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Jeff Davis
I am still in observer mode while recovering from hand surgery. One can learn a few things by watching closely and here is a great example.
In the Wednesday afternoon Senior League my team recently bowled against a team called The Men Folk. These guys have the lowest total handicap in the league, which translates to they have the best team average. And any one of them can break out and roll an honors game. We felt pretty good about taking the first game by 41 pins, thanks to the handicap system that makes league bowling competitive. Then The Men Folk turned it on and beat us the next two games and took total pins for the three-game series. On this day I especially watched Larry Stovall, their anchorman. He, of course, gets his share of strikes. But he doesn’t throw an overpowering ball, scattering the pins like startled ducks. What he does is shoot his spares consistently and makes most of them. He maintains the third highest average in the league.
The ”BowlVersity”, an instructional feature on bowlingball.com, maintains you will increase your strike rate by improving your spare shooting. Their point is that by adjusting your positioning around the lane to pick up spares you will be able to improve your accuracy in general, thus hitting the 1-3 pocket (1-2 for lefties) more frequently. They conclude, “It begins with taking your spare shooting seriously.”
The results below begin with the Thursday Commercial League’s March 7 session and go through the Senior League’s March 13 bowling. The various leagues divide the season into quarters or halves. The standings reported below reflect the current marks, not the overall season.
Graham International and Rollin’ Dirty are rising to the top of the Thursday Commercial League with admirable records of 27-9 and 25-11 respectively. Mason Virgel, rolling on Donnie’s Heat & Air, was on target, blasting a 290 game and 750 series to lead the men. Money B’s Brooke McClure once again took honors for the ladies, stroking a 258 game and 668 series.
Sunday’s This Ain’t Yo Momma’s Bowling League has begun their reset with eight of the 14 teams showing records of .500 or better. Split Happens is in the lead, tallying a stout 13-3, but three more teams are within three points of the top. Shana Williams on the Split Happens squad paced the ladies with a 193 game and Kyra Jenkins of the aptly named Jenkins & Company four led high series with a 521. Larry Stovall, also bowling for Jenkins & Company, scored a 247 game to lead the men and Split Happens’ Brandon Williams stayed away from splits to put together three strong games for a 696 series.
Spare Me continues to lead the Fall Monday Trio League with a great 25-7 record. The Odd Ones, WWM and Sisco’s Crew sport 20 or more wins to stay in the chase. It’s been a little while since we have seen this here, but Sisco Zarco of – wait for it – Sisco’s Crew, did the deed for the men, crashing a 255 game and 616 series. Spare Me’s Debby Essary has led the ladies at least the last four weeks, most recently smoking a 211 game and 583 series.
The Fall Tuesday Mixed League has begun a reset with two teams, Cletus’s High Rollers and Irish Pride, perfect at 4-0. The Strikers and Bowling Beaver come in at 3-1. Familiar names again appear in the honors column. Bowling Beaver’s Jason Parmer was on fire, shooting a 276 game and 737 series. Katelyn Shields on the Irish Pride squad did some serious damage to the pins, rocking a 235 game and 629 series to lead the ladies.
The Wednesday afternoon Senior League continues to be ultra-competitive with 10 of the 13 teams boasting records of at least .500, led by S & P at 27-13 and We Usta at 25-15. S & P’s Joe Skaggs was really on target Wednesday, rolling great scores of 235 game and 574 series to lead the men. All In The Families’ Tricia Attaway fired a 193 game and 497 series to lead the ladies.
Until next week, good luck and good bowling.