The next three weeks are the Chameleon shot. Well, the lane conditions changed on me just like the animal changes color. I do agree the surface of the lane has a lot to do with how the lane changes (along with the other bowlers on your pair). The first week the two lanes were so different that I had to use two different balls. The left lane I was playing straight of 5 while staying completely behind my ball and the right lane I'm standing on the second dot from the left on the approach swinging the ball between the middle and third arrow on the right out to 20. It took me a minute to line up the left lane. So the second game I stroke every frame on the left lane, and could not finish on the right lane. Would have been a nice game but I missed a few spares and think I had a couple splits. Third game, striking on the right lane, and now am not carrying on the left. But I could not pick up the spares on the left side! I thought I figured out a trick when bowling the other pattern but it wasn't working. There was so much oil down the lanes that I couldn't get my ball to turn into the pins. I tried to go cross lane, up 10 from the left (it just skidded right by the 7 pin), and point it by standing in the middle of the lane and going over the third arrow from the left. This showed me I need to learn how to bowl straight at a pin. I don't use a spare ball, but I might need to invest in one or practice breaking my wrist (which I do for my ten pin shot).

I had to prebowl for the second week of the Chameleon and the two lanes were similar but different than the pair of lanes I bowled on during league. I ended up using my less aggressive ball up 5 board with small adjustments to the left. I bowled 521 (bells and whistles). Then low and behold, I switched balls to one that goes a little longer, moved a step up on the approach, went back up 5 focusing on getting my ball down the lanes (so I'm looking past the dots) and I started striking. Then I started getting my ball out to one where its hanging off a little and it would come back nice into the pocket! Where was this when I was pre-bowling! Something told me I should of practiced a few games before bowling for score. Maybe me and my friend that was bowling with me pushed the oil into a better place.

I bowled so much better tonight! 617 and my last game was clean.  Well during practice I could not get a strike, but as soon as we started bowling I was striking.  A lot of times its the reverse for me.  So, I used my Changeling (no spare ball) for all 3 games and played up 5. I made a minor adjustment in the last game by moving my feet two boards to the left and my mark 5 boards to the left on the right lane only.  So I had a handful of times when I rushed to the line or tried to put too much speed on my bowl. This resulted in me either sending my ball out to one board (too much speed) or crossing my body (rushing).  I still managed to strike when I got the ball out to the one board, but I did have my fingers crossed hoping it would finish.  When I crossed over sometimes it didn't even hit the head pin! I missed only two spares all night a 10 pin, which wasn't bad considering I picked up about 5 tonight, and the 1,3,6 which I chopped.  Oh I missed a spare after I stroke in the tenth frame (it was a split with double wood so it doesn't really count lol). 

So I think I learned a lot from bowling today.  Stay down, take my time, be aggressive and confident in my shot.  Whenever I didn't completely follow through or stay aggressive I left the 10 pin. I have to sub in a regular league Thursday and I'm going to apply these learning points. 

I'm on a mission to move up in standings. Show me the next shot!