Bowling

[SteveSly]

Well......this is the way off topic forum so here goes nothing.

This is a shot in the dark, but going to throw it out there for any of you who happen to be bowlers.

I bowled in leagues from when I was a teenager until about 15 years ago. I got to a point when my knees were so bad that it was getting exceedingly difficult so I stopped. 3 years ago, I had my knees replaced and this fall I started bowling in a league again. I have always thrown a 16-pound ball, but I am finding that now that I am 62 it may be too heavy for me. I have significant wrist pain (not just caused by bowling) and my grip is not what it used to be. I have my average back in the 170’s which is ok, but the ball often falls off my hand and I don’t have the control that I used to. I am thinking of going to a lighter ball, maybe 14 pounds. I am curious if any of you bowlers out there have run into similar issues as you age, and if you have gone to a lighter ball and what impact it had? How much does the pin action fall off with a lighter ball? Is better control and speed a tradeoff for lighter weight carrying through the pins?

Any bowlers in this group?

[Dave (in MA)]

So much for the helpful suggestion that I was going to make.
https://www.candlepin.org/find-a-center

This looks like it might be a possibility:
https://www.duckpinbowl.com/
Edit: Nope, that's barely above the level of a toy.
I thought it was going to be something more along the lines of : http://www.theduckpinnews.com/proprietors.htm

[Shadow]

I used to bowl ten pins and averaged around 200, which wasn't bad for only bowling one night a week. Problem was I was in a league where guys bowled 3-5 night a week averaging 15-20 pins higher. Even with a handicap if you bowl average and he bowls average you still lose. I remember one year one guy averaged 250 for the first ten weeks. If ever I went back I would probably try bowling like some of the guys do on the pro tour using two hands holding the ball before release. I always used a 16 lb. ball.

[SteveSly]

So much for the helpful suggestion that I was going to make.
https://www.candlepin.org/find-a-center

This looks like it might be a possibility:
https://www.duckpinbowl.com/
Edit: Nope, that's barely above the level of a toy.
I thought it was going to be something more along the lines of : http://www.theduckpinnews.com/proprietors.htm

Never tried the Duck Pin thing. We don't have it anywhere near where I live. Looks like it could be fun.

[SteveSly]

I used to bowl ten pins and averaged around 200, which wasn't bad for only bowling one night a week. Problem was I was in a league where guys bowled 3-5 night a week averaging 15-20 pins higher. Even with a handicap if you bowl average and he bowls average you still lose. I remember one year one guy averaged 250 for the first ten weeks. If ever I went back I would probably try bowling like some of the guys do on the pro tour using two hands holding the ball before release. I always used a 16 lb. ball.

That is impressive. I had one season years ago when I was bowling in 3 leagues and practicing on the side where I had an average over 200, but I really had to work at it. Most of the time when I was younger I carried an average in the 180's.

We have a few people in my current league that use the two hand method. They get a ton of pin action, but also seem to have so much hook that they often get splits or end up on the left side of the headpin.

[JKL2000]

Would one of those gloves that straps on both sides of your wrist help? By giving support. I'm not a bowler, though on the rare occasion when I go, I like it.

That's great that your knees are doing so much better, Steve!

[Shadow]

We have a few people in my current league that use the two hand method. They get a ton of pin action, but also seem to have so much hook that they often get splits or end up on the left side of the headpin.

Before I cancelled cable I would watch bowling and those guys would drift as far left as possible and throw from the left hand gutter almost to the right before it hooked back into the pocket. I think some of those guys don't even have a thumb hole drilled in the ball.

[SteveSly]

Would one of those gloves that straps on both sides of your wrist help? By giving support. I'm not a bowler, though on the rare occasion when I go, I like it.

That's great that your knees are doing so much better, Steve!

I use a wrist brace and yes it does help.

[SteveSly]

Before I cancelled cable I would watch bowling and those guys would drift as far left as possible and throw from the left hand gutter almost to the right before it hooked back into the pocket. I think some of those guys don't even have a thumb hole drilled in the ball.

When this style first started the guys would have 4 holes drilled into the ball. Eventually the PBA made this practice illegal so that now you can only legally have 3 holes. Some do not use a traditional thumb hole, rather they drill the hole in another part of the ball for balance purposes. The guys in my league get huge hooks, but it appears hard to be accurate from my perspective.

[MudShark22]

I bowled in leagues into my early 40s (54 now). But I had been using a 14lb ball since post college due to shoulder issues.

I definitely do not throw a hook from left gutter like a rainbow. I (would) still start from right half and throw a small hook for the pocket.

[SteveSly]

I broke down and bought a new 14 pound ball today. I bought a Hammer Black Widow 2.0 Hybrid. All reviews on this ball are great, so we'll see what happens.

[Shadow]

I remember one year one guy on the team bought a new ball, I think it cost him over $200. For a couple weeks after buying it he couldn't break 200. He was like 6'4" and 400 lbs with a hand the size of a catcher's mit. So one week after the first game I said let me use that ball, I'll show you how to bowl with it. He is left handed and I am right handed, so it is drilled for a lefty. I have one of the widest thumbs the pro shop ever drilled for so Ray's thumb hole was almost as big as mine. I don't have long fingers so I was really stretching to reach the holes, but I must have gotten locked into the perfect line and bowled a 235. He was pissed as shit and everyone else were laughing their asses off. To make matters worse I used it in the third game and bowled a 205. I used to bowl in the same league with Rick Dashiell. We used to coach the kids on Saturday morning, but if you ever saw his approach you wouldn't want him anywhere near your kid. He had such an unorthodox approach but it worked for him. He was actually pretty good averaging in the low 200's. He even threw a couple 300 games. I do miss Rick, he was a great guy and lots of fun. I had his father for seventh grade math, but Rick and I never met until the late 80's or early 90's.

[Shadow]

I broke down and bought a new 14 pound ball today. I bought a Hammer Black Widow 2.0 Hybrid. All reviews on this ball are great, so we'll see what happens.

When I was bowling they were made around the corner from me. I bought a few of them.

[Vic2012]

Haven't bowled in years. There's an ally not far from me. I'm surprised it's still there (since the 50s or 60s.). Last time I bowled there I took my daughter when she was 8 or 10. She's 30 now.

It's fun. When I retire I might take it up again.

[Lopez]

When I was a yout in Rhode Island, we'd go duck pin bowling once in a while. I've never seen duck pin outside of Rhode Island, though an uncle from New York city once told me duck pin was also bowled in NY. Here in eastern Massachusetts candle pin is the type of bowling most popular. You don't clear away the dead wood (as in duck pin and ten pin). I was on a league for about 15 years. A 100-score game is considered good. When candle pin bowling was on one of the local TV channels on Saturday mornings, some of the participants had averages in the 120 to 130 area. That was considered mighty excellent. My highest average ever was 105 and that was enough to win my league's high-average award at the end of the season (it was a mixed league - men and women). I had my own shoes, but I used the house balls, though for a couple of years one of the ladies on my team let me use hers (they were pink). I had much better luck with those than with the house balls. I miss it, and like you Steve, I don't think my knees could take it any more.

[Shadow]

When I was a yout in Rhode Island, we'd go duck pin bowling once in a while. I've never seen duck pin outside of Rhode Island, though an uncle from New York city once told me duck pin was also bowled in NY. Here in eastern Massachusetts candle pin is the type of bowling most popular. You don't clear away the dead wood (as in duck pin and ten pin). I was on a league for about 15 years. A 100-score game is considered good. When candle pin bowling was on one of the local TV channels on Saturday mornings, some of the participants had averages in the 120 to 130 area. That was considered mighty excellent. My highest average ever was 105 and that was enough to win my league's high-average award at the end of the season (it was a mixed league - men and women). I had my own shoes, but I used the house balls, though for a couple of years one of the ladies on my team let me use hers (they were pink). I had much better luck with those than with the house balls. I miss it, and like you Steve, I don't think my knees could take it any more.

Duckpin bowling was big in Maryland.

[ronmac]

I've been an avid bowler since I was in high school. Nowadays, it costs too much to use anything more than a one-hitter.

[MudShark22]

I've been an avid bowler since I was in high school. Nowadays, it costs too much to use anything more than a one-hitter.

[emoji28]

[SteveSly]

I remember one year one guy on the team bought a new ball, I think it cost him over $200. For a couple weeks after buying it he couldn't break 200. He was like 6'4" and 400 lbs with a hand the size of a catcher's mit. So one week after the first game I said let me use that ball, I'll show you how to bowl with it. He is left handed and I am right handed, so it is drilled for a lefty. I have one of the widest thumbs the pro shop ever drilled for so Ray's thumb hole was almost as big as mine. I don't have long fingers so I was really stretching to reach the holes, but I must have gotten locked into the perfect line and bowled a 235. He was pissed as shit and everyone else were laughing their asses off. To make matters worse I used it in the third game and bowled a 205. I used to bowl in the same league with Rick Dashiell. We used to coach the kids on Saturday morning, but if you ever saw his approach you wouldn't want him anywhere near your kid. He had such an unorthodox approach but it worked for him. He was actually pretty good averaging in the low 200's. He even threw a couple 300 games. I do miss Rick, he was a great guy and lots of fun. I had his father for seventh grade math, but Rick and I never met until the late 80's or early 90's.

I knew Rick was a big bowler, but never actually saw him bowl. I think of Rick often. If he were still alive I most likely would have reached out to him with this question.

[SteveSly]

When I was bowling they were made around the corner from me. I bought a few of them.

[SteveSly]

When I was a yout in Rhode Island, we'd go duck pin bowling once in a while. I've never seen duck pin outside of Rhode Island, though an uncle from New York city once told me duck pin was also bowled in NY. Here in eastern Massachusetts candle pin is the type of bowling most popular. You don't clear away the dead wood (as in duck pin and ten pin). I was on a league for about 15 years. A 100-score game is considered good. When candle pin bowling was on one of the local TV channels on Saturday mornings, some of the participants had averages in the 120 to 130 area. That was considered mighty excellent. My highest average ever was 105 and that was enough to win my league's high-average award at the end of the season (it was a mixed league - men and women). I had my own shoes, but I used the house balls, though for a couple of years one of the ladies on my team let me use hers (they were pink). I had much better luck with those than with the house balls. I miss it, and like you Steve, I don't think my knees could take it any more.

Duck Pin bowling is not a thing here in Michigan. I think there might be a place in the Detroit area, but nothing around where I live so have never tried it. Looks like it would be fun though.

[SteveSly]

I've been an avid bowler since I was in high school. Nowadays, it costs too much to use anything more than a one-hitter.

[progmatist]

I have fond memories of my parents bowling in the early 70s, when I was around 5 or 6. My brother and I would play in the play room with a bunch of other kids. Where there was a film projector showing cartoons. My parents were serious bowlers at the time, owning their own ball and shoes.

[Vic2012]

My fondest memories of bowling:

[Shadow]

I have fond memories of my parents bowling in the early 70s, when I was around 5 or 6. My brother and I would play in the play room with a bunch of other kids. Where there was a film projector showing cartoons. My parents were serious bowlers at the time, owning their own ball and shoes.

I remember one year my parents bowled in a neighborhood league. All the kids ran through the lanes like Banshee Indians. I think my father bowled high game with a 151, this was duckpins.