Qualifying Round 3 & Match Play
I went with the straighter release again today and even though I didn't throw the ball as well as I think I can I scored pretty decent. I missed a 2-4-5 the 1st game and had 2 turkeys for a 210. The next game I had two 5 baggers for a 269. The 3rd game I started with 2 really bad shots. I missed the head pin right and then missed the spare and pulled the ball in the 2nd for a crossover strike. I missed the 2-5-8 a few frames later and threw a turkey which included a tripped 4-7-10. I was lucky to shoot a 194. The next game I had a 5 bagger which included another crossover strike. 233 was my score for the 4th game. The last game I used a ball which has less particles in it and had a double and finished with a turkey in the 10th for a 218. I picked up the 3-10 in the middle of the game.
3rd round of qualifying at the 2002 Masters scoresheets:
| X | 9/ | 7/ | 9/ | X | X | X | 8/ | 72 | XXX | 210 |
| 8/ | X | X | X | X | X | 9/ | X | X | XXX | 269 |
| 63 | X | 9/ | X | 72 | 9/ | X | X | X | 7/X | 194 |
| X | 9/ | 9/ | 9/ | X | X | X | X | X | 9/6 | 233 |
| X | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | X | 8/ | X | 9/ | XXX | 218 |
I missed the pocket 15 times. (3 being strikes)
My strike % on pocket hits was 34 of 43 or 79%.
I had 3 opens. None were splits. (2-4-5, 1-2-4-7, 2-5-8)
I am still trying to hit the pocket better. Hopefully in these matches I can start throwing the ball better.
My 1st match was against Kent Wagner. We both had a pretty good shot to the pocket but I was hitting light. After a 4 bagger I left a 4-9 which I missed. Kent missed the head pin in the 10th and was ahead 229-212 after 1 game. Kent started the 2nd game with 5 in a row which included a very high trip 4-7-10. I had a turkey followed by a solid 9 and a 5-7 which I spared. Kent missed the head pin again in the 7th frame and ended up shooting 235 to my 216. I was now down 36 pins. I started the 3rd game with 3 10's in the first 4 frames missing the 3rd one. Kent started with 3 solid 9's in his first 4 frames. I started striking, but Kent was able to strike out and lock the match up. I threw a split in the 10th after the game was already decided. I lost 641-691.
Scoresheets of the match with Kent Wagner
| WR | 9/ | X | 9/ | 6/ | X | X | X | X | 81 | X9/ | 212 |
| KW | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | X | X | X | 9/ | X | 6/X | 229 |
| KW | X | X | X | X | X | 9/ | 7/ | X | 9/ | 9/X | 235 |
| WR | 8/ | X | X | X | 9/ | 8/ | X | 9/ | X | 9/9 | 216 |
| WR | 9/ | 9/ | X | 9- | X | X | X | X | X81 | 213 |
| KW | 9/ | 9/ | X | 9/ | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | X | XX9 | 227 |
I missed the pocket 4 times.
My strike % on pocket hits was 17 of 29 or 59%.
I had 3 opens. Two were splits, one being in the pocket and the other when the match was out of the wood. Another missed 10 pin could have cost me the match.
Kent had 20 strikes in 33 shots. (1 strike when he missed the pocket)
He missed the pocket 3 times.
His strike % on pocket hits was 19 of 30 or 63%.
He had no opens.
That but me into the losers bracket and bowling against young Scott Norton. Scott's mother Virginia is a great ladies bowler from southern California. I had a great reaction on the pair, but I could not strike on the right lane leaving five 10 pins and then a 7 on the fill ball. I wasn't very happy. Scott started out with a quick 4 bagger and then got tapped on 5 of his next 6 shots (he missed the pocket on one of those shots). Scott lead after 1 game 224-199. The 2nd game Scott left the bucket in the 1st and 3rd frames (3-5-6-9). I tripped the 2 pin in the 1st frame and added 2 more strikes before leaving a bucket of my own. We both had 5 strikes in a row. Scott left a 4-7 in the 9th frame to end his string while I left a solid 10 in the 10th. I shot 255 to Scott's 237 and was down by 7 pins after 2 games. After a solid 10 in the 1st frame I struck on the next 5 shots. Scott went high leaving a 2-4 in the 1st frame and then threw a double before going high again leaving the 4-7. Scott started striking in the 5th frame and didn't stop until he had the match won in the 10th frame. I left back to back weak 10's in the 7th and 8th and then left a solid 9 after the match was finished in the 10th. I knew I could hit the pocket better, but my strike percentage went way down for some reason. Oh well, that's bowling.
Scoresheets of the match with Scott Norton
| WR | X | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | 9/ | X | 9/9 | 199 |
| SN | X | X | X | X | 9/ | 9/ | 9/ | 9/ | 9/ | 9/X | 224 |
| SN | 6/ | X | 6/ | X | X | X | X | X | 8/ | 9/X | 237 |
| WR | X | X | X | 6/ | X | X | X | X | X | 9/X | 255 |
| WR | 9/ | X | X | X | X | X | 9/ | 9/ | X | 9/X | 238 |
| SN | 8/ | X | X | 8/ | X | X | X | X | X | XX9 | 257 |
I missed the pocket 3 times.
My strike % on pocket hits was 20 of 30 or 67%.
I had no opens.
Scott had 21 strikes in 34 shots. (No strikes when he missed the pocket)
He missed the pocket 6 times.
His strike % on pocket hits was 21 of 28 or 75%.
He had no opens.
That put me in 49th to 64th place. Not what I was looking for, but better than my previous Stadium Masters finishes.
Walter Ray