Bowling is a funny thing, because when people ask me about it, I tell them that I'm "OK." I'm not great, but I am pretty competent. Of course if I say I average around 200, they tend to think I'm crazy to not think I'm really good! Probably part of my mentality there is that a lot of the people I am friends with are a lot better bowlers than I am (think averaging 220 and higher).
In recent years I've watched my average drop from around 200 to under 190. It doesn't seem huge, but it's a big hit on the confidence. A lot of it was mental, part of it was just having more on my plate (graduating and getting a real job has its effects!). But in the last year or so, I've been able to pull myself back up, and especially in the last few months, managed to get a book average of 200. Still short of my peak, but getting back to what I know I can do.
A few months ago, my confidence was at a peak. I had some new equipment, and I had been bowling some of my best scores in well over a year. Then came our trip to Nationals (click here to see the blog post on that). At Nationals, I bowled the worst I have in years. I honestly can't remember how long it has been since I did that bad.
Afterward, my bowling confidence was understandably shaken. I did realize that bowling at Nationals was a tougher situation than bowling at home, but I was still down.
Fortunately, I was able to pull myself out of the funk over the next few weeks. I took a trip to Modesto to bowl their Mini Peach, a 5-game scratch tournament. After 3 games, I was in 7th place, then tanked one game. I just couldn't find my shot, and I dropped to 23rd place. I came back the last game and bowled decently, to finish in 21st. Unfortunately only the top 17 moved on to the next round. I was disappointed, but proud that I had made it through the one bad game, and got myself back on pace the last game.
Now all of this finally brings me back to this weekend. I had considered bowling the San Joaquin Bowling Club's "Last Chance" tournament. It's the last tournament of the season leading up to the Tournament of Champions. I hadn't bowled any of the tournament before, so I couldn't move on to the ToC, but I wanted a chance to get more experience in tournament settings. I got talked out of it, then talked back into it. In the end, I decided to bowl.
The tournament was 6 games of qualifying, with the top 5 moving on to a stepladder final. I felt like I bowled OK. Not great, not terrible. In the end, I finished 9th, and the top 10 cashed. I was excited, especially since I hadn't thought I'd done that well. But apparently it was enough. And beyond cashing in the tournament, I learned a few things about my shot, and how to adjust in a tournament.
After the tournament, there was talk of traveling up to Modesto to bowl a scratch 6 game tournament, which would be on the Professional Bowlers Association's Viper pattern (http://www.pba.com/OilPatterns/Pattern/2). I knew it would be challenging, but eventually decided to go with them and try it out. In my head, I had hoped to cash and make a good showing, but in the end all I got was experience. But that's not a bad thing! I learned a few things about my shot, specifically a few things I do when I get off my game, and ways to relax myself and just get back to doing what I do, rather than forcing things.
I do think I probably wasn't helped by bowling 12 games in two days, when I've generally been a "3-game-per-week" kind of guy. I was definitely exhausted, and I'm still feeling the effects, now I know where I am physically, and I know what I need to do if I want to bowl at this level again.
Although I know I am not quite at the same level of some of the guys I went with, I do know that on any given day I can compete with them. I might be deceiving myself, but I do believe it, and maybe I just need to keep telling myself this to force myself to keep trying.
So what's in store next? First, a little time off from bowling. Then in June, we start up a new league, quickly followed by State Tournament in Bakersfield, then back to Modesto for The Peach at some point, and hopefully a few more events scattered in the middle.
I'm just glad I've got a wife who supports me, not just by saying "You can do it!" and meaning it, but also just being there to help pass the time on the travels. I know that watching bowling is not the most exciting thing in the world, but I know she'll always be there to watch and cheer me on, so at least I've got that consistent thing going.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Lots of Bowling This Weekend
Posted by Jaime at 8:45 PM
Labels: bowling, bowling tournament
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