Mental Anguish! Frustration! Possibilities!!
Confusing title huh? lol
It's kind of a long story... about two years ago, I had come to terms that I sucked at bowling. Loving the game and the time at the lanes with friends (and fav bartender), I accepted that I was a 150 bowler, period. Then a client, who has since become a good friend, (bowling center operator 18 hours from me) turned me onto a Roto Grip Critical Theory.
In the area on other business, he opened his place on a holiday to meet me, drill the ball, let me roll a few frames, and give me a few pointers. We knew my PAP, but my friend measured my hand and drilled it the way "he" felt would benefit me the most.
That ball was the most comfortable ball I've ever held in my hands, and almost immediately, my avg jumped nearly 40 pins!!! When the fall league began, my progress continued, and I carried over 200 avg through 24 of 35 weeks in 3 diff leagues.
Aparently I burned the ball up, because almost as quick as I improved, I began to decline. It's been downhill ever since. 20 balls later, I'm in the low 170's, struggling for consistency. Went from 600's regularly, to praying for 500's lol.
Being an impromptu deal, the drill specs for the Critical Theory weren't kept on a reg spec sheet. My friend has drilled several of those 20 balls since, but to the spec sheet from my local "pro shop guy".
A couple of weeks ago, my friend alerts me that he's found those drill specs, and they're starkly diff from what we've been drilling for almost two years!!!!
So now, after much dismay, and yes even coming close to throwing in the towel a couple of times, I'm optimistic that maybe I'm not as bad as I've been thinking, lol.
Unfortunately, this has caused me to lose all confidence in my local guy, and I've got a few weeks before returning to my friends place, which is when we are going to "fix" my current arsenal.
In the meantime, all I can do is muddle along, and hope that the diff drill specs are the answer to my issues over the past year and a half. Through all these balls, I've had to try and adjust to what I've been told was "right". Now, I have proof, there is a better fitting pattern for me. I guess the moral of this story is... I'm an idiot? lol.
Insanity - the practice of doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results!
Last edited by bowl1820; 06-25-2014 at 03:49 PM. Reason: Added paragraphs for readability
On the defiant soul did you try resurfacing the ball. 24 weeks over three leagues is over 70 games it just may need some work done on it. I know how frustrating it can be form balls where your grip isn't right going through that now trying to get the pitches right on my ball. Was this a layout issue or grip issue?Originally Posted by stumblintowards100
A defiant soul??? he said Critical Theory.
Last edited by bowl1820; 06-25-2014 at 04:46 PM.
Right handed Stroker, high track ,about 13 degree axis tilt. PAP is located 5 9/16” over 1 3/4” up.Speed ave. about 14 mph at the pins. Medium rev’s.High Game 300, High series 798
"Talent without training is nothing." Luke Skywalker
Not having your grip spec's sheet shouldn't have been a problem. Any good driller could have just copied the grip off the Critical Theory ball itself.
That's great, but it's been two years. Your grip could have changed in that time. Have it double checked.A couple of weeks ago, my friend alerts me that he's found those drill specs, and they're starkly diff from what we've been drilling for almost two years!!!!
If you have had "fit" issues for two years, yes you should have been working on fixing your grip first Before buying new balls.In the meantime, all I can do is muddle along, and hope that the diff drill specs are the answer to my issues over the past year and a half. Through all these balls, I've had to try and adjust to what I've been told was "right". Now, I have proof, there is a better fitting pattern for me. I guess the moral of this story is... I'm an idiot? lol.
"20 balls later" that's NBS (New Ball Syndrome aka: Magic Ball Syndrome "MBS") NBS is the thought that getting a new/different ball will fix all problems.
Insanity - the practice of doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results!
Last edited by bowl1820; 06-25-2014 at 04:50 PM.
Right handed Stroker, high track ,about 13 degree axis tilt. PAP is located 5 9/16” over 1 3/4” up.Speed ave. about 14 mph at the pins. Medium rev’s.High Game 300, High series 798
"Talent without training is nothing." Luke Skywalker
You're right as usual 1820 sorry was responding while thinking of balls. Someone mentions 20 you get a little bleary eyed. That is what happens when you spend too much time looking at roto grips new releases. Heck with 20 there is probably a defiant soul in there somewhere.
Last edited by Amyers; 06-25-2014 at 06:46 PM.
Friends don't let friends buy that many bowling balls in 2 years. I have a hard time trying to figure out which of my 3 bowling balls is right for league conditions weekly, let alone running through 20. My mind would go into bowling ball overload. Either that or Roto Grip has got you going mad. I would take some of the money that you plan on spending on a new ball and find yourself a bowling coach who can sit down with you and videotape you bowling. It's a lot cheaper than drilling out 20 bowling balls, and I'm sure the results of being coached will help you up your game.
Unfortunately many league bowlers think that you change bowling balls to get to the pocket. That's not the case. If you can adjust at all, you can get most any ball to the pocket. You change balls not to get to the pocket, but to strike when you are there. I'm afraid it's become a matter of, "I don't want to move, so I'm going to stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow, and find a ball that will get to the pocket when I do that".
Last edited by RobLV1; 06-25-2014 at 10:54 PM. Reason: grammatical
Stumblintowards, When you say drill specs do you mean your actual span and pitches or a certain drilling layout like pin under fingers or above fingers etc. Just wondering because if your grip was that different i think you would have noticed the feel. Anyway, glad you feel better about your game and possibly getting back on the right track. Good luck to you.
I have to say I believe I would find a new pro shop anybody who let you buy this many balls hoping this one was the one that would fix your game is not your friend. That's almost a ball per month.
Never had "fit" issues. Every ball I've had "felt" fine. Not being "pro shop savvy", had no reason to go measuring behind the "pro", and had nothing to compare to anyways.
To answer some other remarks, this isn't a RotoGrip issue, I just seem to have better luck with their product. Of the 20 balls, there have been a good mix between Roto, Storm, Brunswick, DV8, Radical, even threw in a Hammer and an Ebonite lol. As for "friends don't let friends buy that many balls", trust me, my buddy thinks I'm insane, and less than half of those balls came from his shop. The rest came from the local shop, and only once was I "enticed" by the "pro" to buy, so it's not a matter of being taken advantage of.
Amyers, you're right about RG's new releases, lol. I watched their announcements live yesterday, and yes, I'll have the Hysteria and Sinister when they are available. Every boy has his toys, mine just happens to be bowling balls, lol.
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