One Step Forward, One Step Back
As I continue to commit to no-thumb bowling (for the time being anyhow), some things are becoming apparent. When I get lined up and locked in, my carry percentage is drastically higher this way than it was with my traditional style. Whether it's the increased rev rate, increased ball speed, or whatever, the pins fall down with higher frequency. Sadly, the pendulum swings equally to the other side, meaning, when I'm off, it's harder to keep things respectable. Still, no guts no glory, so I'm staying the course.
After the lovely 747 from Halloween night, I struggled to a lackluster 576 the following week. When I look back on that set, I really didn't throw the ball that badly. Sadly, every mistake I made came at the worst possible time, which led to the maximum penalty. The biggest issue was being too stubborn. After having the world with my Natural Pearl the week before, I stuck with it too much the following week even when it should've been clear that I didn't have the same look.
Now, this week was different. I came out wonderfully, throwing the first nine in a row to start my set. I really, REALLY wanted to shoot 300 in front of my kids, and that was probably my downfall. My approach got fast on the 10th ball, which caused me to lose control of the backswing, which forced me to slow down and come over the top of it on the way through. The ball got to the spot, but it got there with less speed and way too much axis rotation, which caused the ball to go right through the beak for a 3-6-7-10. So, instead of punching out for 300, I opened and shot 264 : (
Admittedly, it took me a couple of frames to shake off the frustration of Game 1's end, and that led to a slow start in Game 2. I ripped high-flush 4-9s in both the second and the fifth. Other than that, it was all strikes before another stone 9-pin in the 10th. In the end, I legitimately could've had the front 9 again.
Now, sadly, the last game was a different story. I lost the front of the lane as my ball as hooking in the first 10 feet, which was causing balls to continue creeping high. I should've amped up the speed or balled down to my cored plastic ball, but I didn't. I tried moving inside with a couple of different balls, but none of them gave me a good look. In the end, I struck twice for 168. Boo!
Still, I know that I'm onto something with this no-thumb approach. Not only does it give me great carry, but it simplifies the game by allowing me to lock into the pocket and avoid having to make the big adjustments that the other players are having to make. The biggest key is going to be learning how to make better adjustments. Also, I'd like to get some resin pieces figured out a bit better so that I'm not always locked into urethane and plastic. Once I get that hashed out, I see the potential for some truly outstanding scores. I guess we'll see!
As always, thanks for reading the rantings of this Wanna B Bowler!
