after enjoying watching the action at the pba midwest regional tournament in raytown this past saturday i decided to post a topic that may help players who may be thinking about bowling a regional tournament for the first time.
1) professional appearance.....gentlemen, please comb your hair. you are judged by your personal appearance. tuck your shirts in( if you are wearing that style )and keep it tucked in. buy slacks that fit you correctly( sits at waist level and correct inseam ). i can't tell you how many sloppy looking players i saw.
2) lane play. this tournament was contested on the cheetah pattern. this pattern is only 35' in length but has the most oil by volume. your breakpoint will need to be outside the first arrow.....the 1, 2, or 3 board. how you get the ball there will depend upon your style and game but by and large you can not play the inside part of the lane and expect to do well. spend a great deal of time practicing to play this far out so you get the feel of being near the gutter. i saw many players( some experienced ) trying to play the inside part of the lane and not getting the results they were looking for.
3) spare shooting. plan on shooting more spares. this pattern is the "easiest" of the pba patterns but it's still tougher than a house shot. make sure your spare game is sharp. get a plastic ball and use it----straighter at spares is best. every single pin spare miss will cost you 11 pins. i actually saw players try to shoot the 10 pin by throwing the ball down the 2nd arrow.
4)come prepared. money for food and fluids( your squad may take 4-5 hours ). your bag should be a rolling pro shop with everything you need to make the ball fit your hand correctly. get a slide shoe cover and use it. don't risk a fall because you stepped in a puddle. i saw players who did not have tape for their thumbholes.
5) act like a professional. be a good sport. congratulate your fellow bowlers for a good shot. forget your splits and missed spares and move on....live in the present. remember to thank the tournament hosts. i've seen some terrible sportsmanship at regionals and there's no place for that.
these are some of the things that came to me real quickly. feel free to add to these and good luck to all who decide to try a regional tournament.
Edited on 4/22/2008 11:03 PM
