How many centers do you visit on a regular basis?

[Blomer]

Reading posts about their centers closing and about traveling leagues made em wonder how many centers do you visit on a regular basis, let's say every month? I only visit one, but have in my town and within 20 minutes there are 5 others. I do goto another on as that is where my pro shop is at but I'm there maybe once every 2-3 months.

[Amyers]

I regularly bowl at three different lanes. I also usually travel somewhere at least once a month and always take my balls just to try out different places

[mc_runner]

Regularly? one. But occasionally I bowl at 2 others - one with the pro shop I use, and another that's just really close to my house.

[RobLV1]

I am going to be bowling leagues in three centers this winter, along with pot games at two others. While I decided not to bowl in the Travel League this year (five straight days of bowling would have been just too much), I do plan to visit the other six centers in the Vegas Valley occasionally to practice.

[Blomer]

I am going to be bowling leagues in three centers this winter, along with pot games at two others. While I decided not to bowl in the Travel League this year (five straight days of bowling would have been just too much), I do plan to visit the other six centers in the Vegas Valley occasionally to practice.

Rob, do you use only certain balls at certain centers so you can leave them in a locker? Or do you bring them wherever you go?

[jnv32185]

I only visit one. There are a total of 3 that are within a 10 minute ride of each other. Maybe one day I will get to those other alleys.

[classygranny]

I do two mostly, both are Brunswick turning Bowlmor, but they are night and day. Oh yeah, I bowl one in the morning and one in the evening.

[RobLV1]

Rob, do you use only certain balls at certain centers so you can leave them in a locker? Or do you bring them wherever you go?

I don't have any lockers because I do bowl at so many different houses. I usually take four balls plus a spare ball where ever I bowl. Right now I have two balls that I take with me virtually everywhere, the Brunswick Meanstreak Brawler for the simple reason that I can always get it to the one/three pocket if need be, and the LT-48 in case I hit a particularly dry pair or end up bowling against some high rev players who are torching the pattern. These balls cover the middle and lower end in terms of aggression. The other two are either two more aggressive balls, like the Mastermind, the Mastermind Genius, or the Melee Cross, or one more aggressive and another mid-range ball like the Blue Ringer or the Versa-Max depending on where I am going, what type of league it is, and what the weather conditions are. I also work balls in and out of this revolving arsenal. Right now I'm awaiting the arrival of the Mastermind Intellect and the Brute, and am working on finding the right surface for the Radical Grease Monkey that will probably replace the Brawler that has a whole lot of games on it.

I think that it's important to understand that who you are bowling against has a great effect on what balls you bring and how you play the lanes. When I am bowling against other seniors, I tend to use more aggressive balls and play to the left of most of them. When I am bowling against young power players, I can't get left of them, so I tend to use less aggressive equipment and play to the right of them, but left of the track players.

[Bradski9]

There are only 2 centers within an hour of me and one of them is not well maintained, So I have pretty much been bowling at one.

[Aslan]

According to PinPal, 79% of my games are at one center. Thats where I've bowled both my main leagues and sub in a league. Thats where I tend to practice as well.

5% of my games are bowled at a nearby center where I started bowling a PBA experience league and that number will continue to rise since I'll be doing a full season of that league for the Fall/Winter with MWhite. That center also has a generous "Free Games" program for league bowlers so I tend to take my daughter there to bowl on weekends. If it were closer, I'd consider bowling more than one league there...but during rush hour that 20-25 minute drive would be 1.5-2.0 hours in the evening.

4% of my games are at a college bowling alley that I'll occasionally go to if I'm trying to get used to moderate-heavier oil volumes primarily because it's on my way home from work and they tend to have very good rates like $1 games. But I haven't bowled there since before Fall/Winter sweeps. It's not as necessary anymore since my home center switched from wood to synthetic.

2% of my games are at Fountain Bowl which is probably the more "prestigious" center in the area and where I sometimes go for their bowling clinic. It's a great deal because for like $10 you bowl for 1.5 hours and get instruction from former PBA/USBC pros like Barry Asher, Mark Baker, John Gaines, etc... 2% is probably low since I don't actually count the clinic time in PinPal.

The rest of my games (10%) are split between 11 other centers, 10 in Southern California, one in Vegas where I swept last Fall/Winter. Forest Lanes and Irvine Lanes where I bowled in tournaments. Temecula Lanes where I bowled (and won) the 1AAVZBHMSC Invitational against ZDawg and MWhite. A few where I bowled the VBT. Then 4 where I bowled just to try them out.