I can't believe I did that!

[classygranny]

A bit of background. I have two identical balls, but drilled differently. Recently, I have taken one of them and changed the span and pitches to see if I could get some elbow pain relief and maybe lessen my new habit of grabbing the ball at the bottom of my swing. So I have been attempting to bowl with the newly drilled one as much as the lanes will allow, so I can decide if I prefer that fit over the original fit.

On Monday, we get to the alley and there are lots of people absent. So we only have 6 bowlers on our lanes instead of 10. Plus we were all talking while we were getting ready to bowl. I go through all my pre-bowling activities and then we practice. Feel pretty good, but felt there was more oil than normal. Teammate agrees. But we are in the middle of the house instead of the low end, which we have been on for like over a month. Move a bit right with my feet than I normally do at this house with the newly drilled ball and find a decent line to the pocket.

1st game, 171, missed a few spares and carry wasn't great. Adjusted here and there to get rid of the 10 pin leaves.

2nd game, 214, found a good line and it wasn't transitioning bad due to only a few of us bowling.

Only grabbed a few balls over the two games. Shoulder and elbow felt fine. All's good.

3rd game, 1st frame - pick up my ball and I'm waiting for the bowler next to me and I'm looking at my ball - when I start to put my fingers in the ball, I realize the finger grips are purple, not orange...I'm not bowling with the ball I thought I was! How stupid can you be? I thought. Oh well, it's working - not changing now. Finished that game with 216 and the series at 601, which turns out to be my only 600 in this league this year.

Since "I'm not bowling with the ball I thought I was!" is probably reserved for us older, forgetful, easily distracted grannys - what have you done that you have thought....I can't believe I did that!

[foreverincamo]

Is was a lot easier in my early days to grab a wrong ball. There were a lot of black balls being used

[mishatx]

Is was a lot easier in my early days to grab a wrong ball. There were a lot of black balls being used

Does anyone still carve their initials above the finger holes like in the old days?

[Tony]

I've walked up to the ball return before, and had to pause and had to think, what ball was I using, or even picked up someone else's Hy-road when there were 2 or 3 of them in use. I use a specific color combo of grips and thumb in all my ball's to make it easy to determine my ball when there are similar one's on the rack.

No one is immune from mistakes, just last week I went up to bowl, one of the opposing team was on my lane, and had his ball in hand. I just walked up and stood next to him....he looked at me then the scoring screen and moved over to the next lane. I then asked him, are you bowling for Mark? His teammate who was actually the guy up on that lane.....he just shook his head and sat down in the nearest chair.....

[fokai73]

I have two balls, both black. One is a spare and the other is a reactive. I almost threw the spare ball in a crucial situation, which I needing to strike on the first ball. Luckily I noticed the feel was different when I placed my fingers in the holes. So I turned the ball to see the logo to make sure, I was holding my spare ball.

My spare ball is the only ball with a thumb slug
in my bag..

At a turnament a female bowler mistakenly took my ball and placed it in her bag. I saw her ball on the rack, thinking it was mine even though at first glance I knew it wasn't. Mine had a shine to it. I picked it up anyway and it was light in weight.

She was embarrassed 😩.. lol it was all good though...

[J Anderson]

Does anyone still carve their initials above the finger holes like in the old days?

Seems to me that engraving initials used to be included in the price of having your ball drilled. Now with balls that "die" after a season or two, or that become obsolete, (at least in the bowler's mind), because the manufacturer has released a new and improved model, some proshops refuse to engrave a ball unless the buyer is very insistent.

[foreverincamo]

My PSO will pit your initials or name on your ball, but does it with machining stamps. Engravers are expensive. I haven't put my name on a ball since the early 1980's

[chrono00]

Seems to me that engraving initials used to be included in the price of having your ball drilled. Now with balls that "die" after a season or two, or that become obsolete, (at least in the bowler's mind), because the manufacturer has released a new and improved model, some proshops refuse to engrave a ball unless the buyer is very insistent.


I think the bills dieing after a time are a bit of a mental thing. My first ball, strok virtual energy. Hybrid reactive, probably 7-8 years old at this point is still my go to ball and still moves just fine. Granted in that time I've only bowled leagues one night a week and only summer league at least one year so it doesnt have the mileage on it that some balls that old have, but it's seen its fair share of games

[J Anderson]

I think the bills dieing after a time are a bit of a mental thing. My first ball, strok virtual energy. Hybrid reactive, probably 7-8 years old at this point is still my go to ball and still moves just fine. Granted in that time I've only bowled leagues one night a week and only summer league at least one year so it doesnt have the mileage on it that some balls that old have, but it's seen its fair share of games

That's part of why I put the word die in quotes. I know bowlers who use older equipment. Does it perform exactly like it did when new? Probably not. Can these bowlers still throw strikes with these antiques? You can bet your * they can.