after the first "big name team" to bowl (was on live stream), here is a report on the way they bowled. You can easilly look up the live show on Youtube. The guys who bowled (all except Koehler), I used to bowl league with for many years and are all extremely talanted.

http://www.11thframe.com/page/blog_id_4885

The guy who leads in all events ryan whitney...is a good friend of mine...we grew up together in yorktown va and played baseball together all thru middle and high school. we even bowled together , and he is every bit as talented as his scores reflect. its pretty amazing to see someone i grew up with and have been good friends with for so long leading the national tourney. hopefully i can give him a run for his money when i go on april 10th...probably not tho lol

My first time bowling the USBC Nationals...May 29 and 30. Should be fun.

Bowling May 22-23..

Right now the plan is to take the Sigma Tour, QZ1 Red, SX1, and Maybe Raptor.. Certainly Spare Ball.. From what I have experienced from a few times bowling is surface is not necessary. Don't want anything that goes sideways down lane.. Plan on driving so will take more equipment.. and is definitely subject to change..

The key to USBC Nat'ls is for ALL 10 bowlers to play the same line & entry angles. This enables them to burn in a track & break point. That's why the guys I go w/will rarely do any good. We have 2 lefties & of the 8 righties, 2 will play out w/me, and 3 do not know that it is legal to set the ball down right of 25! Too many variations. The teams that win and/or are always at the top play as a team.

I just got back from nationals. not a good showing at all had thumb issues and they just got worse. I ended up breaking the one thumb that fit and it was the IT system. but anyway the practice pair was very similar to the tournament lanes. they still had a OB outside 5 approaches was a little different and not as bad as whats being said. The shot you really have to be on target a miss left and the ball will hook a ton and get it out not getting there. in team event you really have to break down the outsides around 6-7 board but if you have one guy that gets in and swings the ball he will wreck it for all of you. for the guys throwing Motiv my Raptor Attack was to strong i threw and even rolling Raptor P7 then switched to out of box Thrash 2nd game then last game moved to my Sigma Tour and moved in around 12 to 6. Spares the left hand spares you can hook the ball across the lane and right had spares pretty much shot at them as i do in league. This shot broken down right can become a little swing room house pattern. anything that goes long and hooks will work later but not early in the day once the ball gets off the pattern it will hook hard so something that rolls early and smooth seems to be the way to go. Just my 2 cents.

I just returned and can add some insight (from a right-handed perspective).

Play straight up the boards and outside of 10, just like Mo Pinel says. Do not swing the ball!

TEAM EVENT - fresh
Raptor P7 for game 1 and most of game 2.
Tour Sigma end of game 2 and all of game 3.

In team, I was straight up 4, not 15 to 4, not 10 to 4; straight up 4. Another team mate was straight up 6/7 and another was straight up 7/8. Getting to the pocket is easy. Carry requires precision with your speed. A little quick and it is blower 7 or 10. A little slow and it is a 4 pin.

I missed a 10, 9, and 7 pin, misssed a 2/8 combo, missed a 1/2/10 washout and had 1 split that was a 4/6/7/9/10.

Those were my opens. I only missed the pocket 4 times: 2 washouts (1 converted), the greek church and 1 crossover on a stupid radical adjustment that I quickly canned and went back to where I was prior.

The breakdown was very gradual, but we only had 5 people playing it correctly up the boards. At the end, during game 3, I had migrated all the way in to 10 off of my hand to a breakpoint of 6. That is an 8 (at the arrows) to 6 swing. I think I'd still call that up the boards.

If you are in it goes left quickly, or skids out the back door if you miss right.


DBLS/SNGLS -followed team squad

YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU!

This was my 19th year at Nationals. This year, more than ever, you are at the mercy of how the group before you played the lanes.

In DBLS we followed a pair of teams:

Threw everything in the bag, P7, Tour Sigma, SR2, Impulse, Tropical Storm.

Team #1 had 1 guy trying to play 4th arrow to 5. That was funn to watch and he had a lot of hand and was pretty accurate, but the speed sensitivity made it "exciting". 2 other guys were playinig 13 to 6/7 and they were obviously THS guys. The other 2 were close to playing straight up outside 10.

Team #2 - All I need to say is Classified.

That pair was SHIM-WRECKED to the max.

SNGLS:

Raptor P7 whole set

It had only 1 team on it, they bowled unopposed and they were Classified. However, they all played up the boards around 3rd arrow so they didn't blow up the shims. That pair kind of played like Game 2 of team.

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Random thoughts:

Speed control and loft control are very important. The oil load is in the front. Theory says you need to roll the ball thru this oil.

I watched guys bowling my DBLS/SNGLS squad that were on lanes 7/8 for DBLS. That pair had 2 quality team squad Teams play the pair between 5 and 10 before them. One of the guys shot 680 in dbls. When they moved to lanes 3/4 for SNGLS, that was bowled on by 2 classified teams that were all over the place; the same guys shot 442.

Who you follow matters. Go early and watch what happens before you. If you see what I saw and experienced, go to the roof and jump off. It'll be a lot less painful.

By the way:
My team bowled well and will cash; easily; depending upon how May goes, we could end up pretty high.
I will cash in singles; easily.
I made money in brackets.

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Just my $0.02...It is what it is......

I talked to someone yesterday that recently came back from Baton Rouge and his experience was pretty much the same as everyone else so far. Unless everyone plays about the same line in teams it's gonna be a long, long series because of how the lanes will break down. He said that everyone was bowling all over the place on the pair and no one could find a consistant shot. He did say that he shot pretty good in singles (around 700 I believe) and it was somewhat better because he was able to play inside on his normal spot (I imagine that he bowled on a later shift for doubles/singles).

Grand Master J - that is the fartherest right I've ever seen you throw on any pattern. Were you feeling all right?