This was a big weekend for me because it was my chance to win my forth ABT title and it would had been the second time I sucessfully defended a title.

The weekend started off great in practice I had a great reaction. We were playing on old AMF wooden lanes with the scorpion pattern laid on it. The scorpion the longest pba pattern I played on it before on syntheics and the carry down was heavy best finish was 4th. But anyway since it was a wooden surface carry down wasnt a big issue. In practice i started out with my Brunswick Scorchin Inferno playing around 10 and 12 with a great reaction. I started out my first game with a 265 (313 handicap 7 more pins I would had got the $100 300 pot ) the next lanes were played pretty much the same had a little carry down in my line but nothing heavy stayed clean but a wash out in the 7th and 10th I ended up with a 191. The next pair the guy before me was throwning a ball with a lot of grit around my area my carry went a way the Scorchin started to burn up so I pulled out my twisted which was to snapp so a late switch after a 9th frame out I finised out with a lousy 152 kept me even tho by the 3rd game of qualifying I was +153 fourth game went back to the twisted shot 181. Ended qualifying 1st +181 shooting a 981 handicap 789 scratch.

The next day same line same ball Scorchin Inferno.  Semi Finals shot 191-209-180 580 724 handicap +124 quaulified second for match play.

This is where the problem began. The week before I got  a cut in the joint of my index finger from a previous tournament  it had healed nicely and was fine all weekend. I picked up my vapor zone on the match play lanes because they had drilled out a little and that ball is polished with a rolly drilling. My second to last shot I throw a good shot line figured out and my cut reopend. This stopped me from getting any type of revs on the ball. With this pattern I had to get the ball started earlier in the front part of the lane (which I worked on this week with some help from my man lot) so I went back to the scorchin so the ball would basically turn for me. I started out the gaame chopping a 4-7 came back left a 7 pin picked it up. My carry was no good it was about spares missed the 6th frame. Game was close still only down by the the lefty I was playin was struggling to. I came back the 7th flush strike next shot I put my all behind it shot came in  light left the 10 pin head pin flew across and took it out. The lead was mune but the finger had opened up more my me forcing the issue that was all i had. 9th and 10th maeks would had shut him out left a 4 pin threw my zone at it whiffed it. 10th frame I left double wood threw the scorchin hit the 1st pin not enough on the ball to take out the back pin. Done deal not title defense on a weekend where I worked hard. ended up with $127 including pot and high game money. Everybody was in disbelief because I was bowling hard this weekend. Well thats the breaks can win them all. We will see what happens next week hopefully I can heal up by then and get a title. I let you know next week.

This weekend was one of the best in my bowling carrer. I just entered the ABT decided to go out to the tournament that weekend and the rest is history.

Saturday Feb 16, 2008

I arrived at US Bowling in Alexandria, VA at 12 paid my entry and got my lane assignment. Well the pattern that was thrown out was a replica of the PBA Viper. I found out the hard way. The first round of qualifying I didnt do so great because I was shocked by the pattern. So I re entered and shot a 685 pretty good went +85 highest of that squad. I was using my Brunswick Absolute Inferno drilled RICO (which I took to 1000 grit Abralon before the start of the squad, best decision ever) and played a extremly close line to the pocket very slick condition. Cant miss right or you leave ugly splits. I stayed around and watched the squad after mine the lanes broke down and they could open up a little and the scores started flying. I left didnt stay around for the last squad went to the hotel just decided to stay out there even though I live close to VA and called the alley at 6pm to see if I made the cut to the semi's. Well........I did I qualified 3rd. I was excitied. So my brother decided the wanted to play in the Sunday squad to see if he could qualify and face me in the semi's.

Sunday Feb 17, 2008

My brothers squad started at 12:30pm and I didnt have to bowl semi's till 2pm. My brother bowled hard but didnt qualify he had a pretty good look with his Hammer Black Widow Bite but it came a little to late when he started with his Roto Grip Cell. So the final 2 were chosen to make up to top 5. We had to bowl 3 more games to cut to the top 3 to see who would move on to the final match play. I used the exact same ball even though the pattern was broken down from the previous squad. The Absolute gave me a smooth read off the dry not jumpy so I maintained my line well and shot 658 to qualify thrid again. I made the cut again I was bowling so well I knew I couldnt be stopped I had worked so hard for this momment. We took a 5 minute break and they put us on lane that havent been played on anytime during the tourney and it had a different pattern. This time it was the Chameleon. We only got to balls on each lane during practice so I tried my Raging Inferno it gave me a good look but I was worried it wouldnt be as consistent so I went back to my Absolute. I qualified 3rd so the 2nd seed want to finish last so I was up first. I was standing at 20 using side rotation to push the ball out to 10 and got it to come back to the pocket consistently. I ended up winning the game 191-170. I was one game away from winning my first title and being put into the running for bowler of the year. I was bowling a bowler that was hot through the first day of qualifying shooting 704 and then 736 in the semi's so I knew I had to focus. During my finals first match he was practicing on a lane we qualified on with a broken down viper so he switched from his Cell to a Special Agent. In his two balls on each lane he struck. He wanted me to start he missed a spare in the second frame I got up and took advantage of it doubling in the 2nd and 3rd and keeping it clean until I got a 5-10 split got the ball in to far and it over hooked. Even with my open his Special Agent started to give him a terrible look. He opened to many frames. I was sparing out and he had a chace to strike out for a 172 and that would had pressued me to mark in the 10th but he missed his 1st shot in the 10th left an open and that was it. I got my 1st Title 184 - 146. I was so excitied my mom, dad and brother were there to see it, This was a big day for me. Here is the recap if your interested wdc.abtbowling.com click on Tour Results and its the one at the top. I won 450.00 and now I am in 6th place for bowler of the year.

Thoughts:

This was my first experience on any PBA patterns and I see how they work your mental, physical and spare game. You have to hit your mark on point to strike a board to the right you get 10 pins all day or pocket 7/10. This helped me with my accuracy and to focus on my spares.

I thank you all for reading. And i will give a blog on every event I got to Cash out or not so check with me weekly for more of these stories of my tour experience. I will probably got to Nationals in Vegas in April and I will probably got to this weeks stop. So stay posted Thanks!!!