Send me all of your "good vibes" on Saturday (7/30/05) between 2PM and 6PM EST. I have B squad this weekend in Fayetteville, NC. I draw energy from your positive vibes. Keep 'em coming.
I've practiced more in the last 4 days than I have in a long time: 14 games Tuesday, 9 games Wednesday; 14 games Thursday, and 7 games + PBA practice time today. All told, I've thrown about 50 games in the last 4 days. I've learned a lot that I expect to see pay off tomorrow.
Updates to come after bowling is done.
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Update time:
July 28-31, 2005 - PBA Fayetteville Open
I went into this tournament with high expectations for myself. Prior to the tournament, I spent hours on the lanes in practice, putting in close to 50 games in the 4 days running up to the tournament.
I drew B squad. As usual, I was there early to watch the end of A squad. By the time I got there, a bloke by the name of Daniel Cohen was tearing up the field, leading the qualifying with +270 or so through 7 games. By the time all was said and done, A squad had posted some pretty serious numbers; Cohen held on to the top spot with +336 (that’s a 242 average for 8 games) and low to cash was somewhere around +70. What all of this told me was that I was going to have to bowl well to even sniff a check.
So I laced up and got the ball rolling. The lanes played a little differently than they had in practice the day before, but I was expecting that. I made my adjustments and found the pocket. My first two shots were flush strikes. A weak 7 in the 3rd was easily covered before I carried another strike. That’s when something weird happened. Suddenly the ball I had chosen to use began to turn a little harder than I needed it to. The 5th frame saw a 4-6-10 split. I followed it with a light hit and a 3-7-9 split. Back to the other lane where I left yet another problem - this time it was the 4-6-7. Think fast, adjust, fix the problem and bowl a 169. So out of the gate I’m –31. Not where I wanted (or needed) to be.
So I begin the process of climbing out of the hole. I followed my 169 with a 215, 238, 220 and 221 to get to +63 in a hurry. In game six I had a bit of a miscue that ultimately ended up costing me a check. On the first ball in the 10th frame, I turned my wrist early and came around the ball. The end result was what we in the business of bowling call a “greek church†– a beautiful 5-count split that left the 4-6-7-8-10. No problem, just get 3 pins and move to the next pair. So what do I do? I pick the 7 pin off the 4-8, an error that cost me 4 pins in count. I shot 197 that game instead of a 201. I drop to +60. My next game was clean at 220 to move me into good position at +80.
Game 8 was interesting in that I had to wait for about 20 minutes before starting because the group ahead of me was delayed in starting their game. By the time I got on the lanes, I had cooled off a little. My first shot was good considering the long delay, but I left a flat 7. I took my spare ball, but because of the cooling off time, my thumb hitched up in the thumbhole and I ended up pushing the ball into the gutter at about 48 feet. So I’m at 9 in the first frame; best place to have that problem, I suppose. Strike in the second frame, then a really weird 4-pin leave in the third. I convert the spare then throw the next 5 in a row. Good shot in the 9th left a ten pin that was falling before flying wood tapped in back to a standing position. I convert the spare and go 9/9 in the 10th for a 226. At the end of the day I’m at +106 and on the very edge of the cut.
When the tournament director announced 35th place, I find that I had missed the cut, which was +109. Still, the finish was my best in PBA competition. I averaged 213.25 for my 8 games. All things considered I did well; still, a check would have been nice. My next tournament is likely going to be in mid-September at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. More updates then.
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Nut...
/|\None are more hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free.... Edited on 8/1/2005 10:07 PM
