I forgot to write a post up last week about practice but there's not too much to share. It was a lot of good work, so it was tiring and also a bit frustrating. It was also a bit.. disappointing? I was really in the mood to BOWL not practice I guess. So I really wanted to throw some normal balls at the end of the night, but Ted told me to call it quits and I wanted to catch the bus so I didn't.
Lately, because I've been working at fixing my game, I haven't felt very confident in my game or very comfortable either. I've been about average, but in the weeks leading up to all this playing around with my swings and stuff I had been doing pretty great, so it was a bit of a let down. I was just really unsure about my self.
And then comes a night like tonight, just got back from Calgary so I'm all relaxed and just want to bowl (I had missed Saturday league). I got there early to warm up with everyone else who was practicing and didn't really make any nice shots or anything so I was uneasy about sparing in an hour - it was rolloffs, basically like playoffs. So it was important for the team I was bowling on that I bowled well.
Well I did! First game (once again against my coach that I had beaten 2 weeks prior) I came out with a bang. 226. Take that Brian! I won that match. Then we switched opponents. 203, lost to Carla who was also sparing. She had a heck of a game, a 236. She always bowls better when I'm around, she loosens up. For me it depends. If we get too chatty I lose focus and then suck. But it was alright today. I ended up losing a bit of focus, but having Ted coaching on the lanes right next to us was kind of making me paranoid for some reason. So I missed a spare or two that I should have had. Next, we changed opponents again, and I was up against Chelsey's mom. I shot a 201, I was definitely losing focus, I was getting tired - it had been a long day (3hr bus ride from Calgary). She shot a 204. I had left an open, a freaking easy spare to make (hence I knew I was losing focus), so she was able to beat me.
But I averaged 210 which I'm not complaining about. And I think I helped the team take 3rd place. I'm really just glad that I was able to just go out and bowl, and bowl well! It helped that it was an easy shot though.. Oh well.
Showing posts with label Monday Night Practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monday Night Practice. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sparing
Instead of my usual practice, I was a sub for someone in the adult league. I was looking forward to it so I could sort of redeem myself from Saturday's league results, or at least make me feel better about myself.
Well it worked. Ted had wanted me to try cupping my wrist all night long, but I just don't have the strength to do that, to throw a good ball over and over, so once we started our game I said enough with that. I then proceeded to throw a 196, 189, 179, 169. Ya the scores went down, but honestly I was throwing a better ball by each game. The oil was starting to break down by the end of the 3rd and by the 4th, I just didn't have enough time to make the right adjustments. I finally had it all in place by the 10th frame.. drat! At least I was above average, 183!
Once thing about the Monday league is that it's scratch. You have 3 bowlers on a team, labeled A, B & C. The best bowler is A and C is the worst. I was sparing for the B bowler. So each player is against, the other same labeled player on the other team. For example B bowls against B. Whoever wins gets 2 points for the win, same with the other players, and then there's another 2 points for the team with the highest total.
Tonight I just so happened to be bowling against one of my coaches, Brian, who is also my teammates Dad. He usually gives me a hard time with stuff, and he actually gets on my nerves a lot, because he basically always tells me the same thing - stay behind the ball. But I can't just do it at your command!! I've been bowling this way for many years, it doesn't just go away. And he always makes these jokes about how if we miss something or get a brooklyn, he's go "I would have gotten that". It gets old now. So I definitely wanted to beat him tonight. I beat him 3 out of 4 games, and only lost to him by 1 in the last game. So ha.
One thing though.. I have respect for coaches who can actually throw high games, it shows they obviously know what they are talking about because they can apply it to themselves. Now Brian and I have basically the same average. He doesn't look like a very good bowler, BUT he is a pretty old guy and has knee trouble and maybe even joints in the hand problems. So I can't be too judgmental about that. BUT the fact that I beat him tonight kind of makes me want to tell him to shove it the next time he tries to "help".
On a side note, I kind of really feel bad for Chelsey. She bowls full time in this league, and the past few weeks I've seen her just tear it up, averaging over 200. To do that in league and then to come out to a provincial tournament and average only about 180 must hurt. She definitely needs to get her head space figured out for those tournaments. She just wants to win SO badly that it just consumes her and affects her game. She really is an incredible bowler, and if she was as cool & nonchalant in big tournaments as she is in league, I would have no chance, she would be right up there. But, alas, life doesn't work that way. Too many times do really good players bomb in tournaments because their head games aren't anywhere near their physical game. I also realized this today of Summar, 3 years post-youth. Incredibly good in league, but I beat her in World Cup this year, and last year at CNCs. Man, if I could only get my physical game where theirs are... I would be scary good! Actually I'm pretty sure Ted had said that once; that people would be scared of me.. But I don't know when or if that will ever happen. I might decide to work at it every week in the summer - if possible. But I would need Ted or Dan to help me out. Once again, we'll see!
Well it worked. Ted had wanted me to try cupping my wrist all night long, but I just don't have the strength to do that, to throw a good ball over and over, so once we started our game I said enough with that. I then proceeded to throw a 196, 189, 179, 169. Ya the scores went down, but honestly I was throwing a better ball by each game. The oil was starting to break down by the end of the 3rd and by the 4th, I just didn't have enough time to make the right adjustments. I finally had it all in place by the 10th frame.. drat! At least I was above average, 183!
Once thing about the Monday league is that it's scratch. You have 3 bowlers on a team, labeled A, B & C. The best bowler is A and C is the worst. I was sparing for the B bowler. So each player is against, the other same labeled player on the other team. For example B bowls against B. Whoever wins gets 2 points for the win, same with the other players, and then there's another 2 points for the team with the highest total.
Tonight I just so happened to be bowling against one of my coaches, Brian, who is also my teammates Dad. He usually gives me a hard time with stuff, and he actually gets on my nerves a lot, because he basically always tells me the same thing - stay behind the ball. But I can't just do it at your command!! I've been bowling this way for many years, it doesn't just go away. And he always makes these jokes about how if we miss something or get a brooklyn, he's go "I would have gotten that". It gets old now. So I definitely wanted to beat him tonight. I beat him 3 out of 4 games, and only lost to him by 1 in the last game. So ha.
One thing though.. I have respect for coaches who can actually throw high games, it shows they obviously know what they are talking about because they can apply it to themselves. Now Brian and I have basically the same average. He doesn't look like a very good bowler, BUT he is a pretty old guy and has knee trouble and maybe even joints in the hand problems. So I can't be too judgmental about that. BUT the fact that I beat him tonight kind of makes me want to tell him to shove it the next time he tries to "help".
On a side note, I kind of really feel bad for Chelsey. She bowls full time in this league, and the past few weeks I've seen her just tear it up, averaging over 200. To do that in league and then to come out to a provincial tournament and average only about 180 must hurt. She definitely needs to get her head space figured out for those tournaments. She just wants to win SO badly that it just consumes her and affects her game. She really is an incredible bowler, and if she was as cool & nonchalant in big tournaments as she is in league, I would have no chance, she would be right up there. But, alas, life doesn't work that way. Too many times do really good players bomb in tournaments because their head games aren't anywhere near their physical game. I also realized this today of Summar, 3 years post-youth. Incredibly good in league, but I beat her in World Cup this year, and last year at CNCs. Man, if I could only get my physical game where theirs are... I would be scary good! Actually I'm pretty sure Ted had said that once; that people would be scared of me.. But I don't know when or if that will ever happen. I might decide to work at it every week in the summer - if possible. But I would need Ted or Dan to help me out. Once again, we'll see!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monday Night Practice
Well Ted (my coach) didn't actually really have much to say about the tournament yesterday. I guess the way it was working out was that it was a tough shot and the way I throw the ball didn't match up too well with that. And we figured out (during practice) the reason why I couldn't bend my knee/stay down. I was leaning forward way too much. So we got the figured out today.
We also changed my hand position from tilted to the right (trying to get more hook on the ball) to a flatter position so I wouldn't rotate my hand too early in counteracting against the other position. I was also trying to work on keeping the center of the ball more at the base of my pointer finger, since that's the strongest point of the hand.
There was also another coach there and he had a video camera so we were analyzing our approaches from different angles. From that we saw that you don't see my fingers at all in the back swing, ie. I'm not staying "behind the ball" like I'm supposed to, a result of my wrist "breaking". So we tried to keep my wrist cocked in order to keep it a bit straighter during the swing. That didn't work at all since I have next to no muscle in my wrist.
After about 2 hours it was: ok, just throw the ball, and hope these things stick. Well Dylan and I had then decided we should prebowl. After 2 hours of practice my arm was pretty sore and I was iffy about it but said sure why not. Good thing I did! I wish I had taken a picture, but I got a new high score! (Though unofficially since it's not during sanctioned play) It was this: 9/ XX 9/ XXXXXXXX for 269. Then 236! Then 209. And then a lowly 170, but my thumb was swelling from the heat and too many "games" (we didn't bowl actual games during practice.
So that makes me feel better. I just have to get better at bowling on tough conditions I guess. At least I'm consistently good on easy shots now. Now to transfer that to different oil patterns.. They should really start doing that for league now..
Now to rest up the hand and arm and then head down to Calgary Saturday morning for CNCs qualifier.
We also changed my hand position from tilted to the right (trying to get more hook on the ball) to a flatter position so I wouldn't rotate my hand too early in counteracting against the other position. I was also trying to work on keeping the center of the ball more at the base of my pointer finger, since that's the strongest point of the hand.
There was also another coach there and he had a video camera so we were analyzing our approaches from different angles. From that we saw that you don't see my fingers at all in the back swing, ie. I'm not staying "behind the ball" like I'm supposed to, a result of my wrist "breaking". So we tried to keep my wrist cocked in order to keep it a bit straighter during the swing. That didn't work at all since I have next to no muscle in my wrist.
After about 2 hours it was: ok, just throw the ball, and hope these things stick. Well Dylan and I had then decided we should prebowl. After 2 hours of practice my arm was pretty sore and I was iffy about it but said sure why not. Good thing I did! I wish I had taken a picture, but I got a new high score! (Though unofficially since it's not during sanctioned play) It was this: 9/ XX 9/ XXXXXXXX for 269. Then 236! Then 209. And then a lowly 170, but my thumb was swelling from the heat and too many "games" (we didn't bowl actual games during practice.
So that makes me feel better. I just have to get better at bowling on tough conditions I guess. At least I'm consistently good on easy shots now. Now to transfer that to different oil patterns.. They should really start doing that for league now..
Now to rest up the hand and arm and then head down to Calgary Saturday morning for CNCs qualifier.
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