Here is a tale that happens every once in a great while to me that I've noticed when I am bowling in a league. Some houses I am able to figure out a shot the first game and then struggle to keep in tune for games two and three. Other houses I can't find the shot the first game, but by games two and three my games increase to where I have a playable shot. Other times I can shoot decent for all three games.

In this summer adult/junior league I'm bowling in, I have been shooting lights out the first game. Tonight as an example I shot 279, leaving a ringing 10 pin in the 10th frame. Figuring everything was smooth, I started game two with the next two strikes. Then the single pin demon came out, and for the first time all year I left a pocket 7-10 when I threw the ball a little further out to create more of an angle to the pocket after ringing 3 out of 4 7 pins in frames 3 through 6 of game two. Game three became another carry fest, with more 7 pins, 9 pins and 10 pins. My last two games were 204-192 for a 675 series.

My second game average in this league has been at least 30 pins below the first game. I try hard to keep the same focus and attention to my game as I have in the first game. I feel that I am hitting the same target as I was the first game, but occasionally find myself increasing my ball speed 1 mph more, which I think causes a delayed reaction on the back end, thus ringing single pins. What would you do in these situations to regain your mental focus and attention so that the second game can have similar results as the first game? Would you tighten your line up, would you consider a ball change after a number of single pins while making slight 1/1 or 2/1 adjustments that don't seem to be working?

This aspect only seems to happen in leagues- I rarely face this situation in tournaments. The ball that I've used exclusively for the whole league has been the Eraser Pearl Particle- I'm wondering if during game two a move to my El Nino Wrath would be a possibility? I am happy that I'm averaging 219 in this league- what I am unhappy with is the inconsistency in my games.

Any tales to tell will help me as well...

Matt

With the way lanes transition today you can have the perfect roll one frame and nothing the next. You could just be experiencing a little carry down that is affecting your breakpoint.

Or as Mumzie said you may start squeezing and aiming just enough to kill the effective roll for your ball.

If you are still finding the line to the pocket and it is just carry (which is what it sounds like) you are probably going to have to make more of a physical change rather than mental.

A small change in line(s), a release change, and/or a ball change may be needed to keep your carry.