Bowling Post: PBA Experience is Tough Love

PBA Experience Leagues are Not Just for Men

When all the bickering and paperwork was finished, our PBA Experience Sport Shot League commenced with some snickering and a lot of tape for my abused thumb, I set out to prove that women can bowl on PBA conditions with the boys.

I didn't quite fail, but it wasn't the greatest experience of my life.

The game began with a typical down and in shot, my feet centered on the lane throwing up the second arrow. I was trained by three incredible bowlers, but I'd lost some of the knack of adjusting quickly to compensate for tough conditions.

The third arrow was a tough line to play, and I hit the pocket as often as I could. After a frustrating first game of a 109, I moved my feet four boards to the right, and ran my unpolished Cell right up the second, almost straight into the pocket (with the advice of my dad, who was and still is my favorite coach). The line worked well through the second game, landing me an impressive 185, getting me a little of the respect on the lanes I'd been craving.

The third game, when the oil began to break up (we were all playing much the same line, and all four of us were right handed), the ball began quickly to roll hard to the left, crossing over and playing dominoes with the pins. However, my training (finally) kicked in, and I adjusted back almost to my normal line up the third. With some minor adjustments, the Scorpion's remains still tripped me up a little, and the third game ended up with a hard-won 150.

Next week, we're supposed to play the Shark pattern, which is the longest, hardest pattern in the PBA. My Cell won't even be able to find purchase in the flood of oil; I have a feeling I should start next week even further left with my feet then I was forced to this week.

My teammate, Brian, decided we should have team ten pin practice after league on the Shark, and I'm of a mind to go through with it. Spares for a right-handed shooter on the Sports Patterns are an obstacle I hadn't thought about much, since spares have always been a strong point in my game.

Looking forward to the next 13 weeks of PBA Experience. Wish me luck!

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Last Bowling Post: May 19, 2008

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