In my best Howard Cosell imitation: "It ovah, it's alll ovaaahhh".  Scott is TKO'd by the PBA Experience in a 12-round (week) bout, where I'm a welterweight, and the PBA is George Foreman.

Or something like that anyway.

Position night, final week, tonight.  Cheetah again.  The pattern does not like me. I do not like it right back.  Shot a couple of 130's games before coming back with a 182 to close out the night.

Finished up with a 36-game set with a 160 average. This, after booking a 201 this past winter on the house shot. HELLLOOOOOO reality.   I knew I wasn't going to put up big numbers, so I'm not shocked by this.

The good news is I learned a lot, had some fun too.  We finished 7th out of 10 in a pretty tightly contested league.

And I found out my winter league is going to be using a modified house shot that's more difficult, closer oil ratio to the pros, at least the first six weeks as a test, so I think I'll be better prepared for that as a result of this summer's festivities.  Of course, this means my average will take a hit, which is a bit disappointing since I'm trying to hit 210 this year, but at the end of the day, more practice on tougher shots, should make me a better bowler.

September 3rd it all kicks off, and suffice to say, I hope to not be mentioning anything about 130 games, or a 160 average, as the weather turns chilly :)

With two weeks to go in our league, we stood in 4th, 1/2 game out of 3rd. Real close standing between 3rd and 8th though.  We bowled the first place team, which has just three really good bowlers.  Two of them have the top averages, and the third bowled the season high game at us last night.

Even though it's a handicap league, we were fighting an uphill battle, and we got spanked.

Almost everyone struggled the first game on both sides, but me and one of my teammates REALLY had a rough time.  I had a season low......cringe.....123.  My teammate was also in the 120's. Fortunately our anchor shot a 215 or so, and he took his point and us our game.

Well, the monster woke up in game 2.  They shot a scratch 645 at us. Middle guy busted out a 241, with the first six.  I was able to salvage 1/2 point with a spare on the fill for 173.

Last game we all kinda struggled. I think I had the high on our side with 163. I missed a spare in the 10th, that would have left me needing a 9-count to win my point.  Ouch.

I can say without any doubt that I like the Cheetah the least. I really have to work hard on this pattern, not that I mind work, but it definitely plays to my weaknesses.  And we finish up the season on it next week.  Joy.  I'd rather bowl on Cheetos than on the Cheetah. So I have to wipe off orange powder off my ball.  A small price to pay.

Hopefully, wherever we are in the standings, the team and I can finish strong next week and head back into the winter funnel pattern with a good feeling about the Experience.

Well....Wednesday night was a return to the old formula of two-bad-games and then one good one.

It was hotten than Hades in the center, and was struggling with concentration with some sort of ear infection or something. It's better now, but was giving me some serious headaches and discomfort.

That aside, I suffered again by missing makable spares, especially in a second-game 133. Yes. 133. Ugh.  My first shots weren't bad, but if you can't make single-pin spares, and I'm not even talking 10-pins, you're gonna pay.

I went 150-133 and then in the last game a 177.

Two weeks to go in the summer season, and we bowl the first place team this week.  They're stacked.  All three of them are top-average guys in our house with 220's-230's average on the regular shot, and two of them are leading our PBA league with 190+.

Myself, I dipped to 162.  It's a small league, only 10 teams, 30 bowlers, but that 162 is good enough for top 10 or so.  At least that's something.

I need to shoot a couple of 530's in the next two weeks to get to 165 for the season, which would be nice.

Last night was just a really good night. I bowled well, and had my fair share of good breaks too.

When all was said and done, I took the Scorpion downtown and roughed it up for a 600 on the nose!

Considering my previous PBA high series was just 508, this is a major breakthrough. I also had my highest single PBA game, with a 225 (better than last week's 224 on the Shark).

This was the second week in a row with a clean game too, which is the most gratifying thing. Spares are always at a premium, and the fact I was leaving makeable spares, and actually covering most of them, was awesome.

And of course....it didn't hurt at all that my bad shots that were crossovers, I carried for strikes. I think I must have had five of them!

So, my scores were 180-225 in the first two for 405.  I knew I need another big game, and it wasn't looking good early. After sparing the first, I dumped my next shot in the gutter and then got 9, followed by an open in the third. So with 28 in the 3rd I figured I was done.  But I spared then got four in a row and I was on my way. I had to strike in the 10th, and carry one of two pins on the 3-10 on the fill ball, which is exactly what I did, for my 600.

Feels damn good!

The Shark is becoming my favorite pattern. Very odd considering I've always been an outside-line, down-and-in player on a house shot.  Very rarely have I ever played 2nd arrow, much less inside of that.

While I've been very inconsistent on most of the PBA shots, including the Shark, the success I've had at times, and the confidence that I can play different lines and angles, if I execute, has been huge.  If you have the opportunity to get into a PBA Exp. league, I highly recommend it.  It's frustrating at times, but will show you your game in your face, and really make you aware of your areas that need improvement. A forgiving house shot will give you a nice score, but it's a false sense of accomplishment sometimes.

Anyway, soap box notwithstanding, I was my typical disappointing the first two games last night. I'm not sure why I have difficulty with my shotmaking, but I was missing my line often the first two games, and leaving myself hard spares.  Result?  142, 140.  Hoo boy.

Then.....like Hulk Hogan getting off the mat, I suddenly came alive, ripped off the yellow T-shirt, responded to the chants from the crowd, and proceeded to pile drive my opponent into the ball return..........

Oh wait, sorry.  No violence :)  "Just" a clean, gratifying, 224. X / X X X X / / / X/  My highest PBA game by a wide margin (My previous high was just a 187!)   A pair of crossover strikes, but definitely a quality effort.   I just wish I could be more consistent.  Third straight week of two bad games followed by  a good one to salvage a series.