Decided to go practice today since my hubby asked and just wanted to get out of the house since he was done watching football cuz his fantasy football team was done for the night.

When I started... i figured I'd just throw all the balls I had to see how they would do on the lane (Special Agent, Spit Fire, Tropical Storm, Ti Messger (my 300 ball) and the Brunswick Dry/R)... didn't try every angle.. just the ones I feel comfortable throwing for now.  Lately I feel like my Special Agent and Spit Fire aren't reacting as well as I would like and I wonder if it's because of all the games I've put on it or maybe I have the wrong finish on my coverstock.  Either way... our spinner is coming in on Tuesday so I'll have a few test balls I haven't used in a while that I can test on to see if I can figure out how to resurface these puppies or not and just give them a good cleaning since we bowl three nights a week and they'll need them.

So I started off bad though I don't feel like I was throwing bad since I was trying out my different balls and bowled a 191, 201 and 190 to start with... not exactly thrilled but hey it's just practice.  I decided to just use one ball for the next game and went to the one that's been working for me lately (TS).  Because I'm going down and in, I feel like I actually aim at the arrows when I'm throwing this ball to be more accurate whereas when I'm throwing the other two balls and going out more, I feel like I'm more of feel kinda bowler with those balls... I have a hard time aiming at the arrows or something.  I didn't worry about testing it this time... i just threw my Tropical this fourth game, same line I been throwing it all week when I used it and came up with the same results.  How long will this reaction last... what is it.. usually the first 30 games then it doesn't perform as well? I dunno, but I'm thinking next time we go to a tournament we should get a new ball drilled hehe j/k but it was a thought. 

Hell I remember when we were bowling state and Marcia Kloempken was bowling her singles event, someone told me she had just had her ball drilled that morning or weekend or something and shot a 300 and 826 series... hell if that's the case we should get new balls every week.. j/k  Then we bowled city last month and her husband "accidently" left her balls and shoes in his car and left the states on a trip and she had to bowl with her 'leftovers" in her garage... i thought at first she'd be too frustrated to bowl and we could just bowl again the following day or week but she shot better than all of us and held us up... had a 279 her second game I think.  But hell... I wish my hubby worked for storm or rotogrip like her and Tammy Boomershine (former Turner) so we could have "spare" balls like the Shift in my garage that I don't normally use but it's there just in case hehe  Either have to have a husband working there, or work there like another teammate of ours last year who seemed to have a new ball every month or so and after giving my husband one of his leftovers... totally messed up my husband's game, but I'm trying to get him back to his normal way of bowling with a few modications.

 Anyway.. my fourth game I threw a consistent ball and was happy cuz I almost did the same thing as last night but was shy and bowled a 268 instead... so we'll try to start with that ball tomorrow night and see how well it performs... i used it all night on Friday and bowled me a 714 so it can't hurt to try even if it is supposed to be one of their low end balls.  I want to get a new ball, but #1, my husband would get mad cuz he already thinks i have too many and two we need to save money to go to vegas to bowl in january so I'll try to wait... TRY being the operative word.  I just ordered him a Black widow so we'll see how long before my itch gets me to buy another one, esp if I can't get these other balls to do what I want cuz their dead.

 After that game I decided to just practice my 7s, 10s and a few other different areas on the lane with just my spare ball... wasn't having too much of a problem at all with the 7 pin.. just can't wear my Gadget when I throw it... apparently that was probably the problem I was having this week when I missed 3 of those puppies.  But my 10 pins..i  have no clue why but I have problems missing left.... oh well.. that's why we practice.

Toward the end of the fifth game why my hubby was doing his thing, I was just taking a notice at how far he is from the foul line when he relases his ball.  I know I've noticed this before and said something but it's hard to change the things he does cuz he's been doing it for 20+ years.  However, when I told him today we were just practicing so I told him to try to move up.  Took him to the foul line and had him take 4 1/2 steps to find his starting position... i saw it on a video and read about that approach to find the perfect starting point.

When I first started bowling again after taking like 10 years off because of all the traveling we did when I was a kid, I took 6 steps... so when I moved here, one of our local pros said I'd do better if I started taking four instead of 6 so after a year of ignoring him I did that.  Now it's hard for me to even try doing the six step approach.  At the time, my avg went from like a 166 - 184 from fall to summer and then up to the mid 190s which is where I've been for the last couple years and hoping to get out of now.  So I was just looking at one of my pictures on here from when I was bowling in Reno and I remember I was way behind the foul line back then which was I think only a year and half ago because I was right after my baby got back from Iraq. 

When I first adjusted my starting position, it felt weird as hell... so I tried to get my hubby to do that today.  However, no matter how far up I pushed him... he kept winding up at least a foot behind the foul line still.  He said there was a force field.  I told him it was all mental and with more practice it would be like nothing.  I did it and I know he can if he just gives it time which is why i brought it up during practice and not during league.  He said the best way to mess up an opponent or anyone at that is to ask them how many steps they take on their approach.  For me I think it'd be simple.. i'd just say four, but he seems to think it's trick question.  I worked with him for a game and half trying to get him to take a bigger second step but he just felt like the pins were smack in his face... I told him if he took the same second step like he does when he normally bowls he'd be right up there by the foul line... it's gonna take time I can tell but I told him it might help his game by taking the heads out of the equation if that's what's been his problem lately.  Maybe he'll be able to project better out to his mark if he does this.  I think it's helped my game a little but I'm not sure... i just remember it being weird as hell when I first tried it and now it's like I've been bowling this way forever. 

What do you guys think?  How far is too far? I'd have to say he was a good two feet behind.. maybe a lil less than that but it was far.  When i used to throw back there, I used to release my ball in front of me and at the foul line, so I almost assume that's what he's doing as well.  And when you watch the pros.. their all right at the line so I really  hope that if I can get him to change this aspect of his game, we can then change others and he'll get out of this slump he's in. 

We really need coaching is what we both think.  I'd love one just so I can get better.  I know Marcia is awesome at reading lanes and adjusting and could coach but I don't see her often if at all... Tammy doesn't think she's a good coach but she's still an awesome bowler... when she was talking to me during city tourney, she told me people don't really take notice of her unless she bowls a good game like she did for her second game in her singles block, but I told her she's wrong because there were guys oohing and awwing at her when we were bowling in the Salt Lake league last year... I think her ball release and reaction is awesome though.  I'd take lessons from tose two but they're busy and they say you shouldn't get coaching from friends but sometimes these people know how you throw and can help I would think.  Well whatever.

Time for bed... got work in the moring... unfortunately.

Peace out.