WC Cleveland thoughts
After 3 games - in the desert of Snellville
My fingers - began to turn red
After 6 games - in the desert of Snellville
I was wishing I was back home in bed….
Three-hundred, sixty-six days ago – I made a decision to try bowling in my very 1st scratch bowling tournament; The WC Cleveland Memorial - Men’s Scratch Singles Tournament. It was quite an experience, as I saw many of the best amateur bowlers come in from around the USA to compete, and it was great experience for myself to see what it’s like to bowl against some of the best bowlers – even if I didn’t fit into that category. Hey, for me – it was just very cool to participate, and also meet all of these great individuals.
Well, fast-forward to now – 2009 (a yr later), and even though the directors of the tournament changed the location, I still saw many of the same great bowlers come in town to participate in this event…only this time – I made a goal to myself…if I decided to try bowling this year, I had a goal; “Make the cut”.
Did I decide to bowl? Yep.
Did I bowl “ok”? Yep.
But see – these are the wrong questions…
The real question needs to be,
“CAN YOU THROW THE BALL ABOUT 20MPH, PASS THE HEADS…. AND STILL CONTROL THE BALL ENOUGH TO MAKE IT HIT THE POCKET…ON THE DRIEST CONDITIONS YOU COULD IMAGINE?”
Uuuushhhh… that’s a BIG…no, no, NO…. I can NOT….LMAO.
Ok – serious. 1st of all – I didn’t make the cut…but I came pretty close. I finished up 36th in a field of 64 bowlers…. missing the cut by about 37 pins.
http://bowling200.ning.com/photo/2009wcclevelandtournamentday1-1
Also - I now positively recognize the importance of EVERY-SINGLE pin in this type of competition…simply because "making the cut" equated to me simply getting 4.6 pins more per game. And trust me… I can remember every “makeable” split, chopped-spare …and of course that 1 “missed 10-pin”…wishing I would have taken a little more time on those shots.
Anyway – overall, the experience of this tournament was great!!! (again).
Fero Williams won this year…and it was well deserved.
But - The thing that I noticed MORE than anything this year is that, it took bowlers that had great speed and power to survive this tournament to the finals.
>> http://bowling200.ning.com/video/fero-williams-bowling-at-wc
Now, I am not saying that ONLY bowlers with power and speed could be on top, but I'm definitely saying that it was an advantage for this type of tournament.
Type of tournament? Yeah. See – they put out a “big-walled-outside-bump-house-shot” (but no middle hold) that was dry from the 1st game…and then we all had to bowl 8 games on this. Sheeees, by the 3rd game, I was already as far left, as I would be in a 10-man pot game after 3 hours (serious). So – this was a whole new world of bowling…as far as “what I know”. But, the thing that I saw that was working…. was that a lot of the guys that could throw the ball hard/fast…and/or loft it pass the front of the lanes …well, they were the ones at the top.
Am I complaining – no way! I had a blast…and I thank God just for the privilege to participate. Will I bowl again next year? – Definitely.
Will I make the cut? I think so… (hmmmm) Well - YES – I will!!!
So, in anticipation of next year… I will just keep learning, practicing…and hey - who knows…maybe I’ll even get some decent “dry-lane” skills too….
Until then - Everyone take care,
Chase
My fingers - began to turn red
After 6 games - in the desert of Snellville
I was wishing I was back home in bed….
Three-hundred, sixty-six days ago – I made a decision to try bowling in my very 1st scratch bowling tournament; The WC Cleveland Memorial - Men’s Scratch Singles Tournament. It was quite an experience, as I saw many of the best amateur bowlers come in from around the USA to compete, and it was great experience for myself to see what it’s like to bowl against some of the best bowlers – even if I didn’t fit into that category. Hey, for me – it was just very cool to participate, and also meet all of these great individuals.
Well, fast-forward to now – 2009 (a yr later), and even though the directors of the tournament changed the location, I still saw many of the same great bowlers come in town to participate in this event…only this time – I made a goal to myself…if I decided to try bowling this year, I had a goal; “Make the cut”.
Did I decide to bowl? Yep.
Did I bowl “ok”? Yep.
But see – these are the wrong questions…
The real question needs to be,
“CAN YOU THROW THE BALL ABOUT 20MPH, PASS THE HEADS…. AND STILL CONTROL THE BALL ENOUGH TO MAKE IT HIT THE POCKET…ON THE DRIEST CONDITIONS YOU COULD IMAGINE?”
Uuuushhhh… that’s a BIG…no, no, NO…. I can NOT….LMAO.
Ok – serious. 1st of all – I didn’t make the cut…but I came pretty close. I finished up 36th in a field of 64 bowlers…. missing the cut by about 37 pins.
http://bowling200.ning.com/photo/2009wcclevelandtournamentday1-1
Also - I now positively recognize the importance of EVERY-SINGLE pin in this type of competition…simply because "making the cut" equated to me simply getting 4.6 pins more per game. And trust me… I can remember every “makeable” split, chopped-spare …and of course that 1 “missed 10-pin”…wishing I would have taken a little more time on those shots.
Anyway – overall, the experience of this tournament was great!!! (again).
Fero Williams won this year…and it was well deserved.
But - The thing that I noticed MORE than anything this year is that, it took bowlers that had great speed and power to survive this tournament to the finals.
>> http://bowling200.ning.com/video/fero-williams-bowling-at-wc
Now, I am not saying that ONLY bowlers with power and speed could be on top, but I'm definitely saying that it was an advantage for this type of tournament.
Type of tournament? Yeah. See – they put out a “big-walled-outside-bump-house-shot” (but no middle hold) that was dry from the 1st game…and then we all had to bowl 8 games on this. Sheeees, by the 3rd game, I was already as far left, as I would be in a 10-man pot game after 3 hours (serious). So – this was a whole new world of bowling…as far as “what I know”. But, the thing that I saw that was working…. was that a lot of the guys that could throw the ball hard/fast…and/or loft it pass the front of the lanes …well, they were the ones at the top.
Am I complaining – no way! I had a blast…and I thank God just for the privilege to participate. Will I bowl again next year? – Definitely.
Will I make the cut? I think so… (hmmmm) Well - YES – I will!!!
So, in anticipation of next year… I will just keep learning, practicing…and hey - who knows…maybe I’ll even get some decent “dry-lane” skills too….
Until then - Everyone take care,
Chase
Comment
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Comment by Chase on August 17, 2009 at 1:33pm - ...yeah, I had fun too. It was kinda humorous at times...throwing at a spare (with my spare ball)...hoping and praying that the ball wouldn't move left...lol.
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Comment by Gwendolyn Thomas on August 17, 2009 at 12:06pm -
I played my 1st scratch tourney this year and boy I am I out of shape. :) My 1st scratch since 2004.
I survived the 1st 4 games at +5 (805) position #9 and of course the lanes were bone dry by the end of the 3rd game.
Coming back in the 2nd half, could not shoot a 200 game to save my life. I even tried playing with my spare bowl but my physical conditioning with my sore knee didn't allow me to really perform well for the last 4 games.
Ended up -122 for the day (1476).
New equipment is on the way for me...
I'm tired but had some fun.
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Comment by Akil Razzak on August 17, 2009 at 7:30am - I feel you Chase!!! Those missed spares came back to haunt me!!! I was just hoping that what they put out Friday night was what they ran the entire tournament with. It would have kept the scores down and made you make better shots!!!!
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