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A Terrific Sparing System
The importance of developing your own spare system cannot be emphasized enough. I've written about it from the standpoint of the 3-6-9 or 2-4-6 methods taught in coaching classes. I also mentioned that while they are good to start with, you may have to develop your own based around those systems.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170689.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 18, 2011)
Bill Vint | PBA Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104
PBA Spare Shots

KOIVUNIEMI, O’NEILL, BARNES TOP PBA STATISTICS HEADING INTO U.S. OPEN
Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions winner Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich.; defending Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open champion Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., and PBA World Champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, pace the PBA statistical races heading into the start of the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open Tuesday at Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J.

Koivuniemi, with his record $250,000 first prize in the TOC, easily tops PBA Tour earnings race with $285,940 through nine events. TOC runner-up Tom Smallwood, who won $100,000 in that event, is second with $115,200. Barnes and O’Neill are third and fourth, respectively, with $95,760 and $79,440.

Koivuniemi also is the average leader, scoring at a 225.35 pace for 203 games. O’Neill is about two pins behind at 223.05, and Barnes is third at 222.24.

In the important PBA competition points race, however, O’Neill is the leader, followed by Barnes and Koivuniemi. While the points race will no longer be the sole deciding factor in the 2010-11 PBA Player of the Year race, it will play an extremely important role in the new end-of-season Dick Weber PBA Playoffs.

The top six in points after the U.S. Open and the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship will earn three “bye” rounds in the PBA Playoffs. Heading into the U.S. Open, Sean Rash, Jason Belmonte and Mike DeVaney round out the top six.

The next six – ranking seventh through 12th in points – earn two bye rounds in the PBA Playoffs. Those six currently are Michael Haugen Jr., Osku Palermaa, Tommy Jones, Wes Malott, Tom Smallwood and Mike Fagan. A third group of six – from 13th through 18th in points – will get one “bye” in the Playoffs: Dan MacLelland, Ronnie Russell, Norm Duke, Pete Weber, Jack Jurek and Ritchie Allen occupy those positions.

The top 72 on the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour points list will qualify for the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs, joining 108 players who have qualified through the PBA’s regional program in a unique elimination tournament. The PBA Playoffs will be held March 8-13 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

For compete Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour statistics, visit the PBA website and click on the “statistics” link.

Xtra Frame will follow all of the action in the U.S. Open and the concluding tournaments of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season. To subscribe to the PBA’s exclusive video streaming service, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

KOIVUNIEMI, DORIN-BALLARD LEAD WTBA WORLD BOWLING TOUR POINTS RACE
Next week’s U.S. Open will also play a role in the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s inaugural World Bowling Tour points race leading to the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA next fall in Las Vegas. The top three men and top three women in WBT points will bowl for a total of $40,000 in prize money in the WBT Finals next fall.

The WBT series consists of seven international tournaments, including the just-completed Bayer USBC Masters and the U.S. Open. Heading into the U.S. Open, Mika Koivuniemi – the winner of the WBT’s Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Finland early in January – is the men’s points leader followed by Sean Rash and USBC Masters winner Tom Hess. In the women’s competition, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is the leader. Finland’s Krista Pollanen and Kelly Kulick are tied for second.

For current WTBA World Bowling Tour points and information, visit the World Tenpin Bowling Association website.

MASTERS CHAMP RECEIVES EXEMPTION FOR MARK ROTH PLASTIC BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Bayer USBC Masters champion Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, has been granted a PBA Commissioner’s Exemption to participate in the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship at AMF Thruway Lanes in Buffalo, N.Y., March 1-6. PBA Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia and Tom Baker, defending champion Brian Ziesig and five-time PBA Tour champion Bob Learn Jr. also have been granted Commissioner’s Exemptions.

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