12/13 Bowl for the Soul

Wow, time flies, blog has been idle, though I have been far from that! Time to rhyme....

Been absent from my blog
Coz been working hard like a dog
Found the secret to think clear and deep
Is to get sufficient sleep!

Have not lost time at the lanes (perfect attendance!)
With good practice, have made modest gains
Still battling for consistency
Mental toughness is always key

Finding my groove with Spinderella
In time i will learn to play her bettah
And i really can't complain
130 average i've maintained

And I find each time I'm confounded,
With bowling angels i am surrounded!
Their nuggets of wisdom worth pots of gold
Though when i'm stubborn I deserve the scold

So sometimes time is quite an issue
But practice and play will always continue
Committed to pursue each lofty goal
And to always, with joy, bowl for my soul


I wish for y'all to find your zen and the balms for your souls in this joyful but stressful season. See y'all at the lanes!

11/28 Bowling with Angels

The Scatterpins played the PinPals at Wednesday Night Ladies League tonight.  Kathie ("virgin" bowler at our league with no average and handicap) was subbing for Ruth, who is still out sick (get well soon!).  So it was Sadie, me, Kathie and Ann Marie bowling for the Scatterpins.  Sandy, Carole, Jackie and Bette bowled for the PinPals.

I came a little late and Kathie was watching me closely as I rolled my bag in and started getting all my "gear" out.  She said the gear made me look like a pro!  I had to let her know that the "gear" is meant to make me "look like I know what I'm doing", and is thanks largely to my dear GoPapa hubby Joel, who is a great bowler and makes sure I am well equipped for this game we both love.  She asked what my average was, and I said I could do 150 on a good night, but was happy to get 100+ on bad nights.  I was not sure what kind of night I was going to have but I was going to have fun and throw the darn ball!

The Scatterpins came out kicking on the first game - we all got good scores!  Our team handicap was not set, but we probably won that first game.  I got a great score of 156 - what a great start!  Listening to my Hot Mama coach, lucky charm and bowling angel Ann Marie was truly doing me good!  Dear Kathie bowled a 154 and started saying she should maybe bowl on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays with Ann Marie, since she had bowled so well - way to go, Kathie!  Happy dance, happy dance...we all bowled well and were feeling real good. 

Both teams struggled in the second game, with the lanes breaking down, and our drunken balls started to make some last minute hooks.  I was happy to still get a 135, considering I hit no strikes and had too many missed spares....  Not sure who won that game, we were all anxious to move on and start fresh with the third game.

And boy, did the PinPals get hot in the last game.  They beat us soundly with all of them getting good scores, and Bette narrowly missing getting a 200 game, awesome!  Sweet Sadie (who I jokingly said would now play better since her sweetie was watching...), got the hot hand too and threw her share of strikes = good job, Sadie!  I hit a few strikes after Ann Marie requested them ("just what the Hot Mama ordered"), but continued to struggle with my spares.  My Cake Boss was taking drunken turns (the PinPals got a kick out of smelling my birthday cake ball, which does not smell like socks!), so I switched to using my Spinderella strike ball for my spares, with mixed results, hit and miss, some misses so narrow, "I missed by a roach"...

So my scores tonight were 156, 135 and 139, for a 430 series and an average for the night of 143. Not too shabby, my league average should increase from 128 to 130 after tonight's games.  I am glad my "better" game showed up today.  More work to do but at least I am not doing too bad.  I still need to work on my spares, and told Ann Marie that I should bring her to my practices, as her advice on where I should stand and throw my ball were invaluable to me tonight.  She is truly my Hot Mama lucky charm! 

I wanted to give a shout out to dear Ruby and sweet Shirley, the heart and soul of this league, for taking good care of me, cheering me on, and also keeping me in line (and being patient with me when I give dimes when they ask me for nickels LOL).  I am looking forward to the league's Christmas celebration, and am ever grateful for the blessing of getting to play this game I love with such a wonderful group of ladies.  On my Wednesday nights, I truly feel like I am bowling with angels no matter how I play.  Love yah all, and I hope it shows as clearly as the sheer happiness I feel when I bowl well (just a little bit happy, yah know...).

See y'all at the lanes!

11/21 Happy Turkey Day :)

My super exuberant daughter oftentimes says "This was the best day ever!"  Since the apple does not fall far from the tree, and I did have an awesome night bowling at league tonight, I can say the same.

The Scatterpins were hot tonight, which we needed to be as we were up against some formidable bowlers. We were missing Ruth who was out sick - I almost did not make it in myself with my asthma flaring up, but the Z-Pak made me well enough to play.  So it was Sadie, me and Ann Marie playing for the Scatterpins.  We were playing against the Pathetics: Sherry, Angela (who was absent), Barb and Mary Ann. The Pathetics were throwing strike after strike, and played excellent games. Mary Ann threw many strikes, even got a turkey, and had all her games at 170 and above! Sadie, Ann Marie and I were above average all night though.  In the end, the Scatterpins were lucky to hold our own, and extremely happy to pull off a sweep, 4-0.  We love yah, Sherry, but no mercy! Go Scatterpins!

Happy, happy, joy, joy: I bowled the best that I've done in MONTHS!  Many happy dances on the lanes tonight, even I was finding it quite surreal and unbelievable (or shall I say "unBOWLievable"?).  My scores were 150, 161 and 139, for an average of 150 and series of 450.  I found my spot early, kept my rhythm and was hitting my spares (thanks to some expert coaching from Ann Marie, especially when I actually listened).  My swing was consistent tonight, and my release felt smooth (only pulled it a couple of times).  My Cake Boss killed some 10-pin and 6,10-pin spares (I threw it right most of the time).  My 161 game had my throwing three strikes in the final frame (that's my turkey LOL).  I struggled a little in the last game, with my ball skidding on residual oil and not hooking like it should, but I fought back in the last few frames, adjusting my hand to a 10 o'clock position.  Looking back, consistency and focus were key, as I fought for each pin.  My league average of 125 will be increasing to 128 based on my performance tonight.  Good stuff, practice pays off! 

Sweet Shirley commented that I was bowling like I used to - it did feel good to bowl as well as I did when league started.  To say that I was extremely happy would be an understatement.  It made folks laugh to see me celebrate so exuberantly, which made me even MORE happy (yup, my daughter got my sense of joy!).  It was good to play well, even better to share it with such a fun crowd, my dear Wednesday Night Ladies, especially Ruby and Shirley and my Scatterpins.  I like this improving trend: it makes me very optimistic, eager to work even harder so I get play even better.  My mojo is coming back, hallelujah!

Happy Birthday to Jackie, whose birthday is tomorrow, a National Holiday ;)  Happy Turkey Day, everybody!  See y'all at the lanes!

11/20 Breathers and breathing...

BREATHER:  I've taken quite a breather from blogging, seems like.  It is a good thing I record my scores when I bowl, coz otherwise my bad memory would never allow me to accurately recollect what's been going on!

PREBOWL:  I actually prebowled for league last week, since we were having company over.  I hope the Scatterpins did well.  My prebowl scores on Saturday, November 10 inched a little above my league average of 125.  I had scores of 136, 140 and 118 for an average of 131, which at least results in an upward trend from my previous league night.  I am very slowly getting back up to where I was at beginning of league at end of August. Hopefully I can continue my upward trend in league play, as this would allow me to reach my goal of improving my average to a consistent 150 or better.

PRACTICE:  My practices this week have had me consistently playing in the 120-140 range (except this past Sunday, when the lanes were bone dry and I was happy to hover in the hundreds).  I am getting the hang of my Spinderella (Ebonite Cyclone) and my Cake Boss (Storm Tropical Breeze).  My spare shooting still needs work, but the consistency is improving, so I can't complain.  I even learned how to shoot my ball down the boards from the left side of the lane this Sunday - add another option for dry lane play apart from sticking with the Cake Boss. 

CELEBRATION: We celebrated my baby Joey's 12th birthday at the Palace with a bowling party with a few of her close friends.  Joey has been getting better scores above her average at Adult-Child bowling league.  Glad we can share our love for this sport with her.

COMING UP:

• Philly Pinoy will be having its Jingle Bowl Potluck Christmas Party 2012 at the Palace on December 21.  We're having the Palace set us up for 9-pin no-tap and lowest score, apart from regular games.  Should be loads of fun!
• The Philly Pinoy Annual Bowling League kicks off on January 11 and will be playing through the winter into mid-April. The Philly Pinoy Sunday Bowling Club (me included) have been active participants in the bowling committee  headed by our Sports Commish, Jay Lizardo.  I will be playing with Mitchie, Chelo, Liz and Chona/String - we are the BowlStars, BS for short.  My GoPapa Joel will be playing with Ivan, Roy and Jops, the Lords of the Lanes (LOL for short).  This league is what got me started with bowling, and my need to improve my play is what got me (together with my girlfriends and the other Philly Pinoy bowlers) playing at USBC leagues at Palace.  I am (we all are!!!) hoping to do well this year.  Looking forward to blogging about all that next year - more cool stories to share!

LAST WORD ON BREATHING: I am glad I prebowled last weekend, as I ended up getting the flu last week and would not have been able to play on Wednesday. The fever and chills from last week have improved somewhat but not left me, and the colds have been replaced by a bad cough and nasty congestion. My asthma is flaring, and it's been difficult to breathe without my inhaler. May need a trip to the doctor tomorrow, we'll see if this little "breathing problem" keeps me from playing at league tomorrow night.   We'll see what goes.  If I play, I'll be blogging about it, but if not, I'll be talking to y'all next week.

Until then, Happy Thanksgiving and see y'all at the lanes!

11/7 Hurricanes, Cyclones and Snowstorms, oh my!

I guess I ended up with a hiatus last week when Hurricane Sandy hit the NJ shore.  The devastation was horrible to see, the loss of power in our area was minimal compared to what other people suffered and are still going through.  Needless to say there was no league last week - my beloved Palace had no power from that Monday night when the hurrican hit, until Thursday at 1 pm.  I was already planning to already hit Facenda-Whitaker lanes in Norristown, desperate to bowl for my soul, when I learned that they also had no power, but Palace was open.  So I was able to bowl a few practice games on Thursday, and came back on Saturday with Joey, and on Sunday with the Philly Pinoy bowling crowd, desperate to "get to know" my new Spinderella ball, my Ebonite Cyclone, prior to league night. 

Spinderella likes a smooth, slow release with a touchdown at 6:30, which took a lot of practice to discover and will take more practice for me to consistently deliver.  The release, coupled with finding good rhythm and timing, seemed to be the key to my getting better scores during practice.  I was also getting the hang of playing my Cake Boss, my birthday cake-smelling Storm Tropical Breeze, for the more pesky spares, and was quite proud of how I could hit the 10-pin with it!  I certainly still have a few kinks, so my practice games have ranged from a high of 153 to a low of 83 with this new ball.  So I wondered which game was going to show up at league tonight....

We were playing the PinPals, but only Carole was there to play Sadie, me, Ann Marie and Ruth, the Scatterpins.  Ann Marie and I were comparing the markings on our almost identical Ebonite Cyclones, both drilled to perfection by Donna Roberts in Pottstown.  Both Ann Marie and Ruth gave me grief about using my Cake Boss spare ball for spares other than the 10-pin, but I am a stubborn gal, and it took me about 4 throws with that ball before I got back what I gained during practice and started hitting the 10-pin and 6+10-pin spares (thank goodness!), so they let me be!  The sweet smell of the ball may have helped with the convincing also.... 

The first game went to the PinPals - Ruth was awesome but most of us were still trying to find our groove.  My score was 110, which is below my 125 average: more work needed...

Boy did Sadie get hot in the second game!  She was throwing strikes and doubles and bowling up a storm, it was awesome to see, love her to death, she deserved such an awesome game.  I found my groove in the middle of that game, getting a couple of strikes and finally getting some spares.  Both Sadie and I ended up with scores of 147, and we beat the PinPals soundly.  I am ecstatic coz this is the highest score I've gotten in league in WEEKS, hallelujah!

Ruth was my bowling angel, advising me on my adjustments, where to stand, how to hit my spares.  Ann Marie, my original bowling angel, would tell me to keep loose, hit the second arrow and get a big strike.  Both of them were advising me to stick with just throwing Spinderella (and ignore Cake Boss) so I could get used to it.  I sometimes would smile and just do my own thing (as with sticking with Cake Boss, even if it was not the 7- or 10-pin), to which they would roll their eyes and tell me I was stubborn, and I AM stubborn, but I did try to listen.  So when I got things right after Ruth had told me what to do, I had to hand it to her, coz she WAS right, absolutely right!  It was actually cool especially when the adjustment I was planning to make (as figured out and noted on my Handy Dandy Pink Notebook), was exactly what she recommended me to do, which tells me that although I may overthink things, there are times when what I come up with is actually the right thing.  We are not completely BAD with the analysis part of this game: go BowlVersity!  And we are trainable, we are not a lost cause!

The third game had me bowling close to my average.  I had a couple of strikes but struggled once again with my spares.  I scored a 129, giving me an average tonight of 127.  Bowled at average, can't complain.  I hope this is the end of the "plummeting average" trend I had the preceding weeks at league.  I maintained average tonight, hopefully we can initiate a slow and steady upward trend back to, and maybe exceeding, my initial 141 average. 

For additional celebratory items, I had ZERO gutterballs tonight = none, nada, zilch!  My Cyclone Spinderella came to bowl and scared my gutterballs away.  Gutterball Reduction Initiative is a whopping success.  Now we need to keep that going, and keep making every ball count!

So we did good tonight, but still have some work to do.  Hard work pays off.  It also pays to be surrounded by bowling angels during practice, at league and at the pro shop.  I am so blessed! 

I am praying that tonight's snowstorm (called Athena) does not wreck too much havoc in the already ravaged North East tonight.  The roads were icy when I left the Palace, and the footage on the TV screens of the snow accumulation in New Jersey did not look good.  Be safe, everybody! 

See yah at the lanes!

10/28 Cyclone-Playing in the face of Hurricane Sandy

So what do bowling addicts do in the face of the impending direct hit of Hurricane Sandy?  Play as many games as physically possible at the Palace, of course! 

It is always great fun to play on Sundays with the Philly Pinoy bowlers.  Angie & Edmer, Mitchie & Ivan, Raul & Joy, Desi, Dennis, Romy, Blue, and Paolo were there tonight, laughing with each other about playing and being at the Palace in the face of the approaching storm.  We had yummy palabok (Filipino noodles) c/o Desi's wife and some food for the gods c/o Mitchie.  Yummy food, fun with friends and bowling - what more can I ask for on a rainy Sunday afternoon?  Maybe a better game, as I always seem to be on the cusp of something great!

I played five games with my IncrediBOWL teammates, Chelo and Mitchie, on Friday - I figured I can play one last time with my Beast Ball before I "divorced" it. Then I played four games solo on Saturday, eager to try out my new Ebonite Cyclone and my old Cake Boss spare ball, courtesy of my bowling guru and pro shop professional Donna Roberts. And this Sunday afternoon, I played a total of six games with Papa Joel, my Joey, and the Philly Pinoy bowlers. That's a total of 15 practice games for me in three days!  I am happy to now be able to bowl close to as many games as I used to. I took my time to build up my stamina, and am glad to be well on my way to recovery.

I am also very happy and excited about playing with my new ball, my Ebonite Cyclone that I have christened my Spinderella.  I guess it does look like a pretty marble...  It hooks just like my Misfit did when it was new, but packs enough power to have wicked pin action when it hits the pocket.  Now I just need to work on finding my line quicker and throwing my Spinderella with good control and consistency, as that seemed to be my limitation this weekend. I had good balance and timing on my approach but was experimenting with my release.  The tucking and untucking of my pinky was a good exercise but messed with my adjustments and maybe even with my brain (pinky and the brain...) - next time I will just focus on a good solid plain-jane release.  But I am still "getting to know" Spinderella, after all, and should only get more comfortable over time.  I look forward to eventually taking Spinderella to the "bowl" to meet my first 200 game!  But we will be working hard towards a higher and more consistent average.  I seem to be anchored on my current league average of 124, although I got some scores in the 130-140s.

 

My spare shooting is looking up with my Cake Boss in tow.  On Saturday, I was able to consistently hit all my spares, including the dreaded 10-pin and 7-pin.  Today was not as good, maybe coz the lanes were more oily and my stance needed minor adjustments.  I almost always converted when I smartly determined my stance (thought it through) and then threw the ball with conviction.  This tells me that working on my mental game is critical to my continued progress with spare shooting.

 

I have to give a shout out to Donna Roberts, without whom I would not have the perfectly drilled balls I have in my arsenal.  THANK YOU, Donna, for taking care of all our pro-shop needs, for your expert advice and guidance and now for introducing me to my Spinderella.  I look forward to working with you on improving my game once I am 100%. 

 

So I really can't complain overall: got my new balls, got some good practice in, my approaches were balanced and well-timed, and more importantly, we are happy and healthy and playing again.  Good things are in store!

 

Praying that everybody stays safe and that we all fare well through Hurricane Sandy.  Lots of rain, strong winds, flooding and power outages are predicted.  Schools are closed, public transportation is shut down, and there is no work for most everybody.  I am hoping it is not as bad as predicted.  The storm will have passed by Wednesday, a Halloween league night.  If all goes well, I'll be blogging about how we survived Sandy as I recount how I played on Wednesday night league.  It'll be an interesting week....

 

See y'all at the lanes!

10/24 Bowling like a pirate...argh!

Tonight was my first night back with the Wednesday Night Women's League at the Palace in Downingtown, PA.  Whoo hoo!  It was great to be back!  I did not realize how much I missed being with the wonderful women of this league until I was with them again.  Love them all...

Tonight, playing for the Scatterpins, we had Sadie, then me, then Ann Marie (subbing for dear Ruby), and our anchor was Ruth, who I had not seen since the first night of league in late August.  She had come back while I was out.  My "blind" scores were used while I was out for the past three weeks, and my average had remained anchored at 127.  We were playing against the "Ghost" team with their blind scores. 

Please allow me to gush in utter loving admiration for my team, my beloved Scatterpins. We are not in last place (they lied!) and how I missed just being in their midst and in the heat of the game: Sadie fighting for every pin, Ann Marie telling me to throw my striped ball (strike ball, my ears are gone...), and Ruth telling me that it is the second arrow and not the first. I am so glad Ann Marie and Ruth were watching me, offering their advise, and yes, if I could only actually do what they asked me, I probably would have played better, but they know I truly tried, and I love them for their faith in me! Dear Shirley and Ruby I love to death, such sweethearts, the "guardian angels" and heart and soul of this league, always reminding me to slow down and take things easy, and repeatedly telling me how I was missed and how glad they were I was back. Sadie, Ann Marie and Ruth all had great scores in the first game, we had a mixed bag in the second game, then we all struggled in the last game, needing 40+ pins to win in the last frame! Ann Marie got a mark and Ruth ultimately saved us, such that we won 3-0 with two games and total pins. Great night for the Scatterpins.
I will say that I was overjoyed to be back at league, but not so overjoyed with how I played.  My scores were 102, 120 and 103, giving me an average tonight of 108, which will drop my league average to 123.  BUT I fought for every pin, did well with my right hand spares (better than the left hand ones!), and only had 2 gutterballs all night.  So not bad for my first league night. 

I had a bit of practice on Thursday night (right after I got clearance to bowl, of course!), on Saturday morning and also on Sunday night.  Contrary to before my surgery when I would put in 6-8 games in each practice session, I have limited myself to 3 games on Thursday and Saturday and 4 games on Sunday, so as not to overdo things - I am still recovering after all!  The first nine games I bowled over those three days had scores in the 69-130 range, but the last game was an encouraging 160 - yeah, we can play GOOD!  That game and the few flashes of brilliance tonight with strikes and hard-fought spares give me hope that my game is on the upswing, just as I am ever so slowly on the mend.

SO I bowled like a pirate, argh, coz I might as well have been blind with an eye patch on each eye the way i kept missing my mark tonight.  I could have distracted folks (and myself) with my rhinestone eye patch which I wear while driving, but during practice, it did not do good things for my game....  When I was told by Ruth to keep my eye on the arrow, I asked which eye! Still healing, the vision from both my eyes are still not aligned, and there is still an annoying gas bubble in my left eye.  This may explain why my ball kept going right of my target somehow, and why I had such hard luck with my left hand spares.  I had to slow down my approach and release considerably, and also concentrate really hard on where the ball in my hand was passing on the edge of the lane to ensure I would hit my mark.  This worked for the most part but led to a few pulls when I was late on the release and muscled it too much:  fine edge for me, and something to keep working on.  I had a few good throws and need to concentrate on consistency.  More smart and focused practice and play needed!

Looking forward, I will be getting my old Cake Boss ball (my Storm Tropical Heat that smells like birthday cake) back from my wonderful pro shop professional, Donna Roberts, this weekend.  I am also getting my new Ebonite Cyclone, which Donna had recommended as a replacement for my poor old Beast Ball (DV8 Misfit), which I played tonight.  I am excited coz I watched Ann Marie play her own new Ebonite Cyclone from Donna tonight, and seeing that ball in action is making me hopeful about where my Cyclone may take my game moving forward.  Still thinking of a name for that ball, maybe one will come to me when I actually get to see it and throw it down the lane.  It will be good having a hard hitting new ball in my arsenal, coupled with a sweet smelling spare ball in my Cake Boss.  My spare shooting needs work, and my Beast Ball left me with some weird, disheartening splits and ugly spares after hitting the pocket a couple of times tonight.  Change is in the air, it is time to add more pins to my game with a couple of wicked new balls!

BTW, for more info on my eye condition, do check out my other blog: http://dodgingdarkness.blogspot.com

See y'all at the lanes!

10/19 OMG I am BACK (sorta...)

Got clearance from my doctor to bowl again, after more than three weeks hiatus!  Happy, happy, inspired to more poetry...

Whoo hoo I can play

It's a happy day

Hit the lanes yesterday

Could not wait another day

I am back
But what a shock
My game is sad
Need to practice bad

Vision is still weird
May need to be geared
With my eye patch all sparkly
So I'm not seeing doubly

Need to go slow

Can't overdo, yo

Need to smartly play

To be at league Wednesday

See y'all at the lanes!

9/25 Taking a break

Gonna have to take a break from bowling for a week or so. I'm addicted - can I stand it? But I need to nurse my left eye back to health, not many blind bowlers around!

Be well, everybody, I will see y'all soon enough at the lanes...

9/30 UPDATE: I may actually be out for more than a couple of weeks.  I had retinal detachment and almost lost my eyesight (checkout my blog on my eye troubles at http://dodgingdarkness.blogspot.com).  Am hoping that I can slowly return to bowling by November or December.  Keep on bowling, my friends!

9/19 Bad night poetry

The Scatterpins won one game and total pins against the Gutter Girls tonight - tied!  Gail of the Gutter Girls was by her lonesome, as her teammates either prebowled or were absent (blind).  All my games were below my current (plunging) average of 131 - not a good trend.  My just spa-treated Beast Ball and even my Cake Boss could not help me convert my spares or get enough strikes tonight.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day, which of course spurs me to wax poetic once more:

I look forward and not back
Coz tonight was out of whack
And I need to hope that there'll be better days

And I cannot be depressed
Or let my scores get me all stressed
Bowling should not turn me into a basket case

Let me shrug off days like this
Get some rest and find my bliss
Coz tomorrow truly is another day

I will hit the lanes with glee
Be as happy as can be
No matter what my scores may ever say

My league average is down to 127.  After league I had solo practice and still could not get scores above 130.  Considering that I just had left-eye cataract surgery on Friday and am still not seeing 100% out of that eye, I guess it could be worse!  But I can only blame my eyes so much, I have some work to do to get my average back up.  Have some goals to make!  On the good side, I only had one gutterball all night.  Gutterball Reduction Initiative Index was an all time low of 0.16 (one gutterball out of three league games + three practice games).  I am truly hoping to get the trends turned around for the better.

So I'll see y'all at the lanes!

9/12 Bowling for cookies

Tonight i felt that i was at the Palace for the free yummy cookies instead of competing at league. After having good, productive practice sessions this weekend, I felt prepared to play well and even found my line quickly at practice time before the first game. But I somehow lost it and floundered for most of the night.

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!

9/9 My personal bowl-versity

Bowl-versity = Bowling University

Bowlingball.com has a section called BowlVersity that is full of tips and articles for bowlers at all levels. Since I'm constantly seeking ways to improve my game, the eternal student in me has enrolled in my own personal bowl-versity, starting with all the wonderful teachers and gurus I have had:  special mention to my own GoPapa Joel (mentor and cheerer extraordinaire), Jops "one board" Datu, and Angie "you can do it" Sotomango - thank you so much!  Then there is my Bowling Fundamentals book by Michele Mullen (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0736051201 ), YouTube videos on bowling tips (Fred Borden is a personal favorite), the BowlVersity articles mentioned above, and a wonderful coach named Sue Minchew who I fatefully discovered online in the midst of my summer slump. Sue can be found in bowlersparadise.com, and the article of hers that speaks to my game today is at this link: http://www.bowlersparadise.com/articles/coachescorner/susie-minshew/dont-get-crazy-over-it.shtml  I try to read Sue's articles regularly, since her tips are SO helpful to me, and I know I need all the help I can get!

Of course, all the reading and videos won't help me without regular practice at the lanes - it is a mental and physical game. I have to constantly work on good muscle memory on my approach, my release and my spares. I also need to build a tough, intuitive mental game that allows me to quickly find my line and to adjust effectively. Like I said in a previous blog, there are no bad days on the lanes if you are learning and get the take-home lesson. With practice, I learn what works for me and what doesn't, which I write down in my trusty pink notebook to facilitate review and recall. As a scientist, I try to keep only those learnings that have been validated, those tips that have proven true time and time again (such as move left if the ball curves left). But sometimes stuff in the discard pile comes back, so those tips get an asterisk as something to conditionally try - they're the back burner stuff that worked at one point, but may not always work, such as strategies to consistently get the 10-pin (still working on that!).

In the best of days, my card catalog of everything I've ever done, both good and bad, comes through crystal clear (without looking at my notes!) and what I need to do becomes instinctive. It feels like déjà vu, I KNOW exactly what to do and how to do it, and, more importantly, am able to do it! My recent practices have felt this way at certain moments, like a slowing down of time, a clearness of mind, a feeling of utter control and awareness of what I am doing, a zenlike state where bowling seems easy. Like a runner's second wind, it is a certain kind of high, one that makes me play as good as I do in my dreams. Oh, to have that feeling stay, how glorious that would be, my goals would certainly be attainable!

Of course the bubble bursts, and my string of strikes gets interrupted by gutterballs and open frames. But that's where practice helps with both my mental and physical game, allowing me to determine what helps to bring about the zenlike state (detachment and objectivity), and what tricks make my physical game more consistent and my weaknesses not as big a factor (focus and slowing down).  Practice is also invaluable in building on my card catalog of experiences and learnings, on what worked and what didn't based on certain conditions. The hope is that the learnings make league play as good as (or better than!) practice, just as quizzes and final exams demonstrate that the student has learned the course material. And then the bigger hope is retention, a continuous demonstration of a learned skill, not just dumb luck! So I have to be patient, I am progressing, this is my journey, and I AM truly happy to have these zenlike moments along my journey when I can see what I am capable of, and can truly say that my education is paying off.  To be able to play at the best of my current abilities IS sufficient reward, but always celebrated with the humility of knowing that the next bad day or seasonal slump may hit at any time.

So school is in session. It'll be a lifelong bowl-versity for me, class may never be dismissed! See you at the lanes, or shall I say "at class"?

UPDATE: Been getting consistent averages in the 140s at practice sessions this week.  The zenlike moments have given me turkeys (whoo hoo!) but the gutterballs and mental farts have kept my scores in the 120 - 167 range.  The Gutterball Reduction Initiative (GRI) is better, with my GRI index (gutterballs per game) kept at 1.0-1.2.  Did not get to discuss this with Donna, but I do get to bring home my birthday cake ball tomorrow - not sure if I can try it out before league, but I'll be writing about it and this week's league next time (if not earlier!).  Have practice tonight, while my Joey and GoPapa Joel are at Adult-Child League.  Thanks for reading!

9/5 Looking good

Second week of league and the Scatterpins  (Sadie, me, Ann Marie and Beth, subbing for Ruth) are up against the Pathetics (Sherry, Angela and Mary Ann, Barb was absent/blind) with only a 12 handicap.  I was in black and white, to match my shoes, since as Chona/String would say, "those who can't play, display!"  I was nervous about my 139 average from last week: can I maintain it?  After Labor Day's dry lane adventure, tonight was going to be interesting.

FIRST GAME was a lesson in adjustments.  Unlike last week, my line was hard to find, the lanes being nicely oiled but spotty, with areas near my usual line that were slick, right next to areas where my ball would bite and skid. Fought through it, adjusted my wrist and release, and got my groove halfway through, even getting a 10-pin spare! Then in the final frame, my Beast Ball skidded into the corner missing a "sure thing" 6-pin spare, sliding into the 10-pin space.  Too bad, my first game score of 131 (below average!) could have been better.  Could have been worse too though, coz all the Scatterpins were struggling.  Even hot hand Beth could not get a mark.  We conceded that first game to the Pathetics, and shrugged it off as "warm up".

SECOND GAME, started out really good.  I had the hot hand, getting strikes and spares through the 6th frame.  Even good ole Sadie was getting strikes and spares, which we needed coz Ann Marie and Beth were still fighting to find their groove, even contemplating beer as a means to walk and throw "straighter".  The open frames and the gutterballs started plaguing me though, such that I had to keep my hand in rosin for the rest of the game to make sure Beast Ball stuck by me until I was ready to release it down the lane.  I ended up with strikes in the 8th, 9th and beginning of 10th frame, ending with a score of 167 - whoo hoo!  Since Sherry is in charge of the 50/50 raffles, we had to skip her in the second game and then let her catch up after we were done playing.  In the end, the Scatterpins did great and won the second game.  I was getting antsy and worried that as we waited for Sherry to catch up, I'd forget how to line up and lose my groove.  So began the third game...

THIRD GAME had me throwing strikes on the right lane and then getting open frames on the left.  Uggh....drastic measures were needed.  I kept throwing the ball into a slick area down the 2nd arrow (board 10), where it just kept going, straight into the 6,10 pins.  So I decided to move 5 boards to the left (left foot on board 25) and throw the ball straight down the third arrow (laydown on board 15) and got a strike - holy guacamole!  After more gutterballs and a few instances of pulling left, I was happy to end with a 147.  Ann Marie had a couple of strikes and Beth had all strikes in the last 5 frames, saving us from being defeated in the last game.  Mary Ann and Angela were getting their strikes and spares, thank goodness Beth could save us! 

So we won the third game and total pins, getting 3 wins - 1 loss against the Pathetics.  Ruby said we were in second place.  Both Ruby and Shirley mentioned that I had a great game, even got one of the highest scores of the night.  I had a 444 series (Ann Marie suggested I play those numbers in the lottery...), and my average was 148 for the night.  This means my league average will increase to 143 and my earlier question remains:  can I maintain?  I guess we shall see!  League is long, it is early in the season.  I am happy to be doing good, and of course am always hopeful for better, coz I work hard at it!

Speaking of "better", the Gutterball Reduction Initiative (GRI) was completely ineffective tonight.  Got 6 gutterballs in 3 games, giving GRI Index of 2.  Since keeping my fingers in rosin all night during league is not ideal (hard to eat the free cookies...), I plan to seek professional help by discussing my issues with holding on to the ball with my pro shop professional, Donna Roberts from Pottstown, who I also hope has my birthday cake ball drilled and ready for play.  I will let you know what she says.

In the meantime, I plan to practice before next league night, as even the most frustrating practice sessions seem to be improving the consistency of my approach, swing and release.  Scores are looking good,  I am slowly improving and progressing towards my goals, I am a happy girl....  See y'all at the lanes!

9/3 It's all GOOD (with Dry Lane poetry)

Have to remind myself that while I am still learning, there are no "bad" days at the lanes - it is all GOOD, as long as I keep the take home lesson.  Today was such a day: all scores below my average (was  happy to get scores above 100!), the lanes were bone dry and my Beast Ball had a mind of its own most of the time (and the one time I tried to throw my Slingshot ended in a gutterball, uggh).  But I hang in there, found out what worked (for a while, then had to keep adjusting!) and actually did OK considering how much we were all struggling.  So not a bad day, even got a few cool hits on some 6,10-pin and 10-pin spares, which of course serves as good inspiration for "some" poetry:

When lanes are dry and hard to read
A dry lane ball is what you need
A plastic ball that will not hook
Or one that gives a consistent look

Aggressive balls will drive you mad
As wayward hooks become the fad
Even the best become bereft
The pins untouched as their balls hook left

Some play with speed, loft and release
And find some moments of fleeting bliss
Some pray, some fight, and to the left adjust
Their gadgets shorn with sheer disgust

Some dance, some laugh, some are drawn to drink
Some analyze, focus and need to think
Of what to try, to do, to change
So what comes next is not so strange

So the lesson is that, just like life,
Those most prepared need not suffer strife
And the bowler that comes most ready to play
Will conquer the lanes most any day

A shout-out to Desi, Dennis, Angie and Edmer, who played with Joel and me at Palace today.  Lots of people at the Palace today, the weather was awful and rainy, so scores of folks brought their families to the lanes for the Labor Day Holiday.  It was fun despite the frustrations, there were some good scores there amongst the gutterballs! 

Speaking of gutterballs, my Gutterball Reduction Initiative (GRI) took a nosedive today, my total gutterballs was 6 out of 5 games.  I am modifying my GRI Index calculation to normalize for number of games played: dividing the number of gutterballs by number of games played gives me a GRI Index of 1.2 for today.  My 2 gutterballs over 5 games on Sunday had my initial Index at 0.4, a whopping 300% increase/decline.  Uggh, blame the lane conditions, brain conditions, rain conditions, whatever.  Gotta do better coz I lost some good opportunities there.

I bowl next at Wednesday league.  Let's see how I do playing with my 139 average from last week.  Go Scatterpins!

9/2 Got an app for that!

Talk of my trusty pink notebook in my previous blog made my dear friend Ed ask about whether I have graphs and stats on my progress and any decision trees and flow charts for my adjustments on the lanes. These are the types of tools i use a lot of at work, i am a flowchart queen! It's a yes on the stats, got an app for that! And it is a no on the flow charts: I considered that and just ended up with lists of points to consider (how to hook or not to hook the ball, etc) in my trusty pink notebook.

The app i use is called Best Bowling. I tracked my progress from January to mid August this year on the Free version of the app, but then had to switch to the paid version after I used up the max number of entries. Upon review, I had increased my average by 40 pins over 7 months, of which I am quite proud coz darn I worked hard for it! I recommend this app if you like logging your scores and seeing your progress graphically plotted.

Been doing okey at practice lately, even got a 194 at Facenda-Whitaker lanes today while practicing with the guys and gals that will become the BOWLdStars (BS) and the Lords of the Lanes (LOL) come Philly Pinoy league time in January. The IncrediBOWLs (Chelo, Mitchie and I) are part the BOWLdStars with Liz and Chona. LOL has our husbands Roy, Ivan, Joel and Jops (Chona is single). It was fun, we all had great games! Joel and Jops got 200+ games. I thought I could get mine finally, but my scores dropped after that first game - maybe some other time. Still played above average so can't complain. Still in love with my Beast Ball but can't wait for my birthday cake ball to be available for play (still being drilled).

Also had a good start to my Gutter-ball Reduction Initiative (GRI). Had to start this when some good games i had going this week were marred by gutterballs in the last frame, when i should be converting to up my score! My number of gutter balls at this session was only 2 (GRI Index =2). Rosin is my friend. Focus is what I need to keep my GRI index down. I will continue to report on the GRI as the season progresses.

Happy Labor Day Holiday, everyone! You may see me at the lanes tomorrow!

8/29 And so it begins...

FIRST NIGHT of fall-to-spring leagues, boy oh boy, the averages get set tonight.  I had been excited all week but was running late and arrived at 6:30 pm sharp at the Palace, which is shameful for me as I can see the Palace from my house!  We actually had company at home, since Joel's brother Sani and his family (wife Ghen, son AJ, daughter Debbie and golden retriever Mocha) came to visit from Brampton, Canada en route to AJ's Filipino youth basketball tournament in the Washington DC area.  I reluctantly left them - Joey was SO overjoyed to spend time with her cousins (including the four-legged cousin!).  But I did return back home right after league at 8:30 pm - did not play my usual additional 3-4 practice games after league tonight (bitin ako!).

THE SCATTERPINS:  I finally got to meet dear Ruby's team, the Scatterpins, that I got recruited into for the Wednesday Night Womens League.  We have Sadie, who bowls first, I bowl second, then we have Ann Marie who bowls third, and Ruth bowled as anchor.  Sadie and Ann Marie played in the summer league, so we knew each other and we were happy to be playing together!  Ruth was taking care of everything, I am thankful and so relieved.  After being team captain this summer for the IncrediBOWLs, it was new for me to just sit back and have someone else taken care of the monies, the line-up, etc.etc.  No handicaps tonight, since it is the first night and averages got set.  But I was so laid back I do not even know the name of the team we played against!  It was Lynn and Donna and two blind (absent) team mates, whatever their team name is....

Ruth was subbing for Ruby, who may be sitting out a lot of games as her feet are still badly swollen.  They kept her from playing all summer league, although she still was present at every game, taking care of all of us as league treasurer and holder of the money bags.  Sweet Shirley, who was league president this summer, is also sitting out games since she is scheduled to have surgery on her ankle.  Super sub Ruth actually only bowled tonight, but then will be out for knee work.  I am extremely lucky to be bowling as much as I do, and to not have my knees bothering me lately - I have constant reminders to keep myself healthy so I can keep on bowling!

AND SO IT BEGAN.  Nobody was taking advantage of the practice time except for Ann Marie and me (saving their energy for the game!), but my practice throws felt good, and I found my line pretty quickly (no adjustments from my initial stance).  Thank goodness coz practice was stopped after three minutes to start the games.  And boy did I start HOT!  Lynn from the opposing team called me a sandbagger coz I had all spares and strikes the first half of the first game.  Donna kept reminding me that I should keep my average low, so I could play above average the rest of league.  I said I don't always play so good, so I was going to milk it for as long as I can, I can suffer some other day....  Ann Marie said "keep on doing what you're doing" so I said I'll try. I could not keep it up, the open frames started coming (dreaded 10-pin, stupid splits), and in the end of the first game I had a 141 and the highest score amongst the 6 players in our pit.  This is above my 134 summer league average, and I was happy to get it, although of course it could have been higher if I had converted on my spares - I started so cleanly!  But of course I'll take it, whoo hoo!

SECOND GAME started with a good spare but then the curse of the open frame hit.  Ann Marie at one point just leaned over and said "Jing, go get us a hot strike". And I took the shot and gave her a strike!  OMG, did not think I could "deliver" on demand but it worked that one time (thanks to my notes on my adjustments, my trusty pink notebook, see picture attached).  Ann Marie tried again to ask me for a strike later in the second game and I was able to give her another strike!  Ann Marie is my lucky charm.  Those strikes allowed me to salvage the second game from the open frames and come up with another 141 game.  Am I consistent or what?

MY TRUSTY PINK NOTEBOOK: It is just one of those bound pocket journals with an elastic closure and lined pages, and I put in pink lines for board 20 (middle of the lane) and blue or green lines for the lane and board markings, so I could mark my stance (left foot position) with an asterisk) and my laydown point/target with an arrow.  I use two pages at a time, to note adjustments for both lanes used at league play.  This is good for me coz I get confused or forget, and needed a system to remember where I should stand on each lane, especially since the lanes do change and break down during play.  I would also note what positions were working or not for my spares.  For example, the scribbles in the bottom right say to adjust 2 boards per pin for the left side spares, since my original 3 boards/pin did not work for a 7-pin spare I had in the first game.  The notes on the 10-pin on the left hand side worked!  I actually did pretty good with my 6/10 pin spares tonight, but was a little disappointed with how I missed my 3-pins - unbelievable....

THIRD GAME did not start so good, and my Beast Ball started to not hook again.  Good thing I remembered GoPapa Joel telling me on Monday night after practice to try adjusting my gadget to cock my wrist more, as a means of getting Beast Ball to hook a bit more.  When I tried it, it worked!  This of course coincided with Ann Marie asking me to please "go get another hot strike coz we need one," and I delivered yet again!  Between the "hot strikes", and some "hard thought" and hard fought spares, I was able to play a 137 in the last game.  It was great to have the luxury of focusing on my own game, I hope to take better advantage of this as the league progresses.  Ann Marie got a 147, but everybody else was playing below their averages.  Sadie had scores in the 90-110 range, Ann Marie 's first two games were in the 120s and Ruth averaged in the 130s.  Our team did good, the Scatterpins swept our opponents!  We are winner!

IN CLOSING, my current league average is 139, and I was darn consistent tonight.  Am I "doomed" for rest of league?  It's a long league, I hope not, but I am happy to play well, and hope to get even better so I can reach my lofty goals of a 150+ average and a 200+ game!  I am a happy girl tonight, in love once again with my Beast Ball.  The Beastie delivered, I did better than my summer league average!  We'll see how long this honeymoon lasts...  I came so close to ordering yet another ball today, but not after tonight.  We'll see about next week (and the week after that, and the week after that...).  One of my goals is consistency though, which is why I am happy with how I did, and how I was able to take advantage of what I could do tonight.  More in store, more in store, I feel so blessed!

Tomorrow, we bowl again.  The lanes are calling, see y'all there!

Fun was had by ALL...

Wow, what a night at the Palace for the Philly Pinoy regular bowlers this past Sunday. It was the last night of Joey and my Sunday Night Adult-Child Summer League, where we bowled as a team called "Bowling for Nachos." It was a free bowling night, as we could bowl as much as we wanted with our friends and family with free pizza and soda. A total of 15 people on 4 lanes dined and bowled - instant party! We should have brought cake! On lanes 19 and 20, we had Blue, Desi and Joy vs Chelo, Mitchie, Angie and me. Lanes 17 and 18 eventually moved to lanes 15 and 16 (technical difficulties) and had Lino, Romy, Paolo and Raul vs Joel, Ivan, Roy and Edmer. We all bowled 3-4 games and they were all FREE! Just in time coz the practice games at Palace were going through a 100% increase from $1 to $2 per game by Monday and we are cheap!

So many memorable vignettes from our fun night, no wonder we were so raucously noisy with merriment! Here are a few:

- We had chants of "blue" which sounded like "boo" when Blue hit a good shot - brand new cheer!

- Desi pretended to be "shooting" us down like James Bond when he got a strike, kumakasa pa! Not only that, he would dance "body language" like Frieda Fonda - naluma ang nga BOWLdStars!

- We swore there was Velcro on the mighty 10 pin, always seemed to stay upright. Then there was a ball magnet on the right gutter, victimized me and a few others, especially as we tried to hit the mighty 10 pin!

- Lino had to leave early (home to the Commander!), but while he was absent, he was well on his way to a perfect game as everybody on lanes 15-16 took turns throwing strikes in his name - galing ni Lino!!! Everybody was throwing strikes! The guys were under pressure, who was going to break the streak? Alas it was Ka Iban.... "Lino" still had an awesome 200 game with good teamwork, great job, guys!

The lanes were oiled for league play but broke down rapidly and so got difficult to read. My beast ball did well on the first game, giving me the usual wicked hook when thrown down the boards between the 1st and 2nd arrows, giving me a 140 score and allowing me to hit a couple of 6/10 spares using a laydown spot on the 20th board targeted through the third arrow. Wow, I sound like I know how to bowl! But then the lanes broke down and residual oil on the backend was not allowing my beast to hook at the right side of the lane. I took drastic measures and moved RIGHT, changing my left foot stance from the middle (20) to boards 15-18, to throw my beast with only a slight hook from a laydown point on board 8 into the second arrow straight to the pocket. That worked for a while. But when that led to the ball getting magnetically drawn to the gutter too often (darn open shoulder), moving to the left (left foot on board 25) and throwing straight down board 16 (3rd arrow) seemed to work too. Weird but this seems to be the way Beastie plays nowadays, it's imitating a spare ball! Now I just need to actually master those spares....

Only half a year more till Philly Pinoy league starts in January 2013, most of the regular Philly Pinoy players that played at this "party" will be playing at leagues in the fall. Should make for a truly fun and competitive league this winter for Philly Pinoy. Good luck to all the fall league players. I'll see y'all at the lanes, dear friends!

P.S. The IncrediBOWLs practiced with GoPapa Joel and my Joey this evening. My teammates were their usual awesome selves. Even Joey played really well! My just boiled and exfoliated Beast played no different than Sunday night. I got to practice the new approaches from right and left and even got three strikes in the last frame of the second game. I was able to practice my spares, so i should be set for Wednesday night league. Bless my game, gonna do my best and lift up the rest! Till then....

Enjoy the pic taken of me at winter league this year. Hoping my scores start looking as good as my finish!

Welcome to JingGal Bowls!

MY FIRST BLOG!


I am very excited to welcome you to "JingGal Bowls", the journal of my bowling saga, my journey to a better game.  I had chronicled through a weekly email newsletter I called "That's IncrediBOWL", the IncrediBOWLicious saga of the IncrediBOWLs, a team I had formed with two of my BFF's, Chelo and Mitchie, when we played this summer at the Downingtown Palace Wednesday Night Ladies League.  In search of a better "newsletter" in this digital age, I have created this blog. 

ABOUT ME

I am an improving and evolving player.  I have been bowling for about two years, and am a certified bowling addict. Thank goodness I am walking distance to the Bowling Palace, where I can be found almost every day and whenever possible.  My current USBC average is 134, of which I should be proud and happy since my (non-USBC) league average was 105 when I started in May.  My highest score is 193, and I have averaged 150 on a couple of great days at league.  I am looking for consistency, for quicker reads and adjustments on the lane, smarter play, conversion of my spares.  I want a 200 game at USBC league play, and I am working towards an average that is 150+.

MY GEAR

Attached is a picture of my ll-lb magenta and yellow DV8 Misfit, which I got in late April and had played for about 250 games. From a beauty of a candy ball, it is now my "Beast Ball".  It is my first fingertip grip ball, and it improved my play considerably this summer, making games in the 170-190 range possible.  I had not gotten scores like that with my previous 10-lb balls, my black and pink Brunswick Slingshot and my Columbia black and pink spare ball.  The Misfit really does well on medium oil lanes for USBC league play, where I can throw it down the lane through the 1st and 2nd arrow and it hooks back beautifully into the pocket.  Alas, my beauty died and would not hook anymore after almost 150 games (in time for my birthday!  I was in tears!), and it now needs frequent "spa treatments" (hot water soakings and occasional scotchbrite exfoliation) for me to get consistent wicked play out of it.  

Beast Ball has been my ball of choice even for spares on league nights, since I am just more comfortable throwing it and the additional weight somehow gives me better pin action with multipin spares.  Somehow I cannot throw my Slingshot or my spare ball consistently recently, it may be the difference in weight, or just something in my head.  These older balls had conventional grips which I had redrilled with fingertip grips to mimic my Misfit (c/o Yvonne/Yvette at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes).  I have gotten better scores from my Slingshot on occasion, but still prefer the Misfit's pin action.  Unfortunely Beast Ball gets difficult on me when the lanes start breaking down or are extremely dry.  So I am adding a new dry lane ball to my growing arsenal, an 11-lb ball currenly being drilled with fingertip grip c/o Donna Roberts Pro Shop in Pottstown.  I will talk more about my "birthday cake" ball when I get it back from Donna in a week or so. 

 

UP NEXT

I will be playing in the Fall/Spring Wednesday Night Ladies League at the Palace starting this coming Wednesday, August 29.  Tomorrow, Sunday, August 26 is the last day of our Adult Child League, which my daughter Joey and I joined as a team called "Bowling for Nachos".  It's a free play night for family and friends and we have invited folks to come and join us.  Should be another great night at the lanes.  See you there!