Need help with practice today

[can-ham]

So I made a Canadian tournament call the National Classifieds. Provincials run on Sunday and today I'm heading over to the center that is hosting it for some practice. I've bowled there a few times two years ago. My league house has wood lanes and this center has synthetics.

Question is I only have an hour today to practice before the big tournament. I was hopping you guys might forward any suggestions on how to maximize my practice to prepare for Sunday.

My current plan is this:
1) Find the right slide combo on my shoes (the synthetic approach here is very slick)
2) Find the 10 pin line (plastic ball)
3) Find the 7 line (plastic ball)
4) Try out my strike lines with all three of my strike balls
-Not sure the best approach for this but will need to be able to diagnose the lanes quickly during practice on Sunday.

Any suggestions are openly welcome!

[can-ham]

http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/bts/production/f19991024/img/helpme.gif
Help me OB1 you're my only hope!

[gripnripwatchitflip]

Your shoe aspect should be done by feel.
As far as ten pin line, mine never changes, its a straight ball.
Seven pin, also by comfortability, throw a few at it and see whats comfortable.
Play with the lane, see what it gives you, and just go from their.
Good Luck, oh and Obi said he was teaching a little blond kid to bowl, he's not taking any calls today. lol

[can-ham]

Thanks gripnripwatchitflip!

Any more advice anyone? I'm leaving in three hours...

[impossible_is_nothing06]

1. Shoes is all about feel

2. 10 pin - for me...im left handed ...i move left and stand the ball return ...and then just aim around 3 arrow on the left side...with a normal strike ball and strike ball release to roll into the 10 pin

3. 7 pin - i usually stand at 20 and aim at around 12 ....b4 i go i line up the reflection of the 7 pin to around the 2 and 3rd arrow....and then just throw my first ball but i kill the ball...so you can just throw your plastic ball straight at it

4. for me...when im practicing...i pull out the ball that i feel most confident and the one that rolls the smoothest....then either go straighter with a less aggresive ball....or go to a more aggressive ball and go deeper...and then just try different hand releases

fyi- on my spares i just throw my strike ball....i don't use a plastic ball

well i hope that helps...feel free to send me a message anytime..and let me know how it goes

[BradM]

Practice hard today. But when the big day comes... Just bowl. Don't over do it. Don't over think it. Let your body do it's work. Try too hard and you'll end up drinking to forget it rather than to celebrate it. Here's to you my friend:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/GravityTap.jpg

[can-ham]

Cheers Brad!

A guy on my classified team is also my league team mate. We always have a blast, he usually puts back 10 beers in a 4 game session. It's funny cause there is this threshold where he can be drunk and bowling well, but one sip over an he's drunk and bowling poor.

I will have one while bowling to calm the nerves bet never get tipsy while competing. I just want to bowl well and wins some cash or maybe a trip to the nationals...

[Thepainscoming]

I think you should get your medium hooking ball, throw straight down ever arrow to the middle so that you know where the longer oil or shorter oil is. It sounds like that tournament will have a sport pattern.

[dw800seeker]

It is hard in practice to get an exact feel for how the lanes will play.

1. I like to test the extremes a little. Find the shot that gets you in the pocket and then test target two boards to the right and see what happens. If you still are in the pocket take it out another two boards, etc. I want to know how much room I am going to have. Do the same thing moving left with target two boards, and repeat.

2. Take time after a particularly good shot to remember what you did with your body. Where are your arms? Where is your slide foot? Where is your non-slide foot? Check your balance? Make sure you are in athletic position and not flailed to the side or backward.

3. Depending on how fresh the oil condition is, you may never have better chance to simulate how things are going to be in the 3rd+ games than right when you start practicing. I would work on inside game first since this is as good as it gets for practicing that shot.

4. Simulate around the world in basketball. Try to strike over every arrow that you might be aiming at and perhaps between each arrow too. I.e., find you strike over 3 board, 5 board, 8 board, 10, 12, 15 17, 20, 22 and 25.

5. Take a nap. I like to take a couple of aspirins and have chocolate handy for boosts of energy and clear thinking. Nothing messes up a good bowling game, round of golf, or exam more than some nachos or a chili-dog.

[Thepainscoming]

It is hard in practice to get an exact feel for how the lanes will play.

1. I like to test the extremes a little. Find the shot that gets you in the pocket and then test target two boards to the right and see what happens. If you still are in the pocket take it out another two boards, etc. I want to know how much room I am going to have. Do the same thing moving left with target two boards, and repeat.

2. Take time after a particularly good shot to remember what you did with your body. Where are your arms? Where is your slide foot? Where is your non-slide foot? Check your balance? Make sure you are in athletic position and not flailed to the side or backward.

3. Depending on how fresh the oil condition is, you may never have better chance to simulate how things are going to be in the 3rd+ games than right when you start practicing. I would work on inside game first since this is as good as it gets for practicing that shot.

4. Simulate around the world in basketball. Try to strike over every arrow that you might be aiming at and perhaps between each arrow too. I.e., find you strike over 3 board, 5 board, 8 board, 10, 12, 15 17, 20, 22 and 25.

5. Take a nap. I like to take a couple of aspirins and have chocolate handy for boosts of energy and clear thinking. Nothing messes up a good bowling game, round of golf, or exam more than some nachos or a chili-dog.

I'm lucky, we don't even have a snack bar in our alley.

[can-ham]

Great advice guys, thanks I'll put it to use. :cool:

[Thepainscoming]

Great advice guys, thanks I'll put it to use. :cool:

Please report on how it went.

[can-ham]

Well this could be one of the worst practice sessions I've ever had but I did take away some positives.

First off the ally never answered the phone all day when I was trying to call to confirm a good practice time I knew league would start at 7:00 so I was hoping to show up at 5:30 for a good hour of practice. Turns out they where oiling the lanes so they let me play on the one non sanctioned lane for 30 minutes. The reason it is non sanctioned because there is a pillar from the 35 board to the ball return.

So I was able to figure out my shoe set up (dexter sst 6) on the wood lane my slide combo is (h5,s6) on the synthetics it's now (h1,s2) that's as grippy as I can get with what I have so the approach is crazy slick!

Other than that with the pillar in the way I was only able to play any line over 2nd arrow and practice all my left side spares. So I'm felling good about the 7 pin. Unfortunately the lane was really dry and I was getting so much back end out of all my balls (blade reactive pearl was hooking off the lane) so I really needed to play across more boards. Took a few one step (because of the pillar) shots at the ten pin and a few strike lines.

Over all I'm glad I won't be messing with my shoes Sunday and if I leave any ringing sevens I'll be ready for it. I feel that I have a good idea where I will most likely be playing in the turny and will need to throw a few tens in practice on Sunday.


Ok that's it sorry for the personal blog. I'm pumped for the provincials and can't wait to see what reaction I can get out of the Big Block and Blade (looks like the zilla is just too much for these lanes).

Thanks to every one for the great advice!