**Official**Confirmed** Season-long ATOT bowling thread

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Glad I saw this. Completely forgot.

Subbed this past Wednesday but didn't do too great.
143, 157, 171 for a 471 series. Average = 157

Considering I had an upper 180's average when I bowled in the league, I was disappointed.

Keep subbing, your game will come around.

edit: btw, how old is your equipment?

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Glad I saw this. Completely forgot.

Subbed this past Wednesday but didn't do too great.
143, 157, 171 for a 471 series. Average = 157

Considering I had an upper 180's average when I bowled in the league, I was disappointed.

Keep subbing, your game will come around.

edit: btw, how old is your equipment?

About 2-3 years. Using a Hammer - Black Widow.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Glad I saw this. Completely forgot.

Subbed this past Wednesday but didn't do too great.
143, 157, 171 for a 471 series. Average = 157

Considering I had an upper 180's average when I bowled in the league, I was disappointed.

Keep subbing, your game will come around.

edit: btw, how old is your equipment?

About 2-3 years. Using a Hammer - Black Widow.

Should be okay....I still see those in pro shops.

My newest ball is almost 5 years old now....a couple of them have definitely lost their hook.
The ones I'm using primarily are the ones I get the sharpest break with on the back ends.

I'm seriously debating on getting there early today and buying a new one. Now to figure out how without the wife knowing.............:evil:

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Glad I saw this. Completely forgot.

Subbed this past Wednesday but didn't do too great.
143, 157, 171 for a 471 series. Average = 157

Considering I had an upper 180's average when I bowled in the league, I was disappointed.

Keep subbing, your game will come around.

edit: btw, how old is your equipment?

About 2-3 years. Using a Hammer - Black Widow.

Should be okay....I still see those in pro shops.

My newest ball is almost 5 years old now....a couple of them have definitely lost their hook.
The ones I'm using primarily are the ones I get the sharpest break with on the back ends.

I'm seriously debating on getting there early today and buying a new one. Now to figure out how without the wife knowing.............:evil:

Have you had your pro shop refinish them at all?

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Glad I saw this. Completely forgot.

Subbed this past Wednesday but didn't do too great.
143, 157, 171 for a 471 series. Average = 157

Considering I had an upper 180's average when I bowled in the league, I was disappointed.

Keep subbing, your game will come around.

edit: btw, how old is your equipment?

About 2-3 years. Using a Hammer - Black Widow.

Should be okay....I still see those in pro shops.

My newest ball is almost 5 years old now....a couple of them have definitely lost their hook.
The ones I'm using primarily are the ones I get the sharpest break with on the back ends.

I'm seriously debating on getting there early today and buying a new one. Now to figure out how without the wife knowing.............:evil:

Have you had your pro shop refinish them at all?

No, but I'm leaving right now....going to refinish one myself in the pro shop before bowling.

 

[OdiN]

Well I had an okay first game, good second game, and kinda fell apart my third game.

178
243
167

588 Series

196 Average over those three games. I suspect my average will raise to around 185ish.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: OdiN
Well I had an okay first game, good second game, and kinda fell apart my third game.

178
243
167

588 Series

196 Average over those three games. I suspect my average will raise to around 185ish.

How many games do you have in so far, and how did you shoot a 698 one week, yet your average is only 185 or so? Did you have some bad sets also?


The bowling center my league is at has all the stats online. League standings, high sets, games, etc.....basically a copy of the sheet we'll get next Monday. They usually have the scores updated by the next day....pretty cool.

 

[Pacfanweb]

I shot 668.
207
192
169

Switched to a dead particle ball...all it does is just a nice arc...doesn't hook early or late, and it carried almost everything. This, after trying the other 3 balls I had with me and couldn't carry anything. I could beat the pocket to death, but I was leaving single pins like crazy. Made the switch to the particle ball (Hammer Blade particle) out of frustration, and finished the second game, and went on to the 269 the last game. Sitting at 212 for average now.

So much for the house trying to keep the lefties in check....high avg is a lefty at 233. Next is a lefty at 224. Scores are all over the place....on one pair, two former PBA members, and regional title winners struggled to shoot much over 500. Others did okay. I wish they'd just settle on an oil pattern and stick with it.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: OdiN
Well I had an okay first game, good second game, and kinda fell apart my third game.

178
243
167

588 Series

196 Average over those three games. I suspect my average will raise to around 185ish.

How many games do you have in so far, and how did you shoot a 698 one week, yet your average is only 185 or so? Did you have some bad sets also?


The bowling center my league is at has all the stats online. League standings, high sets, games, etc.....basically a copy of the sheet we'll get next Monday. They usually have the scores updated by the next day....pretty cool.

Including these three games, I now have 15 games. I missed one week, and I had a terrible 2nd week. I don't remember what I shot, but it was BAD!

Yeah we have the sheets online too, takes them a while to get them up though.

 

[NoCreativity]

Had a good night last night but just missed the 700 again.

189
230
278
697

Average is now up to 225. Not sure how long this will last but the last month and a half of last season and so far this season I'm throwing the ball the best I have ever thrown it. Everything feels right and I can feel anything that I am doing wrong almost immediately.

 

[OdiN]

Nice 278 game!!

My 698 was definitely not typical of my bowling. Like you said, everything was just feeling good that night. But I'm working on improving so I'm getting more 200's. I just needed a couple more strikes in the first for a 200 there, and well the 3rd game I had trouble and not sure how I pulled a 167 out.

My goal for this season is to get more consistent 600+ serieses.

 

[NoCreativity]

Thanks! Had the first three, but for some reason slowed my ball down for the fourth frame and it took off across the headpin for an 8. Finished the game out though with a couple lucky strikes about the 9th and 10th.

Last year was probably my best year even though not my highest finishing average. Rarely did I go above about a 235 game, but I also usually didn't go below about 180. Majority of my games were between 190-220. It's amazing how converting spares can help your game out.

 

[OdiN]

Yeah that's how I keep my scores higher. I rarely leave open frames. A bad game for me is like 3+ open frames. Most of the time I close all but 1 or something.

Most of the time if I don't strike I'm carrying 8 or 9 pins and just have a straggler or two.

Only problem with that is when I'm doing well I don't pick up my spare ball and when I do need to sometimes I biff it.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Spare shooting is like the short game in golf. That's where people lose most of their average. Anyone can string strikes, but it takes a turkey to make up for a missed spare.

I missed 2 spares Monday. Also had 2 splits for open frames, but I don't count them as "missing a spare". They count towards my average, obviously, but you aren't expected to make them like a single pin.

 

[Rubycon]

Do balls actually deteriorate over time or do they just become obsolete compared to current stuff?

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Do balls actually deteriorate over time or do they just become obsolete compared to current stuff?

The coverstocks do deteriorate. Combination of geting nicks in them from the machines that pick them up and shoot them back and them impacting the pins, etc. You can have them refinished, basically sanded down to get rid of any scratches and they make a filler compound to put in any large nicks. Then they will usually polish it to whatever level you like - it can affect how your ball rolls.

Though even after refinishing, it's never quite the same as a new ball. Technology advances and you have different coverstock types for different lanes and conditions (oily vs. dry, wood vs. synthetic). So there is some obsolescence, but it's not really bad. My spare ball is about 5 years old and I love it. It's much milder as far as hook potential and I can guide it just about anywhere. I think I'll cry when that one gets too old to use anymore lol.

BTW - What kind of lanes is everyone bowling on? We still are on wood lanes here, but moving to synth next summer which is going to suck because I hate synth.

Anyway - I once bowled a make-up game against another team on a Sunday. This one lady threw her ball down and it didn't come back and eventually had to get the lane staff to go get it. He comes walking back with this white thing, and we were like wtf? It was her bowling ball. It had gotten trapped under one of the pneumatic pieces, and the ball was rotating. It ground the whole coverstock off the entire ball. That was crazy.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Do balls actually deteriorate over time or do they just become obsolete compared to current stuff?

The story is, reactive and particle balls absorb lane oil and eventually lose their friction, and as a result, their hook...or at least the snap.

Some places will bleed the oil from the balls....several methods, but most I've seen simply have a small space heater blow on the ball from about a foot away, and the oil will come to the surface...and they just wipe it off with a solvent rag. Takes a pretty good while to do. Not sure of the results myself.

I will say that I do have a couple of balls that definitely don't hook like they did when new. I haven't tried bleeding or resurfacing them.

 

[OdiN]

I just leave them in my car in the summer.

Kidding, but a 10 minute drive in CA summer with the bowling balls would leave a pool of oil in my bag.

Glad I don't live there anymore.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: OdiN
BTW - What kind of lanes is everyone bowling on? We still are on wood lanes here, but moving to synth next summer which is going to suck because I hate synth.

Everything is synthetic here.

If you switch from wood to synthetic, and they keep the same oil pattern, you'll see a sharper break at the end of the lane. That's been my experience.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: OdiN
BTW - What kind of lanes is everyone bowling on? We still are on wood lanes here, but moving to synth next summer which is going to suck because I hate synth.

Everything is synthetic here.

If you switch from wood to synthetic, and they keep the same oil pattern, you'll see a sharper break at the end of the lane. That's been my experience.

The place I used to bowl in CA switched to synthetic and I couldn't bowl on it. But I only played for maybe 2 months on it there before I moved.

I think the problem was they were experimenting with oil patterns and it was different all the time.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: OdiN
BTW - What kind of lanes is everyone bowling on? We still are on wood lanes here, but moving to synth next summer which is going to suck because I hate synth.

Everything is synthetic here.

If you switch from wood to synthetic, and they keep the same oil pattern, you'll see a sharper break at the end of the lane. That's been my experience.

The place I used to bowl in CA switched to synthetic and I couldn't bowl on it. But I only played for maybe 2 months on it there before I moved.

I think the problem was they were experimenting with oil patterns and it was different all the time.

It's nice after they get the pattern right. That shouldn't be a problem these days....they just download the patterns and install them in the lane machine.
But it's nice....the heads don't get "dents" from balls hitting them anymore...the lanes are always as smooth as glass.

I did initially have a bit of a sticking problem when they went to synthetic approaches (they only changed the lanes to begin with), but I have the old Linds shoes that have the little circular pieces in the bottom you can change for more or less slide. Never bothers me now.

My favorite accessory is some stuff called Magic Carpet. Basically, it's soft Velcro on a piece of thumb tape. You slightly enlarge your thumb hole, and put the Magic Carpet behind your thumb where tape would normally go. Gets me a smooth release every time.
If my thumb swells slightly, no problem....the Carpet just flexes a bit to compensate.
Not everyone likes it, but my thumb sticking was the biggest problem I've ever had bowling, and this stuff fixed it. My pro shop friend tried it after I told him about it and hated it....gave me the rest of what he ordered. I love it, though.
Here's a link to it

 

[OdiN]

I don't have any thumb stick problems. I don't even use tape. I use fingertip grips for the finger holes and that's it.

 

[NoCreativity]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: OdiN
BTW - What kind of lanes is everyone bowling on? We still are on wood lanes here, but moving to synth next summer which is going to suck because I hate synth.

Everything is synthetic here.

If you switch from wood to synthetic, and they keep the same oil pattern, you'll see a sharper break at the end of the lane. That's been my experience.

They switched to synth about 3-4 season ago, just the lanes though. Left the approaches wood. Beautiful combo. My average went up ten pins after the switch.

I sub at another alley once every 4-5 weeks, it's totally synthetic. Average is about 20 pins lower. Not sure if it's becuase I don't bowl there enough to acclimate to conditions or most likely becuase my primary house has an easier shot.

 

[NoCreativity]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

My favorite accessory is some stuff called Magic Carpet. Basically, it's soft Velcro on a piece of thumb tape. You slightly enlarge your thumb hole, and put the Magic Carpet behind your thumb where tape would normally go. Gets me a smooth release every time.
If my thumb swells slightly, no problem....the Carpet just flexes a bit to compensate.
Not everyone likes it, but my thumb sticking was the biggest problem I've ever had bowling, and this stuff fixed it. My pro shop friend tried it after I told him about it and hated it....gave me the rest of what he ordered. I love it, though.
Here's a link to it

Thumb sticking is generally the result of gripping the ball too tightly. Of course if you are more of the cranker type than you have to have a stronger grip on the ball so as not to bombard the folks sitting behind you.

Only time I have a problem is when I grip too tightly. I relax the grip, use a little easy slide and the back of my thumb and I'm good to go.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: NoCreativity

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

My favorite accessory is some stuff called Magic Carpet. Basically, it's soft Velcro on a piece of thumb tape. You slightly enlarge your thumb hole, and put the Magic Carpet behind your thumb where tape would normally go. Gets me a smooth release every time.
If my thumb swells slightly, no problem....the Carpet just flexes a bit to compensate.
Not everyone likes it, but my thumb sticking was the biggest problem I've ever had bowling, and this stuff fixed it. My pro shop friend tried it after I told him about it and hated it....gave me the rest of what he ordered. I love it, though.
Here's a link to it

Thumb sticking is generally the result of gripping the ball too tightly. Of course if you are more of the cranker type than you have to have a stronger grip on the ball so as not to bombard the folks sitting behind you.

Only time I have a problem is when I grip too tightly. I relax the grip, use a little easy slide and the back of my thumb and I'm good to go.

I don't knuckle, or grip the ball. Don't know if my skin is just looser than most peoples' and wrinkles when my thumb releases, or I sweat more or what, but I've always had issues with my thumb sticking. I was always very sensitive to wanting my thumb snug..... This Magic Carpet stuff did the trick for me.
The opposite of gripping is actually what I do....I like my thumb TIGHT. With this stuff, I always have the same amount of pressure, plus it glides right out.