Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Barry Bonds Plaque is Stolen!

Barry Bonds in the on deck circle.
It is a bit shocking that something could be stolen from a fairly secure ballpark, but it has in San Francisco. The commemorative plaque honoring the record breaking season Barry Bonds had back in 2007 went missing last night. They are currently making plans to put up a new one, and it doesn't seem they have any plans of trying to get it back.

A spokeswoamn from the San Francisco Giants stated that they would be looking into video they have of the  stadium, but it doesn't appear that they have found anything yet. Maybe they should ask Mayapolis.

All of this drama seems to have reopened a healing scar of the Barry Bonds story, and many people are asking now if they should even put a new one up in the first place? Much of this drama seems to have the city of San Francisco divided. Barry Bonds will frequently return to AT&T Park a receive both standing cheers and boos from the crowds.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Adjusting to lane conditions

Bowlingballs on ball return

Last issue we discussed customizing your ball surface, this week we will cover adjusting to different lane conditions. 

One of the biggest differences I see between professionals and really good amateur players is the ability to adjust and read lane conditions quickly. 

In most league situations the house shot is usually around the second arrow with more oil towards the middle of the lane. In bowling you want to play in an area of the lane that is most forgiving to maximize your scoring potential. If the area right of second arrow is very dry, you want to move a little left (for righthanders) or more to the right (for lefthanders); this will enable you to set your ball down where there is more lane conditioner (oil), and catch the dry area a little later. What you are looking for is a little mistake area to the right and to the left. 

If you must be perfect and have only one board (at the target area) you probably are lined up improperly or may have chosen the wrong piece of equipment. Once you have selected a ball that gives you the kind of reaction you are looking for, remember you will have to move as your league session progresses. Try to always follow the lane conditioner (oil line). 

Example: First game you are standing on the 20 board and your target is the second arrow, you're hitting the pocket and then around the middle of the first game you start going high on the head pin. Adjustment: Make a 2-1 move left (for righthanders) two boards with your feet and 1 board with your target. Remember to always move in the direction that you are missing the pocket. If your ball is not getting up to the pocket, move to the right and if you are missing the pocket to the left, move to the left (for righthanders). 

Today the reactive resin and particle shell balls have such aggressive shells that they make the lanes change more rapidly as a result you may have to make a lot of adjustments during a league session. 

Learn to get comfortable with playing different angles. A good bowler should be able to play as deep as 4th and sometimes 5th arrow and also be able to play outside the first arrow. Most league conditions won't require these extreme angles but the more tournament play you compete in the more you will be required to play these angles.