I am about to leave for my first ever ABC Nationals and I would love to hear about everyone elses first experience.  I am very excited, but very nervous.  How did all of you deal with the excitement and nervousness.

Andy
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I don't really play cards and I am not 79, but it fits together somehow.

It's a 106 miles to Chicago. We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

My first ABC was in February of 1975 in Dayton, OH.  Just prior to leaving for the tournament, my main bowling ball, a Manhattan Rubber, suffered a cracked core so I had to discard it.  I had another ball, a Brunswick 8583, that was pretty new but I had not used it much as I had preferred the Manhattan so I had to take the 8583 to the ABC.

At the ABC, going through the ball check line, my 8583 came in at just a bit over 16#, so they wanted to take out some weight to bring it under 16#.  They ended up drilling the thumbhole deeper to accomplish that.  With that act, most of the little confidence I had in that ball disappeared because I was thinking that it was now different from what little I had seen of it before.

While waiting to bowl, I looked over a display they had of some of the pro’s bowling balls.  You could try the fit of them and I remember being surprised at how sharp the fingerholes were.  It seemed that the pros were not using the amount of bevel that I and most of my friends were using.

Back in 1975, they had wooden lanes installed in the convention center at Dayton.  Since the lanes were new with a fresh coat of urethane (I think that was what was used back then, not really sure), they played real tight and when the ball went down the lanes, it made a sort of whistling sound, really unique and I have never heard that sound on synthetic lanes.  

I bowled a 520 something in the team event and was feeling pretty good about that considering how nervous I was at the start and seeing the reaction I was getting with the ball.  The next day in doubles, I had a small 600 series and then in singles had my new sanctioned high game of 276 and my first sanctioned 700 series, 716.  That score placed me in first for singles and somewhere on the leader board for all-events.

I had to return to my duty station (USAF) after the tournament but I continued to hear that I was leading singles for the next two months.  I ended up getting knocked down to third place in the last month of the ABC.  For my third place finish, I got a nice check and a gold ring.  So far, it is the only ring I have earned through bowling, but it is different than all the 300 rings of my friends.  And I don’t think that I will ever get rid of that 8583, just for sentimental reasons and for the fact that a few years later, in a state tournament, I bowled my high game of 297 with it.  I guess their drilling weight out of it was the best thing that could have happened.  

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I just want 2C was'zzub.
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I am the SGT Schultz of bowling.
"I know nothing!"

My first was 1992 in Corpus Christi.  Like many others coming up from junior leagues, I thought I was pretty hot stuff.  I wanted to soak in everything I could, so I walked around the stadium and looked at all the past memorabilia and quickly began to realize how insignificant I truly was.  

We bowled the early team squad and I played inside just like everyone told me, but I didn't do much, around 560 or so.  I was a little disappointed, but accepted it and moved on.  All night long, I tossed and turned out of nervousness, I guess.  This would not have been a big problem except that we had the first squad in the morning.  To make matters worse, my father is the type that likes to get to any event extra early.  I don't think I actually slept more than a couple hours.  Since there wasn't any practice balls before D/S, I decided to throw a few shots and get my picture taken on the stubby lane.  So I grabbed my ball and threw a dozen shots or so (we had the time since we were the first ones there) and finally went to my chair.  My father told me to change shoes so I was ready to go.  I looked at him kind of funny and just realized that I had my picture taken in my street shoes.  After that embarassing scene, I actually bowled fairly well.  I shot a couple 600 series and had a small 1800 all-events.

Syracuse,

We bowled the late late squad which was running very late, got on the lanes about 11:45p.m. for 10:30p.m. squad. Came out with the first 5 of the first game, 4 were brooklyn. Calmed down and shot pretty good 642. Got out about 2:30a.m. Thought this wasn't too bad came in the next day on S/D and went 505,538. Found plastic spare balls have a real use. It was very exciting and a whole load of fun. It can be addicting, I look forward more to nationals every year than to any other bowling function. Card have fun, be agressive but don't get frustrated.
Like someone else said always get into the brackets. I have made it through 1/2 of my brackets a few times with 180+. Good luck and don't forget to report about your experience.TTFN

Wichita, 1989.  I will echo that everything seems HUUUUGE!.  Had a blue pearl Hammer urethane and a Blue Dot.  Now I fret when I can't take at least 6 balls.  

I was so nervous on the first couple of balls, that I was afraid I would throw gutters.  My A game at the time was up the boards, maybe 7 or 8.  I never had seen what seemed to be a reverse block before so I was surprised to hit the 3-6 pocket a number of times on my usual shot before I learned I had to play inside 3rd arrow. Carry was actually very good when I threw good shots.  I had something like 560 team, 550 doubles and 570 singles. Close to my average at the time.  In 12 trips, I have never had a down the boards shot, usually have to swing a shot with the target somewhere between 12 and 25 at the arrows.  Backends can be big in Reno, so take at least one mild reaction ball.

It took me about 7 trips before I got over being really nervous for about the first 4 frames of team.  I find that guys new to the experience shoot lots worse than they do on their home lanes (200 average guys shooting 475's, etc.)

I'm like others here.  I begin looking forward to our trips (usually 1st of June) as soon as the tournament opens.  Reno and Albuquerque have been my favorites.

My first experience with the ABCs...

It was in 1998. I bowled the very first squad - the one reserved for locals only. It was the squad BEFORE the official opening squad.
I was the only woman on the squad. I found a number of the officials - men and women alike - to be very patronizing of the fact that I was there, and female. When we marched out, the men were holding the doors for the guys, but here I was struggling to CARRY several bowling balls (they didn't allow wheels then), and both guys holding the doors happened to slip and slam them in my face. Women in the check in lines were rude - one went so far as to tell me I didn't belong there. There were several more incidents like this one.
I went home, and posted a message on the tournament message board, and sent an email directly to Roger Dalkin (who remembered me from my college days, believe it or not). My post was deleted from the message board, with no explanation, and I never got a response from Mr. Dalkin.

I vowed to not go back, but this many years later, both Reno and the lane conditions are calling to me.

BTW - bowling was not memorable. All I can remember is that I outscored most of my teammates - but that wasn't saying much. Since I had moved away after the squad closed, I had to fly down to bowl - had fun other than the tournament itself!

Mine was last year pulled my groin the first game didn't do anything afterwards

I guess I was lucky to have a great experince in my first time @ Nationals than most. In Albuquerque in 2000, had 571 team, 595 doubles (All but 1 shot in the pocket, no carry). During the last game of doubles I took my Thunder Road (my most aggressive ball at the time) and flattened my wrist to play more direct (22 out to 14). Shot 760 in singles. Needless to say I was pumped about that! Had a shot at 2 300 games except for a couple of 4 pins along the way. Haven't shot as well since but haven't embarrassed myself either. Really can't expect 760 every year. I'm still happy to shoot 1800 on the condition that is out there. Which by the way I think is a lot of FUN!! (last time I checked, that is why I bowl in the first place). Butthat is for another thread. Good luck to all in Reno and HAVE FUN!!!
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If you're gonna blame the lane man for your bad scores, Make sure you thank him for the good ones!