Bowling?

[eclark53520]

I know we have some bowlers in here so i figured i would bring it up...

My parents got me into bowling when i was 4 years old, i started on a bantam league at 5 and was in youth bowling leagues all the way untill i was 19 years old. During my last year in youth bowling on my home lanes i would average around 190 and on travel league i held a 205. These numbers confused me; how could i bowl 15 pins higher at a different house every weekend than at my home house?

While going to college i stopped bolwing leagues and just played every now and then with the kids/family.

Now i am in a couples league with my g/f and parents(4man teams) and my average is currently 198ish. I have never been heavily invested in bowling as i just did it for fun but i have been looking into getting a more versitile aresenal of balls and started looking around for forums...

I cant seem to find a good bowling forum...does anyone have a vast knowledge of equipment and could help me out here or can someone suggest a solid forum?

 

[Gus Riley]

I can't recommend a good bowling forum but I know they're out there...try to google bowling forums. I googled golf forums and got this one.

I'm taking a year off from bowling due to injuries, but I carry 205-215 averages in different houses. You could begin to update your "arsenal" by visiting a couple of pro-shops (for comparison of info you find) to begin updating your bowling gear knowledge.

Bowling balls have made huge technology leaps and bounds. There are a whole slew of companies and bowling balls that react and hit differently.

After getting some comparison ideas from separate pro shops, start looking for equipment. My experience with internet ball purchases are: Yes, you can purchase excellent bowling balls online cheap...but, when you take these to have them fitted and drilled by a pro at his store he will charge you far more than if you had bought the equipment from him. My recommendation is to pick a pro shop you feel comfortable with, talk with the pro and between your gained knowledge and his recommendations settle upon a bowling ball(s) through his shop. He'll give you a break on the fit and drilling and more than likely you may get a deal on the ball as well. You'll end up with good equipment and have a support system you can go back to.

See you on the lanes next fall (I hope).

 

[eclark53520]

I think that was my big problem. My home alley doesnt have a pro-shop worth walking into so i never got 'in' with a good proshop...

I am trying to learn all i can online but theres somethings you just need to talk to someone about.

I did google bowling forums and found a couple but without spending quite a bit of time there its hard to figure out which ones are good. I just dont have enough time to figure that out at the moment.

Thanks for the tips though, they are quite helpful!

 

[ualtim]

Try this one ----> Bowling Community

I was trying to find another sport that I could play with my wife when its either too hot or raining down here in Florida and that was the best online community that I found. Its not the same as the golfing forums, but the forums on Bowling Community seemed to be the closest fit I could find to a bowling equivilent to ST. The forums could use a bit of updating technology wise, but the folks on it seemed to be more down to earth than some of the other ones I visited.

The hardest part about getting into bowling is finding a good pro shop down here. A lot of stuff you can order online, but trying to find any ball fitter let alone a good ball fitter is damn near impossible unless you want to drive an hour or so away.

Of course, bowling is a Ho sport like golf. I could easily see getting a whole lineup of bowling balls in a short period of time trying to get better. Between golf and camera lenses, I am about ho'd out. :laugh:

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Around here bowling has gotten to be pretty damn expensive. Took my wife, daughter & grandson last year to a new place. For 2 games a piece & shoe rentals for the 4 of us it came to a little over $40, screw that.

When I was high school I was on a league & it cost anywhere from 65-75 cents for a game, now there are places charging $4.75 & up.

I will stick with a cheap sport like golf or skiing.

 

[West Coast Duffer]

I bowl year round winter and summer leagues and carry a 210-215 avg. I haven't really looked into any bowling forums but do visit this site to see new balls and reviews. BallReviews.com - Bowling Balls, Bowling Ball, Bowling Ball Reviews, BowlingBalls, Bowling Ball Review bowling is kind of like golf you can ho all kinds of crap. Ball manufactures are worse than Taylor Made and come out with balls about every 6 months. I personally have about 10 but only carry 3. I would say 3 is the most common amount to carry for most conditions. You gonna need one big hooking dull reactive resin ball. 2nd would be a polished mid hook ball more medium to dry conditions and 3rd would be a plastic spare ball to throw straight and hard at spares and corner pins. Your gonna have to do your homework as balls get as high as $250 bucks a pop. Like Gus Riley said your gonna find great deals on the internet but your gonna get screwed on the drilling from the pro shop so its best to find a good pro shop and just buy the ball there. Another advantage of getting a pro shop in an alley is they can see how you throw the ball and how much speed and revs you generate.

 

[eclark53520]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I am going to try and find myself a a good pro shop and see if i cant make friends with him(or her i guess)

I dont know how soon, i might have to wait untill after xmas to maybe get a new ball or two, maybe just get the ones i have drilled properly. I Used to work with a guy that was sponsored by Hammer but changed sponsorship to Storm while i worked there. So i picked up a basically brand new Hammer Blade Resin and a Hammer Big Blue for 50$ each. However, the Big Blue ended up cracking the cover stock...left it outside

The span is too short and the thumb is freaking huge so i at least need the thumb plugged and drilled. My ball is a REALLY old hammer, it doesnt even have a model name on it. Rolls pretty well and i am comfortable throwing this ball at any spare attempt. I think some new tech would help my game get up into the 210 average and keep me more consistant.

I will start by getting the ones i have now drilled properly and figure out what else i need to round out my arsenal.

Also, quick question, i only have a 4 step approach...should i look into developing a 5step? I have thought about it but i dont think i have the REV's to match the extra speed i am going to generate....but then again, i really have no clue how many revs i have...or how many i will gain from a 5step approach...

 

[Gus Riley]

At a 198 average right now, you appear to be very comfortable with a four step approach. If it were my dilemma I would remain at four. When I work my game I try not to change too many areas at the same time. It can make my efforts non-productive and confused. If something doesn't work I can't be sure which change is the culprit.

Keep your old Hammer...a good spare ball is critical. Yours is set! You got a good price on the new Hammer...yes by all means get it properly fitted You may have most of what you need now to get your average over the 200 threshold.

 

[West Coast Duffer]

I used to play a 5 step and stand way back on the approach, somehow it evolved into a 4 step from the first set of dots and a longer pendulum swing. this gave me more accuracy and speed without trying to force it.

 

[eclark53520]

Alright, i will stick with a four step approach for now, i wasn't too keen on attempting a 5step anyway but i figured if i would see gains i would attempt.

 

[Esox]

I bowled for 17 years. Same house. Monday night scratch league. For years I was a low to mid 180s guy, then talked to a guy that does the drilling at the local B & G Golf, Tennis, and Bowling. Found out I had been bowling for with an improperly drilled ball for years. Couldn't tell you what he did, but I described my shot to him, paid about $200 for a new ball he drilled, and my average went to 193 to 198 for the last eight years I bowled. I could never get over 200. Probably because I drank too much. I rolled 279 like eight times and 290 once. Could never get 300. Had over 700 maybe a dozen times.

I quit bowling four years ago because I cut down on the sauce, and the guys I bowled with loved to drink. I do too, and not doing it took the fun out of the game. I miss the guys and the screwing around, but not the sauce and the bowling. They really seemed to go together.

It's funny, because I used to drink quite a bit on the golf course, too, but when I cut down on that I started enjoying playing much more.

Alcohol is a weird thing. Still like it on occasion, but just cannot drink regularly. Which is okay, because I've had about four lifetimes worth.

Kevin

 

[goatster]

yes bowling is definately a ho sport.i have bowled for 9 yrs and at first i only bought a new ball every 2-2 1/2 yrs because i wasnt any good.now i have 7(just gave one away to my father because he took it up this yr.)

buying balls online is just as costly as buying them in a pro-shop buy the time you pay for drilling and shipping may even cast you a couple bucks more.if you find a good pro-shop you can usually get them to come down a little.

a spare ball is a must it can raise your avg.10-15 pins.

i have a different avg. on the 2 nights i bowl and strangely this yr they flip-flopped.Mondays used to be my higher avg. with a 191 last yr and Thursdays it was 185. Mondays had more oil so i could use the same line longer.this yr they are using a heavier oil and my Monday avg has went to 188(should be about 190 after last Mondays 682(dumb a** leaving spare ball home) and my Thursday avg. is 194 up from 185 last yr.

i used to go to Bowling | Bowling Balls | Bowling Shirts | Bowling Shoes | BowlingIndex.com for the forums but havent been there in a few yrs. used to be a decent site.

 

[goatster]

I bowled for 17 years. Same house. Monday night scratch league. For years I was a low to mid 180s guy, then talked to a guy that does the drilling at the local B & G Golf, Tennis, and Bowling. Found out I had been bowling for with an improperly drilled ball for years. Couldn't tell you what he did, but I described my shot to him, paid about $200 for a new ball he drilled, and my average went to 193 to 198 for the last eight years I bowled. I could never get over 200. Probably because I drank too much. I rolled 279 like eight times and 290 once. Could never get 300. Had over 700 maybe a dozen times.

I quit bowling four years ago because I cut down on the sauce, and the guys I bowled with loved to drink. I do too, and not doing it took the fun out of the game. I miss the guys and the screwing around, but not the sauce and the bowling. They really seemed to go together.

It's funny, because I used to drink quite a bit on the golf course, too, but when I cut down on that I started enjoying playing much more.

Alcohol is a weird thing. Still like it on occasion, but just cannot drink regularly. Which is okay, because I've had about four lifetimes worth.

Kevin

strangely enough i dont drink much at the bowling alley probably because no one on my teams drinks.i drink more in 2 league nights of golf then i do a season of bowling.