This weekend was such a blast! Saturday was the Bowl Like the Pro's clinic and Sunday was the Masters Qualifier.

I have never been to a bowling clinic and haven't watched a video of myself bowling in quite a while! That was rather interesting and gave me quite a bit to work with. The only problem is, the next day was the Qualifier and after bowling for so long on Saturday and learning new things. Mostly was my timing and letting the ball go with a lot less human error spots but the qualifier was definatly not the place to apply them!

The Qualifier was excelent!! The first squad I bombed out and place like 70th or so for 5 games..It just wasn't a pretty thing at all trying to bowl how I normally do and trying to apply and not apply the things that were drilled in my head from the clinic! I found myself using both techniques and that is just not good at all.  Plus I am sooo not a morning person and didn't wake up till the 2nd squad.

What a rush!  I bowled 206, 221, 200, 237...which brought me to +64!! Totally a shoe in for the position...which in turn I followed with a 181...what a bummer! for a total of +45  I placed 9th of 96 bowlers and actually...if I would have bowled a 210...I would have had it.  What an emotional rollercoaster! I go from thinking that I was just there for the experience, to thinking that I might have a chance, to blowing it, and being dissapointed for being so close.

Oh well...for my first big tournament I felt I did rather well.  Actually 2nd cause I bowled the qualifier last weekend also.

Life is great though overall.

Good luck and good bowling.

Lately things have been so busy between working and bowling....and now I have the pleasure of having a cold. I am almost over it but it's really kicking my butt. 

I have been bowling  on the Monday Sportsman league and have a 186 average. They have VERY tough conditions and struggling my way thru that one but overall, I really enjoy the competition.

My Tuesday league I have a 197 average right now but seem to be losing focus.  I am not sure I should be there anymore.  The league has lost about 6 teams from last season and most of the high rollers are gone.  It is a shame because I really liked the fact it gave me something to shoot for. Don't get me wrong there are still some very good bowlers there, but it just sort of took the edge off and now it is a social hour.

Wednesdays working....yeah...it's going pretty well. It's good to see the firmiliar faces and some new ones, the lanes seem to be running well for the most part so overall...that is going pretty well.

Thursdays I have been trying to go practice on the Sportsman shot but lately since I have been sick...that has turned into just a relax after work day.

Fridays I was called in to "Substitute" for a Womans Classic league. I guess almost more of a premanent sub which is still pretty cool.  The team is great, and we are in first place! I have sub-ed for them twice now.  I have about a 196+ average and rising. It's 4 games per night and last week I ended up with a 201, 160, 234, 239...so not too shabby. It's fun and gives me something to do on a Friday night!

The everyother Saturday league is going well also. Just a bummer that everything seems to fall on those Saturdays...It is a really fun league with a lot of great people.  I sofar should have a 201 average on that league. We lost all 3 games due to a pre-bowl from the other team of 760 from a 186 average bowler.  I know that is possible...but it just makes you think that maybe they have the right idea outlawing the pre-bowls. 

Last Sunday I went to bowl an "8 Game Marathon" it was pretty cool! I honestly didn't know what I  was getting myself into. I was told it was just a tournment, then while I was sitting there before it starts...I start seeing some firmiliar faces.  Faces I recognized from some of the Pro/Ams I have bowled...but not the amatures!! I kind of started freaking out a bit realizing that I was bowling a tournament against some of the same pro's that I bowled with in the Pro/Am but I feel that I did rather well.  I only placed #29 out of 63 bowlers but that is the lower half of the upper half but still the upper half! -58 Final with a 196 entering. I know that sounds bad but seriously...when I went to the sheets I would start at the bottom thinking that's where I was at and just get more excited as I kept going higher!! I ended up getting High Womans Scratch for $50 so I was only out $35 in total, and just such an experience!! It really made me feel great to get comments like "it's good to see you bowling here...it's about time!"

On that note...go for your dreams, reach for the stars and you never know where you will land.

Sooo...Hello to all you out there in Bowlspace land! It has been a while since my last blog here. I was pretty busy this summer practicing and all that. Tonight was the last night of the PBA Experience Plus league.  I Loved it!

Yes I know that I complained earlier, but overall I feel that this league was a great experience...for lack of a better word.  It helped me learn how to read the lanes better and throw different shots.  I really feel it helped me adjust a lot, but I guess that I will be able to tell more once the fall season starts.  Yes, the league was tough...It really was and took quite a toll on my mental game here, but overall I finished the league with woman's high 174.6 average. Quite a jump down from my 196 average on a house shot, but this was still quite a league.  I met a lot of really great people and made a lot of new friends.  I will definately be back there next summer for that league again.  I enjoyed the torture so much that I signed up for the "$port$man$hip" league there on Mondays.  Not a sport sanctioned league but still a very competative league with 6 different hard shots.  Only difference will be that instead of the pros helping me...they will be bowling against me.

I personally can't wait for my fall season leagues to start.

Monday - $port$man

Tuesday - Striking Ladies

Every other Saturday- Saturday's Finest

and then mid season short - Sunday Trio league

Not to mention Working on Wednesdays at the lanes. 

Should be fun...busy...but fun.

My goal...and if I don't hit it I will be pissed...is to carry a 200+ average on all leagues. 

Wish me luck!

Good luck and good bowling to you all out there in BowlSpace land!

P.S. Again...sorry for the dissapearance act!

I still think it's kinda sad that I actually feel that I bowled well when I shoot a 529 on league when on a regular house shot I get upset if I don't bowl over a 600 series.

195, 172, 162.  It felt really good the first game.  The release, the timing, everything.  Then not sure what happened...I just started falling apart.  I can't even say the shot changed all that much.  It was me.  My mental game started wondering, and then from there everything started falling apart.  The team we bowled against was a great fun team.  We were all laughing and high fiving, it was fun, but inside I just kept thinking way too hard which just threw everything else off. 

My goal for next week is to start a new mental work book called "The Inner Game of Tennis" noo...I don't play tennis but it was highly recommended by "the coach" and also in the last book. Supposed to be a very good book about getting your brain to be where it should in order to compete better.  Should be interesting. 

I am still working on that new release.  It really is working pretty well. A lot of people noticed a difference in my ball.  (Even though my feet were not working with everything else) Oh well...I guess I just have to keep working on it all.

To Everyone have a great weekend! And a Happy and SAFE 4th of July if I don't get back here before then!

So my friend Amy saw my sad pathetic blog, called me right away and said we were going bowling.  That was Sunday, not too bad, actually pulled a couple 230's out.  It really helped.  It felt good to go and just...bowl.  Which in turn made me go practice Monday and tonight also.

Funny how I have been bowling since I could push the ball halfway down the lane and there is soooo much that I am not aware of.  Different things to look for like the breaking point of the ball, hand positions and to figure out that it is possible to mentally slow myself down. (I know I know!!) I'm still not slow enough, But I'm still working on that one. ;)

I have never played with my hand position really.  I usually just kept my hand straight under that ball in my starting position, just straight the whole time. After shifting  my hand position in towards the center makes me actualy lift on the ball alot more.  No...I have not yet figured out how to get that ball from all the way left, ride the 1 board and smash right into the pocket like some people...Which I was told was because I was a girl..ahem....but it already helped me improve. To think, I am still working that one in there! That has been something that I sort of...forget I guess you could say, yes, I know, how can you forget to lift the ball...I am lazy! I admit it!

I figured after all those tips and having to bowl league on Wednesday, I should try to get a little more comfortable with them so I will actually use them.  I hate looking like I don't know what I am doing and when the going gets tough....Jamie goes back to what she knows. Right up 2nd arrow.  I wasn't really practicing where I was laying the ball down so much, more just the release and the speed.  By the end of the night, my thumb was getting sore,  10+ games on Sunday, 10 games yesterday and 4 games today... and I really did feel alot better. I am actually excited to bowl tomorrow.  Cause now...even if I bowl bad...my excuse is that I am trying to better my bowling and sometimes you have to take a step down to get 2 steps higher. 

Thank you for your encouraging words while I sulked in my slump of bowling.  I usually try to stay so high spirited here. It was appreciated though. Also thak you Mr Mike for all of your bowling expertise.  It was very much appreciated.

Good luck and good bowling to you all!