ONCE UPON A TIME IN BOWLING

I was looking at some old YouTube video of the 1981 PBA National Championship at Toledo, Ohio and I was amused by how much the styles have changed over the years. Earl Anthony battled Ernie Schlegel in the finals and you couldn't find a greater contrast in styles.

ODDS & ENDS

A few bits of news to share....

I found a handy smart phone application for the Android market. It's called Bowling Scorekeeper and it's free. Enter your league or tournament name, the dates and the scores, then Bowling ScoreKeeper does the rest.  It figures your averages for multiple leagues and tournaments. I tried a few others but they had some unacceptable limitations -- mainly working only for three-game series. So far, this one has worked fine without any bugs.

Sasha Gray bowled his first 300 game at Diablo Valley Bowl on Wednesday. He had another game with a split in the first frame followed by eleven strikes. It was a great day for the young lefty.

Kris Kiiskinen bowled her first 200+ game on Thursday with a score of 204. Unfortunately, it didn't occur during league play. She bowled it during a practice session after her league games had ended. Still, she was pleased to finally clear the 200 hurdle.

PBA OIL PATTERN: EARL ANTHONY

Sport Doubles 23 changes oil patterns from Cheetah to Earl Anthony beginning Monday night. Diablo Valley Bowl will have the Earl Anthony pattern on several lanes Sunday at 6:00 for practice. I will be there.

I wish I had some useful tips for the Earl Anthony pattern but my searches have thus far come up empty. The link on the sidebar leads us to this info on the PBA's website:

"The Earl Anthony Pattern places a premium on execution and repetition, qualities which Earl Anthony exemplified. This 40 foot pattern has a unique design in which the oil widens, as opposed to narrows, down the lane. The unusual placement of widening oil down the lane will force players to make premium shots from a variety of angles. As the pattern breaks down, look for players to make unique moves and precision shots, ala Earl Anthony."

Oh, really? We'll need to execute our shots well to be successful in a target shooting game? Gee, thanks for the tip, PBA. All I can say with any certainty is the oil for Earl Anthony (40') is shorter than we experienced with Paris (47') and longer than we experienced with Cheetah (35'). Perhaps Fred Kaczmarczyk will be there to share some insights and show us how he plays it. Not that any of us will be able to duplicate Fred's technique...

ANOTHER NEW BOWLING BALL

My trusty Black Widow Pearl has reached the point where its serial number and logo are no longer visible after three years of wear and resurfacing. This makes it an illegal ball for USBC league and tournament play.

I need a replacement ball for medium oil and after doing some research, I decided on the Sigma Tour by Motiv. Part of my decision was based on ball reviews I read, part was based on knowledge shared by Ray Spackman at The Bowler's Advantage, and part was based on this article which tells how Motiv got started in 2009 and put people back to work after Brunswick's move to Mexico in 2006 cost them their jobs.

I will pick up my new Sigma Tour at The Bowler's Advantage after work today. I'm sure Ray will have it drilled to perfection for me, as usual. 

SPORT CHALLENGE DOUBLES 23 - WEEK 6 RESULTS



Kevin Burney or Rob Halford?

The Coach stood in for Olivia for our last night on Cheetah and we did okay with a record of 10-10 for the night.

In our first set we battled Lisa and Kevin Burney. Kevin is the lefty who stands about 6'6" and looks quite a bit like Rob Halford of Judas Priest. Kevin and Lisa beat us individually and as a team in the first game but we turned the tables on them in the second. They edged us in total pins with a score of 611-603 so they beat us 6-4.

Team Burney

In the second set we drew Ray and Gaylah Spackman. In a near repeat of the first set, we were beaten in the first game and rebounded to win the second. But this time, we caught fire in the final game just as Ray and Gaylah hit an uncharacteristic rough patch. The combination was enough to earn us the two points for total pinfall in the set and a 6-4 victory.

Week 6   01  02 SET1  03  04 SET2  SER G  AVG  TG TPINS  SAVG
Sharon                                          4   506 126.5
Olivia                                         16  2251 140.7
Mark    185 168  353 125 203  328  681 4 170.3 24  3897 162.4
Gary    121 113  234 141 165  306  540 4 135.0  4   540 135.0
TOTAL   306 281  587 266 368  634 1221 8 152.6 48  7194 149.9 

Next week we switch to the Earl Anthony pattern. Diablo Valley Bowl will have it on the lanes for practice at 6:00 PM this Sunday.

SOME HELP WITH CHEETAH

Cheetah kicked my butt for a second consecutive week. Obviously, I'm going about it the wrong way. I found some videos on YouTube with some suggestions for bowling on this oil pattern. I think it's time to stop beating my head against the wall and follow the experts' recommendations.

SPORT CHALLENGE 23 - WEEK 5 RESULTS

Olivia wasn't able to bowl this week so Sharon stepped in to take her place. It wasn't an easy task to bowl four games on Cheetah without an opportunity to practice on it first. As one might expect, Sharon had a tough time with the new conditions. Welcome to the humbling game of sport bowling, Sharon!

I didn't have the excuse of inexperience for my floundering scores. I bowled seven games on Cheetah the night before and still couldn't do much with it.

It didn't help us that the opposition bowled really well and seemed to strike at will. Sharon picked up our only two points of the night as we went 2-18. After a decent start, we've been sinking toward the bottom of the standings the past few weeks. It won't get any easier next week as we'll be facing tough competition including Ray and Gaylah Spackman in the second set.

WEEK 5  01 02 SET1  03 04 SET2  SER G AVG   TG TPINS  SAVG
Sharon 106 156 262 105 139 244  506 4 126.5  4   506 126.5
Mark   180 134 314 158 159 317  631 4 157.8 20  3216 160.8
Olivia                                      16  2251 140.7
TOTAL  286 290 576 263 298 561 1137 8 142.1 40  5973 149.3

POT 'O' GOLD AT EARL ANTHONY'S DUBLIN BOWL

I stopped by Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl this afternoon to pick up a ball for my Dad. I thought about sticking around for their Monte Carlo-style game, Pot 'O' Gold but decided against it. It was about 3:00 when I finished in the pro shop and Pot 'O' Gold didn't start until 6:30. I didn't want to sit around the bowling center for three hours. Roaming around Dublin was out of the question because the weather was brutally hot. I didn't feel like going home and coming back later, again because of the hot weather. Eventually, I figured I'd head home to watch the last couple innings of the A's game and stay out of the heat.

While I didn't stay to bowl, I did pick up a flier for Pot 'O' Gold. It looks like it would be fun for us to try someday. It's $18.00 to play with an optional jackpot for $3.00 and an optional $3.00 side pot for high scratch game. You can't buy as many tickets as you want for the jackpot as you can for the Monte Carlo games at Paddock Bowl and Clayton Valley Bowl. You can buy only a $3.00 set of three tickets (one for each game). The side pot for high scratch game is the same. You can enter for $3.00 ($1.00 per game).

The Monte Carlo-style game is a bit different than the others we have played. There's a chart for the various money shots as we have seen elsewhere but there are some twists to it. First, the different colored pins have different values. A red headpin is worth $0.50, a yellow headpin is worth $0.75, a green headpin is worth $1.00, and a blue headpin entitles one to a spin of the wheel to determine the shot's value. Many of the other money shots don't require a colored headpin. They also pay for converting splits and washouts (such as the 1-2-10 and 1-2-4-10).

The jackpot drawing takes place once in each of the games. The bowling is stopped and the bowler whose ticket is drawn moves to a separate lane for the jackpot shots. If the first shot is a strike, the bowler wins $10.00 or 10% of the jackpot, whichever is greater and continues. (If the shot isn't a strike, the bowler can still earn some by money by making another shot of the spotter's choice.) If the second shot is a strike, the bowler wins 40% of the jackpot and earns a third shot. If the third shot is a strike, the bowler wins the entire jackpot.

The sidepot is pretty straight forward. The highest scratch score for each game wins the pot. I don't see that they have separate pots for men and women. I assume only elite bowlers enter this one. Unless I felt like donating $3.00 to a guy who regularly shoots over 250, I think I'd stay away from this one.

SPORT CHALLENGE 23 - WEEK 4 RESULTS

Our transition from Paris to Cheetah was not a smooth one. Our struggles were very much like those we experienced during our first night bowling on Paris. We had troubles hitting the pocket and no matter what adjustments we tried, nothing seemed to work. Our confidence waned as the evening wore on and we began having trouble with routine spare conversions. In the end, we put up our worst scores of the season and went 3-17 for the night. It’s interesting that we stunk and went 3-17 this week compared to 2-18 last week when we bowled our high series. Our record for the season slipped to 26-54. Two weeks ago we were at 21-19. Ouch!

I dare say it’s essential that we utilize Sunday night’s sport practice session to figure out how to bowl on Cheetah. Both of us lost several pins off our averages this week. It's best that we not allow that to become a trend.

WEEK 4  01 02  SET1  03  04 SET2 SERIES NGMS   AVG SGMS TPINS  SAVG
Olivia 107 134  241 122  81  203    444    4 111.0   16  2251 140.7
Mark   119 161  280 166 156  322    602    4 150.5   16  2585 161.6
Total  226 295  521 288 237  525   1046    8 130.8   32  4836 151.1

SWITCHING FROM PARIS TO CHEETAH

I stuck around after we finished the CBT doubles tournament to get some practice for our sport league, Sport Challenge 23. Tomorrow night we switch from the extremely long oil of Paris (47') to Cheetah (35') which is the shortest of the sport oil patterns.

In my three practice games tonight, I found that the ball hooks a LOT more on Cheetah than it did on Paris. My Defiant may be too aggressive for it. At times I had trouble keeping the Defiant to the right of the headpin. I might have to try a different ball tomorrow.

CALIFORNIA BOWLERS TOUR DOUBLES TOURNAMENT AT DIABLO VALLEY BOWL

We're bowling at 2:00 today. It's not mentioned on the tournament flier but the crossover option is available. For us to bowl in all three possible combinations will cost an entry fee of $59.00 each because we pay the lineage only once. It's $25.00 for the first entry plus $17.00 for each additional pairing. Anyone who chooses to enter the optional singles tournament will pay $10.00 more for a total of $69.00. Kris is going to bowl in this one with me so I'll have action on four different squads and an entry fee of $76.00.

Please do your best to arrive by 1:00 so we can get checked in with plenty of time to get ourselves ready to bowl. 1:15 will be okay. Please don't wait until 1:30. There's usually a bull rush of bowlers to sign in a half hour before the bowling starts.

MONTE CARLO AT BEL MATEO BOWL

The Coach outside Bel Mateo Bowl

The Blockheads crossed the Bay to Bel Mateo Bowl in San Mateo for the Monte Carlo tournament I wrote about a few days ago. Sharon and I arrived early and bowled a practice game to get a feel for the lanes. The conditions were good and we scored well which made us feel good about our chances in the tournament.

Olivia and Gary arrived just as we finished our practice game. We still had about ninety minutes before the tournament was to start so we drove a few blocks to a place called Jack's Prime Burgers & Shakes for a pregame meal. As tempting as the burgers looked, we didn't want to weigh ourselves down before bowling so each of us ordered a salad. The food and service were excellent.

Olivia shows off her new ball

We returned to Bel Mateo Bowl with time to spare and settled in to bowl. They had game seven of the NBA Eastern Conference playoff finals on the TV above our lanes so we were able to watch the game as we bowled. Bel Mateo must mix in more colored pins than the other places we bowl in Monte Carlo events because the money shots came up with greater frequency. I had money shots in my first four frames and six in the first game alone. Each of us shot several strikes on money shots. I know Gary hit one worth $8.00 and Olivia had at least one $5.00 strike. We nailed several $1.00 and $2.00 shots. The spotters alternately encouraged and needled us (in good fun) as they called out our money shots. The game scores went well, too. Olivia finished in third place and I finished in second for the tournament.

The interior of Bel Mateo Bowl.

The managers at Bel Mateo Bowl, Lou Himenes and Mike Pallandino, made us feel most welcome and they encouraged us to return for their next Monte Carlo tournament. All of the staff were friendly and helpful. The only negative thing about the day was the temperature. It was a warm spring day and Bel Mateo Bowl's air conditioner was kaput. It got uncomfortably warm and a bit stuffy as we bowled. Beyond that trifle, it was a splendid day.

Tomorrow is a California Bowers Tour handicap doubles tournament at Diablo Valley Bowl in Concord. The Blockheads will be there!

ALL YOU CAN BOWL FOR $10

Mel's Bowl in Alameda has a summer discount on Sunday through Thursday nights. From 8 PM until midnight, you bowl as much as you want for $10.00. I visited Mel's on my way home from the office softball games at Nicholl Park and found the place only about a quarter full.

The lanes had fresh oil and the NBA playoffs were on some of the vacant scoreboards. I stopped counting after I bowled my tenth game. When you're bowling solo with two lanes and not taking any breaks, you can pile up a bunch of games in four hours. 

SPORT CHALLENGE DOUBLES 23 - WEEK 3 RESULTS

First, the good news -- Olivia bowled her high game and high series for the season with her new ball, the Critical Theory by Roto Grip. I bowled my high series for the season. And as a team, we bowled our high game and high series for the season. Olivia raised her average from 148.5 to 150.6. I raised my average from 161.8 to 165.3.

The bad news -- despite our solid scores, we got hammered. We won only 2 of the 20 points on the board for the night because our opponents were on fire. What can you do when the other side is throwing 225-250 scores at you? (Yeah, I know. Bowl 251-300.) We just had to tip our caps to them and be content with the knowledge that we're continuing to improve.

WEEK 3  01  02 SET1  03  04 SET2 SERIES NGMS   AVG SGMS TPINS SAVG    SET1
Olivia 194 138  332 158 129  287    619    4 154.8   12  1807 150.6 0W-10L
Mark   183 189  372 167 150  317    689    4 172.3   12  1983 165.3   SET2
Total  377 327  704 325 279  604   1308    8 163.5   24  3790 157.9  2W-8L
                                                                     TOTAL
                                                                    2W-18L
                                                                    SEASON
                                                                   23W-37L

MONTE CARLO AT BEL MATEO BOWL

The front entrance to Bel Mateo Bowl

I stopped at Bel Mateo Bowl on my way home from Palo Alto on Saturday night and found they have a Monte Carlo tournament next Saturday night (June 9th) at 6:30. It's a different kind of Monte Carlo event than I've seen elsewhere. It's a regular three-game singles handicap tournament (90% of 220) but with the colored pin money shots mixed into tournament play. Here's the tournament flier with the money shots on the second page.

24 brand new lanes and monitors

I think this looks like fun and it would put an intriguing twist on Monte Carlo bowling. There are some potential hangups, though. First, for everyone but me, it's a pretty long ride to the southern end of San Mateo. Bel Mateo bowl is near the Belmont-San Mateo border. (Bel Mateo - get it?) Second, there's the Cal Bowlers Tour handicap doubles tournament at Diablo Valley Bowl next weekend. We could do both -- bowl Monte Carlo in San Mateo on Saturday and bowl doubles in Concord on Sunday.

What do you think about it?