The House of Pain

Welcome to the House of Pain, ladies and gentlemen.  Please secure all loose items and buckle your safety belts as your ride for the next few days will undoubtedly be turbulent.  There will be emergencies; save yourself and just try not to perish.

Nestled behind a strip mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana hides a bowling center named Georgetown Bowl.  However, those in the know refer to it as, “the House of Pain.”  Scores are low…always.  During the tournament bowlers can be heard saying things like, “these pins weigh seven pounds!” and “nice oil pattern!” or “where is the oil?”  Add to all of this that the pairs all play different from one another and you have an incredibly difficult scoring environment.

The oil pattern for this year’s tournament was Chameleon.  The pattern accented the difficulties presented by the high friction wood lanes.  Chameleon is a strip oil pattern, leaving large areas of the lane unplayable.  Players were forced to throw the ball hard and straight with slow response (but clean) equipment or incredibly slowly and hook the lane with moderately fast response balls.

As a lefty, I could not move into the middle of the lane.  I have to find lay down oil and moving in will not allow that on this oil and pattern combination.  Essentially, the only option was to play outside, around the first arrow, throwing the ball firmly.  The ball choice varied depending on the lane.  All equipment was drilled with the pin 6 inches or more from the axis; one was pin up and the other pin down. 

Once again, I started on an end pair.  Once again, this pair was tighter than any other pair in the center.  I was forced to start the tournament further left than I prefer; laying the ball down on the first board.  When there is not free hook on the gutter that is not a wise place to play.  For eight frames I was able to grind a clean game at a 190 pace.  However, in the ninth frame I dumped one in the channel and did not convert the spare.  The result was a 178 game that was a 205 with any kind of mark (I struck out in the tenth).

For the next five games I played them as simply and intelligently as I possibly could.  My only opens were two pocket 7-10 splits.  In games two through six I went 36 over with a low game of 197.  However, the pain was coming!  On the next pair my first shot hooked immediately and went Brooklyn.  The next shot I moved three and went Brooklyn again.  Again, I moved three and went through the face.  Finally, I went another five boards and managed to hit the pocket.  Aside from a split when the ball went through the face, I stayed clean and managed a 187. 

Though that game dropped me from 4^th on the squad to 7^th, I was still in good shape for the finals.  I thought the worst was behind me.  Oh, how wrong I was!  Game seven was truly what the House of Pain is all about.  I threw the ball well, but was absolutely stuck in jail.  The ball hooked at my feet inside and too much down lane if I played out.  In hindsight, I should have thrown a very smooth rolling ball and stayed out of trouble.  Alas, I did not and I shot 157. 

The final game I shot a solid 205.  However, that was not strong enough to make the finals or even get a check.  This happens from time to time.  Unfortunately, the House of Pain got the best of me for one game.  Of course, the house of pain only needs one game.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

There are some great feelings in life that you never want to become passé.  I am talking about those things that you absolutely love doing and maybe never thought you would get to do.  For me some of these things are; hanging out with my wife whom I love very much, traveling to new places, and (though it sounds weird) bowling on Sundays.  Obviously, the first in the list wins by a long shot. However, for those who love bowling, competing in the finals of a PBA regional event is an incredible experience.

As a result of the incredible strength of the field in Coldwater, 32 bowlers qualified to bowl on Sunday.  Of course, when the field has over 40 PBA Regional champions, 21 current or former exempt players, and 13 National tour champions, 32 to the finals seems reasonable. 

The format favored those who qualified well, as pins carried over.  We bowled 4 games, cutting the bottom eight followed by three cutting the bottom eight, two cutting the bottom eight, and two cutting the bottom four.  Going into Sunday I was in 10^th despite leading my squad because the bowlers on C squad broke the pattern down wisely and capitalized on the mistakes of previous squads.  This meant I just needed to bowl smart to make the first two cuts.

During the first squad I used a pin up sigma with more surface than Saturday.  As the pattern was run more, the areas that hooked began to hook more while the areas where there was hang hooked less.  This created a pronounced cliff between the hang and the hook.  I typically combat this with smooth rolling balls and surface.  Such a ball blends the severe wet dry far better than anything else.  However, I used a pin up ball to give a fast response as the backends were very tight.  I shot a four game total of 798 and maintained the same position through the first four game squad.

The biggest curveball of the day was that the lanes were not being re-oiled until the top four stepladder.  As a result, I chose to reset the surface on my equipment between rounds.  Everything was taken one step shinier than it had been.  For example, the ball that was 500 went to 1000, the ball at 1000 went to 1500, and the ball at 1500 went to 2000 between rounds.

The next round was three games.  During the practice session I tried a pin down Sigma Tour.  While it did not recover as well as its pin up counterpart, the pin down allowed me to play straighter and keep the ball in play.  On low scoring patterns, the most important task is simply keeping the ball in play.  This three game block went incredibly well with a 202, 227, and 267.  I moved up from tenth place to third. 

Bowling is a fickle game, though, and a good look can go away in the blink of an eye.  This is exactly what happened to me.  The first game of the third round I bowled on a pair that (somehow) Rhino and I had not touched yet.  It was completely fresh and I had no read on it.  Unfortunately, I never figured out this pair.  If I tried to square up on the lane, the ball read early and split.  If I tried to go around it, the ball never got started.  In hind sight, I should have switched from the Sigma to the Raptor.  While it would have been hard to keep on line, at least it would have hooked every time I threw it.  This game was my only really terrible game of the weekend and was in the 150’s. 

Going into the final game of the round of 16, I knew that I had to shoot around 200 to make the next cut.  Unfortunately, I was back on the dreaded end pair (where I started the tournament).  I was clean for the first nine frames, and was pacing a decent 200 game.  Then, I missed a 2-4 in the tenth.  It was incredibly embarrassing and frustrating.   My spares had been so good all weekend and I had been clutch every time I needed a strike all to get to this point and miss an incredibly easy spare.

Ultimately, however, I was pleased with the weekend.  Even easy spares were made difficult on this pattern.  A ninth place finish had to suffice.  This weekend was a barometer of how my off-season work has gone.  It seems, based on this performance on a pattern that has consistently befuddled me that things are progressing nicely.

It's Good to be Shallow?

Lanes 15 and 16?  REALLY?  The end pair?  Are you kidding me?  Of all the starting pairs, I drew the end pair! 

Pla Mor lanes in Coldwater, Ohio is a 16 wood lane center.  While the lanes are immaculate, after years of use, lane topography issues are bound to occur.  In this particular center the last pair plays nothing like the rest of the center.  While that is frustrating and a unique hurdle in a tournament, it is particularly difficult when it is your starting pair.  Essentially, you get 15 minutes of practice prior to the tournament beginning and, for me; it was going to be on a pair that would tell me nothing about the tournament pattern.

On the starting pair I had an excellent look with my strongest Raptor.  The ball was set to 1000 grit by hand with a 55 x 4 x 45 and a P2 hole.  This ball has been too early and strong for any pattern it has encountered.  However, for the ultra tight end pair, it was ideal.  My first game score as a solid 215 playing 8 to 5.

However, even with a substantial move on my first shot in the second game, I went Broooklyn on lane one.  UNBELIEVEABLE!!!  Thank goodness I got some pins on the last pair, because it looks like I am going to need them.  The danger on these patterns comes with changing zones.  When you move your feet and ball path more than one or two boards you encounter an entirely new aspect of the pattern.  This pair forced me to jump two zones and ten boards to the middle of the lane.  The result was the best 211 game I have EVER thrown. 

Game three was more of the same.  My ball wanted to read early and lay off down lane.  Instead of thinking critically and changing balls I just told myself that the pattern was hard and made spares for a 180 game.  This was, ultimately, a terrible decision.   

No matter what you are bowling on, if you throw a shot 70% or better, it should get 9 or at least leave a makeable 8 count.  The point on a sport shot is not to throw a ton of strikes.  LEAVE MAKEABLE SPARES!!! The difference between a good bowler and a great bowler is the ability to leave makeable spares on difficult patterns.

I was not following this rule during games two and three and my coach, Jeff Anderson, called me on it.   As always, he told me to shell down, simplify, and figure out how to play shallow angles.  Look at the best players on tour; the guys who knock them down year after year.  What do they have in common?  They play shallow angles almost all of the time. 

As a result, I took out a pin up Sigma Tour with a 1000 grit surface and went back to the exact zone that I played on the first pair.  At least I knew that this was a playable zone of the lane.  It turned out that this was the right move.  While I did not knock them down at a scorching pace, every game was over 190 for the final 5 games.  I averaged 210 for the final five and led the squad. 

Though it was a grind, I was happy to know that I would be bowling on Sunday.  Bowling on Sundays is an absolute blast. 

The Best Laid Plans… – Coldwater, OH Part 3

Following a deliberate practice session the brain must stay active, creating a game plan.  I had 21 hours to come up with my plan for attacking the pattern.  This had to include the knowledge from other players, characteristics of the center, how I expected the pattern to play, who I was following, and what A squad did.

Based on the observations of other lefties (we DO work together…we have to) and my own perception, it seemed that the pattern would likely play somewhere between 3 and 8 down lane with the lay down being somewhere around 3 to 10.

 I would not encounter another lefty until game 4, and then another starting with game 6.  The first lefty was going to throw surface to my left (as always) and the other was going to throw shiny stuff to my right (as always).  The key to knowing this is always to enable those bowlers to make the pattern easier, not harder.  For the pair that the straight lefty broke down, I would throw a faster response ball and move in just a bit, banking it off of his burn.  Once I encountered both the most important factor was never crossing their paths twice.  My hope was to be able to use the path of shiny equipment to create a “shim” and the dull to create a tiny bump spot.  Again, I would likely use a ball with a faster response time than I did on the fresh.

On Saturday morning the first squad was interesting, to say the least.  Unlike the righties, who have to watch everyone, I only watch a handful of players.  This particular morning, Ryan Ciminelli and Rhino Page were the only left handed players I needed to watch. 

Rhino had a phenomenal morning, leading qualifying.  However, Rhino has a bag of tricks that no other lefties possess.  On Saturday, Rhino played between the 4 board and 9 board all day.  He used a pearl resin ball with an incredibly weak layout, spinning the ball and often lofting it when encountering the lay down of the right handed players.  Essentially, Rhino created a shim with his release and the layout of the ball.  While he could not really miss toward the gutter, he could miss right a great deal. 

On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Ciminelli had a very difficult day.  While Ryan is undoubtedly one of the best left handed bowlers in the world, we all struggle from time to time.  Essentially, Ryan had a great deal of difficulty getting the ball to read the pattern.  The stronger equipment would read the pattern way too early and weaker equipment would not move until it fell off of the back of the deck. 

Given these observations, I decided to take only Raptors and Sigma Tours to the lanes for my squad.  On the fresh the plan was to use strong, slow response equipment and transition to faster response balls.  Furthermore, while I had thought that outside the first arrow would be ideal, based on Rhino’s performance I decided to first look between the first and second arrows.  Basically, I knew that I could not create his hold with spin, so I needed to create it with speed and angle through the front of the lane. 

Of course, all of these observations relied upon the pattern being consistent and the bowler executing good shots.

Take it With a Grain of Salt – Coldwater, OH Part 2

Trusting a PBA practice session is a lot like trusting the customer who tells you that “the check is in the mail.”  You know that it’s not true even though it makes you feel a little better in the moment.  However, the moment that customer leaves you just know that you’ve been fed a lie. 

This is a note to everyone considering bowling a PBA event; the pattern on the lane is not the reason to go to the practice session.  Many high level pros do not participate in practice sessions because they know that the pattern on Friday is seldom what is on the lanes on Saturday and/or Sunday.  They have been tricked by the pattern before and gotten burnt.  However, do not fall into that trap as a new player.  Go to the practice session!  Get the experience!  Just make sure that you don’t make up your mind about how to play the lanes on Saturday based on Friday evening.

I maintain that a practice session is a vital aspect of the tournament process.  A responsible and astute bowler can learn a lot in a practice session, even if the pattern is obviously different.  First of all, the approaches in a bowling center WILL be consistent barring intense climate change.  Familiarize yourself with your environment.  If there are lanes against the wall or with unique tendencies, get to know the topography of the center.  Furthermore, a lot can be learned about lane play without ever seeing the actual pattern.  A clever player can surmise if a portion of the center hooks more, earlier, later, etc. by bowling on anything.

Furthermore, practice on a competitive pattern with the people against whom you will be competing is incredibly valuable.  Ultimately, it is not a house shot and it is two hours to learn and watch others.  I have learned as much about the game during practice sessions from intelligent pros as I have anywhere.

The pattern was the Tournament of Champions pattern, but on wood with extra oil in the first 15 feet to help it hold up to the traffic.  The result was a great deal of sensitivity in the pattern.  Speed, trajectory through the front of the lane, accuracy, and playing the right zone were all vital.  This does not mean that a pattern is unplayable.  However, the player absolutely must be deliberate about selecting a ball that will minimize the inconsistencies in the pattern, utilize his or her strengths, and be aware of what other players are doing to the pattern (for better or for worse).

Because of the surface, I needed a ball that would clear the heads, but was strong enough to make it “up the hill” at the end of the pattern.  It could not be so strong as to make me open my angles, as that would lead to splits, but needed to create either a board of hold or a board of hook if I missed.  The solution was either a Raptor drilled 70 x 30 @ 2 ½ that would clear the front and tumble at the pocket or one of my Sigma Tours.  The Raptor and my pin up Sigma (60 x 40 @ 5) created a bit of hook if I missed away.  The pin down Sigma (40 x 60 @ 5 with a P2 hole) created a bit of hold.  I had a great look on the gutter with all three, but for some reason, the shot did not hold up very well when I threw the Sigma on it.  Obviously, the surface on the Sigma coupled with the surface of the lane was creating problems. 

During a two hour practice session I am always convinced my look is great for a while and that it is terrible for a while.  Unfortunately, this practice session ended just as I convinced myself that my ball reaction was not so good.  This pattern, as always, was a riddle that I had less than 24 hours to solve.

Could this week BEE any worse? – Coldwater, OH Part 1

Last weekend was the “best regional in the nation.”  Brian Kretzer and the Hartings family host a regional tournament that is nothing short of incredible.  It is nearly a week long event and it consumes the small community in which it takes place.  There are golf tournaments, softball games, putting competitions, cornhole tournaments, and, by the way, a bowling tournament.

For those of you who are my friends on Facebook, you know that last week was crazy.  On Wednesday afternoon I was stung by a bee while mowing the yard.  That’s not a huge deal even though I’m allergic.  Earlier this season I as stung and was still able to bowl.  The problem was that I got stung on the LEFT HAND!!! 

I did EVERYTHING right!  Immediately, I ran inside, scraped out the stinger, and started treating the sting.  Part of that treatment is a shot from my Epipen.  Even still, by the next morning my hand was so swollen that I could not bend my fingers.  On Thursday morning I called the region manager and told him that I would likely not be bowling.  It seemed like a no brainer as my hand looked like a baseball glove. 

However, when I woke up on Friday I decided that I would contact my friend Dr. Mathison.  The doctor and I used to bowl league together and he is still a great friend of mine.  He told me that I would not do any further damage to my hand by bowling.  Doc also told me to add Pepcid to my regimen of allergy medicine and ice.  So, I went downstairs, stuffed my hand into a ball (it didn’t quite fit), and decided to go bowl. 

On the drive to Coldwater, which is about 4 hours, I got some Pepcid and kept the digits on ice.  After a couple of hours I decided to switch out my ice bags and what I saw was absolutely shocking.  My hand was easily half the size that it had been when I got in the car.  Obviously, there were still issues with the hand all weekend.  The main issues were stiffness and a slight lack of dexterity.  However, those things can be overcome. 

Of course, now the issue at hand (pardon the terrible pun) was that I was entering the strongest regional tournament in existence with a slight handicap and no practice in four days.  While many players can get by on talent, I typically practice for 2 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays to prepare.  Nevertheless, I was at the bowling center, in my name shirt, and the region director was at the microphone.  “PBA Central Region Bowlers, your lanes are now on for your two hours of practice at the PBA Central Region 4^th annual Lefeld Implement Classic.”

Well…here we go!

Motiv Balls and the Friction/Transition Spectrum

It is now time to select what ball or balls you need in order to succeed this season.  You know what shape the ball must make, how it is going to make it and when to use each ball.  All that is left is deciding which fits your game best.  Below is my personal assessment of what ball I choose for each of these patterns.  Obviously, you and your ball driller may disagree.

I recommend finding where you are on the spectrum and filling in with five balls that will each serve a unique purpose in your bag.  Obviously, for you many of those slots are likely already filled.  As a bowler with fairly well matched ball speed and rev rate I need a moderate response ball for light, medium, and heavy oil along with a slow response ball for medium oil and a fast response ball for medium oil as my core equipment.  Determine where you are on the spectrum and fill in your arsenal.  If you would like to know my opinion or help from Justin please feel free to ask.

Slow Response/Low Friction Production

For this pattern and surface I always use an original QZ2.  Most bowlers tend to go with the Recon.  However, I believe that the Recon is a much faster responding ball.  For dry lanes and touchy backends or simply a fresh but dry pattern, I suggest the QZ2 with a weak layout.  The QZ2 is great when you need a dry lane ball and have to play shallow (straight) angles.

Slow Response/Moderate Friction Production

The Motiv Primal TV4 is perhaps the best ball for very slow response along with moderate friction production.  This makes the Primal a great choice for going straight on a typical house shot for a player whose rev rate and ball speed match.  However, it is also a great ball for rev dominant players as it will blend the pattern sufficiently.

Slow Response/High Friction Production

The first asymmetric ball ever released by Motiv is still quite useful for some of the trickiest patterns.  When a smooth, but strong ball is needed, the Motiv Cruel C51 is the answer.  Shallow angles on high volume are the wheelhouse for this particular ball.

Moderate Response/Low Friction Production

Depending on where you want to be in this portion of the spectrum, you may want a QZ2 and you may want a QZ2 Backdraft.  The Backdraft creates more friction and is a hybrid.  The Backdraft would likely create more friction than the bowler would want on a dry pattern.  However, with slightly weaker layout than the original QZ2, it should be fine.

Moderate Response/Moderate Friction Production

This is the spot where the Sigma Tour is absolutely unstoppable.  The ST is tailor made for moderate to moderate fast response and moderate to moderate high friction production.  This is why I say that 99 percent of bowlers can use this ball, with minor tweaks, on 80 percent of patterns.  A moderate response, moderate friction producing ball is useful on most patterns you will ever encounter. 

However, the QZ2 Backdraft can also be tuned to this particular spot on the spectrum as well.  The Backdraft is definitely slower response than the Sigma, but can be tuned to respond more quickly with layout and surface preparation.  Also, the QZ2 Backdraft is the choice if money is an issue.

Moderate Response/High Friction Production

The Motiv Raptor P7 is great for any high friction production needs.  However, it would need a tricky layout in order to use it when slow response is necessary.  It is just safer to stick with the Cruel in those situations.  With a slow response layout and a slight surface change to 1500 or 1000 grit, the Raptor is ready for high friction production and moderate response.

Fast Response/Low Friction Production

Without a doubt, the Motiv Recon RX1 Pearl is the answer for fast response on hooking lanes.  The Recon is clean through the front of the lane and angular enough in its quick response to allow for deeper angles on dry lanes.

Fast Response/Moderate Friction Production

Currently, the best option for fast response on medium lanes is the Sigma Tour.  With a skid/flip layout and box finish, the ST will glide through the front and provide that fast response necessary for hammering the long patterns and transition that demand these angles. 

Fast Response/High Friction Production

The Motiv Raptor is the best ball on the planet for fast response on oily lanes.  This ball clears the fronts with ease, but because of its astounding differential and amazing formula 7 shell, it is able to make the corner even on the tightest of lanes. 

At this point, you should be adequately prepared to walk into your pro shop and knowledgeably make a decision regarding what you need to succeed in the coming year.  Good luck and high scores!