The stadium and it's staff were top notch.  Everyone was friendly and helpful.  The lanes were great and I had no issues with the approaches.  They were a tad slick in by the gutters.  I lost my balance once or twice shooting 10 pins, but not enough to make me miss.  I'd love to have the pattern as a semi-standardized house shot.  It wasn't easy, but it was far from impossible.  Good shots were rewarded and bad ones were punished.

I used my Tsunami for all 9 games minus a few fishing shots.  I pretty much laid the ball down around 10 and aimed for 7 at the arrows, going to about 5 at the break point.  After half a game or so, I'd move in a few.  About another game later, I'd have to move a few boards right of where I started to compensate for the carry down.  Most people were playing in, but I had a better look from outside.  I figured if nothing else, I'd have less transitions to deal with.

My problem for team (2:30 squad) was splits and carry.  Every time I hit the nose, I left something wide open.  I know they weren't good shots, but even a 6 pound ball on the 20 board doesn't leave the big 4 every time.  I did manage to take the 10-4 off of the big 4.  I missed a little wide shooting the 6-10 side, the 10 bounced off the back and took out the 4, missing the 7.  Only I could make one split (4-10) and still manage to leave another (6-7).  I left quite a few swishing 7's and no messengers found the 10.  A little better carry and I could have withstood the splits.  6 opens (4 splits) left me with a disappointing 554 (175-175-204).

We had doubles and singles at 7am the next day.  The few measly shots they give you to warm up did nothing for me.  I still don't see how 5 minutes of practice will hurt their timing that much.  Since we had the first squad of the day, we had fresh oil once again.  That at least counter acted the lack of warm up, since I knew how the lanes should play.  I threw the same ball and line as I mentioned earlier.  Carry was much better and I didn't have quite as many problems with splits.  Still, they only ones I left on the whole trip were big ones.  No 3-10's or 4-9's or anything else you have a reasonable chance at.

I shot 177-244-188 (609) for doubles (partner shot 533, 1142 total) and 179-195-258 (632) for singles.  All events was 1795, a little below my expectations, but at least I should cash in every thing except team.  I did good in brackets, but unfortunately my lowest game for each event was my first of the set.  For the nine games, I had 16 opens.  9 splits and 7 "regular" opens, two of which were "fill balls" after a strike on the first ball in the 10th, so they didn't really hurt.


I did bowl the BTM as well, but wish I hadn't.    I knew the lanes would be tough, but my execution stunk.  The squad before me made the lanes look pretty easy.  I'm not sure of the names, but I think all four of them cashed (low to cash was 777 for 4 games).  The lead guy shot 895, so he should be in the top 5.  Rhino Page was still the leader at 925.  The shot is 42 or 43 feet, dead flat, and a pretty hefty volume.  The only oil once a day, so you get what you get.  The previous squads chopped up the middle pretty good.  The guys doing good all used fairly strong pearls or highly polished medium type solids to get push through the heads with some recovery.  I only brought smooth, arcing balls with some surface, so I was a little behind the 8-ball to start.

If I missed left or was soft at all, it took off left.  If I missed right, no recovery.  I toiled around inside for 2 games since everyone else was there.  The last two games I moved out by the gutter with my WMB.  I did manage one clean 216, but the rest of the games stunk.  I didn't even break 700 for 4.  You had to be very crisp in your release and especially your launch angle.  The latter is my weakness.  From Reno, the BTM, and my PBA experience league, I'm finding out that my launch angle is inconsistent.  On those house shots where you leave a 4 or a messenger 10 I used to think I pulled or pushed it a smidge.  I can pretty much assume now that those shots would be lucky to hit the head pin on a difficult shot.
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