RoccoRock

Some of you are familiar with my story, some may not be. I'll give a quick recap. I bowled 15 years ago, and at that time I was a traditional bowler. I used one hand, with my thumb in the ball like most people. About three and a half years ago, I got back into bowling. While practicing for an upcoming league, I took my thumb out of the ball for a game or two. I liked it. What followed was about 2 years of being a thumbless bowler. I started messing with two handed bowling, and back to using my thumb. Last winter season, I bowled some two handed, but mostly one hand no thumb. Last summer I tried using my thumb again. Since then it's been back and forth between all three deliveries.

This year, I struggled all season, until February, when I finally put it the time and effort to get better at two handing. I had been better at two handing for a while, but I could never commit to it. I put in 3 times as much time on my traditional thumb in game than two handed. I did video work, I bowled thousands of games one handed. I never really got comfortable. I would not bowl two handed for months, bowl 3 games that way and blow away my one handed scores. So why did I not commit to two handed sooner? Why did I try to force myself to do something that did not feel right? Because I let the haters get to me. I heard all of the comments from people who didn't like two handed. I saw the posts, I saw the shaking heads and the eyes rolling.

I personally always like two handed bowling. I was, and still am a fan of Jason Belmonte, and Osku Palermaa, and even one hand thumbless bowlers like Tom Daughrety. Unfortunately for me, I did something those guys didn't do. I let the popular opinion change me. I didn't want to be looked at like a freak. I didn't want people think I have no idea how the game is played. I didn't want people thinking I wasn't a real bowler.

In February, I started putting in the same kind of effort into two handing as I did one handing. The results were good scores, and a happy Rock. As I got better, I also gained perspective on bowling, my game, and two handed bowling in general. I stopped caring what people think about my game. I stopped letting the haters bother me. I became proud of my game, and made it a goal of mine to help, and teach fellow two handers.

I figured out that I am a real bowler, I just use two hands. There is nothing wrong with two handed bowling. If you bowling for fun, NO ONE has the right to tell you that you are having fun the wrong way. If your bowling for money, NO ONE has the right to tell you that you are making money the wrong way. Belmo, and Osku have children. Bowling is how they provide for their family. No one on this planet had the right to tell those guys they are putting food on their table the wrong way. As long as what they, or you are doing is not cheating, or against the law, then not a person alive has the right to tell you how to do it.

Bowling isn't ice skating, or surfing, or diving where someone sits and judges your style. The scoreboard it the only thing that matters. No matter what you do, if you put up better numbers than the competition, that's all that matters. The next time I cash in a tournament, that money is going into my daughters college fund. I dare someone to tell me that I'm making money for my daughters future the "right" way. They better have a good dental plan if they do.

So I am finally comfortable in my own skin. I am advancing to better leagues. I may even bowl in a PBA regionals soon. I am happy to have support from my real friends, and my wife. I'm always on the lookout for guys who shake their heads, and roll their eyes. I just might give me the extra motivation to lay the smack down on those babies.