getting back into bowling after 20 years

[threeripmin]

i think its off by more than an 1/8. im going to take it to another pro shop real fast and see what they say.

[DanielMareina]

If they say that the span is too long to fix with a slug, depending on the core, I would suggest moving the fingers instead of the thumb. Thumb holes are deeper and in a lot of balls, will hit the core. If you have to plug it and redrill it, you hit the core a second time. Fingers usually don't go deep enough to hit the core, and if they do it isn't too deep into it. Just a suggestion. Once again, GOOD LUCK!

[threeripmin]

well, at least now i have a ball that fits my hand nicely. i took it to another pro shop and he put in 2 thumb slugs and was able to shorten my span. it feels so much better, i cant wait to bowl tomorrow!

i left my old ball to plug the thumb hole to make it the same as my new ball. this guy seem to know what he is talking about unlike the other guy. i also bought a mongoose for 45 bucks, other places sell it for 59.

now i can stop bitching about how my ball fits, my wife will be happy.lol

[threeripmin]

i didnt see your post before i posted, daniel. i hope it didnt go into the core and we didnt talk about it. lol maybe my ball is going to be screwed now? lets hope not. im sure your going to tell me that the double slug is a bad idea. lol

[DanielMareina]

First of all, the average person wouldn't notice the difference of the core being drilled into twice. Not a big deal, but I don't recommend drilling into a core more than necessary. I have drilled a ball 4 seperate places and had it be fine, and have drilled a ball 2 times and had it roll funny. Mostly the high performance balls with the large cores are the ones that you would see a change (Invasion, cell, shift, etc.) As for the double slug............I personally am not a fan, but it isn't bad either. It is a quick way to solve the problem, but I wouldn't have recommended it. Although, I would trust a pro shop guy that would know how to do the double slug more than the last guy. Missing a person's span by 1/8 is easy to do if you are careless. Any more than that and you are just bad at what you do. I hope he doesn't keep that job long. I will give him a good recommendation in Oregon to any of my competitors though

[threeripmin]

well, the ball feels great! i havent had a ball that fits my hand in 20 years and its really nice to have one again. i only averaged 189 for 4 games but im throwing the ball much better. now i just need to figure out how to line myself up.lol im going bowling again tonight at an0ther bowling alley that i hear is a lot drier and all i have is a reign of fire and a 23 year old yellow dot that i just got the thumb hole plugged and drilled to match my other ball.

my new linds just came in and im very happy to not have to rent shoes ever again.lol

[threeripmin]

went bowling again yesterday, this was the first time in over 20 years that i had a lane to myself and it felt great. after 2 games trying to get lined up i went 206 169 215 238. i filmed the last game and a half and im pretty happy with what i see. the reign of fire is too much ball for these dry lanes, i left a lot of ringing ten pins and im sure its from coming in at such a sharp angle. luckily im a pretty good spare shooter and the last two games i had no open frames.

bowling with my new ball with the long span took a little out of me but now im back and more pumped to bowl than ever! now i just need to figure out what i should buy for an all around ball.

[DanielMareina]

If you want a good utility ball, I would recommend the Storm Hy-Road. It is the only ball I have ever owned two of. It has a hybrid coverstock, so it reads the mid lane but gets through the heads clean. It has a fairly small weight block, so it isn't a sharp reaction, but it is plenty of ball to carry. I have one of mine drilled with a 5" pin and it has a very smooth reaction and can be used on dry or oily lanes. My other one is a 3 3/8" pin, which is a high flare layout. It is much cleaner through the heads with a small amount of mid lane read and a beautiful reaction down lane. Norm Duke won 3 majors in a row with that ball. It is loved by everyone I know that owns one, and I even sold and drilled one for my own Dad. And I sold my grandpa the T Road solid, which is the same core, but the matte finish coverstock. Just a suggestion. Glad to hear that your ball is working out for you though! The Reign of fire is a great ball. I have had mine for a month and a half or so and have a sanctioned 718,736,and a 750 with it.

[threeripmin]

thanks, daniel, ive been thinking about the hy-road. looks like a good ball.

my main problem im running into now is reading the lanes and just getting lined up from the start. when i bowled i had the best bowler in san diego telling me where to throw the ball and now im pretty lost. i mean i know how to do everything its just that its coming back real slowly. i think it would be best if i took a lesson from a good bowler but finding a good coach isnt going to be easy. there is a guy close by that gives lessons and i guess he is good friends with bill hall and teaches his style or something, do you know about him? the guy owns the pro shop at pinole valley lanes. http://home.comcast.net/~pinolevalle...876cb930ef1d88

[DanielMareina]

I don't know Al, but he has quite the impressive Bio. I would say that he would be a good person to start with. Coaches are tough, mostly because you need to find a coach that doesn't want to teach you how to bowl the way they do. A good coach will improve your bowling without trying to make you change everything about your current style. For most begginers, there is a lot of things that need changing, but there is not only one way to bowl. The coach you asked about has been around long enough that he should be a great source of information and tips. Hopefully he doesn't charge an arm and a leg!
As for reading the lanes, it is a challenge for lots of people. The key is to not force the shot you want to throw. Lots of people get stuck saying " I stood at the 20 board and threw up ten and it just wouldn't work". Different conditions call for very different angles. There was a great article in US bowler magazine (pretty sure) that talked about throwing 8 different shots and you could find your mark. I can't find it online for you, but maybe someone will read this and have the link. Basically, you need to find out where your ball is reacting and how much. If it reacts too soon on the lane, you need to move your mark and feet to find more oil. If it reacts too much in the back end, you need to move your feet to change the angle. And if you are lost, don't be afraid to make a big move and start over, because it is always better than trying to force a square peg through a round hole. I hope all that helps a little.