Missy Shoots 300 with New Bounty Hunter Pearl

Last night, I shot 300 using the NEW 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl. I shot my 19th perfecto while bowling in my "fun" league with my parents and fiancee at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, CA. The NEW 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl would be an awesome addition to anyone's game. The already highly sought after and successful Bounty Hunter, now has a pearl duo to compliment it and is now available. The Bounty Hunter Pearl rolls up nice in the mid-lane and has a STRONG arc motion, which is hard to find in a pearl cover. The Bounty Hunter Pearl will allow you to use a pearl cover in more oily-medium conditions, providing a strong hook and powerful hit. There is also an added bonus to buying both the Bounty Hunter and Bounty Hunter Pearl. Both balls are part of a $50,000 reward to bowlers shooting a 300 game using either ball. For complete rules, see: http://www.900global.com/thebountyhunter/ Christmas is just around the corner, so be sure to ask Santa for a Bounty Hunter Pearl! ;) I hope all of you are getting ready for the holidays and enjoying all of the festivities involved with finding the perfect gift, getting that amazing tree and putting up Christmas lights. Happy Holidays!

Mission Hills WWPB Mixed Doubles Event

This past weekend I competed in the WWPB Mixed Doubles event at Mission Hills, CA with my partner Scott Norton. As defending champions of the event, we were not only there to defend our title, but also to support a dear friend of ours. My team and the team of Drew Parkin and Virginia Norton all wore special shirts for the event to show our support and love for our dear friend that is currently going through Breast Cancer. Scott and I wore "Team Strength" on the front of our shirts, as Virginia and Drew wore "Team Hope."

In the event, Scott and I qualified in 8th place after the 9 games of qualifying with +505 overall. My partner and I's qualifying scores were pretty even with Scott shooting +262 and myself shooting +243 for the 9 games.

Needless to say, the lanes weren't too hard. Score were high and it became more of a carry fest. It took +476 to make the top 12 cut to match play.

The next day, we bowled 12 games of round robin match play with each individual winner receiving 10 bonus pins and an extra 30 bonus pins for the team win. So 50 bonus pins total were up for grabs each match, making it extremely important to win as many matches as possible.

We did just so-so in match play, breaking even with a matchplay record of 6-6 for team wins. We did however bowl a HUGE last game, shooting 545 (I shot 267 and Scott shot 278), which moved us up into 6th place overall in the tournament.

Although we didn't successfully defend our title, we did however show support for our friend and I personally managed to bowl 21 games in two days without my leg bothering me. So things are looking up...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missy Joins 900 Global

Missy Bellinder joins the 900 Global team as one of the professional staff members. Missy joins the likes of Walter Ray Williams, Jr., Michael Haugen, Jr. and Steve Jaros on the 900 Global pro staff team.

Look for upcoming ball reviews on the new Bounty Hunter Pearl, which is set to release on November 16th.

If you have any questions about any of the 900 Global bowling balls, please feel free to email me at missy@missybellinder.com

http://www.900global.com/home/

Yosemite Vacation

This week, I took a little vacation with a few friends and we ventured to Yosemite National Park for a few days. For those of you that haven't ever been there, you need to make sure you visit this amazing National Park at least once.

While on the trip, we were able to see amazing waterfalls, gorgeous views and we even stumbled upon some deer, as we walked along one of the trails. With it being fall, the waterfalls weren't near as full as when I had been to Yosemite in the Spring, but the leaves were beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. Although we didn't spot any bears, we did see plenty of chipmunks, squirrels, ravens and other various birds.

Above are a few photos from the trip.

Upcoming Clinics by Missy

Hello Everyone!

I will be holding two clinics coming up at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, CA. Both clinics are Saturday, November 7th AND Sunday, November 8th.

The first clinic is a beginning-intermediate clinic for bowlers averaging 175 and below. The cost of this clinic is $125 total for both days. The clinic will be held from 9am to noon both days and will be broken up into a classroom portion and then on-the-lanes practice. Some of the topics discussed include: timing, ball fit, finish position, alignment and spares. This clinic is limited to the first 20 bowlers, so be sure to sign up today!

The second clinic is an advanced clinic for bowlers averaging 175 and above. This clinic will be held from 1pm-4pm both days. The cost for this clinic is $150 total for both days. Saturday will feature one-on-one time with Missy working on individual's game. Personalized assessment, along with practice time will be given. Then Sunday features a special tournament utilizing new skills. Prizes will be awarded. Bowlers will practice on different oil patterns both days. This clinic is limited to the first 10 bowlers, so be sure to sign up today!

To sign up or if you have any questions, please email Missy at missy@missybellinder.com Payment for the clinics can be paid by cash or check the first day of the clinic.

PBA Fresno Regional

This past weekend, I bowled a PBA West Region event in Fresno, CA. My leg had been feeling better and I was certain, that even though I would be bowling a lot of games, that my leg would hold up OK.

Since being home from tour, I have only bowled one tournament and just been bowling 3 games a week in league and no practice. So I've been staying off of it and letting it heal.

Well, I started the tournament very well, shooting 279 (with the front 7) and then 233 to start the day. I was leading after 2 games at +112. We were bowling on the Scorpion PBA pattern and I was able to use my 900 Global Bounty Hunter all day. I ended up hitting some trouble in the middle games and ended the 8 games of qualifying with +196 and was in 5th place.

We bowled our semifinals that afternoon (so 5 more games). During the 7th game of qualifying, my leg was starting to bother me a little bit. Then during the semifinals, I could barely bowl the final game. I ended up +203 and in 11th place. So i had qualified for the top 16 Sunday matchplay finals, despite being in a lot of pain.

I got matched up against PJ Haggerty the first match, in the best 3 of 5 single elimination format. Starting off the day, I seriously thought I was going to have to withdraw. My leg was really bothering me (and I can withstand a lot of pain) and I shot 128 the first game (obviously losing).

However, during the second game I figured out a way to still have some timing and not have my leg hurt so bad. I came back with a 234, but lost to PJ who threw the front 9 at me. I then came back and won 222-186. The next game the lanes changed just enough for me to start out with opens for the first 3 out of 4 frames (a pocket 7-10, a 2-8-10 and a 2-4-8-10). I ended up rallying back that game, shooting 201, but lost to PJ who shot 214.

So although I bowled well, it was a very disappointing tournament because my leg isn't quite healing as well as I had hoped. So I am definitely taking some time off of bowling for at least two weeks and then starting back up again with just 3 games a week. The goal is to be fully healed by tour in January.

I also wanted to thank all of you for the support and well wishes! I really appreciate it!!!! =)

In the Off-Season

First off, I'd like to thank all of you that tuned in to watching the U.S. Women's Open TV Shows. I really appreciate all of the support and love hearing from all of you.

Now that I am in the off-season and am not bowling a whole lot (as you can see from my calendar), I thought I'd mention what I've been doing in my spare time. =)

Due to my leg injury, which I must say is healing well, I haven't been bowling as much or practicing a lot. Unfortunately, the only way for a pulled groin muscle to heal is by resting it. So...I have been doing just that. I am happy to say that I can bowl 3-4 games without wrapping it and it doesn't hurt. So little by little it is getting back to where it should be, and I should be 100% when the tour starts up again in January.

So, besides giving a lot of lessons, I have been keeping busy with two main things - ONE - the wedding (since I got engaged in July) and TWO - buying a house. Both of those things are VERY time consuming and can be fun and a little nerve-racking at the same time.

The very first thing I did after returning home from being on tour was to set a wedding date and secure a location for the big day. We set the date - I am getting married in September of 2010. And the venue is rather unique.

My fiancee, Drew and I only went to one wedding venue and immedately knew that was the place. We decided to get married on a yacht in Newport Beach Harbor. This was definitely not what I had pictured, but upon visiting the site and knowing my love for the beach, it was all but perfect!

As for the housing situation, we are still working on it.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Watch Missy in the Final Four of the Women's U.S. Open this Sunday, Oct. 18th at 2pm EST on ESPN

Missy Bellinder defeated Liz Johnson 212-202 and then went on to face tournament leader Shannon O'Keefe in the quarter finals TV Show of the Women's U.S. Open. Bellinder threw 11 out of 12 strikes to defeat O'Keefe 279-213 and just missed out on the $25,000 bonus for shooting a 300 on TV.

Watch Missy face Tammy Boomershine in the final four of the Women's U.S. Open this Sunday, Oct. 18th at 2pm EST on ESPN.

Watch Missy on ESPN this Sunday, Oct. 11th at 2pm EST

Catch all of the action as Missy Bellinder takes on Liz Johnson in the U.S. Women's Open this Sunday, October 11th at 2pm EST (11am west coast time).

The winner will face top seed Shannon O'Keefe, with the winner then advancing to the top 4 finals to be aired on Sunday, October 18th.

Check it out!!!

Good ending to a long month

The World Series of Bowling came to an end after the culmination of the PBA World Championship. The event featured three separate tournaments - the Women, the men and the Senior World Championship.

The PBA Women's World Championship featured three 6-game blocks of qualifying, with the field then being cut to the top 20 women. After which, we bowled another 6 games to determine seating and the top four players (which received two byes into matchplay).

The entire tournament I was close to being in the Top 4. However, I didn't fair too well during the last round of six games. I ended up being seated 14th and paired up to bowl Wendy Macpherson the first round of matchplay.

For all of matchplay, we then were moved into the main bay of the bowling center, so the ESPN crew could get the TV show pairs ready in the arena bay. We hadn't bowled in the main bay of the bowling center at all during the entire month and it played completely different. So the first round of matchplay was a bit of a guessing game, whoever guessed right the fastest, was most likely going to win.

Fortunately, I had some help from Dave Smart from 900 Global and figured out some bowling balls and strategies that would work pretty well on the condition. I ended up using the Bounty Hunter for most of matchplay.

In the best 4 out of 7 matchplay finals, I got lined up pretty early against Wendy and ended up winning the match 4-1.

The next day, I then faced Lindsay Baker. In this extremely close match (our first game I won 268-251) we kept going back and forth with some high scores. The match ended up going to game 7, and I advanced, winning 212-180.

In the Super Round of 8, I bowled against Michelle Feldman. We must have bowled on the tightest pair in the center. I was throwing a Bounty Hunter, sanded with 360 grit and then re-sanded with a burgundy scotch brite pad. Needless to say, the ball was a snowball. So not only was I throwing charcoal, but I was also pointing the ball more than I have in a really long time (i.e. standing 6 and aiming at 7).

I didn't figure out how to play the pair until after the first game (i shot 145 the first game). I then rallied back to win the match 4-2.

The next match was the Round of 4, in which the winners would make the TV show. I faced Kelly Kulick and in this difficult match it was Kelly who ended up beating me 4-2.

I guess with a hurt leg, bowling 19 games the last day of matchplay and 48 games total the last tournament, I was pretty happy with how I ended the World Series of Bowling.

The World Series of Bowling concluded this weekend with the taping of all of the World Series of Bowling tournaments over this Labor Day weekend. The shows will air throughout October-December as tape-delayed shows for the first half of the PBA Tour season.

I plan on taking some time off to let my leg heal, but should be back on lanes in no time. Til then...

Scorpion Championship

Well, we did have a bit of a break prior to starting the Scorpion Championship. Some bowlers (that had the convenience of being close enough to home) decided to take a mini break and have a few home cooked meals and sleep in their own bed for a few nights. My roomie and I are a bit too far away for that convenience.

So instead, we hung out with a lot of the other girlies out on tour. There were numerous trips to the Fairlane Towne Center mall, along with chick flick movie nights. Yes, we saw "The Ugly Truth," (which I might add I think guys would also get a kick out of) and we saw the "Time Traveler's Wife."

Beyond that, we also had makeovers at the Mac store and then went out for a really entertaining karaoke night, with many of us singing the night away. Yes, we do have a Whitney Houston amongst our 20+ group that ventured out, and even the lead singer for Bare Naked Ladies.

So on with the tournament...for those of you that watched Xtra Frame or watched the scores online, you could tell that the lanes were pretty difficult and low scoring. Minor mistakes were magnified and missing the pocket often resulted in a split or difficult spare conversion.

I definitely had the roller coaster of scores going on - a few decent games, then 150, another good game, then 160. (All of which was very easy to do depending on what pair you happen to be on.)

With my leg feeling better, I was in contention for making the cut pretty much the entire time. Towards the end, there were about 7 of us that were vying for that final 8th spot into match play. I had dropped down a bit, due to a bad 5th game, but was rallying to make it.

Our pair was one of the last to get done. I could strike out for 267, putting me at -5. I didn't think anyone else had gotten to that number. (The cut was in the -30s going into that game.) I was bowling with Adrienne Miller (also in contention) and she struck out to put herself at -16. I knew I needed to double in the 10th to beat her. For those of you who watched Xtra Frame, you know what happened next. I threw the ball perfect off of my hand (you know, one of those shots you just know that you pured) and the stubborn 10 pin decided to stand.

Yes, I was upset, but all you can do is put the ball there and hope the bowling gods cooperate. I guess my leg needed more time to heal.

Our next event starts on Thursday with practice and qualifying on Friday. Be sure to check it out.

Chameleon Championship

The Chameleon Championship started on Tuesday, August 18th with the practice session and qualifying on Wednesday, the 19th. I chose not to bowl in the practice session, but instead watch, in order to give my leg a little more healing time.

First I must tell you a little bit about the center we are bowling in. All of the women's series events are being conducted in the arena bay section of Thunderbowl Lanes. The arena bay is basically a 20 lane separate bowling center that has tiered seating and a vaulted ceiling (with normal scoreboards), which acts almost like a mini National Bowling Stadium with decor from the 70's. Complete with plush sparkly gold and pink vinyl couches in the settee area and leopard print stools at the top deck viewing areas, it is definitely a venue unlike any other.

Participating in the arena has it's advantages and disadvantages. It's nice to bowl in a setting where we are only crossing with the women (which is unlike every other year of the women's series, where we were inter-mixed with the men during qualifying). The lanes tend to break down better because we don't have all of the traffic of the men's high rev rates pushing all of the oil all over the place.

However, in this setting it feels as though we are put in a corner all by our selves (like we're on time out) and no one really knows that we're competing in there. The men bowl at the exact same time and in a completely different bay of the bowling center (lanes 41-90), which leaves spectators the choice of watching the men or the women bowl, not the convenience of watching both at the same time. Not to mention that in order to find where we are bowling it is much like an obstacle course or Where's Waldo book.

Other differences this year on tour, include our own paddock, located just behind the arena (which is normally used as a comedy club). It's nice not having to battle for tools when working out equipment or waiting so long to use the spinner, but it also has it's disadvantages too. With separate competition and paddock areas, the men and women really never get to see each other much. It's almost like "Over there is their area and this is our area." So it's a really weird vibe this year out on tour.

Another added bonus is that we are bowling on a REALLY old surface in the arena. For those of you that have watched Xtra Frame, you can see that we are not lacking in friction. This week we had 20% more volume and by the end of the 7-game block Tammy was in front of the ball return and pretty much everyone was inside of 4th arrow. (Yes the pattern is 39 feet, but there are only 20 of us and we're only bowling 7 games, NOT 14 games without re-oiling.)

So, knowing that I can't throw the ball hard because of my injury, I decided to have my dad ship me my old Columbia Trooper urethane ball from way back in the day. It came in handy, as I used it the first 4-5 games of both blocks (however not soon enough the first block) and then switched to a Storm Second Dimension when the lanes opened up a bit and I could use enough head-angle to get the ball down the lane.

Well the good news about the Chameleon Championship is that I did finish all 14 games and I didn't hurt too bad afterwards. I think my leg is getting better and I'm definitely ready to give it my all in the Scorpion Championship which starts Sunday with the practice session. Till then...

Viper Championship

This week I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I had to withdraw from the tournament after only bowling two games of qualifying. I have NEVER withdrawn from a tournament before, so it was an upsetting experience but it was for the better.

As previously mentioned, I had a pulled groin muscle from the U.S. Women's Open. I thought it had enough time to rest, choosing not to bowl from Sunday (after the TV show was taped) until our Friday practice session.

I had stopped limping two days before heading out to Detroit. My leg was feeling a lot better, so I practiced on Friday and everything seemed to be OK. However, that night my leg started hurting pretty bad. So I tried bowling qualifying on Saturday but wasn't able to finish the games.

In normal circumstances I would have loved the condition we bowled on. The lanes were hooking a lot due to the surface we were bowling on and throwing the ball hard seemed to be the advantage. Normally that is right in my wheelhouse, but I wasn't able to really use my legs or stay down at all. So I decided to withdraw instead of risking hurting myself more.

The good news is that I don't bowl again until Wednesday, which is qualifying for the Chameleon Championship. I'm most likely going to skip the practice session on Tuesday and just watch the other girls bowl to see how the lanes are.

The extra days off should help my leg to heal a bit. Til then...

Getting Ready for the World Series of Bowling

Happy summer to everyone,

Just to recap...The U.S. Women's Open will begin airing on Sunday, September 13th and will continue to air every Sunday for five consecutive weeks. My show isn't until October 4th and the finals show will air October 11th. (I know so far away! Not fair!!!) I'll be posting reminders once it gets closer to the air date.

So...as I last posted I pulled my groin muscle during the U.S. Women's Open. Luckily icy hot, wraps and epson salt baths have been doing the trick and today I am finally not limping! YAY! So hopefully my leg will continue to heal as I leave tomorrow for Detroit, Mich. for the World Series of Bowling.

The PBA Women's Series will conduct 5 out of the 7 Women's Series events during the World Series of Bowling, with the remaining two events taking place during the second half of the season.

Our first event starts this Friday, August 14th with the practice session for the PBA Women's Series Viper Championship. Saturday, August 15th begins two 7-game blocks of qualifying.

Keep an eye out for more blogs and watch the action live using live scoring and live videos on pba.com and Xtra Frame.

Missy Makes the TV Show at the U.S. Women's Open!!!

Hello everyone!

This week I competed in the U.S. Women's Open at Strike Zone Lanes inside Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, Nev. The grueling format called for 8 games a day for the first three days, as we bowled on the Shark, Chameleon and Cheetah patterns. After two days I was leading the tournament at +398 and then after day 3, I was in 2nd at +521.

However the last game of Day 3, I pulled a muscle in the middle of my approach. I was able to finish the game, but the next day was a big test for me! Day 4, we bowled 16 games. We first bowled 8 games on the Scorpion pattern and then bowled 8 more games on the Viper pattern. With icy hot galore and a big leg wrap, I finished all 16 games amongst being in A LOT of pain.

The good news is that I ended up in 9th place, making the TV show and I get a day to rest. We tape the show on Sunday and it will air at a later date in September.

I bowl Liz Johnson the first match and the winner bowls tournament leader Shannon O'Keefe.

Check out the full story.

Also, check out this video from the U.S. Women's Open. Go to Tournaments - 2009 and then click on 2009 US Women's Open. Then click on US WO Missy Bellinder Video.

Women's U.S. Open Starting this Week!!!

The Women's U.S. Open starts tomorrow at Strike Zone inside Sunset Station in Henderson, Nev. Practice session is tomorrow, Monday, August 3rd, followed by three days of 8-game blocks on Shark, Chameleon and Cheetah. (I am on B squad.)

After the 24 games of qualifying, the field is then cut to the top 25%. On Friday, the top quarter of the field then bowls 8 games on Scorpion in the morning and then 8more games on Viper. After the total 40 games of qualifying, the field is then cut to the top 12 for the TV finals.

Be sure to follow the action on www.bowl.com

USBC Open Championships - Las Vegas, Nev.

Over 4th of July weekend, my team and I bowled the USBC Open Championships. Not a bad way to spend the 4th and it ended up being a weekend full of surprises!

A few of my teammates and I went up to Vegas a little early to bowl a few of the side events. So on Thursday, I bowled the Bowlers Journal International Championships at Gold Coast. The lanes weren't easy and I ended up shooting 200, 267 (with the front 8), 214 and a 187 for 868. That is currently one pin above the cash number, so fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Then on Friday, we bowled the Bowling this Month tournament at the Golden Nugget. The lanes were really difficult. For example the tournament has a $10,000 pot if you can throw 40 clean frames, and NO ONE has done it yet! And there have been a lot of bowlers competing for that prize over the last 5 months. I shot 807 for the 4 games, and will cash in singles. My partner Scott Norton and I are currently 33 for regular doubles and in 1st for mixed doubles with 1636.

Later on Friday I got the surprise of my life - I got engaged! I knew that I had to dress up that night for a surprise. (I thought I was going to dinner and to see a Cirque show. LOL!) Little did I know. The evening ended perfectly with a surprise dinner with my entire nationals team, parents and friends as we celebrated the engagement. So everyone was in the know except me...

After all of the engagement excitement from the night before, it was back to business on Saturday and Sunday, as my team bowled nationals at the Cashman Center. We bowled team event on Saturday, the 4th of July. Our team shot 2947 and I shot 173, 224, 257 for a 654 series. That night we hit the strip and watched some firework displays and a horrific magic act that left everyone a little disappointed.

On Sunday, we bowled doubles and singles. I bowled doubles with my dad, which I always enjoy and we shot 1177. I shot 189, 214 and 239 for a 642 series. Then in singles I died. I only shot 205, 184 and 224 for a 613 series. I shot 1909 for all events.

Although I have had a lot of fun competing and traveling to other USBC Open Championships, the 2009 Open Championships in Las Veas, Nev. definitely tops them all.

Bowl Expo 2009 - Las Vegas, Nev.

This year I attended Bowl Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Only being to the giant tradeshow once prior, it was just as I had remembered - a lot of bowlers, pro shop operators, big wigs from all over the industry and of course ALL of the NEW products for the year.

Prior to the tradeshow, Brunswick and the Ebonite International brands both had special days set aside for pro shops. Monday was a Brunswick seminar with free food and drinks and each pro shop received a FREE Seige bowling ball. Then on Tuesday, we attended the Ebonite International and Etonic showcase, where I was able to demo all of the new balls from Ebonite, Columbia, Track and Hammer. My personal favorites were the Magic Touch and Evolve from Ebonite.

Then on Wednesday and Thursday we had the tradeshow. It's always fun going from booth to booth, seeing the massive variety of companies that attend. From the normal bowling ball companies to pizza vendors, if you can sell or use it in a bowling center, then it was there. My personal favorite booth was a toss up between the slushy machines with free samples and the personalized woodwork of a company which makes bowling pin design tables and artwork.

Be on the lookout for each company's new products, catalogs and posters in your local pro shop.

Rohnert Park and Modesto PBA Regionals

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been lagging with keeping up with my blogs.

Here's a recap of how the PBA Rohnert Park and Modesto Regionals went...

First, I drove to Rohnert Park, which is north of San Francisco, up in Wine Country, Calif. The weekend was full of fun because all of my closest friends came, including my boyfriend Drew. Now, driving back and forth from San Francisco to Rohnert Park proved to not be as fun, as Nascar was having a race up in the area that weekend, which made hotel arrangements impossible. We did get to go over the Golden Gate Bridge though.

Well, we bowled on the new Shark pattern, and I was very surprised to actually see my ball hook a little. The scoring pace was REALLY low, as I shot +26 and was in 13th, after the 8 games of qualifying. We bowled the 5 game semifinals right after, and boy was that fun. (Not really!)

I started out my first game of semis with four straight splits/opens. I managed to shoot 153 that game, but didn't ever recover from that stellar start. The final game, I shot 227, trying to make a comeback, but fell 10 pins short of making the cut to the top 16 matchplay finals. So overall, I came in 19th in the tournament.

On Sunday, we did manage to go around wine country and take in the sights. We went to five different wineries and did sample some of the wine too. The best part of the day was having a picnic lunch at Armida winery on the patio deck that overlooks the whole valley. Simply gorgeous! (See picture above.)

The following weekend, I bowled another regional in Modesto, Calif. I only had to drive 5 1/2 hours up North. LOL! This regional hosted by Wayne Garber and sponsored by Vanessa Brown Homes is always a great tournament to bowl. The bowlers in that area are always excited to have us there and there was even a good size crowd for the practice session. Both pro-ams were full and everyone seemed to have a great time.

As far as the tournament goes... we bowled on the old Cheetah pattern, so the lanes were really high scoring. I shot +274 for the 8 games of qualifying and was in 16th. We then bowled the semis the next day and I shot another 92 over for the 5 games of qualifying, putting me at +366 overall and did NOT make the top 16 matchplay finals. I ended up just missing (again) and came in 18th overall in the tournament.

All in all both regionals were great practice and I'm definitely making up for not driving my car for six months this past year. LOL!

Advanced Clinic at Saddleback Lanes

Missy conducted an advanced bowling clinic on June 13th-14th at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, Calif. The clinic, targeting 175 and above average bowlers, was implemented as a training and educational tool to better techniques and learn higher-level skills.

The two-day clinic featured both classroom and on-the-lanes demonstrations and drills. Some of the topics discussed were lane adjustments, lane play, bowling ball dynamics and more.

Keep an eye out for future bowling clinics with Missy!

Fresno PBA Regional

This past weekend, I bowled in the PBA Sierra Open in Fresno, Calif. on the chameleon pattern.

Since we bowled in a bigger bowling center, everyone competed on one squad for qualifying. After the eight games of qualifying, I was in 9th place at +85. The pattern was pretty difficult. It only took +16 to make the cut to the top 1/3 of the field for the semis.

We then immediately bowled the 5 games of semis. The pattern played even tougher, with scores dropping, shot making and accuracy became a must. After the 5 games of semis, for a total of 13 games, I was at +135 and in 6th place. It only took +14 to make the top 16 match play finals.

All day, I played the lanes fairly straight and pretty far outside, which made transitions and adjustments a little easier. I think everyone would agree that they saw too many 2-8-10 combinations, which was really easy leave. I also went old-school and had drilled up two brand new "old" balls, which I ended up using the entire tournament. How many of you remember the old Columbia Ricochet Rebound and Blue Wicked???? Yep, those were the balls I had just drilled and used all weekend. See old balls can still work!

Then on Sunday, I bowled Mason Sherman in matchplay for the best 3 out of 5 Round of 16 finals. I lost the first game 164-236 and then came back to win the next two games 230-160 and 255-200 (I had the front 8 that game). Then I lost the 4th game189-234 to tie the match 2-2. So it all went down to the last game. I bowled well, but caught a few bad breaks and lost my shot on one lane and ended up losing 196-225.

Overall, it was a great weekend and good practice. The lane conditions were very demanding and shot making was at a premium.

Stay tuned for more news...

The Up-Side to Missing the Cut

This past weekend, I competed in a PBA Regional event - Battle at Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA.

It was the first regional I had bowled in since February and the first tournament I had bowled in in almost a month. Well, I was definitely a little rusty, as I started off well - 212, 232, 198 but then faced some bad middle games during the transition - 145 and 177. I finally got lined up later in the block, but it was a little too late.

So needless to say, I missed the cut, which was a bit disappointing.

However, being that the PBA Regional event was really close to Yosemite National Park (and I had never been there before), my boyfriend and I decided to stop by there on our way home.

For those of you that have never had the privilege of going to this absolute natural wonder, I would HIGHLY recommend it. I had always heard of how beautiful the park was, but for some reason or another hadn't actually been there before myself. I was absolutely blown away!

From the first 10 minutes of being inside the park, we saw a small bear cub in one of the meadows. Then five minutes down the road were breath taking views of waterfalls and Half Dome. Many waterfalls, hiking trails and gorgeous views later, we were back on our way home.

Although I would have rather been bowling that day, it was a great alternative and an amazing experience.

Keeping Busy in the Off Season

Hello everyone!

I know it has been awhile since I've blogged and for that I sincerely apologize.

Since there are not any national PBA or women's events until August, here's an inside scoop as to what I've been up to so far since the USBC Queens tournament...

On May 10th, I was the special guest at a Make a Wish Foundation Bowling Tournament, which raised hundreds of dollars towards granting the wishes of sick children. The event was held at Brunswick Foothill Lanes in Fontana. Check out the picture above with event coordinator Joseph De La Torre.

Then on May 23rd and 24th, I held a beginning-intermediate clinic at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo. The clinic featured both classroom and on-the-lanes tips and demonstrations. Participants ranged from junior to senior bowlers, with everyone averaging 175 or below. All of the feedback was positive and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Be on the lookout for blogs regarding upcoming clinics at Saddleback Lanes.

Then on May 30th and 31st, I was the special guest, along with Tony Reyes for the PBA Regional event - Battle at Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA. Tony and I bowled in the special pro am event and also met with the youth bowlers from Black Oak Lanes. See photos above.

On June 3rd, I visited the Kindergarten classes of John Muir Fundamental Elementary school. I talked to the kids about being a professional bowler and about the sport of bowling in general. I brought a few props with me - a bowling pin, a bowling ball, my shoes and a few accessories. Afterwards, all 60 kids and I went outside and bowled on the asphalt with a make-shift lane, pins and ball. See pictures above.

During June and July, I will be competing in PBA Regional events, so be sure to check out pba.com and view my blog for updated information.

Queens and USBC Women's Championships

I ventured to Reno for the USBC Queens and Women's Championships both held at bowling's premiere venue - the National Bowling Stadium. For those of you that have never had the privilege of bowling at the National Bowling Stadium, let me try and describe the experience.

As you take the escalator ride up to the main level of the stadium, you see the enormous Lane 81 bowling pro shop, full of merchandise from every bowling ball manufacturer out there. You may also catch a glimpse of the full-size bowling lane located inside the pro shop, where you can get your game video taped and fully analyzed on the C.A.T.S system.

Then, as you get off of the escalator and approach the bowling lanes, your jaw will drop at the sight of 80 lanes, giant score boards spanning 440 feet total (the longest video screen in the world) and stadium seating much like other sporting events. The ceiling is a measly 5 stories above the lanes, making the bowling center seem larger than life. So you can imagine that when you first step foot on the lanes, it may take a little while to get used to the environment not to mention that your name up on the huge scoreboard can bee seen from about 20 lanes away.

Enough about the venue, let's talk about the actual bowling. First I bowled in the USBC Women's Championships. I bowled team event first and shot 222, 246 and 216 for a 684 series and our team shot 3015 total. Then in doubles, I died. We hit a pretty tough pair and every adjustment I tried didn't work. I only shot 523! (See everyone has bad days!) And then for singles, I rebounded and shot 195, 267 and 233 for a 695 series, giving me 1902 for all-events. Right now, in the classic division I am in 15th in singles, 15th in team event and 47th in all-events.

Then in the Queens tournament, I shot +134 for the 10 games of qualifying and was in 31st going into the final 5 games of round 3 qualifying. I bowled a really good set, shooting +130 and moving up into 9th place. Then the tournament was cut to the top 63 women plus last year's defending champion Lynda Barnes.

That's when the real tournament began. In the three-game total pins, double elimination style match play finals, I first bowled Kristen Warzinski and won 677-610. The next match I faced Jodi Woessner and lost 614-684, knocking me into the loser's bracket.

In the loser's bracket, I faced one of the Japanese pros Reiko Kosuda and won 686-622. The next match I faced fellow Japanese pro Takiko Naganawa and also won shooting 707-588, after being down 30 pins and shooting 170 the first game. Then I hit a terrible pair (which there were a couple of) and I couldn't match up. I lost to Jamie Martin 569-536 and was knocked out of the tournament.

I finished in 17th place overall.

The USBC Queens marked my last tournament for a while. I'll be bowling PBA Regional tournaments throughout the summer until the Women's U.S. Open in August.

Missy Visits Lemoore Naval Air Station

In early April, Missy visited Lemoore Naval Air Station in Central, California for the second year-in-a-row. After a fun first year visit, Lemoore bowlers asked Missy to come back and requested an even larger field for the clinics. This time around, Missy brought father, Frank Bellinder to help out with the clinics and answer any questions parents may have in regards to helping Missy during her junior bowling years.

Missy first put on a clinic for 20 junior bowlers and then conducted an adult clinic for 15 adults.

If you are interested in having Missy conduct a clinic or make an appearance at your bowling center, please contact Missy at missy@missybellinder.com.

Enjoy the pics!