Failures are learning for success. By Alan Brizee © 2001, rev. 2014 & 2020
Failures are really just speed bumps for success. Analyzing the failures keeps you from repeating them. It is what you do after a failure that shows who you are. You can’t be afraid to fail. Every great athlete in a Hall of Fame has failed at some point in their career. They have just been more successful than others, because of their accomplishments and what they have experienced. It’s up to you to get back up after each fall. If sports were easy, everyone would win. But sports is not just physical as some thought early in their career. Your mental game plays the biggest part for success in any sport. Bowling as well as golf, puts your brain in overload for certain situations. Sports is about victories and failures. You have to accept them both to raise your level of play. No matter what occurs during any situation, you must keep your head in the game for those chances to win. It’s rare when their handed to you. Sports is about learning from different situations and using that experience to achieve your goals.
You have to forget past failures. They’re in the past and you decide what to do next. Some failures may make you look foolish. Remember that’s what sports do when competing in front others. Not all mistakes will turn into failures. You may throw a bad shot and get rewarded with a strike. This is another learning experience. Having a positive attitude will reduce some failures. Waiting for success, can sometime seem like your beating your head against the wall. Success rarely comes the first time around. Intensify during competition, no matter how or who the opponent is. Focus on every shot, this means those 7 seconds before you release the ball. Learn from your mistakes, so you will not repeat them. Put the blame on yourself if it was you, not on the lanes. Understand what happened. Why and how did it happen? Respond to the breakdowns and less than positive results on the lanes, by make good decisions for appropriate adjustments. It’s the sum of many experiences that turn into positive results that will build your confidence. Confidence over periods of time leads to having more successes. And your consistent successes, will help you to relax, throw more quality shots and be able to be in the zone not only more times, but stay there longer. This will help you virtually eliminate all pressure on yourself. After all, a relaxed free motion arm swing that isn’t forced will help you shoot higher scores. But all this starts with your per-shot routine for the shot you’re about to make. Your pre-shot routine is vital for your focus on the shot.
A positive attitude, focus, paying attention to what is happening in the match and the ability to get to the zone can almost eliminate failures. And now for the ugly truth, what do call a failure? The answer will be different depending on the level you compete at. Is second place really a failure? Is cashing, but missing the finals a failure? Is getting back 80% of your weekly fees in league and missing the Roll-Offs by one point a failure? Is a 799 set or a 299 game, a failure? Some of these questions could be that there was no failure. All these questions actually lead to more questions. How many times have you won? How many times out of the last five tournaments have you cash in? Did you team make the Roll-Offs the last two years? Have you ever shot 800 or a 300 in completion? A failure isn’t usually a one day event. One bad day doesn’t equate being a failure in any sport. It only happens over time. Failures are very similar to slumps. Slumps are no good results over a period of four to six weeks. Failures are negative occurrences that lead to a missed opportunity. If you apply what I suggest to minimize failure, you should never be in a slump and have more positive results in the future.
For more positive results, preparation must be taken. This means both your physical and mental games. Preparation may not be all that fun, but success is. And I’m going to say it, even though you may have heard it 100 times before, it may now sink in on this101st time. “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Practice and what you practice will determine how good you can become. Before the automatic scorers, I’d spend at least an hour just throwing at strikes. I’d press the reset to get a full rack for the next shot. You probably never heard of practicing your confidence. If your longest string is a four bagger in practice, how do you expect to carry all twelve for your first 300 in league or a tournament, when almost everyone in the center is watching during competition? The hardest part is doing it once. It can even be harder the second time. That’s because you have done it once and now know you’re capable of repeating it. But you fail to prepare by rushing the shot hitting light, or slightly lose focus and your ball takes off for a high hit. WELL sports fans, we call them as we see them, and all know that what happened, you chocked. You were so wrapped up in the score you could have shot, that you failed your mission to accomplish the task of your second 300 by shooting a 297 game. To me, this isn’t failure. I’d never consider the first eleven strikes in any game a failure, even if two were Brooklyn strikes. Taken advantage good breaks happen is what all good bowlers will do. What I’m try to show you is that, you can’t always beat yourself up over what I would call a short-coming. Any failure you think happened, isn’t fatal and you should live to compete again.
Keep your mental game in high gear. Don’t let any failures crumble your confidence. Keeping your head in the game is what champions do. Even champions do not win all the time. They became champions because they kept trying after failures and learned from them and used it as motivation to not let it happen the next time.
No matter what has happened the past month, you should accept all challenges, as this is the only way you’ll get better. The outcomes of these challenges, shouldn’t determine your future. On those challenges that didn’t turn out the way we would have liked, remember what did go right as all competitors need to do a post-game analysis. Have you ever heard, there is a champion inside everyone? This tells me that champions are born. This also tells me that working hard to improve your game, you could follow in the footsteps of other champions. Think and act like a champion even during failures so that when that time comes, you’ll respond like a champion and maybe finally be a champion. It is after all is said and done, that your actions will determine your destination and you’ll have to accept what the outcome is. One last thought, I feel that any failure is partly due to lack of focus. You can now face the future, hopefully with a new perspective after reading these couple of pages, eliminate future failures and truly enjoy the sport. And then when you fall in love with bowling, and having the most fun just by competing, you’ll realize that practice will bring possibly more positive results than you’d thought.
And now I bring you back to earth as some of are wondering why I wrote this. Some of you know that I’m a positive attitude person, so writing this, which is negative thinking was hard. But what I seen from a few teammates and bowlers on other teams makes me wonder why they show up every week to bowl. Some hate losing worst that I do. I felt it was time to show sports ugly side and explain why you put it out of your mind and focus on the next match, one frame at a time. I’ve learned that it won’t help to get mad about what already happened. If you get mad, you stop learning and you may learn nothing from the loss. A loss that you thought you won and you start thinking, what if? Well that what if, is just you need to sleep for work the next day. You’re still let it eat at you as you lay down and can’t sleep. Now you go to work tired from lack of sleep because of losing that maybe shouldn’t have happened. You’re now letting losing and failure interfere with work. Work is the reason why you’re able to enjoy this great game. So if you get fired because of lack of sleep, and have to quit the league, was it worth get so wrapped up in it? My answer is no. Forget about it and during the next day, while it’s still fresh in your mind, figure out what could have been done differently for a win. Why it didn’t happen as well as what went right. Was it the team missing three or four single pins? Was it the team had two opens in the 10th frame? Was it that three bowlers missed the pocket and you lost by three pins? Was it due to transition that the team might know happen? OR if you’re honest with yourself, was it that the other team had three more doubles than your team in the 10th, to win by eight pins? Did the team have a good 10th frame and you just simply lost, but want to point your finger, because it makes you feel better? Were all your teammates over their average and you just never bowled good enough for the win? All these situations, I’ve been involved in. Discuss with your teammates how it could have gone better, so they’re learn what mistakes need to be eliminated in the future. You’re not yelling at me are you J? Better not be. I have feelings too. No matter how calm you remain and don’t yell, one or two team members may think you’re directing your dissatisfaction about losing at the. Some time it’s the way you said it, which upsets people.
So who wants to be crowned champion? To get to the top and be champions, failures and negative situations will happen and I can only hope that you learn from them. You don’t want it to be a weekly thing. So YOU CAN'T let it get to you, turn a negative into a positive by remembering what went right, so the positives will not be a one in a lifetime event. A team’s success is driven by all the members on the team, regardless of their average or their abilities, to achieve great things working together.
Good luck on your trip to success!!
Persistence spells TITLE By Alan Brizee © 2014, rev. 2020
Persistence according to Webster is: 1. continuing, especially in the face of opposition. 2. continuing to exist or endure. 3. continually repeated. Another meaning is that you keep going and never quit. Persistence isn’t directly related to success or excellence. That’s because some find success early in their career. Now for the rest of us, we must continue to become better and learn from every experience to become successful. It really is a four letter word, work. And if you’re not working on your game, I have another word for you, insanity. If you just show up to bowl your three games each week, don’t practice and continue on the same path every week, how can you expect different results? Yes, I just described persistence because you are continuing and you’re competing. But, without practice, are you 100 per cent certain, that you will improve your game and be an asset to your team? About 30 years ago, I bowled in three leagues and never practiced. Why do you need to practice if you’re bowling basically every other day? Most of you will say that it shouldn’t be needed.
Finally winning the hardware at the 2014 Tucson Metro USBC Senior Masters Championship.
That’s what I thought, until late October in 1993 when I could only shoot above my average, one of the nine games for the week. This kept up for six weeks, so now you can say, I wasn’t having any fun. And yes, you can call it what it was, a stinking slump. Slumps suck and you’ll live to compete another day. I know that at that time, practice must happen and I went with a video recorder. I didn’t really notice anything and didn’t seek any help with my physical game. After two practice sessions, my scores didn’t improve and my teammates were wondering why I wasn’t consistently shooting closer to my average. I went to the book store and found a couple of books on the mental game. They showed me the way to peak performance and the inner game. Up until now, bowling was really about having fun and helping my team make the league’s Roll-Offs. After those two books literally woke me up about using your brain to score better, I started my library of mental books. Work smarter, not harder. Some lessons you learn are priceless. I added this story to the original article that was published in Desert Bowler. Another reason to work on your mental game, I was never in another slump. I have had a few weeks of somewhat low scores, but that has been it. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. All this info to help your game and some of you won’t take the extra minutes to find it. This shows my persistence earlier in my career and how I handled it with out help from others. But from my career that spans over 50 years, getting the right help is sometimes the best way to improve your results. Persistence along with work and dedication over these 50 years, is one reason why I have achieved many great accomplishments. And yes, it was my mom telling me to never quit before I even threw a bowling ball. Sports is what you want to make of it, even at the local level. Improving your game by even 10 pins a game over last season, could double your enjoyment of bowling.
Repeating good shots over the 2 days and 18 games helped me take home the hardware, an eagle holding an American flag. I have Roy Tietz and my mom to thank. Roy for the great drill, his suggestion to clean my ball and after my open reminding me to forget about it. Roy also talked me into bowling even though I wasn’t scoring in my two leagues the past two weeks. He said I was throwing the ball well until then. My mom who made the trip from Scottsdale, got to see her 1st 300 and 800 to finish the tournament and my first association title by myself. About 50 years ago, she told to I was not going to quit a golf tournament just because I was tired and had to carry my clubs. That never quit theory has helped me many times over the years. It was what kept me going and why I felt little pressure over the magical marvelous weekend. “Your strong point should be keep fighting until the match is over. It can turn defeats into victories.” “Keep swinging. You’ll never know what your determination will bring.” “Apply K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. Just repeat good shots when you have a good look.” Speaking of repeating good shots, it’s more than just rolling the ball. You can’t let a few bad breaks affect your game. You can’t throw the ball perfect on every shot, so you must make a commitment to excellence. The following have helped my excellence to become successes.
Finally winning the hardware in the 2018 FIG Golf Club Championship!!
I have to first thank Norm Duke who was at Suzie Meneshaw’s bowling camp in Dallas 6 years ago and was teaching the stance and free swing. Your stance before you make your delivery is also a huge advantage when done right and helped me when I was forced to throw 14 games in the finals. Without a free swing, you’re forcing the ball. Sure you can score, but repeating shots is harder and almost impossible. Norm also taught me the closed stance and it becomes valuable when needed. Norm has coached me 5 different times, the last 3 times at Davis Monthan AFB with Next Level Bowling and I’ve learned something each time which has helped my game. Norm finally taught me what I should have done for too many years and that is the free swing. Letting the ball do all the work is more important these days. Norm and Next Level Bowling has taken my game to the next level. Norm proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks and can actually be better after turning 50. It just took more than once to finally sink in. The last time with Norm, he told me that he spent less time me because of how good I was throwing the ball. He also said that if he doesn’t help me, it will be because he would consider me a pro. I don’t want to throw a normal shot, I just want to be able to throw the ball like Norm. (I included Norm in my dictionary on the website before I won the title.
I also have to thank Beth Haggerty who was my mental coach for six months and helped me achieve my goal of 800 shooting a stair step 268, 269 and 270 for 807. My 807 was after just two lessons. At least ten chances slipped away before my 800 and after the spare in the 3rd in the final game, I was able to just relax, free my armswing and throw the ball. The 9th fame came and I needed to throw another turkey, one strike at a time for my first sanctioned 800. She got me to keep a journal once again, but this time it was about my mental game during competition. It was to help me focus better during competition and also explore if I lost my focus and why. This helped me two ways, got my head more into the game and noted adjustments made by each ball I threw that night. The lanes change and having a starting point, helps with mental decisions at to what ball to start with, especially when bowling at different centers. After all, adjustments are really part of the metal game. How much and most important, which adjustment is best for the reaction you’re getting? She had a one-on-one while I was bowling league and asked various questions. I was her first athlete that was a bowler and a sport that she had only done a few times before. Live in the moment and great things can happen. What happened in the past is done and can’t be changed and what will happen in the future has to be done one frame at a time.
I also need to thank Chris Cady who has a visualization hypnosis CD that helps you stay in the moment. It has helped me become a better bowler knowing close games are no different than blowouts. My confidence become greater because of a more structured pre-shot routine. This has helped me handle the pressure better because I’m thinking about executing the shot no matter the score. A good pre-shot routine gets you focused and helps eliminate distractions. What, me worry J? Not anymore. After many years, it’s focus and throw. The challenge ahead will not always be a smooth one. Just enjoy the ride and keep learning.
I also have to give some credit to James Blackstone, creator of the Precise Bowling Targeting System who put out a video for targeting and I have used his system with amazing results for 6 months. He wants you to use the arrows as your target down the lanes to have a more consistent ball speed. I used the dots before and looking just past the arrows has led to consistent good shots because it helped me with my free swing. It has also helped in making better adjustments when not striking and leaving 10 pins. It has even helped when being on a string to make a slight adjustment to continue throwing strikes.
Norm Duke was a coach at Suzzie's Bowling Camp in Dallas. Learned a lot from Norm that weekend.
And finally thanks to a friend and my driller, Roy Tietz at Desert Sun Bowlers Shop who has drilled 3 different 300 balls for me over the last 5 seasons. He talked me into a ball last season and suggested a layout that worked. I used the Master Mind over the 13 weeks of summer and averaged the league high 230.5 not missing a game. It’s a great feeling be able to show the kids that Norm Duke’s straight up approach works as good today as it did many years ago. He wants to drill up another ball with a different layout and I can’t wait. He knows my game and what works for me. He has also drilled balls for USBC nationals that have kept my 23 year average over 190. He also drilled the Storm HyRoad that I demo’d and won at Norm Duke’s clinic. You’ll read what happened in a couple of paragraphs.
These five have helped me through the years to achieve my lifelong goal of winning the Masters. I want others to know, that getting the right help when you know you should be scoring better, can make dreams and your goals come true. These experts in different areas of the game shows that the more you know, the better you can be. Bowlers should get help to improve their game in areas that could be improved. Again, thanks to these five for helping achieve a goal that some bowlers will only get close to. I have others that have helped me in the past, but these five experts that I have named have turned my game in the right direction. They also have provided me, with I feel was the most help, than others that helped me in the past.
Most everyone's accomplishments are from persistence. Never quit, never surrender!
I also need to thank Storm bowling. They truly are the Bowlers Company and I have thrown 5 300’s with their equipment. Norm Duke is a great representative of Storm by giving back by teaching fundamentals to his students and then doing it out on the lanes. I was able to demo the Cherry Red HyRoad Solid when Norm Duke was at the base for his clinic. I threw the first 16, left a 10 pin and put together another 10 strikes before a high hit. 26 out of 27 strikes using a ball that was really wasn’t drilled for me. I have to admit, it was on the same lane, Lane 9 and I was the only bowler for a while on that lane. It showed me that just by hitting your mark with consistent speed, the ball had aggressive hitting power. Near the end of the clinic, they have a bakers team match by drawing tickets to bowl with Norm Duke and Wes Malot that day. Norm asked everyone to guess a number between 0 and 100. I guessed 32 for his number of titles and won a ball. I was able to get the HyRoad delivered to me and Roy drilled it up just like the demo I practiced with. What a great group of occurrences. Norm taught me about closing my stance when I’m playing up the 3 or 4 board. Demo a ball to throw 26 of 27. Win a ball in Norm’s clinic. Use the ball that was drilled exactly like the demo to shoot a 300 game and force a final match when only two bowlers remained. Shot 503 for the final match and an 803 for the final three games to win the Senior Masters. I didn’t have a lucky rabbit’s foot in my pocket for the Masters.
The balls used in these demos are drilled straight up but are hitting the pocket like the original about 5 years ago. This drill keeps the ball at a nice arcing action with strong back end. I was sold on the demo ball and had it drilled up about 6 weeks before the Senior Masters. It was the right reaction for the conditions on both days of the tournament. It did actually take the HighRoad after my 279 game but I made an adjustment left and threw the next 4 in my 4th match of finals.
You will read and learn that no matter how you throw the ball, being consistent, even with today’s equipment has its own reward. Keeping my head in the game and getting the ball to the pocket showed I was going to give most bowlers a match they would have to earn. There were few bowlers over the weekend that were as consistent at throwing strikes and putting strings on the telescore. There were many bowlers I respected because of their accomplishments, but I felt I had the advantage because of my ball reaction and knowing the lanes. After doing my stats for the weekend, I know I could have even bowled better by more adjustments or bigger adjustments. I do know that other than missing 2 single pins spares for the entire finals, with both in the same game, I did not beat myself.
On Saturday, October 25, 2014, the day of qualifying, I cleaned the two balls that I was going to throw and lightly used a 1000 pad on the spinner. These balls need constant attention so they won’t act like sponges and absorb so much oil. I have made the finals every year but one, but ran into trouble each year for different reasons. I used thumb inserts in the past and had trouble twice with them. Roy talked me into no insert and that was a great suggestion. The ball I threw all 18 games wasn’t my first choice. I was going to use a Brunswick Master Mind that Roy drilled up 5 months ago that helped me average 230.5 for 13 weeks in the summer at Camino Seco. I had a little over under reaction for the first 4 shots in practice. With changing the shot for league from last season, I needed a more consistent reaction. I changed to my HyRoad and moved right 1 and 1. Threw 2 strikes before leaving a 10 pin. My HyRoad was going to be the best road and the only road to the pocket. My focus on qualifying was just to make the finals as 21 bowlers were trying for the 8 spots in the finals. Keep it simple. It’s never about perfection, it’s always about excellence. With these reactive balls, you can just let the ball work by staying under it. And it was all I needed to help me win my first Tucson Metro USBC Senior Masters.
Qualifying on Saturday is four games, with the top 8 advancing to Sunday. We bowled the high side of the house and the shot was close to the league night conditions. The first game was 10 pin, double, 4 pin, 10 pin and made a small adjustment for a 6 bagger and the highest opening game with 253. I knew I needed at least one good game to secure a finals spot. Bowling league here gave me an advantage over others as I know what balls and adjustments work best. I moved from 31 & 32 to 21 & 22. I threw a strike, 4 pin and off the sheet for 280 and 133 over. I accomplished my goal, halfway through qualifying to make the finals. The next game I left five 10 pins, stayed clean and added 196. Two 10 pins on the left lane and a 9 pin on the right got me a 236 final game for 965 and 2nd high qualifier. No opens and 30 strikes made for a nice qualifying. That gave me an average of 7.5 strikes per game. I averaged better than that during the finals. 12 single pins spares and even picked up the 5-7 split standing 3 and a half boards left. What a great start for the weekend. The 965 was my highest qualifying score in any Masters ever!! What will be in store for the finals?
Norm Duke had 3 clinics on base. The last is when I won a ball I used to win the Senior Masters
They moved the Sunday finals to the low side of the house. For those of you not familiar with the final format, it’s double elimination. That means after you lose your second match, you’re eliminated from the tournament. The low side is the drier side of the house, because the sun hits it during the day, almost as I expected. They almost never bowl the finals on the same side. The finals are about persistence and keeping your head in the game. Keep throwing good shots like yesterday and convert your spares. I was matched up against Mark Lopez and after 2 shots of practice realized they were 3 boards drier than Saturday. Started with a 10 pin before a turkey and another 10 pin while Mark was having trouble finding a look. I had two more doubles to shoot 226 and take a 45 pin lead into the 2ndgame. Three 10 pins on lane 10 and had 236 for 462 to remain in the winners bracket. Believe it or not, I tied Kary Harris for highest opening 2 game set in the finals and we shot exactly the same score and would face him in round 2 of the winner’s bracket.
I knew I would have to bowl to beat Kary to remain in the winner’s bracket. I started with the first 5 before a 10 pin while Kary I think had the 1st 6 and finished for a 279. Came in light in the 9th and strike 10 pin for 247 and down 31. I knew we still had another game to bowl. Kary had carry issues while I left back-to-back 10’s on the same lane with a 5 bagger going into the 10th frame. Kary could have shut me out with a double but left the door open shooting 203. All I needed was a spare to win the match. I had fast feet and left a 2 4 8. I left part of the bucket in the 1st game of the match and picked it up, but this time the ball snapped a little more and chopped the 2 4 off the 8. That put me in the loser’s bracket, and meant a lot more bowling if I was to win the title. I had a 472 to Kary’s 481. Kary said after the match we would meet again. Roy suggested that I clean my ball after leaving a bucket on the fill shot, and it did pay off in the next match against one of the great bowlers from Tucson.
The Masters program showing last season's winners on right and dedicated to Dewey Yoho.
My first match in the loser’s bracket was against Hall of Famer Dwight Burns. I was off to a slow start as 6 taps followed a strike with 5 being the 10 pin. I missed a 9 pin in the 5thfame. Then two frames later, missed a 10 pin. Making slight adjustments kept the ball in play but didn’t produce good results until after I missed that 10 pin. I moved 2 boards right with my feet and 2 boards right with my mark. I threw the last 5 for a 204 while Dwight recorded a 245 and led by 41 sticks. I knew I was still throwing good shots with some not quite finishing. The lanes stayed the same for the 2nd game and I took advantage of it delivering the front 9 for a Varipapa 300 and rolling 14 in a row. Dwight had carry issues and had a 217. My sets have improved 10 sticks each match shooting 482. I’m averaging 236 in the finals for the 3 matches.
With only eight bowling in the finals, you’ll usually will face opponents more than once as you win some matches. I now had to face Mark again and now has had some time to figure out the lanes and had at least one good game. His reaction was better this time around but couldn’t put anything together. That left him in trouble shooting below 200 while I threw the opening 9 for the 2nd time to shoot 279 on a 7 pin. Shooting a 210 would shut him out. He beat me the last game by 12, shooting 237 as I had my first 500 in the finals, a 504 total. Winning that match guaranteed me third placed and my highest finish in any Masters tournament. At this point, winning wasn’t on my mind. There was still a lot of bowling left for whoever won.
The Challenge tournaments where I finally won after many tries!
And yes, I was to bowl Kary again after he lost his match with Karl Radman in the final winners bracket match. I had an open from a wash-out and picked up the 7 pin, the first 2 frames. A seven bagger before a 10 pin in the 10th gave me a 34 pin advantage. The next game was the first time that I had to move into the oil. We had bowled 8 games and all matches were on lanes 3 through 10 and I finally moved left. That shows how well the shot stayed for the finals. Left a 4 7 in the first frame on a slightly high hit, a 7 pin, strike and leaving just the 4 hitting high again. Kary would shoot 236 and I threw the next 5 to secure the win. I ended with 247 for 495 on the set. This match guarantees me 2nd place and if I wanted the Championship, I needed to beat Karl twice. And Kary was right, we did meet again.
Karl was the top qualifier form Saturday and the oldest in the field. I took the time to clean my ball so it would continue to hit the pocket and have the same great reaction that I have been having all day. They put us on a pair not bowled on all day. So I made a 2 and 1 adjustment right as the lanes should have more oil. Three of the first five shots were taps on light hits so I made another 1 and 1 right before a high 9 pin in the 6th. Moved left 1 with just my feet and carried the next 3. I then had a light hit leaving the 7 pin in the 10th and a 217. We had a few lane problems and Karl might have let that get to him as he had a few late opens after having a very early lead. I took a 47 pin edge into the final game of our first match. I’ve bowled 11 games in the finals and have averaged 239 so far with the best to come. Bowling a 200 would almost guarantee another match and set my goal to shoot above 200. I threw about the best 12 shots in any game in my life. This game made the 3rd time a charm today starting with the front nine strikes. It made the 9th time I had a sanctioned 300 and the first in two years. Now we both have lost one match and it was down to a two game match to take home the trophy. My goal was to continue throwing great shots and get my spares. Karl had a Senior Masters title a few years back so he wasn’t going to be a real easy match. Because of the other pairs used quite a bit for the finals, we stayed on the same pair. I felt that if the lanes didn’t break down too much, it probably favored me for the two game total pins.
The lanes transitioned and I had to move 1 and 1 left after leaving the 4 pin to start the game. Carried the next three before two more high hits and another adjustment left. Since Karl also throws it straight up the boards, he was seeing transition as well. I took a 12 stick lead into the final game after rolling the last 6 for a 257. I started the same way as the first game of the final match with a 4 pin before throwing a 4 bagger. The next 3 frames were a little high and for the first time saw the lanes breaking down but still managed to stay near the pocket and leave easier spares. A turkey helped me secure 246 to Karl’s 227. I recorded a 503 to win the title and an 803 for the final 3 games of the tournament. I gave my mom a hug to help celebrate the victory.
A page from my scrap book with my most memerable achievements.
It was a wild ride to the top but I kept throwing good shots keeping the ball close to the pocket to have more makeable spares. I threw strings of strikes when they were needed and limited my opens in the finals. That’s 15 clean games over two days for someone almost 60 years of age. It’s almost too many games in two days of bowling for someone over 50. I have had physical problems with my left knee but it didn’t bother me over the weekend and was stiff on Monday. To stay more mentally awake, I don’t sit down because I feel that only makes you more tired. Since I knew it could be a long day, I sat down twice between matches to save some energy. At no time did I panic and feel that I wasn’t going to win a match. I’ve been bowling far too long and know it’s never over till the fat lady sings. My only loss was to Kary on a missed spare and I was able to put that behind me and focus on what really mattered, the shot I was about to throw. If I would have let that get to me, there is no way I would have won the tournament.
Thanks also go to Jeff Segneri who wanted the 360 on my 2nd front 9 but I did it on the perfect game. Also thanks to Dwight Burns, Kary Harris and Roy Tietz who stayed until the end. It’s so nice to have some great bowlers appreciate your accomplishments. I also thank Debbie Caruthers for getting me a Brunswick 300 shirt that day and to Camino Seco Bowl for the shot that held up during the finals and announcing my victory before we bowled league on Wednesday.
Now for the stats, the whole stats and nothing but the stats I had only 2 games below a 277 no-tap. 11 at and above 287 no-tap and 7 no-tap 300’s. That shows how well I was around the pocket. I averaged 290 no-tap for the last 6 games and an incredible 287.9 over the 18 games. I had just five opens for a 0.27 opens per game having 15 clean games. As far as strikes go, 30 in qualifying, and at least 14 in every match in the finals. That made for a 7.6 strikes per game average over the entire weekend for the 18. As far as stringing strikes, in qualifying my 280 had the last 10. In my match to come from behind with Dwight, I put together my longest string with 14 for my first Varipapa 300. And I had a strike before my 300 for 13 in a row. On nine other occasions, I had at least a four bagger which makes 12 times I had four in a row. My carry percentage for the 18 games was 73% throwing strikes. My good shots got rewarded with strikes having 3 strikes for every tap to go with only 4 real bad shots in the 203 for the weekend. I left 31 10 pins, 20 other taps and only 11 shots were 8 or less. I missed just 2 single pins, both in the same game for 96% for the weekend. I made 18 adjustments after matches started and made a small adjustment for each match. If you have an average of one adjustment per game, you should have some great scores.
This article shows the work and dedication I put into my game over the years. My goal to win the Masters has been a goal for too many years. My short term goals were to make the cut on Saturday and continue to make good shots on Sunday. I set my goal for 300 after I carried number 11 and never set a goal of 800 to finish the day. It was only after having a 12 pin lead in the last match did I set my sights on taking the title. I didn’t let winning get in the way of repeating good shots. My persistence to throwing good shots and commitment to excellence are the main reasons that the Senior Masters championship became a reality.
My pesistence is also all over my HUGE HOW TO website when I finally went to a mental game coach. My goal of 800 came shortly after starting a set of lessons. Go after your goals and coaching could help you reach your goals sooner than you expected!
I hope these pics show what can happen when experience meets oportunity after mutiple attempts.
Even after 60, keep going and maybe you'll shoot your highest series in a decade!
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