can-ham
03-10-2008, 11:12 AM
So I rolled in my favorite Canadian tournament yesterday, the national classifieds. There are 4 classes <150, 150-170, 170-190, >190, and we roll 5 games scratch. I fall in the 170 to 190 with my 188 average (actually was 176 at jan 1) Anyway it was Zones where the top four in each house make teams to go to provincials. We where using a THS (which I never shoot any more) and practice looked good but it was burning up early. Bad part is I'm roiling with a group that includes a dude that bugs the crap out of me, he's a good guy but has no filter (like if you have the front 10 he'll walk up to you on the approach and put his hands on you and say 2 more for a 300). Started of very shaky was tight on my strike shots and horrible on my spares, left 4 opens in a row (2 where easy single pins!) for a 160. Game two got my groove on and picked up all my spares but one in the tenth for 196. Game three was just as poor as game one, I picked up all my spares except for splits, the problem here was I have two splits and no linked strikes for a 159. So I go look at the scores, I'm 3rd last out of 14, but I'm only 50 pins out of 4th place. So I decide I'm not throwing in the towel, and I put my iPod on for focus (and to ignore the annoying dude, but this is the first time I've ever bowled with an iPod on). My spare shooting feels good, and the lanes are burnt enough that I can play my old THS line (from 5 years ago) standing on 30 throwing over 15. Well trust is a must or your game is a bust. Start off game 4 with some spares and an open in the second frame (the big 4), but then put together 5 in a row and rock out a 225. No I'm sitting 30 pins out of 4th but I'm feeling the lanes and looks like everyone else is starting to struggle (except this one kid who is lighting up 230s every game in our class). So I know if I can put up a 230 plus I've got a shot, I just need to beat 4th place guy by 30 pins. Well game five I'm in a groove, I was linking strikes and picked up all my spares. Shot a clean 236! I look over and no one else broke 210 except for the ringer who had a 235 (and first place locked up). My league teammate had a lock on second cause he rolled a 276 game one and kept every game after that over 200.
So I Jumped into third! This was hammerhead moment, never give up and and never back down. So now I'll be headed to provincials in Calgary next month. (viva the Big Block Diesel)
On a side note my Buddie missed 4th team by one pin (and third by 2 pins) in his class. He was killing it but in the last game on his last shot he thought he had a lock so he didn't care about his shot, he just hucked it. Well he missed his spare and went from 3rd to 5th by 2 pins. Lesson learned: "Keep your foot on their throat!"
So I Jumped into third! This was hammerhead moment, never give up and and never back down. So now I'll be headed to provincials in Calgary next month. (viva the Big Block Diesel)
On a side note my Buddie missed 4th team by one pin (and third by 2 pins) in his class. He was killing it but in the last game on his last shot he thought he had a lock so he didn't care about his shot, he just hucked it. Well he missed his spare and went from 3rd to 5th by 2 pins. Lesson learned: "Keep your foot on their throat!"