The People’s Tournament site reported Saykum Miya (E. Providence Lanes, 176 avg.) as the winner of the January 2009 event at Westgate Lanes. Miya defeated Joe Chan (Westgate Lanes, 190 avg.) by a score (with handicaps) of 223-210 in the title match. Westgate Lanes was well-represented in the top 32, as, in addition to Chan, Jason Sherwood (215 avg.) was in the semifinals, and Pam Lavallee (151 avg.) and Jim Yost (194 avg.) were also in the top eight.
Author: Rich
I started "The Tenth Board" to chronicle my experiences during the road back to league bowling after my heel fractures in 1999 (it took me 7 years before I started thinking seriously about it). I now use the blog as a combination of a personal bowling journal and a news site mostly about Westgate Lanes (Brockton, MA) and its bowlers.
Brian “Hawk” Earle posts 298 in Coke Classic League
A quick scan of the available standings sheets on Bowler Express shows that Brian “Hawk” Earle rolled a 298 game this week in the Coke Classic League, which is the high game for the season in that league. The game qualifies for the USBC’s “11 In A Row” award, so congrats Hawk! 😀
Blessing in disguise
My first order of the night was to get my ticket for the Hall of Fame dinner, as I want to attend that to honor my old buddy Steve Travers. As I did last week, I also had a game of warm-up before league started.
Strikes were few and far between tonight, but the blessing in disguise was that my spare game was much better overall: only two misses on spares that weren’t either splits or washouts. I was leaving a lot of single pins (11) but only missed one of them (a 10 pin to end the first game). I was getting a lot of splits later on, but converted the 5-7 in the second game on a lucky break.
Result: 163-182-155=500
Average (63 games): 178 Last 9 games average: 168
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 558
Team only managed a two-point split because we got croaked in the last game. Rick Boerman, the “Backyard Bowlers” resident Yankee fan, threw a 200+ game at us in said last game to provide much of a 150-pin plus margin. Our star tonight was Pat, who was well over his average for the first two games.
Upcoming made-for-TV bowling
Just wanted to mention a few made-for-TV bowling events coming up during the spring:
- The PBA, in partnership with Strike Ten Entertainment, has announced a new five-week series called “King of the Hill” that will air on ESPN on Wednesday nights starting April 22. It will feature the top ten bowlers on the PBA Player of the Year points list, plus a wild card. Basically, it’s two one-game matches each show featuring two bowlers in the first match with the winner going on to face the “king” (the PBA Player of the Year will be the “king” on the first show) in the second match. There will be $100,000 in prize money up for grabs in the series, which will be contested at the Kegel Training Facility in Florida.
- The article linked above also mentions the PBA Women’s Series Showdown, which will feature the five winners in the regular PBA Women’s Series events, plus Missy Bellinder, who finished second to Michelle Feldman when the latter won her second title of the season. This will also take place at the Kegel Training Facility, with a format to be announced, and will air on ESPN on April 12.
- Finally, Bowling’s Clash of Champions will return for a second season, and will air on CBS on May 9. An interesting development is that the husband and wife team of Chris and Lynda Barnes will be in the field, setting up a potential husband vs. wife final match, which will prove very interesting if it comes about.
Massachusetts USBC Women’s Bowling Association 46th Annual Championships
The Massachusetts USBC Women’s Bowling Association will hold its 46th annual championship tournament in all weekends in May except for Memorial Day weekend at Gardner Ten Pin. It is a classified tournament with 4-women team, doubles, and singles events, plus optional all-events, with the average classes as follows:
Team: 600 and over, 599 and under
Doubles: 330 and over, 290-329, 289 and under
Singles and All-Events: 165 and over, 145-164, 144 and under
Squad times are 10 AM and 1 PM on Saturdays, 9 AM, noon, and 3 PM on Sundays.
Entry is $20/bowler/event and $5 for All-Events, with entries closing March 1 unless schedule is filled sooner. Doubles must bowl singles, and singles must bowl doubles. Entry flyers with more information are now available at local bowling centers.
Additional note: The association’s annual meeting will take place at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner on Saturday, March 14 at 9:30 AM.
Brockton USBC Bowling Association Hall of Fame Weekend
The Brockton USBC Bowling Association will hold its annual Hall of Fame Weekend on April 4 and 5. The festivities begin with the Hall of Fame induction dinner, which will be held on the 4th at the Holiday Inn in Brockton starting at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $35/person, and you may see Ray DiSanto Jr., Bob Young, or Roy Garrigus if you’re interested in attending. This year’s honorees are North Bowl Lanes manager Fred Delfino, along with bowlers John Ellis, Jim Ferguson, and Steve Travers.
The accompanying Hall of Fame Tournament, which will be an Eliminator-style handicap tournament, will take place on the 5th at Westgate Lanes starting at 12:30 PM. Entry fee is $35, and only walk-in entries will be accepted.
New association web site launched: I am also proud to announce that the Brockton USBC Bowling Association’s new web site is now online, and the link has been added to the sidebar under “Bowling Sites.” The home page is functional, though the individual pages needed to be uploaded and the links to those pages on the home page fixed at press time.
Work in progress
Today’s practice was somewhat disappointing, as in the first game, I had 3 misses on spares that would be considered makeable, and had a rash of splits in the second game, but when I became mindful of my wrist position at the top of my backswing in the last game, I righted myself to shoot a 210 with the only open frame coming on a split. I had been getting good ball reaction in previous sessions since rejuvenating my ball, but the lane appeared tighter today, and I was playing closer to the 20 board in my stance near the end.
Cross-training #77
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted that outfielder Torii Hunter of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a native of Pine Bluff, was in Springdale, AR for the Wilsons3 Foundation’s Strikeout Child Abuse Celebrity Bowling Event. Other major leaguers participating included Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, and former Tigers closer Todd Jones (now a free agent). The foundation is headed up by Vance Wilson, a veteran of eight major league seasons who recently signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals, along with his wife, Bridget.
Jan. 31 league standings update
“The Pin Pals” fell to 5th place this week as a result of taking only one point from “The Badgers.” “MT Bed” is the hot team right now, having only lost one point so far in the second half. My team faces “Backyard Bowlers” this week, about the only team we have a disadvantage in handicap against.
On a related note, the Brunswick Mixed League is now a LeagueSecretary.com league, as the league voted to purchase the CDE league secretary software earlier in the season to comply with coming USBC standards. I will continue to link the standings as found on Bowler Express on the sidebar (“Author’s links”), however, for the sake of continuity.
EDIT: After seeing how detailed the standings sheet on LeagueSecretary.com was (it’ll give everyone’s scores for each week, and shows the highs in each average class, among other things), I decided to link both, and the sheet on LeagueSecretary.com has been added to the sidebar under “Author’s links.”
Opportunity knocks
My brother called me around 10 this morning and told me he would be available for another bowling outing, so I took full advantage of the opportunity to get some practice work in, focusing on keeping my backswing short. To put it in brief, I had the best series I’ve had in a while, a 656. I still need to be consistent on my spares, however, as 2 open frames (a single 6 and a single 10) ruined a game in which I had the front 6 for a 234. I finished all 3 games (first a 217 and then a 205) strong, however, so that can be taken as a good sign.
Cross-training #76
The Rocky Mountain News reported that Denver Broncos Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall has been incorporating bowling into his activity schedule as he prepares for the game in Hawaii at the University of Central Florida, his alma mater. He stated that he had not been faring well in his bowling, however, as well as on the golf course.
Killing two birds with one stone
I was looking forward to this lesson with Ray today, as I felt I’ve been losing it the last few weeks, not just in my spare game, as I’ve documented, but on first ball, as well. Ray spotted something in today’s “before” video, however: my wrist would flex at the top of my backswing, making my hand come on top of the ball through the downswing and driving my release into the floor. I forgot what one of the two options Ray presented me for fixing this problem, but I chose what seemed to me to be the most comfortable one…shortening my backswing, as I appeared able to stay behind and under the ball until my backswing got up to shoulder height.
The practice work after this involved the usual towel on the lane, but this time I focused on keeping my backswing short. It appeared to be the ticket; at one point, I had 7 strikes in a row, and early on, I was resetting the full rack when I left something, as ball reaction is usually one gauge (in my mind) of how I’m doing. I did work on doing the same thing with my spare attempts eventually, and even then it seemed I couldn’t miss, getting one clean game (a 235) in the bridge between my solo work and Ray taping my “after” video. As an added benefit, I was also playing further inside (standing around the 24 and 25 board) than I’m used to and still getting to the pocket, something I’ve wanted to learn. The next few practices will, of course, focus on keeping my backswing short.
Local tournament note: The Brockton Foxvale & Tri-City Women’s Bowling Association will run their 21st annual mixed doubles tournament on Feb. 21 & 22 at Westgate Lanes. Entry fee is $41/team, with the prize fund being returned to about 1 in 10 entries at 70% handicap and 30% scratch. Handicap is 80% of 220. Squad time is 1:00 PM on both days. See entry flyers at all area centers for further details. Entries close on Feb. 11.
Still in a funk
With the early-day weather putting the buses on a snow schedule, I had to take an early bus to be sure I was at the lanes on time (the weather improved later in the day, so the league didn’t postpone). I ate dinner there, then got in a couple of games of warm-up, mostly to get the newly-rejuvenated ball broken in.
This was the third series in a row on the low side of the 500s, and this week was very similar to last week, in that I made enough spares to stay somewhat in it, but couldn’t get anything really lined up until the third game. I am not sure what I will have Ray work with me on tomorrow, but the original plan was to shore up my spare game. Hopefully, the lesson will help me get back on track, however.
Result: 169-159-175=503
Average (60 games): 179 Last 9 games average: 171
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 584
As has been the case all season against “The Badgers,” we were fortunate to get one point, which came in the first game. “The Badgers” have a couple of thumbless crankers, so I related to my teammates a story that “CoachJim” told me about how his team once beat a whole team of thumbless bowlers by pushing oil into the thumbless bowlers’ line, which would make their balls turn late and not enough, getting them frustrated all night. Unfortunately, my team is not as sophisticated as “CoachJim” and his teammates, and we really didn’t have the styles and/or equipment to pull off that strategy.
It’s that time again
I was just getting no backend reaction during my practice session today, and I had to go slow and outside in order to have any chance at getting a strike. I’m thinking now that it might be time to take the ball back to the pro shop for the usual oil removal, which will probably happen tomorrow. On the bright side, I got progressively better at picking up my spares as the session went on, so that was probably the highlight.
Jessica Lowe shoots 278 game, 733 series in TNBA league
Congratulations to Jessica Lowe of the Friday night TNBA league, who fired a 733 series in that league’s latest session, which is the highest series for a woman at Westgate Lanes to date this season. The series was paced by a 278 game, which ties Melissa Peterson (Westgate Mixed) for high game by a woman at Westgate Lanes this season. Good bowling, Jessica! 😀
Jan. 24 league standings update
The updated second half standings presented a surprise: my team now has a 6-2 record rather than the 4-4 record I was expecting. I called Shawn to ask him about this, and he notified me that we were bowling in a forfeit situation; a five-man team needs three bowlers in a legal lineup and “8 Is Great” was only bowling with 2 bowlers. Therefore, we only needed to bowl within 50 pins of the team’s average to earn points by forfeit, which we barely did the first game. As a result, “The Pin Pals” now stand in third place behind “MT Bed” and “The Mustangs.”
Next week provides a test in “The Badgers,” the winners of the first half. We haven’t done well against this team yet, so I’m hoping I can bring my “A-game” for them.
Link to Kinetic Bowling added to “Equipment Sites”
I learned of Kinetic from my “friend” Glenn Cox, the blogger at Everything Bowling, via the blog, and have been keeping an eye on Kinetic’s site for the official launch. Since it has happened, the link has been added to the sidebar under “Equipment Sites.” Featured is the Solaris, the company’s maiden offering, and the site also has the de rigeur pro shop search.
Link to IBPSIA added to “Bowling Sites”
I’ve been meaning to add this link for a while, but the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association has been added to the sidebar under “Bowling Sites” (as they certify coaches as well as pro shop proprietors). I know USA Pro Shops is not certified by this organization, but the IBPSIA site is a good place to start your search for a qualified pro shop, as you can search geographically.
Playing it tight
The lanes got progressively tighter tonight, meaning I had to move more outside as the night went on. For a change, my spare game kept me somewhat in it tonight. I was still missing some, but my single 4 pin was not a problem, and I even made a couple of splits, a 6-7-10 and a 2-7, in the first game. What did me in tonight was missing the pocket often, leaving more splits and washouts than I would like to.
Result: 168-161-186=515
Average (57 games): 179 Last 9 games average: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 547
My team could only take one point tonight, and that was even with three members of the other team (including Eric and Lauren, his girlfriend) absent. It should be said that my team wasn’t entirely healthy, however: Helen was bowling with a bad hip flexor, and Carl’s back was stiff and sore from driving the bus all day.
Jan. 18 league standings update
As you would expect, a three-point night put my team into the top half of the standings coming out of the gate in the second half, but “The Handicaps” swept “Backyard Bowlers,” and it is “The Handicaps” with the early lead. “The Pin Pals” are in 4th after the first night of the second half due to pinfall.
Wednesday night finds us up against “8 is Great,” a team the Sprisslers always look forward to meeting, as their nephew, Eric, is on that team.
Just ordinary
Thought I’d note my bowling outing with my brother today: I was no great shakes, but did have one game (a 187) that was over my league average. He was consistently in the 120s, so he may have had his best series to date (though I told him I thought the one he had the 166 game in back in November might have been his best).
I’m likely not practicing on Monday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday (kids will be out of school, so the center will be charging their normal rate).
USBC announces changes to Women’s Championships for 2010
USBC to debut 3 average-based competitions for 2010 Women’s Championships in El Paso
I like the new format…it gives the lower-average women bowlers a chance to compete against others with similar ability while keeping the scratch competition available. I think the USBC is wagering on this move bolstering participation in the Women’s Championships, and my philosophy on women’s bowling is that anything that’s good for women’s bowling is good for the game in general.
My new bowling shirt
I could have posted this as part of the last post, but I felt I could devote a separate post to my new bowling shirt. I bought it at the pro shop for $35, but I also needed to take it to the local EmbroidMe to have the back work done, which cost me another $18 (so figure about $2/letter for the work). I wanted the shirt mostly for tournaments, but I figured I’d show it off tonight in league (I’ll have to do it again next week so Ray can see the finished product.). Photos below…
Continuing problems
Although I was a bit better at shooting my spares tonight (and, indeed, I even made a couple of tougher ones, a washout and a baby split), I still think I’m missing too many for comfort, and good spare shooting could’ve been used tonight, because I couldn’t line up anything in the second game. If I had made all of my makeable spares in the second game, I would’ve definitely saved my average tonight. With an eye on this, I’ve decided not to bowl in any of the upcoming tournaments and spend my money instead on a couple of lessons about spare shooting (hopefully, maybe just one lesson will fix my problems, though).
Result: 182-157-183=522
Average (54 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 579
Comparatively speaking, however, it was a banner night for my team to open the second half, and the highlight was Helen shooting a 204 in her first game, which she told me was her first since the season before last. Carl also had a second game in the 180s, and those games helped pace us to a three-point night. Good shooting guys! 😀
Additional info on Brockton USBC Bowling Association championships
Just a few notes and a correction on the city tournament…
- Handicap will be 90% of 230, computed on a three-game basis
- Prize ratio is 1 in 10 for team, doubles, and singles, 1 in 20 for all-events
- Optional all-events entry fee is $5
- Brackets will be available in each event on both days
- Correction: Squad time for the team event is 11:30 AM both days
Learning a new trick
I didn’t make much progress on my spare game in practice today, but I did get something else accomplished: I finally learned how to slow down effectively, and, in my last game, I reeled off 7 strikes in a row, and would’ve had the last 8 if not for a solid 10 pin, for a 236, my best practice game in weeks.
Jan. 11 league standings update (first half wrap-up)
Bowling the position week was a formality for my team, as we were locked into 9th place going into it, but we finished with 22.5 points, or slightly better than a point a week. As I noted earlier, “The Badgers” were the winners of the first half with 45 points, but “The Dynasty” overtook “The Mustangs” for second place with 40 points (to “The Mustangs'” 39.5), a creditable achievement considering that “The Dynasty” has two vacancies.
The second half of the season begins for my team Wednesday night against the aforementioned “The Dynasty.”
Torn between two tournaments
After learning about the dates of the local association’s tournament last night, I approached Shawn, my league secretary, about the possibility of getting a team together from my league, and he was open to the idea, saying his usual teammate and doubles partner for the tournament (who is usually also a teammate of his in the league) won’t be able to participate due to injury this year. Since the team event is a team of 4, we would need two more people, and Eric Nordstrom (whom some of you have seen in the scrapbook) said he’d also be interested in participating.
I did let Shawn know, however, that I would be torn between participating in the city tournament and the People’s Tournament at Westgate Lanes this month, as my budget only allows for one tournament. The feedback I’ve been getting from the chat folks is strongly in favor of me entering the city tournament, as they think I have a better chance of cashing in events in that. The drawbacks would be that I’d have to rise early on the Sunday my team is scheduled to bowl, get a ride to and from the venue, and I’d also have to talk to other non-bowling people about other matters.
The cost of missing single pins
I had 9 single pin leaves tonight (except for last balls in the 10th frame) and only made 3 of them. I missed 3 of them in a row in the last game alone (a couple of weak 10s and a stone 7), and, if I made just those single pins, it would’ve turned out that I shot 600 on the night. I was 31 pins over average on the night, largely on a good second game, but I know I could’ve done much better if I made my single pins. This may be something I’ll have to work with Ray on.
Result: 193-221-157=571
Average (51 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 558
My team split the points tonight due to winning the second game being enough to take total despite losing close games to bookend it. “The Badgers” won their second game tonight, so they took the first-half title. If a different team wins the second half, the two teams will roll off for the league championship at the end of the season.
Tournament note: The 47th annual Brockton USBC Bowling Association Championships will take place on February 1 and 8 at North Bowl Lanes in N. Attleboro. The events to be contested are 4-man teams, doubles, and singles, with an optional all-events competition. Entry fee is $20/bowler/event (not sure what the all-events entry fee is), and entries must be submitted by January 26. Doubles and singles squad is 9:00 AM and team squad is 11:00 AM on both days. Prize money will be divided 70% for handicap prizes (will update with the handicap basis) and 30% for scratch prizes. Note: If you enter doubles, you must also enter singles, and if you enter singles, you must also enter doubles. Entry flyers available at the Brockton USBC Bowling Association centers.
New acquisitions
I had to wait quite a while for the pro shop to open, and when it did, it was just Brian Frank in the shop and not Ray, as I had hoped. Nevertheless, I purchased two items: a new USA Bowling Pro Shops shirt, which I plan on having embroidered with my name on the back at a local shop tomorrow (expect photos when this work is done), and a KR Strikeforce two-ball tournament tote. I purchased the latter item because I recently joined the Boston Bowling Meetup Group, which meets for tenpins about every other month at Lanes and Games in Cambridge. I see this as a chance to expand my horizons and bowl in a different house and on different conditions than I’m used to. The next tenpin meet is next month, and I hope to be able to join them for that.
The Tenth Board 
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