New Year…Bowling!
Last year was a year full of ups and downs as well as new beginnings. I’ve began bowling again during the summer after 6 years of waiting to re-join but never found the time. So we jumped in feet first and haven’t looked back since! I’m a much more mature bowler now, that’s for sure. My technique has evolved greatly. I’ve always thrown a hook but now I throw with a bit more conviction if that makes any sense. After studying various bowlers styles and matching their styles of play with my own, I’ve confidently been teaching myself how to become a better bowler. I’ve had coaching when I was younger, so I know the basics. I would love to splurge on a bowling clinic but the best ones are in Texas or out East. Growing up in the Greater Detroit area, bowling on Saturday mornings was great fun and I developed a genuine love for this sport. I’d love to transition into a Sport league to really challenge myself though. Maybe next Fall!
Getting back into bowling though, wasn’t easy. From re-learning and getting my body use to the motions of bowling once again, comes new equipment! My old SST 4′s were looking pretty ragged but they were like generation 1′s compared to what’s available now! I now own a shiny pair of SST 8′s and they’re super comfortable. It’s about time Dexter made both soles changeable so they don’t get left with odd inventory of leftover Left Handed shoes!! All the money wasted or those shoes going to the discount bins/stores..could have been put to better use! As for my arsenal this season, I’ve been rolling with a mostly Brunswick line. I have a Siege drilled for most hook, an Evil Siege that rolls long but snaps fast on the friction, an old ball..which is my ‘old faithful’ Quantum Leap, Storm Natural that saves me when the lanes dry out super fast but is also fun to throw, and then a Columbia White Dot for those pesky 10 pins!! During my younger years, I’ve mostly had Zones or Quantum’s. I just loved those balls and they happened to be Brunswick balls! They’re always coming out with new equipment that I want to check out or just get. But it’s like buying shoes!! You want every one of them 
Aside from that, it’s already tough when my ball bag barely fits 5 bowling balls….and I hate to have to pick/choose which balls to take with me to the alley.
During the summer, I didn’t have such a great average. I think it was due to me still getting use to bowling once again. I ended that short summer season with a 161. Currently in our Fall/Winter league, I am comfortably averaging 174. At another league that I just started, I was averaging the same until I had an extremely bad night that dropped me to 160′s. Mostly due to low pin count though. However, I’ve been bowling quite good the last month or so and my average is steadily climbing back to the 170′s. But I’d say a 174/163 isn’t too bad for two different leagues at two different houses! I have yet to nail the 600+ series. It always eludes me!!! My top series this season is 596 with a 268 high game. I’m happy though with my progress in bowling. I now get more 200+ games than I did before as well as breaking 520+ consistently. I hope to start entering tournaments soon once I get my average under control and more consistent. I’ve been using the ScoreKeeper App for Android to keep track of my games in different leagues I bowl in. It’s cool to see how much I improve week to week. I find that I analyze each shot that I make and that I take each frame one frame at a time. What also has been helping me to keep a consistent shot, is to make sure my pre-routine is the same every time. So I brush the bottom of my sliding foot, wipe my ball, check my thumb grip, wipe again if needed or blow into the thumb hole if my grip is too loose, and then proceed to bowl.
I love to talk about bowling and hearing what others have to say. So share some tips or stories with me! I’d love to hear them. Anyways, that’s enough for now. Good luck and Good Bowling this week to everyone!
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