Session: League
Last night in league, I decided to switch things up and throw my Storm Level instead of my usual Attention Star Solid. The Level is a weaker ball—both core and cover—so my plan was to play straighter angles, closer to up 10. In theory, it should have given me more room and predictability.
Well…that didn’t happen. In warm-ups, I quickly realized there was very little miss room. Everything was overhooking. I kept moving left with my feet and eyes, trying to find a comfortable line. Eventually, I landed in my “normal” starting position—the same spot I use with the Attention Star—and played the same zone I normally would.
Here’s the takeaway: good on me for adjusting. I didn’t try to force a square peg into a round hole. I went in with a plan, but I stayed open-minded and let the lane tell me what to do. That flexibility made all the difference.
Another point: with a THS, especially for someone like me with consistent speed, revs, and tilt, the ball choice isn’t what makes or breaks the shot. It’s really about exit point and angle. Equipment can help, but it doesn’t override fundamentals. Even a weaker ball can overreact if your angles aren’t right.
Lesson Learned:
- Go in with a plan, but be willing to adapt.
- Read the lane early—don’t force the ball to do something it doesn’t want to do.
- With consistent mechanics, your line and angles matter more than the specific ball.
Next time, I’ll stick with this approach: start with a plan, monitor how the lane reacts, and adjust feet, eyes, and ball as needed. If the lanes are burning early, maybe I’ll try mixing in a straighter line or a ball that gives me a little more room, then pick up my spares if I don’t strike.
Bowling isn’t about stubbornly sticking to a plan—it’s about making correct choices in the moment and trusting your adjustments. That’s how good scores happen, even on tough lanes.
A side note from last night: once the ball started being lazy at the pins, my usual move would be to give the ball more hand to make it bite harder on the backend. But I couldn’t move right—because I’d already been there and it would overhook. Instead, I actually moved a couple boards left and slowed down my speed to get it to the pocket. This is a great reminder that basic strategies like “miss right, move right” only apply sometimes. When the lane is in transition, you need to read it and adjust dynamically.