Old low, new high

I was really feeling lousy today. And no, I don't wish to write about it. So I went bowling, deciding to be clinical about it, creating a table and writing down where I was setting up, what board I tried to hit, where it went, and where the ball then hit the pins. I did this for two games, and it helped me concentrate and see the cause and effect of what I've been doing.

I've also found that, keeping the ball lifted with my wrist, having a straight arm, starting my backswing between the second and third step, and holding the ball at a 45-degree angle (facing neither the alley nor the side of my body) the entire time, I was able to get a consistent roll and a consistent placement.

Consequently, I bowled a new high score: 211. It had been a while since I cracked the 200 mark. This one, like all of my other 200+ games, started strongly after a less-than-ideal first frame and weakened at the end.

7/ X X X X X 7/ 8/ 90 S71. I had no shot at converting the 4-6-10 split in the tenth, but the standing five-pin in the ninth killed me. My ball curved just enough to miss it to the left.

I got into the groove of standing just behind the dots, my right big toe at the 22nd board on the left lane and the 23rd board on the right. Dave has been helping me notice the difference between each lane. In tournaments, different lanes will be intentionally oiled differently, forcing the bowler to adjust. Golfers have to deal with the wind; bowlers must account for the oil. It will even change as the game progresses. And I notice that the ball was hooking a little less on the left lane for my final game (the one after my 211, which wasn't a league game), so I went right another board and it worked well.

During my three-game series, I averaged 8.7 pins per first ball. That's HUGE for me. I have to hit that head pin well with every first ball, and I was able to do that today better than ever. I also converted two tricky splits in my second league game, which happened to be my worst game of the day: a 6-7-10 and a 3-7. 

Of the six games, my low was a 148. Overall, it was my second-best day so far, as I averaged 166. (I averaged 177 for six games once before.) Every one of these games was better than each game yesterday, when I took on my brother Don in a little two-game match. Don often bowls under 100 with his current ball, though his lifetime best is 199. (Oh, for that extra pin.) The first game, we actually tied at 132. The second game, he finished with a 144, and I needed eight pins with my last ball to tie and nine to win. I missed the pocket for what seemed like the 90th time that day, giving me a 142.

Don beat me fair and square. As upset as I was for my poor performance, I did get a kick out of Don rising to the challenge and succeeding. Most 43-year-old autistic men who are obese, diabetic and partially deaf usually don't do that very often. Well done, brother. But I'll get you next time.