

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2005, 11:58:48 AM »
exactly..  Over the course of one game (or a relatively small number of games), anyone can be beat.  We have a 180 average bowler who has 3 300 games under his belt.  Most nights he struggles to shoot 200... but when the stars are shining upon him and the pins are falling, he's as tough to beat as anyone.  

We bowl in a 5 man scratch league where the team order is based upon average..lowest bowls first highest average bowls anchor.  the combination of me not being very good... and my teammates being decent, I find myself leading off most weeks with a 206-208 average....  most of the people I bowl against are in the 180-190 average range, yet I am barely winning 50% of my matches...   We have a team average 20 pins higher than anyone else in the league.. but find outselves in the middle of the pack as far as points.  

I guess thats just part of the game and why us lower average bowlers get in brackets every week  .

S^2
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mumzie

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2005, 12:36:34 PM »
quote:
If you genuinly throw a better shot than the other guy and youre consistantly loosing to them, you must be doing something wrong.


Oh, wow. Do I need to disagree with that statement. If I'm hitting the pocket, and alternately leaving 10s, 7s, 8, and 4 pins, that means I'm NOT throwing a perfect shot. HOWEVER - when my opponent is crumbling buckets one shot, and going brooklyn the next shot, then tripping out a big 4, I'M DEFINITELY BOWLING BETTER!!!!!!!!!!
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Ragnar

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2005, 12:43:10 PM »
quote:
HOWEVER - when my opponent is crumbling buckets one shot, and going brooklyn the next shot, then tripping out a big 4, I'M DEFINITELY BOWLING BETTER!!!!!!!!!!
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DP3

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2005, 12:51:38 PM »
quote:
Dont feel that because you have the ability to adjust you hand/shot to almost control the wrong ball rolling down the wrong part of the lane, that you deserve to carry when you hit the pocket.


Wow, this is WRONG!

You can start out with the perfect ball to lane matchup, but people who have no clue what they are doing can break down a shot to the point the house shot becomes unplayable from many angles.  Just last week I started off the night very well(Although I pinged 4 tenpins in a row from the 5th to 8th frame, causing me to lose by 18) throwing an Original Inferno about 13-8 at the breakpoint getting a tremendous reaction, but in this center there are only 5 units of oil outside the 5 board and 75 inside, that's right, it's a 15:1 ratio.  Very disgusting.  The 5 bowlers were all using the following balls(all in box finish....DULL), V2 Particle, Trauma Response, XCel Solid, Weapon of Mass Bias, Ultimate Inferno.  And they were ALL OVER the lanes the entire night.  From every angle those super dull balls and particles are burning tracks every which way imaginable.  When my line phased out, moving inside actually caused my ball to hook more because they were burning a hole in the middle of the lane.  At the end of the night I was standing 30(I drift 4 boards left at the line) and playing inside 4th arrow with a powergroove.  It was either strike, or through the nose split.  A great way to shoot 160 while the guy I'm spotting 20 pins is throwing his Weapon Of Mass Bias anywhere on the right side of the lane and it's rolling out to the pocket as soon as it touches the lane.

That's why I hate league bowling, but hey, you gotta deal with it and move on.  I know after these last 8 weeks are up, I will be the happiest bowler in the area.

...Down with house shots!
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BackToBasics

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2005, 01:36:12 PM »
I can say this because I was once in you guys boats.  A long time ago, I was bothered that I was getting beat by guys who threw it all over the place.  I felt like I was throwing the ball a ton better than them but still getting beat.  Then I realized quite simply that I must not be lined up.  There are two ways to line up, one to hit the pocket and one to strike.  They don't always match.  If the other guy is getting breaks and you aren't, then you simply aren't lined up.  Breaks even themselves out in the long run.  Generally, having a loose swing, getting it off your hand cleanly and being in the right part of the lane will allow you go string strikes with anyone.  You will get your trip 4s, trip 2s, and messenger 10s.  There will be the cases where ball roll can have a significant impact on carry and you just either change your roll or take your lumps and make the best of it you can.

I despise wide open shots as much as anyone.  But they are here to stay and they are what they are.  If you want to compete, you have to be able to strike when everyone strikes.  If you really think about it, it makes no sense to complain about not being able to strike on a condition where the "hacks" are striking at will.

DP3

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2005, 09:58:38 PM »
I think the equipment was a big factor, but it's hard to overcome a weak mental game, which admittingly, I do have a problem with.  After a grip analysis midway through the season most of my drills were just TOO strong and flared too much, I just couldn't create the area at the breakpoint that the other guys that were more up the back and hitting up on it were getting.  After scrapping alot of stuff I've noticed my reaction has been a bit better, but there's still some kinks in my physical game I need to get out(ie. Free Armswing, staying consistant with my drift), before I can improve.

Another thing I've noticed that seems to be an odd characteristic for this house is that, there's no such thing as perfection.  What seems to be the "perfect shot" the one that looks good, can leave unimaginable taps, consecutively.  High shots almost always carry from deep inside, and light shots send pins flying.  I think it may be attributed to synthetic pins, and very clean backends.  You gotta admit though, in 27 weeks of a 36 week league, with 16 5-man teams, It is a little crazy to have 14 300s, 5 800s, and 20 290-299 games.  High average is at about 240(although this player actually deserves it and could probaly maintain it within 10 pins at most houses with a THS), with about 20 players in the 215-low 230 range.  The frustration does come after awhile when you see that you could definately do alot better than where you currently are, and when you are losing points(after 1st half we were in 4th, now we're in 12th), and the frustration comes when you ask someone like what line they are playing and they'll be like, "I just look at the pins and go throw it" or you ask them what ball they're using and they're like "I don't know, some blue lane 1 ball" and they're firing off 260s every other game like it's impossible to not strike.

If you can't understand that, maybe you're the guy that's just throwing it left(or right) and striking away?
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Strapper_Squared

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Re: Don't throw it bad enough?
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2005, 07:28:38 AM »
quote:
Easiest way to combat this is...Don't bowl league!! Thats my solution for next year.  Bowl league and pay $15-20 a night, or go bowl and work at my game on the same league shot for $1 a game after league, or a non used league pair.  Bowl 3 games for $20 or 20 games for $20.   Save the wasted money on leagues for tourament play instead, you learn more about bowling blowing $80 on a tourament, than 4 weeks of league play at $20.    The only leagues that are worth it are the ones today that have alot of action (brackets) or the best bowlers in your association in it (competition, prize fund).  If your going to spend $ on league, there should be a way to double and triple your investment that evening.


That sounds like a recipe for being burnt out quick!  By not leagueing it, you lose the "getting out for a night" of leagues...having a few beers... away from the wife, kids, etc.  Your approach is probably the best route for someone who is focused on the money tournaments (although without being sanctioned.. you are missing out on locals, states, and nationals), but not all that practical for us hacks...  I don't have the time (or a backer) to take off all of January to bowl the money tournaments in vegas...  

As far as the only leagues being worth it are the "action" ones... it gets back to the original post... anyone can beat anyone over a short period of time.  Our league runs an eliminator each night... a few weeeks back, you needed to shoot 265 to make the cut the first game!


S^2
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