The Scatterpins were up against the PinPals: Sandy, Carole, Bette and Jackie (who prebowled), all really good competitive players. It was Sadie, me, my lucky charm Ann Marie and hot hand Beth. Sadie had excellent scores all night (go Sadie!). Ann Marie and I had flashes of brilliance amidst constant battles with our drunken balls. Beth got her groove after the first game and threw strikes galore! But we got swept by the PinPals. I should have stayed home, my scores were 95, 96 and 133. Somehow Beast Ball would not hook when I wanted and hooked when it shouldn't. Some things worked but never for long so adjustments were constant. Could not move with a groove....
For the first game, my score was a disappointing 67 at the 9th frame, after 2 gutter balls in the 8th frame had me walking around the Palace to get some fresh perspective. I somehow salvaged the game with strikes in the 10th frame, starting to feel that maybe my game was back.
It wasn't, so I switched to my new purple ball in the middle of the second game. I ended up finding my line too late, constantly missing my spares by one board: one board! I am still getting used to the new ball, but I figured I had nothing to lose by just practicing with it, since my game was non-existent. I had to joke that I did one point better in that second game (96 is better than 95) and wow, I was consistent, just consistently bad! It was especially awful knowing that we lost that second game by only three pins. If only I had played better....
I vowed to get a score above 97 in the third game, and I did, starting to get the hang of throwing my sweet smelling new ball. I was at 133 at the last frame with one more ball to throw: I would score at my 143 average if i got a strike. Alas that last ball was a gutter ball - a fitting end to a horrible series.
With 6 gutter balls in three games, Gutterball Reduction Initiative (GRI) was a fail, with index of 2.0 gutterballs per game. When it's bad, it's really bad. Ugh....
So i HAD to stay and practice throwing the new ball, at least to prove to myself that I CAN still throw some good balls even on a bad night. Unbelievably my practice scores were 157, 139 and 143 - where was all that earlier? I guess it happens.... At least the night was not a complete loss: a lesson in humility (horrible play lurks at every corner), a means to lower my average and also I got more comfortable with the new ball. On post-game analysis, Beast Ball was overdue for spa treatment (hot water bath). Also can't underestimate the value of a good night's sleep - fatigue really hurt my game, both physically and especially mentally.
Switching gears to the good stuff, i am quite excited about my new ball, a purple and pink Storm Tropical Breeze. It did give me my better scores in the third game and at post-league practice. It smells like birthday cake, and is 11 lbs with fingertip grip drilled by Donna Roberts at Pottstown (thank you, Donna!). Beast Ball has a new companion and rival for my affection, my Joey wants me to call it my Cake Boss: smells like a cake and (hopefully) boss of the lanes! Maybe throwing the Cake Boss will have me bowling to win and not bowling for cookies at future league nights. Looking ahead, I have to remember to expect and to take the good and the bad. "School is still in session" as I find I need to learn to deal with nights like tonight. Tomorrow is another day. I'll see y'all at the lanes!
Go PAPA UPDATE: My GoPapa Joel played really well at the first night of Adult-Child League at the Palace this Sunday. He had the highest scores of the league with 193 average and a 200+ game, whoo hoo! Go Papa! So happy he is playing at league with Joey and doing so well. Hope he can maintain, i know he can!
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