My Week 22 bowling (BowlSK)

I needed an over-average night like this tonight to get some of my confidence back, and, while I was only around my average in the first and last games, my middle game (a 210) was my best game in league all-around in a while, so this should be something to build on. I missed more spares than I should have, but I was finding the pocket again tonight.

Result: 178-210-180=568
Average (66 games): 179 Last 9 games average: 174
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 596

To show how strong my clutch game usually is, I thought my team was on our way to a loss after I missed my spare in the 9th frame of the last game, and I apologized to my teammates for the miss. However, as things developed, we still had a chance to take the point when I came up in the 10th. I proceeded to flush three in the pocket, only leaving a solid 10 on the last ball, while the other team’s anchor couldn’t make a baby split. Therefore, we gained a split where we otherwise might have had a losing night (and we didn’t lose total by much, so if we had a decent first game, it might have been different).

My team managed to pick up a position in the standings despite only gaining a split with “Backyard Bowlers” this week, moving to 4th place in the second half. It might have been a bad week for me, as well, as Eric Nordstrom fired a 684 scratch, 729 handicap series this week, nearly knocking me off of the men’s high series with handicap honor (as it is, Eric’s 684 is the best scratch series in the league to date).

“The Pin Pals” face “The Mustangs,” one of the teams tied for first place in the second half, this coming week.

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.

My Week 20 bowling (BowlSK)

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.

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.

My Week 19 bowling (BowlSK)

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.

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.

My Week 18 bowling (BowlSK)

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! 😀

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.”

Since most of the winter leagues are either at or nearing the halfway points of their seasons, I thought I’d use New Year’s Eve to post the highs for both the men and women (scratch game and series, as well as average) so far in the 2008-09 season at Westgate Lanes. Without further ado…

Men

High Average: 228 Sean Richard (Thursday Handicap Doubles), Harry Thibeault, Jr. (Westgate Mixed)
High Series: 791 Kalvin Chin (Saturday Seniors [youth])
High Game: 300 Danny Khuu (Saturday Seniors [youth]), Harry Thibeault, Jr. (Westgate Mixed), Bob Hamilton (Westgate Mixed), Richard Mines (TNBA)

Women

High Average: 214 Amy Aldridge (Westgate Mixed)
High Series: 711 Amy Aldridge (Westgate Mixed)
High Game: 278 Melissa Peterson (Westgate Mixed)

Note: The Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen league was not considered for this summary, as they bowl a 4-game series each meeting.

Have a Happy New Year, and good luck in the second half of the season, everyone! 😀

As I noted in the previous post, a scheduling error resulted in the position round for the first half being (correctly) moved to the next meeting of the league on Jan. 7. However, since my team and “The Handicaps” both won a point this week, my team’s situation has not changed: we are assured of 9th place in the first half with a 4.5 point lead on “The Handicaps.” The situation at the top of the standings has also not changed: “The Mustangs” must sweep “The Badgers” to win the first half outright. I’m not sure what the tiebreaking procedure is for ties for first place at the end of a half (which can happen if “The Mustangs” take 3 points and tie for a fourth point), but I will let readers know what it is in the event it happens.

The gap from my team to “The Handicaps” in last place is at 4.5 points going into next week’s position round, so “The Pin Pals” will stay out of the basement in the first half. It will still be important to win every point we can, however, as I believe that, except for the league championship, which will have a roll-off if different teams win a half, the prize money for the team finish will be based on overall points won. “The Badgers” and “The Mustangs” will be the two teams vying for the first half title, but “The Mustangs” must sweep, as they are 3.5 points in back of “The Badgers.”

My Week 15 bowling (BowlSK)

As the title implies, tonight was a lost opportunity, as I was 13 pins over my average after 2 games, but then lost it a bit at the end, missing my mark badly a couple of times early and not really recovering, ending the series with a 164, which put me 3 under my average for the night. I closed out the first 2 games strong, so I guess that’s what I’ll take out of tonight.

Result: 194-179-164=537
Average (45 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 555

As a team, we only took the second game, but what a game it was. Carl gave our team a lift by converting the 4-7-9-10 split in the 7th frame, which Patrick took advantage of by posting a hambone starting in the 8th frame for a game in the 180s (all 3 games were over his average, 119, so he’s in line for the Christmas over-average bonus in his average class). I closed out the second game by almost striking out to ensure the point for our team.

Our lead on “The Handicaps” is now 4.5 points, meaning if things stay the same after next week, “The Handicaps” will not be able to get out of first-half basement in the position round in 2 weeks. We bowl against “MT Bed,” the 5th place team, this week, while “The Handicaps” will face “D N F T D,” who are in a tie for 3rd place.

Personally, I was on the leader boards this week, with my 656 series with handicap being the best of the men for the week. My 608 scratch series, as well as my 235 scratch game (and 251 with handicap) were second best for the men this week.

My Week 14 bowling (BowlSK)

Finally! My first 600 in this league, and it comes off my worst league series since my return last week. I had to nurse it at the end, but I did finish with a 608, thanks in large part to a 235 second game, which equaled my best game to date in this league. I’m certain that having my ball cleaned (oil removal) yesterday had something to do with it, as I was getting good ball reaction most of the night. Gar (“prairieskooner”) must have known something was up tonight when he commented on my last post…thanks for the encouragement! 😀

Result: 213-235-160=608
Average (42 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 176
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 549

Team had a winning night (3 of 4 points), but the point we lost was ironically in my nice second game. Oh well, can’t win ’em all!

Unlike us, “The Handicaps” won a point this week and closed ground in the race to stay out of the first half basement. “The Handicaps” happen to be our opponents this coming week in what will likely be a preview of a position round match (which is in 3 weeks).

My Week 12 bowling (BowlSK)

Tonight was just a serious case of my spare game largely deserting me after the first game. My one split was a makeable type and I had a couple of washouts, but it seemed every time I left more than one pin standing, I had trouble. I left my problem 2-4-5 five times and only made it twice, and also missed a 2-4-5-7 (my only open of the first game). It might be time to see Ray about my spare system, but with a class reunion (the 25th of the class before mine) and the holidays approaching, I don’t want to commit cash to a coaching session right now.

Result: 191-167-143=501
Average (36 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 182
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 550

My team had a rare point-and-a-half performance tonight, with the half-point coming as a result of a tie in the second game; I left one of my washouts in the 10th frame of that game, and if I had just hit the head pin on that, my team would’ve won, but I got left of the head pin and only took the 2 and 4.

As Brian pre-bowled tonight, Carl brought me home from bowling for the first time this season. Brian and I like to chat about our respective nights during my ride home, but the ride with Carl was still enjoyable.

Next week is a pre-Thanksgiving feast night, where bowlers in my league are encouraged to bring food to share with the other bowlers, and I have bought a couple of bags of Fritos for this. I am also debating bringing my camera for a team photo and other shots for the “scrapbook.”

This update is a day late in coming, mostly b/c I let it slip my mind. My team continues to hold 9th place, 2 points ahead of “The Handicaps.” With a 241 score with handicap, I had the second best handicap game for the men this week, and was only 5 pins off of the high scratch game. For the second week in the last three, we face the team in second place, “The Mustangs,” next week.

My Week 11 bowling (BowlSK)

I had a shot at breaking two mental barriers I had going into tonight and got one of them. The one I got was my first clean game in the league, that being a 225 second game. The one I missed was my first 600 in the league, largely on my missed spares (3 of them in the first game and another 3 in the last game). Night ended up being enough to raise my average a couple of pins instead of just one.

Result: 203-225-163=591
Average (33 games): 182 Last 9 games average: 187
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 580

The league was divided into average classes for both the men and the women after last week, and I ended up being in the men’s Class A. This will have a bearing on individual prizes at the end of the season, but they start to matter next week, as the bowler in each class with the most pins over average next week will win a $20 prize. I’m not sure how many times in the season they’ll do this, but I’m thankful for this opportunity.

As for the team, we only won the second game point, with our hopes mostly lying on a split of the points after getting creamed in the first game. The third game was close, but I’m kicking myself for not putting much pressure on the other team’s anchor bowler at the end.

Although my team failed to win a point, “The Handicaps,” the team 2 points behind us in the basement going in, also failed to win a point, so there is no change at the bottom of the standings. We face the team immediately ahead of us in the standings, “The Backyard Bowlers,” next week and, although we can’t catch them even with a sweep, we can cut into the deficit to 8th place with a sweep.

A benefit of having bowled with a 140 average early on (although my team took the 140 score for the first three weeks) is that, thanks to my first night 586 series, I currently hold the high series with handicap for the men with a 730 score, a full 40 pins better than the second high series with handicap (two are tied for that spot). If this holds up, that should mean some kind of individual award at the end-of-season banquet.

My Week 10 bowling (BowlSK)

This was a night where I had both my worst league game since coming back and my best game to date in this league. I had a couple of splits and missed a few more spares in the first game and held my own in the second game. It all came together in the third game when I finally got myself to slow down and relax, and really got locked in on the pair from the 6th frame of the last game on for a 235. I had realized I was tensing up late in the second game, so part of my focus in practice will be to get myself to relax, which I hope carries into my league nights. I’ll take tonight, as a night that could’ve been disastrous was saved by the last game for an over-average night. 😀

Result: 136-177-235=548
Average (30 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 179
Next week’s AVG+1: 556

Team failed to win a point, but my last game made things interesting in that game. Some real power players on the other team, so they’re tough to beat when they’re on.

As one of the teams we were tied with at the bottom of the standings going into Wednesday night failed to win a point, our two-point night was enough to get out of the basement. We face “The Badgers,” the second place team, this coming week.