I've been away from this blog for a while because I got burned out and needed a break.  My Friday night team finished a few points higher this year than they did last year.  However, the Friday night league was the reason I was feeling burned out, so I won't be returning there.  I saw too much bickering for my taste, including a "quick meeting" that turned ugly in a hurry.

My Wednesday night team finished 3rd overall.  We weren't able to take over second place, but we did get a couple of team awards for third highest game and second highest series.  On a personal note, I got the award for Most Improved Average.  I also finally broke the 250 mark with a 252 game, only to find out I wasn't eligible for the patch.  Oh well, at least I did it.  Besides, that's what EBay is for.

So last night was opening night for my first PBA Experience league.  I brought the Swamp Monster along with my usual arsenal of the Monster Frenzy and the Radical Inferno to face the Chameleon pattern.

Game 1: 164
Game 2: 143
Game 3: 161
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Series: 468

I knew I wasn't going to roll a 200 last night, but I did about as well as I thought I would.  It's almost like learning to bowl all over again, but this time around I have better equipment and I know more about making adjustments than when I started out.  I began with the Swamp Monster, changed to the Radical Inferno in the 2nd game, and went to the Monster Frenzy in the 3rd game.  If I can maintain an average in the 150's, I'll be satisfied.  If I can get into the 160's, I'll be ecstatic.  170's - I'll be orgasmic.  Well, almost.

League Name/Season	Bowler Name
Mixed Nuts	Rich K
PBA Experience	Rich K

It's been brutal at work. A little better on the lanes.

After a December nosedive I've been getting a little better and staying above average - at least on Wednesday nights. I've been struggling a bit on Fridays, but that's another story. My Wednesday night team got up to 2nd place 2 weeks ago, but we got swept by the first place team last week and started last night in 4th place.

Game 1: 202
Game 2: 168
Game 3: 191
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Series: 561

Last night wasn't bad. First game went smoothly, but I had a couple of funky leaves in the second game. One bright spot of that second game was converting a nasty washout of 1-2-8-10, after which I turned to face the cheering and said "For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer". My luck was short-lived, as I later left the 9 pin on a 1-2-8-9, which I thought would be easier. Switching to the Monster Frenzy for a straighter shot in the last game would have netted me another deuce had I not left a 4-6 split in the 9th frame.

I've tried to force myself to play more inside whenever possible. I also did some open bowling over the weekend with Christen, which really forced me to play further left than I'm used to. I've been improving, but as much as I love my Radical Inferno I still refuse to show up at the lanes without my Monster Frenzy. I recently had to get the grips changed, as the ones I got back in September were a bit tight and I got tired of trying to work with them. Felt a lot better last night, but they are just a little bit looser than my Radical Inferno. I think that's because I got the Monster Frenzy used and the pro shop used the existing finger holes to put the new grips into.

League Name/Season	Bowler Name
Wednesday Night Mixed	Rich Koppinger
T.G.I.F	Rich Koppinger

Now that the holidays are over, I have more time for blogging. Just as well, as my bowling has been unspectacular of late. I had a decent night last night, though.

Game 1: 211
Game 2: 206
Game 3: 168
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Series: 585

The second game was clean, and first game was almost clean - I chopped the 5 pin off the bucket. I thought I'd have another 600 series, but when the oil broke down in the last game, I was in trouble. When I moved inside, my Radical Inferno wasn't making it back to the pocket. At one point, a bad shot left me looking at a 1-5-9. Thankfully, I'm pretty good at making the 2-8, and this wasn't much different.

Lately, my inside game has sucked big time. I don't know what I'd do without my Monster Frenzy. I was able to recover a bit, but we lost the third game by 4 pins after winning the first two by 100+ pins each. We could have used a sweep, but I'm happy we got five points at least, since we're still hovering around 3rd or 4th place.

Last week was the first week I didn't get a 200 game.  My best was a 192, and that was after a freakishly lucky conversion of a 4-6-7-9 split.  I rolled at the 4-7 pins and hit the 4 just thin enough where it slid into the 6-9 pins.  I haven't been bowling all that long, but it's the wildest split conversion I've ever had.

League Name/Season	Bowler Name
Wednesday Night Mixed	Rich Koppinger
T.G.I.F	Rich Koppinger

It was the best of nights, it was the worst of nights.

Game 1: 130
Game 2: 236
Game 3: 134
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Series: 500

My highest game of the season was surrounded by my two lowest games of the season. How did I do it, you ask? Well, it's like this...

We started the night with the approaches very slick. One guy on our pair fell during practice, and a few more - including me - almost did. I put my sneakers on, ran out to my car and got my older Linds shoes that don't slide as much. It helped a bit, but my timing was still off due to the very slick approaches. I tried to imagine Marshall Holman's approach and long slide. It helped and I started sort of getting the hang of it, when the approaches normalized and got less slick. I don't know; I guess all us bowlers sliding dulled the approach and I started sticking. I put my Dexter Racers back on, but my timing was still a bit messed up. I recovered in the 9th frame, if you can call it that.

Second game, I felt more like myself and from the second frame on I was matching our leadoff guy strike for strike until I had gotten six in a row. I left a 4 pin going for seven in a row. He went on to get ten in a row, putting up a score of 279.

My last game, I had some problems and left a 4-6 split, so I put down my Radical Inferno and picked up my Monster Frenzy. Playing a straighter line usually helps my game, but I ended up with four splits in the game, plus a bizzare washout from a lousy shot. The regular spares I had no problem with, but I did not convert any of my other splits; 6-7-10, 6-7, and 9-10. Bad breaks, yes. But I should have made better adjustments. No sense getting upset and kicking the ball return over it, but if I had that game to do over, I would have stuck with the Radical Inferno and moved further inside.

We took 2 games and wood, and we almost took that last game as well. During last weeks position night, we went from 4th to 2nd place, so with plenty of time left in the season, we're really poised to make a run for first.

League Name/Season	Bowler Name
Wednesday Night Mixed	Rich Koppinger
T.G.I.F	Rich Koppinger

After Wednesday night, I didn't have high hopes. My leg and back have been holding up well so far. I thought I'd be as shaky as I was Wednesday, but I showed up hoping I'd have a decent night with at least one 200 game. 

Game 1: 235
Game 2: 225
Game 3: 221
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Series: 681

I found my line in the 4th frame of the first game when I ran off six strikes in a row until the 10th frame, when I got a little high and went through the nose leaving 6-7-10. I started the second game with the front five, then missed a 4 pin when I went left of my mark. That was the only thing keeping me from a second 235 game.

I got off to a rough start in the third. Moving inside didn't seem effective, especially after a nasty washout, so I switched to my Monster Frenzy and strung together 2 turkeys in between a pair of spares. I was floored that the game was as high as it was. I was even more astounded to see a series so close to 700; a number I thought out of reach.

A guy I met bowling during my first summer league was there as his wife was subbing for our team. He was asking me to join his Saturday team at another house. I was flattered, but I like having my weekends to myself, and I don't know if I want to commit to another league right now. But it was a blast tonight, and I'd love to do it again soon.

 

League Name/Season	Bowler Name
Wednesday Night Mixed	Rich Koppinger
T.G.I.F	Rich Koppinger