Bowling in tournaments is not just about skill, it also requires stamina. After completing my pre-bowl, I threw an additional three games to work on my endurance. I stayed on the same pair of lanes which allowed me to also work on my mental game. Even though I bowled solo, the lanes did have a small degree of transition on them. Since the oil volume is so high, transition does take longer to occur. I did have to eventually use my No Rules Pearl, after my Phaze II started to run over/under.
Game four played much like game three, with little to no adjustments necessary. I played the mids, rolling out to about 10 at the break. Similar to the pre-bowl, missing outside was killer. Washouts and difficult splits will reign supreme if you put it out there. If I didn't miss in the tenth, life would of been roughly twenty pins higher, instead I finish at -4.
About half way through game five, I started to feel my energy drain. Let it be known that I haven't bowled this much since roughly high school. Shot making remained consistent, but I realized that the Phaze II was no longer the correct ball for the right lane. Too many nine counts and over/under lead to overall dissatisfaction with the ball. By the end of the fifth game I was using the Phaze II on lane one and the No Rules Pearl on lane two.
The sixth game played out quite well, given my energy level and ball reaction. Key splits put a kink in the overall quality of the score, but alas, I am still satisfied. The same rules of game five applied to game six.
Lessons
- Damn it, don't miss outside. Unless you like to pick up splits (and you don't)
- Spares are quite helpful. Get em'
- Putting the ball down earlier on the lane leads to consistent shot making...Don't loft unless your Mika.