Overcoming Slow Starts

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jthenry24
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Overcoming Slow Starts

Post by jthenry24 »

Hey Everyone,

It's my first time here and I'm looking for some suggestions...

For the past 3 weeks straight during league bowling I've had a horrible first game and rebounded with 2 very good games. Currently, my overall average is climbing, but these first games are killing me (PS- I doubled or struck out in the 10th of each of the first games to salvage these wretched scores). Long story short, I played through an injury for a while and my avg. started this season at 163 and now stands at 170.

2/24/20: 149, 230, 189 - Series 552
2/17/20: 154, 216, 185 - Series 555
2/10/20: 139, 190, 197 - Series 526

3 Week avg for first games for past 3 weeks: 147 :oops:
3 Week avg for 2nd/3rd games for past 3 weeks: 201 :D

So, my question is... does anyone have any suggestions to get in the flow of the game prior too or at the very least earlier in the first game?
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MegaMav
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Re: Overcoming Slow Starts

Post by MegaMav »

Move your feet around, sounds like you play too far out and transition on the back allows you to hold pocket later.
Move in to start.
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kajmk
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Re: Overcoming Slow Starts

Post by kajmk »

Hi jthenry, welcome to bowling chat.

Axiom: You can't out bowl a bad fit (like running a sprint in shoes that do not fit)

As Eric said, you have to play the lane, the way it wants to be played. In doing so, you'll get to the pocket in better shape, get more strikes and when you don't, most of your spares will be easier.

I'd also seriously recommend practicing spares. We all want to strike more.
I remember a quote from Johnny Petraglia " being a good spare shooter won't make me win a tournament, but not being will prevent me from winning".

I'd advise you try using a few spare systems and determine what works best for you.
The general premise is to limit the effect of the oil or lack of oil.
There are pluses and minuses to different systems.
My old coach taught me to practice hitting 13 points on the pin deck.
Rolf Gauger's - 13 points of contact: Every front pin, and every front pocket.

From Johnny P.



Within this short video by Ray Wong, he illustrates a simple system. About 15 minutes of bowling wisdom ...






Try keeping a small note book, note the lane and how you played it, what your leaves were and what you converted. Oh, also calculate what your score would have been with filling those reasonably fillable frames!



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krava
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Re: Overcoming Slow Starts

Post by krava »

You didn't provide too much information. Why is the first game low? You can't reach the pocket, are you missing spares? Are you missing your mark in the 1st game but not so much the others? I had a slow start tonight, missing the 7 pin in the first frame of the first game. Still came back to get 226. if you miss a spare real early, you have to blow it off. If you are missing your mark then maybe you need to stretch more and warm up before you bowl. I know I have to do that for atleast 10 minutes now. Are you trying to throw it out and back in and it isn't making it to the pocket until the 2nd game? If that then you have to move right. Also don't get in the habit that you will play the lanes like you did the last week you bowled. The lanes I bowled on changed about 2 weeks ago and now they seemed normal and I had to move back right an entire dot. Also if you can, try to find 2 different lines when you start bowling. Tonight I had 11 to 6 with a GB3 standing on 28. Also had 15 to 8 with a Supersonic standing on 36. The purpose for me of that 2nd line is, if things start to fall apart I know I can move somewhere else and play there with whatever ball and try that out. Worst case scenario, I might have to move 1 or 2 left from when I started at the start but still keep that 3rd arrow.

Also you might want to try something different for the 1st game if whatever your not doing isn't working. I had a game plan in mind tonight because of the past 2-3 times with dealing with the lanes. I was going to play a tighter line but didn't have to do that tonight.
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bowl1820
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Re: Overcoming Slow Starts

Post by bowl1820 »

krava wrote: March 12th, 2020, 6:36 am I had a slow start tonight, missing the 7 pin in the first frame of the first game. Still came back to get 226.
Oh come on.... you consider that a slow start??? I guess if you have 270 average that's a slow start.
"REMEMBER, it isn't how much the ball hooks, it's where."
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