Reflections on No Tap Sweepers

[RobLV1]

This summer my wife and I bowled a senior handicap recreational league. Teams were trios. We bowled with another couple and had four on our roster so that we could have someone to bowl when one of us couldn't as there are no subs allowed in the league.

Yesterday we were surprised to find out that the league bowls Sweepers using a nine pin no-tap format during the summer. I learned some very interesting things as a result of the day. First, I found that without having to worry about carrying the ten pin, I carried it effortlessly. I have never gotten so many half-ten taps in my life. At one point I threw nine straight strikes and only the first was no-tap. Everything else was pure. The second thing that I found interesting was that virtually every miss on our pair of lanes as well as adjacent pairs was the result of a ball thrown too far to the right and not making it back to the pocket even enough to just leave the ten pin. In my own case, in the first two games I had three non-strike frames with two of the leaves being light: two/eight double wood, and a dinner bucket.

Finally, I learned that you cannot ignore anyone's line. I bowled 264-288 for the first two games. I knew where my teammates were playing and knew that they didn't affect my line. I knew where the anchor man on the other team was playing during the first game (he withdrew after the first game due to an injury). I knew that the female on the other team was throwing a backup ball to the left side of the head pin. The only bowler that I failed to acknowledge was the guy in the second position. I basically ignored him because he throws a straight ball up the third arrow (as I realized in retrospect). Despite the fact that he is not a very good bowler and doesn't have much of a rev rate, he was throwing a ball with some surface. When my line at 13 started to dry up, I started making small moves left. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the third game, my small moves put me directly in the spot that he was playing at the arrows. I started the third game, split (open), six-count spare, split (open), and split (open). By the time I finally jumped five boards left with a change to a more aggressive ball, it was too late. My 191 no-tap game cost me a lot, even with a 552 start for the first two games.

Remind me not to do that again, PLEASE!

[MICHAEL]

Not a problem Rob!! I will remind you using Remote Viewing techniques!! (google remote viewing)...

[classygranny]

OK...don't do that again.

While I understand your frustrations, I must admit that they make me feel great. Sorry Let me explain: It makes me feel good when I see bowlers that I tend to think of as mentors and superior bowlers (and I'm not talking averages-true bowling knowledge) struggle and make some of the same mistakes that I myself have made at least once and probably more than once. I realize that until this sport consumes a great majority of your life, that those mistakes will probably happen.

So while your 191 no-tap game cost you a lot...it also gave a lot, and in more ways than you will ever know! For me and others that may never say a word about it. So thanks, and by the way...keep sharing those mistakes - we ALL can learn from them.