The Bowling Thread

[FLPensFan]

Decent week for me. 628 - 586 Used my Dark Code ball both nights. I usually start by standing on 28 board and aiming for 8 board and adjust as needed. Hitting aim point getting tougher as I get elder. Also try to keep around 15mph. Usually keep same aim board and just move my feet left or right as needed. Usually left as the night wears on. Thinking about getting a Reality as Pruezy suggested. (and thanks Pruezy) Read a lot of good stuff about it.

What pound ball do you use? I have a 15lb Reality sitting here at my house. I used it for about for about 30 weeks, one night a week, before I decided to go back down to 14lbs across the board.

[offsides]

Decent week for me. 628 - 586 Used my Dark Code ball both nights. I usually start by standing on 28 board and aiming for 8 board and adjust as needed. Hitting aim point getting tougher as I get elder. Also try to keep around 15mph. Usually keep same aim board and just move my feet left or right as needed. Usually left as the night wears on. Thinking about getting a Reality as Pruezy suggested. (and thanks Pruezy) Read a lot of good stuff about it.

What pound ball do you use? I have a 15lb Reality sitting here at my house. I used it for about for about 30 weeks, one night a week, before I decided to go back down to 14lbs across the board.

I also went to all 14lbs a few years ago. My shoulder couldn't deal with 15lb anymore. I bowl twice a week now but used to bowl 3 times a week and that also got to be too much.

[Pruezy11881]

It's too bad you guys don't live closer...I think I'd really be able to teach you a bit and help you out not only with equipment but seeing things a bit differently that will help improve your scores.

[offsides]

It's too bad you guys don't live closer...I think I'd really be able to teach you a bit and help you out not only with equipment but seeing things a bit differently that will help improve your scores.

Thanks Pruezy, wish you were closer too BUT as the saying goes, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Especially this old dog.

[BurghThing]

So revisiting this thread after a year and a half of pretty much constant league bowling and my average is up a whopping 10 points. At least my wife has gotten a lot better.

[FLPensFan]

So revisiting this thread after a year and a half of pretty much constant league bowling and my average is up a whopping 10 points. At least my wife has gotten a lot better.

I was scrolling through from the beginning and saw you posted earlier and we never responded.

I don't think a 10 point improvement in a season and a half is too terrible. When I started bowling league a little over 10 years ago, I started with a house ball, then moved to a ball someone gave me, and finished around a 125 average. I raised my average about 5-7 pins every season. 2nd season re-drilled to fingertip. I continued going up about 5-7 pins every season, plateaued for a bit around 155, had gotten up to about 185 before the pandemic, and started struggling the last 2-3 years, mainly just not getting enough strikes to maintain a 180+ average.

[FLPensFan]

Should have had it...almost had the 600 series. 585--178-194-213. First game was another very frustrating one. Two weeks of playing what appears to be a better line, and all the sudden, right out of the gate, it doesn't work. I used my Reality all 3 games last week, and tonight, right from the start, it just wasn't cutting it. I had 90 in the 6th frame open, switched to my Zen Soul and it worked better. Left a 6-7-10 on the first throw, 99 in the 7th open, spare, 3 strikes and a 10 pin to finish with the 178. 2nd game was clean but still more end pins. 3rd game, 4-7-10 split in 3rd frame, 4-bagger stopped by a disappointing solid pocket 8-10 split. 2 more strikes and a spare to finish out gave the 214. Up to the solid 8-10, I was on a 258 pace. After a strike in the first of the 10th, I left an 8....which was an 8-10 pocket again, but the 10 either slid off the back deck or had something roll into it late. Even with the bad start in Game 1, without that 8-10 split, would have hit the 600.

[BurghThing]

Last night was a killer. Left 9! Ten pins, picked up 5 of them, one was last ball in the tenth so I didn't have to try. I'm sure there's some small adjuatment I could make but our best bowler wan't there last night to offer advice.

[FLPensFan]

Last night was a killer. Left 9! Ten pins, picked up 5 of them, one was last ball in the tenth so I didn't have to try. I'm sure there's some small adjuatment I could make but our best bowler wan't there last night to offer advice.

I'm not an expert, but it sounds like you were coming in just a tad light on those repeated 10 pins. Taking a small step back (inch or two) or moving one or two boards to the right may have corrected that.

Of those 9, did you have several in a row, more in one game than the others? Do you know if you left more on one lane versus the other?
What I find hard to judge is where you leave something like 9 ten pins, but they are very spread out across the games...like 1 in the 1st frame, then one in the 7th, another in the 10th...or you determine much too late that, lane X seems to be leaving them more, meaning you likely only need an adjustment on the one lane, not both.

[BurghThing]

Did spend some time yesterday working on picking them up. Next step is eliminating them altogether! Will try moving up and back, I never think to do that, just move right and left.

[offsides]

Been a while but got a 600 last night - 237-209-183. Mainly because I made 5 of my 6 ten pins. Really been bad at that for a while. Hopefully I keep the ten pin pickup going. Or just bowl better and leave less tens.

[FLPensFan]

I subbed for a team I am 6th man on Tuesday nights. 144-200-196 for a 540 144 was actually a pretty good game. I have been drilling 10 pins lately, but I left 3 in that first game and missed them all. Hit my "usual" 10 pin mark, too. 2 slid off into the gutter, and 1 missed inside by about an inch.

Last night, 186, 192, 202...580. First game I actually struggled and had maybe 95 in the 6th frame then got hot.

There is a noticeable difference between Tuesday night and Thursday night for sure. Tuesday nights, it seems like I only really need to make fine adjustments. A board left or right, a bit up or back, and I can stay there almost all night with a board one way or the other, or an inch or two up or back. Thursday nights, much bigger adjustments are needed and they don't always seem to match. OK, I hit my mark 3 frames in a row and came in a little light or left a 10 pin, I'll move back a bit or move right a board or two...hit your mark, and it suddenly creams the headpin or is almost Brooklyn. It's literally like having to do the opposite of what should be your adjustment...and then it lasts 2 frames and you start over.

I am noticing a bit more that my speed has dropped off a bit from several years ago, and if I pickup my speed back to those levels (another 1-1.5 mph), I can use my Reality and still use my old line pretty much straight down the 10 board, or maybe swing it out a hair from 10-11 out to 7-8 ish, and that works. And for my Zen Soul, standing center dot and getting it outside to 8-10 works best for that.

Closing in on finally getting that 600.

[FLPensFan]

Horrible week this week and honestly I didn't care....

USBC has announced FLPensFan has been placed on the 15 day DL.

One of the reasons I switched back down to 14lbs was the slow, extra wear I could feel it putting on me. Elbow hurt a little more, knee hurt a little more, core muscles hurt a little more. That last one seems to have finally caught up with me. I've had a sore core on my right side for a few months, but it usually doesn't bother me until after bowling or the next day. Last night after I finished practice, first ball I threw I couldn't get my full follow through or force into without feeling pain in my side. I fought through the night and probably should not have.

Already decided to have a sub bowl for me next Thursday, but I have a bad feeling I've probably had a strain for a few months, and may have upgraded it to a tear last night. We shall see.

[offsides]

Horrible week this week and honestly I didn't care....

USBC has announced FLPensFan has been placed on the 15 day DL.

One of the reasons I switched back down to 14lbs was the slow, extra wear I could feel it putting on me. Elbow hurt a little more, knee hurt a little more, core muscles hurt a little more. That last one seems to have finally caught up with me. I've had a sore core on my right side for a few months, but it usually doesn't bother me until after bowling or the next day. Last night after I finished practice, first ball I threw I couldn't get my full follow through or force into without feeling pain in my side. I fought through the night and probably should not have.

Already decided to have a sub bowl for me next Thursday, but I have a bad feeling I've probably had a strain for a few months, and may have upgraded it to a tear last night. We shall see.

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully if it is a tear you heal quickly and get ready for next fall. I had a decent week both nights with over my average series but no 6's. 205-201-178=582 and 194-156-217=567.

[offsides]

Got lucky and finished a league with a 6. 207-189-217 Finished that league with a 187 average and my other with a 185. Both leagues in the same house. Nothing left but a couple no-taps next week. My summer league starts early May plus I'll throw some practice in on rainy days.

[BurghThing]

Nice work. Still looking for my third 600. Got the keychain though!

[offsides]

Thanks. I had thirteen 600's this season but I also bowled 60 times. Not sure how long I can keep doing it. Hopefully I will get a couple more this summer. I really enjoy the bowling and the many friends I bowl with.

[Pruezy11881]

Nice job!

[FLPensFan]

Thanks. I had thirteen 600's this season but I also bowled 60 times. Not sure how long I can keep doing it. Hopefully I will get a couple more this summer. I really enjoy the bowling and the many friends I bowl with.

What's a 600?

[Pruezy11881]

Thanks. I had thirteen 600's this season but I also bowled 60 times. Not sure how long I can keep doing it. Hopefully I will get a couple more this summer. I really enjoy the bowling and the many friends I bowl with.

What's a 600?

You'll get there man. We just gotta get your equipment right to play the lane conditions in play that day.

[offsides]

Very large caveat but I got my first 300 ever tonight while bowling no-tap. Had 3 no-tap strikes in my 300 game leaving a couple 10s and a 7. Finished with a 749 for my series. 199-300-250 I was still very nervous in tenth trying to get that 300. I am also the oldest guy in my league but finished second in series score tonight.

[FLPensFan]

Very large caveat but I got my first 300 ever tonight while bowling no-tap. Had 3 no-tap strikes in my 300 game leaving a couple 10s and a 7. Finished with a 749 for my series. 199-300-250 I was still very nervous in tenth trying to get that 300. I am also the oldest guy in my league but finished second in series score tonight.

Very nice! I've never done a no-tap but there are certainly some games I've had over the years where a few 10 pins or 7 pins is about all that stood between me and a 300 (as well as actually making those 7 and 10 pins).

I'm debating whether I am going to try and bowl at least one more time before my league ends in a few weeks. I haven't gone to an orthopedic to get my stomach checked out. I'm a bit leery when a few years back, I had a badly pinched nerve in my neck that radiated down my shoulder and was numbing my hand...ortho I went to immediately diagnosed it as carpal tunnel with no x-rays or MRI, had me in the hand brace and was going to investigate surgery a few weeks later.

I instead got a 2nd opinion at a chiropractor, who took x-rays and found that my nerve around C5 was being pinched off through the nerve hole in the vertebrae, and fixed that up after 3-4 weeks of adjustments. I'm not into the chriropractic mumbo-jumbo of I'm going to adjust this vertebrae and your cold is going to go away or you'll no longer have allergies, but the one I am using now has been a godsend dealing with some of my joint injuries, aggravated even more by the stresses of bowling.

Anyways, he told me last week my psoas muscles are really tight (run from center of lower back, wrap around to front of stomach, down the groin), and gave me some stretches to help loosen them up and keep them from getting so tight. I'm hoping that works. I skipped bowling last week and last night. Season's just about over, maybe 3-4 weeks left, but I'd like to see if this is going to be a continued issue for me. A more severe strain or tear is typically 6-8 weeks of rest and PT.

[offsides]

Bought a new ball that I sure don't need. Took the suggestion of a good bowler friend of mine and got a Storm DNA. Pruezy you have any thoughts on that one?

[FLPensFan]

2nd week of bowling after a two week break. Have had no more issues with my core muscle, thanks to an unattended side effect of taking a series of steroid pills for a nasal issue. I think it worked on any inflammation I had in my core as well. I'll take that win.

Unfortunately, last night was my worst bowling of the season, a 450 series. We were missing two bowlers and got absolutely destroyed by the other team. To put it into perspective, the other team had 32 strikes from their 5 man team in game 1. Our team had only 6...and 3 of those were from our 2 blind players.

After being injured, I haven't gotten as upset or frustrated with my bad scores...but this was definitely another night of these lanes and the oil make no sense. The other team's anchor is a 204 average bowler. First two games were 20-30 pins under his average each, and last game he had a 96 in the 8th frame before getting hot to maybe finish with a 130-140 game.

The ball here comes back half the time looking like you rolled it through roof tar. Whether it's belt marks, weird oil, or a combination of the two, makes is hard to use a single ball for 3 games when you can't use a cleaner during play...or have to run to the league office every 2-3 frames to get approval to clean something like that out of your track.

Anywho...1-2 weeks left in my seasons. Ready for next season and likely looking at a different house for next year.

[offsides]

I also had a lousy night this week on my first night of the summer league. The house announced it has switched to an oil pattern called Wall Street for the summer. They said it is a 40' pattern and the pattern they had in fall and winter was a 43' pattern. Not sure of the name of the 43 foot pattern. I just couldn't keep my ball on the right side of the lane. 155-173-131 But I also missed way too many makeable spares. Maybe being off for three weeks also didn't help these old muscles work right. I have been trying for years to get my ball to finish strong and now it finishes way toooo strong. I think I may try and do a 4000 abralon shine on one of my balls.