Scoring All rounds
In the match against Robert Smith I again played out except not as far. I started using a reactive ball (#2156)
playing around 9 on the right lane and 7 on the left lane. I had trouble getting the ball to the pocket on the left lane as it either wanted to hook up or not hook at all. Robert also was having trouble getting to pocket, even more than I was, except he did a great job of picking up most everything he left. In the 10th frame I figured that if I could get a mark, I would probably win the game. Unfortunately I was having trouble hitting the pocket on that lane leaving the 6-7-10 in the 6th for an open and the 1-2-4-6-10 in the 8th which I spared. I tried a different ball
(#0617) in the 10th frame and went with a straighter release. I again missed the pocket leaving the 2-8. A lot of times I would hook the ball at this spare, but I was really uncertain as to what the ball do so I went straight at it with my spare ball and pulled it left missing the spare. Robert needed a mark to win the game and he also missed the pocket, but made the 3-6 spare for a 176-169 win. In the next game we both hit the pocket better. However, Robert was able to strike every time he hit the pocket where I had 4 taps which included a solid 8 in the 8th frame. Even though Robert missed the pocket 4 times in the 2nd game and missed the 3-6-9-10, he ended up winning the game 220-216. My only missed pocket shot was a 4-7-10.
In the 3rd game I again bowled a pretty decent game, but again didn't get many breaks as I had 3 taps and a missed 3-6-10. Robert bowled a better game, but missed a 7 pin in the 6th frame. On a double he had the opportunity to win the game with a strike and a 9 count, but left the 2-4-5 after a delay for a re-rack. I won the game 201-176.
The 4th game was much better for me as I only missed the pocket 1 time when I went a bit high leaving the 4-7. Robert threw a few bad shots and missed the 6-10 and the 1-2-4 spares. I easily won the game 249-181. I had evened the match and looked to be in control. However in the 9th and 10th frames of the 4th game, Robert moved right to play closer to where I was playing. He found a nice reaction and threw the ball really well getting a 6 bagger from frames 3 to 8. I started with a double and then went high in the 3rd frame for a 4-6-7 split which I missed. I was a bit surprised with this as I finished on the right lane in the 4th game and after striking on my first 2 shots I moved a board inside to see how much straighter the ball would go and it hooked more tripping the 4 pin. I tripped the 4 pin in the 1st frame of the game and moved another board left and was surprised as it hooked through the nose. I moved left again and had a 5 bagger. Robert left me an opening by leaving a 4 pin in the 9th frame. Unfortunately I went very high in the 9th frame leaving the 4-7-10 on what I thought was a decent shot. I needed to pick up the spare but didn't. I left a solid 8 in the 10th to lock up the win for Robert.
Robert got the breaks in the first 2 games, I got the breaks in the 3rd game. We each bowled great games in winning the 4th and 5th games respectively. Even though I knocked down 54 more pins than Robert, he won the match 3 games to 2.
I was too slow to get lined up on the left lane in the first game and that ended up hurting me, not to mention the missed spare in the 10th frame. It was very disappointing to me as a win in the tournament would have been huge for me and would have helped me in getting player of the year. I guess I will just have to win a couple of the other 'big' events plus some others.
Congrats to Jason Couch on winning an unbelievable 3rd ToC in a row. He bowled a great championship game
In the round of 8 I had 33 strikes out of 56 shots. I don't think I had any strikes while missing the pocket. I missed the pocket 11 times.
My strike % on pocket shots was 33 out of 45 pocket shots or 73%.
I had 6 opens. 4 were splits (6-7-10, 4-7-10, 4-6-7, 4-7-10), and I missed the 2-8 in the crucial 10th frame of game 1 and the 3-6-10 in game 3.
In the round of 8 Robert Smith had 25 strikes out of 54 shots. I know that he had at least 2 strikes while missing the pocket, one being a cross over and his last shot of the match after he had already won when he threw his spare ball down the middle and struck. He missed the pocket 21 times.
His strike % on pocket shots was about 23 out of 33 pocket shots or 70%.
He had 6 opens. Only 1 was a split (4-6-10). He missed the 3-6-9-10, 7, 2-4-5, 6-10, and 1-2-4. He picked up the 1-2-4-10, 4-8, 5-7-8, 2-5, and the 3-10 in the first game plus the 3-10 in the 2nd game. All of those spares Robert made in the first game while I missed a crucial one turned out to be a big difference. Even though I may have technically out bowled Robert he won the match due to him having the right spares and strikes at the right time. I guess that some of the breaks I had received in some of my other matches in earlier tournaments turned around on me on this one.
Walter Ray