Most strikes in a row you had....

[Hampe]

Most I ever had was 11-12 in a row over 2 games. Finished one game with 7 then started the next with 4 or 5. Nowhere near 20 like some of you guys

[The German Shepherd]

I have heard people in my league say that before too, (older guys) "Bowling aint what it used to be...much easier now with the ball doing all the work for you" ...then go on to exclaim how they remember when they threw their 299 game in 19XX ...just to finish off the night with a 175 average today in 2012... now I am not saying I don't believe that they had a 299 in 19xx.... but why are they no-where near that when the ball is doing all the work for them now.. lol...

Our team captain is 82 years old and has been bowling his whole life... he didn't throw a 200 till he was in his mid 70's ... He, on the other hand, complains about how hard it is to keep up with ball technology and how bowling has become a "game for the young" (I assume he means this in the sense of it is getting more scientific and harder for the older crowd to keep up ..I have never had him elaborate on this though)

I cannot speak for the other old timers who find the modern conditions much easier than in the "olden days" but I can say something....
#1 - Your "Typical House Shot" of today would have been illegal as it is certainly a block/ditch/wall that helps the ball to the pocket;
#2 - The balls I favored in the 70's and 80's were balls like the Columbia Yellow Dot (polyester) and the Roto Grip UC2 (Urethane) and none of them had steering wheels in them like the modern reactives;
#3 - From the day I started in leagues until I stopped bowling in 1994 (27 years) I had 6 series of 800+ and five 300 games. Since I started bowling again in October of 2011 (after not having picked up a ball in 17 years), I have not had any 300s but I did have a 299. Add to that several 700s and 4@800s.
#4 - Why aren't the old timers who talk about how much easier conditions are today than they used to be throwing amazing scores? Like I said, I cannot speak for everyone else, but I can tell you that my knees don't work as well as they used to, arthritis has taken it's toll on my fingers, knees, wrist, elbow and shoulder AND getting the revs I used to is not going to happen.

To be fair, I need to say that the modern reactive ball and lane conditions have certainly helped me "turn back the clock" a bit. There used to be a premium on accuracy. If you were to be successful, you needed to throw at boards. These days, you throw at areas. I have thrown on some shots recently where the shot was so easy that you could almost throw at SIDES (in other words, keep the ball on the right SIDE of the middle arrow and the balls will find the pocket)!!!

I don't care what sport you are involved in. There will always be old-timers who talk about the good old days. So, try to be kind to us old timers. As we age and our skills erode, we need something to hold on to....

Jay

[J Anderson]

I cannot speak for the other old timers who find the modern conditions much easier than in the "olden days" but I can say something....
#1 - Your "Typical House Shot" of today would have been illegal as it is certainly a block/ditch/wall that helps the ball to the pocket;
#2 - The balls I favored in the 70's and 80's were balls like the Columbia Yellow Dot (polyester) and the Roto Grip UC2 (Urethane) and none of them had steering wheels in them like the modern reactives;
#3 - From the day I started in leagues until I stopped bowling in 1994 (27 years) I had 6 series of 800+ and five 300 games. Since I started bowling again in October of 2011 (after not having picked up a ball in 17 years), I have not had any 300s but I did have a 299. Add to that several 700s and 4@800s.
#4 - Why aren't the old timers who talk about how much easier conditions are today than they used to be throwing amazing scores? Like I said, I cannot speak for everyone else, but I can tell you that my knees don't work as well as they used to, arthritis has taken it's toll on my fingers, knees, wrist, elbow and shoulder AND getting the revs I used to is not going to happen.

To be fair, I need to say that the modern reactive ball and lane conditions have certainly helped me "turn back the clock" a bit. There used to be a premium on accuracy. If you were to be successful, you needed to throw at boards. These days, you throw at areas. I have thrown on some shots recently where the shot was so easy that you could almost throw at SIDES (in other words, keep the ball on the right SIDE of the middle arrow and the balls will find the pocket)!!!

I don't care what sport you are involved in. There will always be old-timers who talk about the good old days. So, try to be kind to us old timers. As we age and our skills erode, we need something to hold on to....

Jay

The older we get the better we were! Or is it drunker?

[martinezsam2495]

4 strikes e.e

[mdlee3]

I've had probably the most unusual streak as my streak actually involved 2 different league days. On Thursday nights this last season, I ended the night by throwing the last 9 strikes for a 258. I didn't bowl at all over the weekend, but bowl on a monday morning league and threw the front 10 then before leaving the big 4 on my 11th ball. I got 3 of them for a 285, which is also my highest game ever.

[mdlee3]

I have heard people in my league say that before too, (older guys) "Bowling aint what it used to be...much easier now with the ball doing all the work for you" ...then go on to exclaim how they remember when they threw their 299 game in 19XX ...just to finish off the night with a 175 average today in 2012... now I am not saying I don't believe that they had a 299 in 19xx.... but why are they no-where near that when the ball is doing all the work for them now.. lol...

It should also be pointed out that just because somebody bowls a 299, it doesn't mean they are a great bowler. It just means everything was clicking for them that particular day. I've seen a woman with a 140 average bowl a 299, but does that mean she'll do it again? No, not at all. I've also seen 70 year old man with a 160ish average throw a 300 with a straight ball. I could bowl a 299 tonight and be nowhere close to it next week.

[MICHAEL]

While I agree that accuracy was more important years ago, I often wonder why people make posts like this implying how much better bowling was "back then" yet they haven't been able to beat, or even ,match their own records with the "easy conditions"

Bill, the reason is AGE!! They were in their 20/30s/40s , now they are old,,,,, ((like me, and many different body parts, and transplants))! I know a friend that I went to high school with that ran the 100 yard dash in 9.8,,, on a cinder track! Today on the high tech rubber track I timed him yesterday, at 24 seconds!!
Age can be the answer to your question. The eye sight starts to go, reflex goes, muscle tone and control get worse! But one thing all research points to is that bowling skills diminish at a rate factor of 6 3/3 to 1 22/13 in regards to the law of deminishing pin returns! This is a proven Law bill!

This has been tested with a control group of 10,534 back in 1943, and then again in 2012! That data is in,,,,, getting old does effect your bowling.

Thats why a person can bowl, that's 83 years old, even on the easy lanes of today and not beat a score made by him/her 50 years ago! Its hard to bowl out of a wheel chair, with artifical limbs, or even in some caseses a seeing eye dog!!

[tazmike]

i bowled 16 in a row over 2 games. 2nd-10 frames first game. and i think 8 spares in a row is my high.