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It's been a while, but I've finally got an update worth mentioning. With book averages being recorded on tax day, I'm going to book 209 for the second season in a row. At beginning of February it stood at 204 (November was brutal: 192!) and things didn't look encouraging. In the end, it just took adding few extra pins every week. The 36 pin surplus tonight gave me just enough. By itself, repeating last year wouldn't be remarkable were it not for an amazing night in March.
I like having goals, although they've become more and more difficult to reach over time. First it was a 500 series (3 games), then a 200 game, 550 series, 600 series, 650 series and finally a 700 series. All finished in the first four years (by April 1998). The next set of goals were obvious: a clean series (no opens), a perfect game and a 750 series.
I got obsessed with a clean series for a while and came ever so close, so many times. 30 frames without a major error doesn't sound all that hard but it proved difficult to achieve. The worst circumstance I recall was chopping a 6-10 in the 30th frame. That goal was retired in July of 2001. I've only done it once since.
As for the perfect game, I think I need to reset that goal to an honor game. I'm becoming Mr. 10 in a row and I can't say why exactly. I've done 15 in a row a couple times and 17 in a row once, but an honor score requires 11 in one game and a perfect game is 12. I wish I could just stop thinking about it. On the other hand, Mel Mikkelson (who I think is going to be 78 this summer) waited until he was 71 or so until he got his.
And then my elusive quest for a 750 series. The general idea for hitting 750 is simple; string lots of strikes together and cover all the holes (make spares). Average 250. Just the basics, right? I've been dancing around it for years and the little things will absolutely kill you. An open at an inopportune time, one weak game and so many, many other things. I was reminded of it yet again tonight when a friend finished with 748.
The first week of March, I finally put it all together.
226 - 279 - 269 = 771
The scores don't really reflect it, but I bowled better over the first two games than in the third (it's not entirely uncommon for my bowling and scores to be somewhat out of whack).
The pattern that week was a lot longer than we'd played recently. It was quite a bit narrower and I really had to focus on playing one line. The week before had been bumper ball, stick it in the chute and smack the pocket. My shadow bowling had been a bit erratic but I did start getting it together near the end.
226 I opened by going high and leaving a 4 pin, which I just whiffed on. I strung strikes until the middle of the game when I had a complete brain fart. For some reason I eased off on the delivery speed, it went high and left a 6-7 split. I got the 6 and then strung a few more strikes until the 10th when I bobbled somehow and left the 6-10. Barely picked that up and (I think) left a 10 on the next ball.
279 I started out by second guessing myself. For whatever reason, I was wondering if I'd lost the line and tightened up a bit, leaving a solid 10; nailed it. The spare got me back on track, I'd been right where I wanted to be and the rotation was right (just enough to move my plastic spare ball a bit at the end). Strung 9 in a row and left another solid 10, making it to finish things up.
269 All I can say is that this game is all about karmic payback (and this was an unexpected surprise). The first three balls weren't awful, but were all a bit light, resulting in mushy mix it up strikes. The next ball was a disaster (so bad it's good) going Brooklyn (too far) and resulted in another ugly looking strike. I was laughing at that point and told my teammates that everything else was gravy. The line had changed and adjustments were in order, keep the revs but pick up the speed, get back to what worked (playing the puddle). I rolled along that way until the 9th when I left a 4 (I think I drifted a bit too high). Good first ball in the 10th and then the second sailed high again leaving the 6-10 which I finished off.
An 800 series has always been on the list. The likelihood for a once a week bowler is pretty low, but you never know. And of course, an honor score. Perhaps I should think about qualifying for a regional seniors event in a couple years. I'd get slaughtered but it might be fun.
Posted by Dave at April 12, 2007 12:08 AM