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Bowling News USA - March 11, 2010 The Schlemer Report - Don Johnson Eliminator

At the Don Johnson Eliminator in Columbus, Ohio international staffer Osku Palermaa took full advantage of the commissioner’s exemption he was given by making the show. By receiving the exemption, Osku didn’t have to bowl the pre-tournament qualifier which for this event was spread across two days due to the small size of the center and limited number of lanes that could actually be used. So instead of a seven game TQR in one day like a normal event, this TQR was two four game blocks over two days.

All week Osku played a variety of angles on the lane. Like fellow two-hander, Jason Belmonte, Osku can play the lanes both straight and can move in deep and curve the entire lane. Although he didn’t have to move in and loft the ball over a bar stool like he did on the trick shot show back in Detroit last fall, he did move in and loft the left gutter in the last few games of each seven game block during the qualifying rounds. He used a large variety of balls throughout the entire week which included a Reign of Fire, Hy-Road, Natural and the two balls he used on the show; a Special Agent and a T-Road Solid.

(Click link below for highlights of the 2010 PBA Don Johnson Eliminator)

http://www.youtube.com/user/StormBowlingBalls#p/u/0/ZcbObvbtxf8

On the show, Osku figured that since Malott and Kretzer were both on his side of the lane, his best option would be to stay straight as possible. I liked his way of thinking and decided to try and give him some additional ball options for this strategy. I drilled him a Dimension with the pin in the ring finger and CG kicked right; but with no extra hole, it was too much. I also drilled him two different Furiouses, one pin up, CG kicked out and no extra hole and one pin in the ring finger, CG kicked out and no extra hole; but again, both were too strong. All three balls forced him between third and fourth arrow which isn’t good when his goal was to play between first and second arrow. So after eliminating the three new balls, the balls of choice were the Special Agent and T-Road Solid. Both these balls are beyond oil soaked. These two balls in particular are his favorites and go everywhere with him; Europe, Asia, Middle East – you name it, those balls have been there. Osku believes with bowling competitions and practice over the past few years, the Special Agent has over three-thousand games on it and the T-Road Solid has close to two-thousand games on it. Both balls have been resurfaced he says maybe five times each; but he likes them and knows what they do. They are his security blankets.

As expected, Osku, Malott and Kretzer did a good job breaking the lane down uniformly and made it playable. Unforced errors were the key to the eventual outcome for the three righties. In game one Malott missed a spare early that haunted him the entire game. Game two, Osku’s error happened during the commercial break. Remember it was only his second career PBA telecast and he has bowled on TV around the world with all different rules and formats. So when the commercial break came in game two, he figured he would throw a practice shot to stay loose. Not on the PBA tour rookie. The middle of a match is considered an official round of competition, no practice shots are allowed unless there is a breakdown or delay and the tournament director grants a practice shot. I still can’t figure out why no one tried to stop him, but anyway, he threw a shot and once the PBA realized what had happened, the shot counted for score. He then had to wait until after the commercial break to covert the 10-pin he had left. He picked it so it wasn’t that critical of a deal. But from that point forward he was less than focused on his bowling and more focused on not doing anything else wrong. The final unforced error came in the title match by Kretzer, he lost his feel and had trouble repeating shots which ultimately cost him his first career national title.

That’s it for now – be sure to root on the Storm Nation when they return for the Go RVing Match Play Championship.

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March, 2010