I realize I kinda forgot to update last week, but nothing really special happened, so whatever.

This week, I changed balls before the game even started. I'd been using my Super Carbide Bomb, which worked fine back in NJ, but I couldn't really work it out here. So, I went back to my Storm Eraser Blaze, a ball I haven't thrown for serious in about.. a year and a half, at least.

So, first game comes by, and I have zero feeling in my fingers. None. My hands were so ridiculously cold, that I was putting them on a fresh coffee pot to try and keep them warm.  So, no fingers = no shot, and the first few balls were way off. Once I regained feeling and got my line, I was doing fine, but by then it was too late and I ended with a 157. Meh.

But, the ball was reacting the way I wanted it to, so I stuck with it. And the line held. I kept blasting the pocket in game 2, got a couple unlucky breaks though. Every ball I threw was solid. I hadn't had a game like that in a while, it felt good. I missed a 7-pin along the way for some reason, finished with a 226. Not bad.

I go into game 3, the line's still holding strong. I was amazed. The ball change worked beautifully. In games 2 and 3, I really only threw one bad ball, it resulted in a 2-10 split, which I converted. Game 3 was solid like game 2, ended 225.

157, 226, 225 = 608. Can't complain with that... BUT.

We got destroyed. >_> We dropped down to third, and the final week we have to fight for second place, we're one point down from them. If I can shoot this well next week, and maybe get a little better carry, who knows what could happen? High series is only 778...

...

Nah, I'm dreaming. Maybe in NJ... maybe. But not here.

Alright, so... I go into the tournament Sunday. I bowled in one of the later squads, which was apparently a bad choice because they didn't re-oil the lanes after each squad. They used to do that back in NJ, but apparently everything is run completely ass-backwards out here. So I get to bowl on oil that's been torn to hell from the previous 2 shifts. Lovely.

It certainly was lovely too, since I opened up with a fantastic 145. I had the line in practice... started off XX9/9/, then the game went straight to hell. I don't even remember how many splits I had in a row. It was pathetic. Very very frustrating to think you have the shot, and have it be taken away so quickly.

Well, I got my bad game out of the way, and followed it up with a 205. Typical Jed right there; low game, 200 game. I found the line, and it actually held for a few shots, so I strung together a couple strikes and just kinda rolled with it.

Third game, I had to adjust a little bit, but I threw 6 in a row near the end and shot 223.

145, 205, 223 = 573. Might've had a shot at moneying if I didn't suck that first game.

Ok, after that disaster I had to go in and bowl the Monday league.  And, I shot worse, yet better.

How, you ask? Well, it's simple. The normal Jed throws a lot of strikes, but is pretty inefficient when it comes to spares, mainly because of the high number of splits and 10-pins (which I'm improving on at least). That Jed showed up for the tournament. Plenty of strikes, plenty of splits, few spares. However, on Monday, a completely different Jed showed up. Bizarro Jed if you will.

I... I couldn't string strikes together. At all. I was lucky if I hit a double. It felt like I was throwing pretty good shots, I'd just either be a hair off, or I wouldn't carry. However... I gained the ability to be dead accurate on my spares. I had 3 opens in the entire set, 2 splits and a washout, all of which I was just a hair away from making. 15 strikes, 14 spares, 3 opens. Just... mind boggling. I don't even know what to say about it.

195, 193, 182 = 570. So, worse series, but better bowling.

Also, the top 3 teams on the league get trophies, and by sweeping today we're mathematically locked in the top 3.  We're in 2nd right now, with 3 weeks to go. Next week, the first place team bowls the third place team, so that works out very nicely. The week after, we bowl the first place team, so we're pretty much in control of our own destiny. The last week is position week, so we can really put it away with some solid shooting.

Haha... well. This was certainly an interesting series, to say the least. Last week, I had that one game that was like 3 different games in one. Well, this week that was stretched out across the whole series.

In practice I thought I had something going.  I wasn't nailing strikes, but I was close enough to where I figured a minor adjustment would get me there.

Wrong. The first four frames, I found nothing. 3 splits and a spare. Not a good way to start. But, 5th frame comes along and my shot is there, but now it's not carrying. 9th frame I bury the pocket. Result? 7-10. I was not pleased with this development. I don't even remember the 10th frame, but I ended with a 135. Yes, a 135. Nooooot good. We lost, and it wasn't even by much. If I bowled anywhere near decent, we had that game easily.

So game 2 comes along, and I make another minor adjustment. This one actually works and I start with a double. Third ball hits some oil and just completely flattens out, I leave a 2-8 and chop it. But, I stick with the shot and string together 6 in a row. We'd already won the game by now, which is actually bad for me. I thrive on the pressure, and if there is none it actually does throw me off. So I pull it and leave a 3-6, cover it, and then proceed to pull the next ball too.

Game: X X 81 X X X X X X 8/7 = 241

So yeah, I go from a 135 to a 241. At least we won it comfortably.

Game 3 was pretty uneventful. Had some ups and downs, shot 192. I actually had 5 in a row going into the 9th, but I pulled it through the nose for a split. We pretty much had it won anyway, but still.

Summary: 135, 241, 192 = 568. Much better than last week, but still not where I need to be. We've increased our lead over 3rd place, with only 4 weeks to go. We're pretty much locked for the top 3, but I'm gonna make sure we win this league. It's not even a big deal, I mean the prize fund is pathetic and the top 3 teams all get trophies anyway, but I'm too competitive, and I want to win this thing.

Next update will be Sunday night, I'm bowling in a doubles tourney on April 1st, at least 2 squads. I kinda need to do well since I could use the money, but we'll see. 

Quick backstory: I used to live in New Jersey. When I finished out the last league out there I was averaging a hair under 180. We moved out to Kentucky about 10 months ago, and we joined a winter league. When I first started this league, it was pathetic. I was averaging in the mid-150s. I could understand a little drop for not knowing these lanes, but damn. Eventually my shot started coming around, but I've only pulled back up to a 163. Recently though, I'd been doing fairly decently. I hadn't shot under a 500 for a couple months... until today.

So, at this point we're in 3rd place on the league, within easy striking distance of 1st. They haven't been able to run away with it yet, we're staying strong and not going away from them. I don't think people like us, because we're not from around here, and I get very vocal when I bowl. Not trash talking or insulting people or any of that, but I yell things at shots and generally do some crazy antics. I'm also the anchor, so I get plenty of game-on-the-line situations, but I thrive on those.

Anyway. let's get to today's festivities. Game 1 was very odd. It was like 3 different games in one. I started out hot, nailing the pocket but getting zero carry. And then... the shot just disappeared. And then... it came back. Here's how the game went.

X 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ X split split split XX8 = 166

The splits didn't even feel like bad balls, it just hit an oilier part of the lane and didn't have enough energy to finish through the backend. The first split was actually a pocket 7-10. Then a... 2-8-10, then... I don't remember the last one but I missed it anyway. And then by some stroke of magic my shot just returned and I threw the 28 in the 10th. We lost anyway, mainly because of me throwing those splits. But, I figured since I finished strong in the 10th, that I'd have a shot to look forward to in Game 2.

This was not the case. The lack of carry was frustrating me, and my adjustments to try and fix it ended up doing more harm than good. My shots ended up getting a bit erratic, and even when I did find the pocket, nothing would carry. It was just... one of those games. I shot a 148, but we won pretty comfortably somehow. I like winning and all, but I hate throwing a game where every shot is a new adventure like that. It was to the point where I'd just chuck the ball out there and pray, not even try to figure out what to do. I know that's... not really good, but I was too frustrated to try and nail down a shot.

Game 3 was the best of the bunch, but barely. I started lofting the ball out a few feet further to try and clear some of that head oil and preserve the energy to drive through, and it worked to a degree. I'm a cranker, and when I loft a shot I end up cranking it less, so I need to adjust my aim accordingly. I haven't really gotten that part down yet, but I'm working on it. Normally I don't need to change my actual shot like that. Usually it's just a matter of moving a couple boards in either direction, and maybe a minor speed adjustment or something that I'm accustomed to. Either way, I found slightly more success in this game. It ended up coming down to me. I had opened in the 9th, left a solid 10-pin then missed it by a board. We were down 11 pins, so I needed a mark. But these are the situations that I live for, which is why I'm the anchor. I got up there, absolutely obliterated the pocket, carried it, and we won. We took two games and wood. The second place team took one game, so we moved ahead of them, and we bowl them next week. The first place team also took 2 and wood, so we didn't gain on them.

Summary: 166, 148, 170 = 484. Worst series I've had in a while, but taking 3/4 points is alright. This kind of series will get us swept next week though, so I need to gun for a 600 to really have any shot against them. They're one of those teams where if they get on a little run, you're buried. I have to get on runs to match them. In Jersey, I'd have the confidence to do that, but I haven't gotten that confidence here yet. 

Greetings. In this space, I will complain about all things bowling. I'm never happy with how I do. I'm always striving to achieve more. It's really not a good thing, either. It leads to copious amounts of frustration.

Either way, maybe my rantings will be entertaining. Maybe.