OK, I promised Capt. Scmbg (jimsey) that I'd post my results from this past week in Reno, so here goes . . .

On Saturday afternoon, before bowling team, I had my CATS lesson with Mike Jasnau.  As usual, it was a very good session, and I have some things to work on when I get back to the lanes to practice (starting today).

Saturday night in team, I played in around 12-15 with my Fury that I drilled for this tournament.  I started off with 184, missing one spare with no doubles.  I came back with 244 in game two, and 188 in game three, with one double and a split.  Total in team was 616, with the team shooting 2915.

I charted the teams on my doubles and singles pairs, but I only stayed through the beginning of game two.  I had to go pick up my bracket money from Saturday night so I could play Sunday, so I didn't see them finish up.  The doubles pair ended up hooking more than I expected, and it took me a few shots to get lined up.  I ended up playing around 15-18 with my Total NV.  I had a decent look at times, but the pair was a bit flaky, so I couldn't find a good, consistent reaction.  I struggled to a 164, followed by 162, before coming back with 197 in game three for 523.  Unfortunately, I missed a few more spares than I did in team (a sign of things to come ).  I also had a few more splits than in team.

I had a better reaction on my singles pair, and I managed 178 with a couple splits in game one and 215 clean in game two.  In game three, after grinding what looked like it would be a little deuce and a possibility of 600, I got up in the tenth and threw a shot that felt and looked good off my hand, but it read the midlane much more than it had been, and went through the face for a greek church.    I ended up with 188 and 581.

My 1720 in all events will come up short of cashing, and I won't cash in doubles.  However, I'll cash in team and singles.

I won't go into much detail on the senior tournament.  I'll just say that by Monday, my spare game had totally abandoned me (see above).  The senior tournament was being held in the stadium on the USBC Open oil pattern.  I'd say more than half the seniors were not prepared for that - way more oil than they were used to seing in their senior leagues.  Anyway, suffice it to say that I was playing in a handicap event on a sport compliant pattern, and missing spares like it was June 14*.  It was not a pretty picture.

My luck in the casino followed the same pattern.  I was up going into Monday evening, which is when everything headed south.

*Flag Day  
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RW (THB)

Yes, I had a very good time.

Unfortunately, I'll have to miss eSkape this weekend, as I am playing a show on Sunday afternoon.  

The next one I'll be able to get to will be Bolingbrook.
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RW (THB)

Shipper,
Darn!  I hoped I could keep those scores secret - lol!

I did not get to see the guy who won Class D bowl, so I can't offer an opinion.  Actually, I didn't get to see any of the top three bowl.

I bowled the sweeper with Billy Webb, who won Class B, and it appeared to me that his average was legitimate.  I bowled the main tournament with Tom Wilson, who finished fourth in Class D - same deal.  In my opinion, the reason they both did well was that they are both very straight players, more or less from the corner.  They don't appear to rely on free hook at home, and that (again IMO) is why they did well on the USBC pattern.  BTW, they each drilled up a new ball at the stadium.

You are right.  I would have had to average 228 to get into the stepladder finals, and for a guy like me (see signature), that would be tough on that oil pattern.  If I had made my spares, I might have snuck into the top 10.

I'm not complaining - it's just the way it is.  My skills don't match those of the big boys (good PBA players, top amateurs, etc.) and my handicap doesn't match up with the lower average guys for me to compete with them on the tougher patterns.  It's something I'm trying to fix (practice, lessons, etc.), but it's a long process.


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RW (THB)

Shipper,
At the local and state level, I don't know if they were consistant.  At ours, they used 90% of 660 for three games, so I got 32.  At the national event, they used 90% of 630, so I got 5.

Yes, I'm ashamed to say that, although I should have, I apparently couldn't bowl any better than I did.  I was trying - I always do.  Although I went in with a fairly open mind and high expectations, I obviously had some reservations, because when it came time to play brackets, I didn't play the handicap ones.  (Un)Fortunately, they offered scratch brackets to which I could donate, and I did so freely.  I didn't beat very many of the guys scratch, either.

I am definitely with you regarding sandbaggers.  I don't like 'em, either.  Fortunately, I don't encounter them all that often, except when I travel to big tournaments, such as state or this national one this past week.

I know whenever I go to an event where I bowl badly with players I've never met before, they're surprised when they find out what my average is (and they're probably saying to themselves, "Yeah, right!").  I got more or less that reaction while sharing a beer with Tom Wilson, the guy from Virginia who finished fourth in my age group.  BTW, does that make me a reverse sandbagger?  
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RW (THB)