All I kept hearing, and all I keep hearing (in town anyway) is nothing but dogging youth bowlers, youth accomplishments, and youth leagues in general.  It's always "Youth honor scores don't count," or "They might think they're hot stuff now, but just wait until they get up here with the big boys."  One of my buddies is still in youth leagues, he's averaging 225 or so.  Had a guy ask me why he didn't come up to adult leagues this year, and I told him it was because my buddy didn't think he could get the time off from work to bowl (he works evenings), didn't think he could really afford it at the time, and didn't quite think he was good enough to hang with the adults.  The guy kinda rolled his eyes, and said, "Oh, he's good enough to hang with most of them, but I think he's gonna get a reality check when he gets up here too.  He's gonna find out that in adult leagues, they don't give you that 3-4 boards of area to work with."  Lol, I felt like saying, "No, they give you 5-6 to work with because all the adults whine about having a fresh shot because they think they deserve it for paying so much."  

Sooo, here are the comparisons.  There is a LOT more competition.  Both the scratch leagues I bowl in, most of the guys are good enough to beat you anytime, no matter what kind of score you shoot at them.  However, not having to deal with leftover conditions from cyberbowling the night betfore in one league, and bowling after the peewees in another league makes me smile.  The shot is so wide open that if I keep my head on straight and make halfway decent shots, I'm gonna hit the pocket and strike most of the time.  Going from bowling on nothing but broken down conditions and having a traveling sport shot tournament to hone some skills on to a fresh wall shot every night of league is quite a difference.  

A friend that came up to adult leagues this year with me averaged 208 and 211 in his two youth leagues.  Now he's averaging 210+ in two leagues, and 227 in a league he bowls with me on.  The shots are so easy that my incredibly poor performance the first third of the season makes me want to cry, but I fixed everything, and fully expect to end leagues in May with two 220+ averages (I'm currenly at 208 in both leagues at the half).  So youths, don't let the adults try to intimidate you, 250+ plus on a wall shot isn't anything special, just a carry issue.  However, since youth honor scores don't count, I suppose I'll just have to prove myself in the world of the "big boys."  I never shot 800 in youth leagues, as "easy" as it was, so I guess that shooting one or two either this year or next year would be worth a little more, hmm?  But like I said, it's just a carry contest now, I'd have been more proud of a youth 800, whether anybody else thought it meant anything or not.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."

Few things. The big difference is bowling for money, big money. I remember the first couple matchplay's i made when i realized wow i'm bowling for hundreds of dollars. This takes awhile to get used to.


Your not bowling kids anymore, you are bowling adults, and adults can be more intimidating that bowling a 12 yr old kid, even if that 12 yr old is good.

You aren't the best anymore, i was one of the top juniors in my area, and when i went adult i was just another left hander. Its taken three years to establish myself as a top flight bowler in the region.

mind games. If you haven't bowled jackpot yet, especially for 30-40 bucks a game, you don't know what i'm talking about. Adults can and will do anything to mess your game up, you may say you won't listen, but they will make it sound like their trying to help you, or find a button and keep pushing it.

Tournaments-This is my normal tournament, i go in pay my 60 bucks in fees. Load up in brackets and usually spend 250-300 bucks on everything. I'm a college student i don't have a surplus of money. Thats alot of pressure to go out and bowl well because if you don't, you are out a crapload of money that you cannot easily replace.

The shot is easier for the most part yes. While many juniors do come out and dominate, it really is a different atmosphere. One can say this or say that about the reasons THEY will dominate adults when they come out. I've heard it all.

Case and point, the team im bowling with on tuesdays, we were all the best juniors in the area, i left 3 yrs ago and they stayed until this yr when i got them to go adult. I thought man with the talent we have we would dominate this league we are in. Myself being the only seasoned adult bowler, i saw the difference firsthand between juniors coming up and adults.

1-consistancy. Whereas the 3 on my team could pop up some huge scores, none of them did it on a continual basis. It was high or low, 240 or 170.

2-Spares and consistancy in the pocket. The best bowlers in the region rarely miss the pocket, and if they don't carry they make the spare. Juniors have a tendency to go five bagger, washout, big four, double.

3-Mental game. The mental game just isn't developed. When something goes wrong or a shot maybe was bad, they defeat themselves for a couple frames. They won't calm themselves down and make the best shot they can next frame.

These are just a few, and i know what juniors are going to come back with, reasons these are incorrect or they do not apply, and examples. But until you start dominating scratch tournaments in the area, and placing/cashing in every one while averaging 220 in leagues, i don't consider you a top flight amateur bowler. Experience is a huge factor. Knowing how to calm yourself down when you find out you need a 250 or higher game to make a cut, which makes you 100 bucks or whatever. Knowing how to relax and make shots. This cannot be taught in juniors because you aren't bowling for money.


I know i can't convince you otherwise because one major flaw juniors have is ego problems, and i had it too when i came out. When you realize you aren't the best and start accepting your shortcomings and fixing them, while realizing your limitations. Like i said i know none of you will hear any of it, but i tried.
--------------------
I'm left handed and i've got a ball and a wall.

The forum whore formerly known as leftycrank300/JasonBogeyLC

I realize all that stuff too, Jason.  I guess my main point is that it's not the big huge deal that all the "big boys" made it out to be.  Bowling for money does add a certain amount of pressure, that much is true, and that is tough on a mental game when you're not used to it, I agree 100 percent with you there.  Believe it or not, I don't have an ego.  I know any of these guys can beat me anytime and make it look easy, BUT I'm not going to shortchange myself either.  None of these guys scare me or intimidate me.  Most of them impress me, but those are two totally different things.  Like I said, once you get so skilled, 250+ on a wall shot is just an execution and carry issue.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."

Ahh, I gotcha.  I haven't been to any tournaments yet, but I will certainly take your word for it.  Those area tournament pros do "scare" me a little.  I like my chances more as the lanes get tougher, but when these guys are good enough to make a living just bowling local sweepers and other tournaments, that's saying something.  I know a guy that won 2500+ bucks on Thanksgiving day alone.  I wish I had the kind of money to do that, but that just goes to show that I'm a little uncertain about how I'll stack up against them.  I'd put up a fair amount of money against some of the city bowlers, but area tournaments are different.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."

Lol, WSUstroker, are you Danny Umscheid?  If so, I used to bowl the GMJBT's, saw you every once and a while.  I made the match play every tournament I bowled last year, you'd remember me if you saw me probably.  Lol, I'm actually good now . .  Anyway, yeah it's nice to show up people that think you're just a hot shot.  I like to bowl, and I'll always bowl my best no matter who I'm bowling, doesn't make a difference to me, but it gives you that extra bit of satisfaction when you beat the cocky ones that think YOU'RE the cocky one.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."

sorry hammy, i made no appearances at gmjbt, although i did bowl mjbt here in minnesota.

Ahh.  I assumed that WSU meant Wichita State University, and I know a guy that goes there, his name is Dan, sooo . . .  Oh well, liked the traveling sport tournaments, miss them a lot.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."

I'd like to try out for a few college teams just to see where I stood.  I'd have to do a little more spare practice and get a couple more balls, but I LOVE sport patterns.  Some of those guys I know I can't compete with like Sean Rash or Rhino Page (bowls for KU), but I have bowled against some KU and WSU bowlers in the GMJBT's on JOG patterns, and while I didn't exactly bowl them over, I held my own, and even impressed a few of them.  Have you ever bowled any of the Greater Iowa State Bowlers Tour stops?  I know a few bowlers that used to and still bowl them.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from the Blue Collar Comedy tour!

"Fishin reminds me of a girl I was with, we went down to the lake down 'ere.  She wanted to make love on a horse, and I'd never done it, so we did it, and I'm trying to keep my balance, and she's fallin' off, then the manager at the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged 'er there.  I didn't even want to make love on the horse, I wanted to do it on the rocket ship . ."