Been bowling since I was 3. Came up through HS, and bowled Collegiately at Nebraska. Currently averaging 218 in one of my city's biggest scratch leagues. We have a few pro staffers in that league as well; Pro staffer with Track, amateur staff with DV8.. USBC HoF'er Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg was just in the league until she moved to Salt Lake City to take on a bigger job on staff with Storm. Her shop drills my gear, along with K&K Bowling in Vegas.
When I lived in Vegas, I bowled with every staffer down there; 3 on staff with Ebonite, bowled with David Haynes (storm staff, 10 year member of Team USA), Mike Durbin, Kerry Painter, Dave Wodka, Wendy McPherson, Carol Gianotti.. one of my coaches was Ron Hoppe, who went on to found the International Art of Bowling with Jason Belmonte and Diandra Asbaty.
I was thinking about this and just happened to wonder- do we have any bowling players here? The local school bowling league is just starting up here and I'm my second year into it. I think it would be cool to see if there are any other bowlers out here, maybe share some advice, stats, and what equipment you have.
I started out seriously bowling when I got hold of the urethane Blue Hammer, back in 1989. From there, I progressed up to Reactive Resin, with Ebonite's Turbo X, and a few other balls. When I got to Vegas, I started to exclusively use Ebonite gear. It was around 2000 when Ebonite bought Hammer, so I've been between them. My current gear:
Ebonite Challenge
Hammer First Blood
Ebonite Mission Domination/250K
Ebonite Undefeated Fire
Hammer First Blood
Hammer Cube (spare ball)
Ebonite Optyx
Hammer Absolut Curve
I'm looking at replacing that Mission with a Hammer Amp, the Challenge with a Hammer Cold Blood, the Undefeated Fire with a Hammer Amp Up, and the Hammer Cube with a Hammer True Blood. I've trusted both brands for over 20 years, and they haven't let me down yet.
Since it's my second year, I'm not very good yet, but I have a Storm Tropical breeze 14lb ball, and my average is around the 130 range, but I am trying to get up to a 160 average this year. I'm a lefty too! My highest score to date is a 210, got that over this last summer. Before that I would always seem to get stuck in the 190s on a good day
Advice.. lessee.. First off, when I was your age, I was averaging right around the same as well. In fact, at the time, 150 was the minimum average needed to join our youth association's elite league, the Junior Traveling Classic League. Right after that and seeing the competition, I started to practice more, got more coaching (USBC offers that for free), and my average shot up 25 pins. See if you can get a good coach to look over your game as well as your team's game and offer improvements.
Second, don't worry about the results yet (meaning, don't worry about your scores). Concentrate more on executing your shot, and hitting your target consistently. After that, it comes down to adjustments. Do that, and your scores will go up...
But not as much as making your spares. Spares are a must, especially single-pin spares. A single pin spare could be the difference of 20 pins in a game. Good case in point: get 4 strikes in a row, then 9-, then go off the sheet putting you at 267 vs. a 9/ then off the sheet, which would put you at 279.
Especially in a team game, or even Baker format, spares are a must.
Sweet to hear from you all! Got done with our first practice of the season monday. Going to need to look for some tape or something for the right side of my thumb hole, every time I throw it rubs against the right side of my thumb so after a few games it hurts a bit. Not sure if it's how I hold it or how it was drilled...
either way, any hints for this? It could also be I'm holding it a bit funny- last year I got a decent case of bowlers thumb and have been holding the thumb a bit loose (at the edge of the knuckle rather than the base of my thumb) since then. I'll ask around at the alley as well as playing around a bit with the grip.
Do better than that. Go to your nearest, well-reviewed pro shop. Ask them to take measurements of your hand, and compare that to the ball. If your span or pitch are off, that could be what the cause of this is. You may need to have the ball plugged and redrilled, or perhaps even have the thumb hole worked on. But either way, get the ball looked at before it becomes a problem.
Hahaha, a 50-60 still beats most of the people I see at the alley, drunk or not
Our alley has the same black lights/loud music, a bit less UV paint though! They usually turn all the stuff on during the weekends so I miss most of it. Sounds fun! It's been a while since I used a house ball (I could never find one that fit me decent), any problems there or is it a pretty good alley?
Is this bowling alley an AMF house, by chance?
BL.
