Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 48

Thread: The "I've been out of bowling for years, and I'm back!" thread

  1. #21
    High Roller
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    2,590
    Chats: 0

    Default

    Well figured I would update my progress. In practice tonight I focused on 7's and 10's, didn't worry about my strikes. First frame would have been a perfect 7 pin conversion...ugh. Something felt weird when I was standing there but wasn't sure. Picked up 5 on the first ball then 4 on the 2nd ball. Next frame felt weird too. Looked down and realized I was standing 5 boards too far to the left....ugh. Dummy! Moved to where I should have been and BOOM! Pocket strike! Next frame...uhmmmm, dropped in the gutter half way down the lane. Next ball got 9 of 'em. 2 opens now. Then threw 5 strikes in a row, all in the pocket. Ended up with a 213. Next game I started hitting a little high so started moving in a little but just couldn't get strikes. Rolled a 174. Started the 3rd game the same way but decided to move back to where I started the night and threw a little further out closer to the first arrow. Ended with a 177. Still not great but much better than I have been. I slowed my approach and ball speed and noticed I rarely lost my balance and hopped on my release. I hit my mark much more consistently but the biggest change was that I started converting spares. I had 6 opens (2 splits, the two from my first game I mentioned, and 2 7 pins). Pretty confident if I can start covering my 7s and get a little better at making my adjustments I will be consistently rolling 600's.

    It was a weird night. My teammate left 6 10 pins in a row and all were good pocket hits. It happened quite a bit tonight for both teams but he started the 2nd game with 6 of them in a row. I also saw 3 people hit the gate with their ball (not on or lanes). And there were a ton of splits on our lanes. In the 2nd game I counter 8 (4 for each team) at about the 8th frame and the 3rd game I counted 10 around the 8th frame. Lots on 4, 6, 7, 10's and 4, 6, 7 and 4, 6, 10's. We also had 4 or 5 gutter balls tonight (yep, I had done). And these were on the first ball, not on spare attempts.

    All in all it was a good night. Our team won 7 points (2 pts per game and 1 point for total pins). The first place team was bowling beside us and I heard they got beat pretty bad tonight. Which sucks for us cause we bowl them next week and they aren't likely to have 2 bad weeks in a row...lol

    So next week my goal is to convert all of my 7's. The strikes will come. My goal is to have my average over 200 by the end of this year. Currently it is 167. Long way to go but I only have 21 games in so it can move pretty quick still. It went up 3 pins tonight with a 564 so a couple mid 600's should get it close to 180. It will be a stretch but that is my goal.

  2. #22

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by boatman37 View Post
    The strikes will come.
    Are you going cross alley at the 10? I assume you're a leftie. For 7 pins I've adopted a new technique where I stand left foot on 40, I'm a righty, so it's basically where I line up for 10 pins. Then shoot over 5th arrow with a little hook from my urethane. Pretty much direct. You see, there is usually a puddle of oil in the middle and can screw with you if you go cross alley. Some people can, but I have a problem with it.

    Btw, I shot a 597 tonight and missed a bunch of single spares. Could have been close to a 700 if I could have converted a few. Feast or famine lol. I guess I know what I need to work on.

  3. #23

    Default

    I may have outlined this before, but here goes.

    I started at about 7 with an 8lb Brunswick Laser, bowled in Saturday junior leagues every week, later was on the high school team and dabbled in a few tournaments.

    I don't recall what my average was but I was over 200 more often than not, never got a 300 but came close. I had to quit due to a bad case of rotator cuff tendinitis on both sides. Never got surgery for it, the insurance didn't want to pay, but they did put me into therapy... which they also bailed me out of. I was advised to never bowl again. I was 17.

    I had college to worry about soon enough, later settled into the whole 9-5 job scene, got married, etc.

    Eventually, at 33 I got to thinking, your shoulder doesn't feel nearly as bad, maybe you should try bowling again.

    I dropped from 16lb to 14lb, got an Ebonite Cyclone and joined a no-tap summer league. I was AWFUL but improved slightly weekly. After that, I joined a fall mixed league, was a productive enough teammate to contribute to our team winning the league. I took the next summer off from league play but still bowled regularly, rejoined the fall league (which is still going on). Average is presently a 165 but the trends are up. Returned to the 600s a couple weeks back, felt darn good. I also decided to finally get some stronger gear, will get to see how well my Motiv Jackal Ghost will do on the heavy oil the house lays down tomorrow.

    Oh, and that shoulder that "should never bowl again?"

    It will never be 100%, but it hasn't been negatively impacted by my return. I should have done this sooner.

  4. #24
    High Roller
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    2,590
    Chats: 0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Eddy View Post
    Are you going cross alley at the 10? I assume you're a leftie. For 7 pins I've adopted a new technique where I stand left foot on 40, I'm a righty, so it's basically where I line up for 10 pins. Then shoot over 5th arrow with a little hook from my urethane. Pretty much direct. You see, there is usually a puddle of oil in the middle and can screw with you if you go cross alley. Some people can, but I have a problem with it.

    Btw, I shot a 597 tonight and missed a bunch of single spares. Could have been close to a 700 if I could have converted a few. Feast or famine lol. I guess I know what I need to work on.
    Yes, cross alley. It's how I have done it ever since I started throwing a hook around the early 80's. Another lefty on my team throws more straight at it but I am not comfortable with that. I used to use my Brunswick Cobalt Rhino or Black Beauty to get the 7 but my Hammer Black Widow Gold has way too much backend to get the 7 so I have been using an old Hammer Spike that was drilled for a righty. Still trying to find my mark there but last night I had my left foot on the last dot to the right and threw across the middle arrow but wasn't quite getting there so think I may need to throw a little further left of the center arrow. I need to get back out on a practice day but won't have time for that for a couple more weeks so will do what I can on league nights. I used to never miss those 7's but after 15 years off and all the changes in balls and lanes (I never bowled on synthetic until a few weeks ago) it might take some figuring out.

    For the 10 I move about 6 boards to the left and throw over my same mark (7 board usually). If I am throwing too far left for that then I stand in my normal spot and throw 5 boards to the right of my original mark. Haven't had any trouble with 10's. So yes, cross alley for both. I improved huge from last week so pretty confident that I am getting it back now. I think in the next week or 2 I will be rolling 600's again.

  5. #25

    Default

    I first started bowling in about 1976 in junior high. My parents had bowled as far back as I can remember. I bowled a lot. In high school, I started working at the back of the house, and we'd (with a PBA hall of famer) use all opportunities to bowl. Even when I moved away to college, I worked at a bowling alley. I once bowled in a tournament and ended up beating both Del Ballard and Norm Duke. I bowled leagues up until 1998, at which time I put the gear in the garage after my son turned the age where his athletic endeavors took up all my time. Up until that time, I had bowled a 300 with a Blue Hammer, a high series of 772 and a high average of 2107.

    Fast forward to 2013, and he was off to college. I needed something to do to fill my time, so I went back to bowling. Six months into my first league back, and 21 years after my first 300, I bowled my 2nd 300 with a Storm Byte. Since then, I am now in 2 leagues, have bowled 2 more 300's with a 298 and a 299 just 3 weeks ago. My high average since coming back has been 217.
    Equipment Storm Intense, Storm Byte, Storm Crux, Storm Optimus Solid, Roto Grip Menace (deceased) Hammer Nail Smoke & Fire (deceased), Ebonite Maxim (spare)
    Achievements High sanctioned game - 300 (4); High sanctioned series - 772

  6. #26

    Default

    well I definitely fit the criteria for this thread ..been back at it for almost a month after a 20 year layoff ..surprised how many of the nuisances are like riding a bike ..I'm much better suited to progress now a days vs the late teens/early twenties version of myself ..so we'll see how far the ability goes ..I've been able to get out mainly Sundays lately getting in 6-9 games and having fun not caring about score and getting my spare game down (been doing well w/ triaxe) and learning to have a few different lines to get to the pocket ..the line I've been most consistent w/ and seems to suit the conditions I've been in so far is left foot on 25 board and my spot is the tenth board arrow ..today though I was having an issue with missing to the right on both my strike and spare ball ..for instance shooting a seven pin left foot on 15 board and hitting 3rd arrow, as I watched the ball roll over the target quite a few times I was missing right ..do I need to square my shoulders to my target? towards the end I was trying this and it seemed to help

  7. #27

    Default

    Shot 706 tonight in our work tournament! Haven't even shot a 600 yet this year LOL! 245-223-238. I was locked onto the pocket like a starving pit bull locks onto a piece of meat. Sure, it wasn't sanctioned, but I'm still real happy about it. Only opens I had were 2 ten pins and no splits. I needed a strike on the first ball in the 10th of the final game to lock in the 700 and came through clutch. It's actually my first 700 ever. I may have finally turned the corner after 20 years off. Celebrating with a glass of wine woohoo!

  8. #28
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    West Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois
    Posts
    1,840
    Chats: 0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Eddy View Post
    Shot 706 tonight in our work tournament! Haven't even shot a 600 yet this year LOL! 245-223-238. I was locked onto the pocket like a starving pit bull locks onto a piece of meat. Sure, it wasn't sanctioned, but I'm still real happy about it. Only opens I had were 2 ten pins and no splits. I needed a strike on the first ball in the 10th of the final game to lock in the 700 and came through clutch. It's actually my first 700 ever. I may have finally turned the corner after 20 years off. Celebrating with a glass of wine woohoo!
    Nice shooting! See and you were concerned about doing well again. I think you proved you still got some great stuff left in you.

  9. #29

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Phonetek View Post
    Nice shooting! See and you were concerned about doing well again. I think you proved you still got some great stuff left in you.
    Thanks. It was like getting the monkey off my back in a way. But I'm not going to let it go to my head. I'm going to keep working hard and stay humble.
    Quote Originally Posted by DubyaP View Post
    well I definitely fit the criteria for this thread ..been back at it for almost a month after a 20 year layoff ..surprised how many of the nuisances are like riding a bike ..I'm much better suited to progress now a days vs the late teens/early twenties version of myself ..so we'll see how far the ability goes ..I've been able to get out mainly Sundays lately getting in 6-9 games and having fun not caring about score and getting my spare game down (been doing well w/ triaxe) and learning to have a few different lines to get to the pocket ..the line I've been most consistent w/ and seems to suit the conditions I've been in so far is left foot on 25 board and my spot is the tenth board arrow ..today though I was having an issue with missing to the right on both my strike and spare ball ..for instance shooting a seven pin left foot on 15 board and hitting 3rd arrow, as I watched the ball roll over the target quite a few times I was missing right ..do I need to square my shoulders to my target? towards the end I was trying this and it seemed to help
    Welcome back! You seem determined and should fair well if you work at it. Keep us posted on your progress.

  10. #30
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    West Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois
    Posts
    1,840
    Chats: 0

    Default

    I haven't updated in quite a while. I bowl quite often now that I work at a bowling center. I'm not on a league or anything at this point just practicing. I usually bowl a regular game first then do drills for a few games then regular games again. The other day right out of the gate I shot a 246 just loosing up. Would have been better if I didn't open in the first frame then got the next 9 in a row. I've mentioned in other posts that the shot we have out there is very easy. It's 44' christmas tree THS pattern cleaned and oiled daily. I usually try to throw both before and after I oil, honestly it's not all that different either way since there is rarely any crankers and very few reactive balls hitting the lanes.

    Mostly plastic and a smattering of urethane. So bottom line I have whatever line I want to play mostly to myself. They carry at the place is nuts, sometimes I think pins start falling before the ball reaches them. I can't really gauge myself here it wouldn't be fair.
    I mainly focus on my approach, release, spare shooting and trying to get some muscle memory again so I can bowl a lot more games without being incapacitated the next day with a tube of icy hot and a bottle of ibuprofen. My son bowled 26 games yesterday alone while I worked, if that was me I'd have been carried out on a stretcher.

Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •