Your finest sporting moment MKII

[imported_Everlovin_Antichrist]

Pretty impressive record Growler. 22 in a row? shit! lol

I was around a bit in the early to mid '80s, bowling at Liverpool NSW and Fairfield against guys like Chris Batson and a young Fred Allsopp.

I bowled 'till 86 and had to give it up for financial reasons. (KIDS!)

I took it back up early 2000, I had never seen a reactive ball and started back using my Manhattan Rubber which I now use for 7 pins only (Lefty). I use a Revolution Pearl ball now and have a new ball on the way from the States. I forgot the name of it but it's apparently the "new big thing" lol. Hopefully to move my 193 average up a few sticks. I don't have too many balls as the cost is pretty exhorbitant. I love my Manhattan Rubber though, I bowled two 279's with it and my first 700 series with it. I remember in the late '70s there were a few around but these days they're as scarce as rocking horse manure.

I bowled in the Nationals on the weekend at Bankstown (crap centre

), I qualified for the Classic Masters with 598 but the final was on Monday? Whoever decided that needs shooting. I didn't really mind because I struggled there. I made the State Open Masters last year and averaged 203, which I was very happy with.

Good to see another bowler mate, let me know how you're going.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Geez, im going well if i got 140 in a game Remind me never to go bowling with professionals such as yourselves!

But im 99% convinced that Lane 1 (which I always get) at Fairfield bowls slopes to the left. If any of the fine people at Fairfield Bowls are reading this, fix the bloody problem!

Moffo

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

Moffo, I'm pretty sure you'll find lane 1 is the same as the rest.

A tip: Make sure your slide foot is pointing at the pins you're bowling at. What ever direction your slide foot points..........that's where your ball will end up. Timing is essential. Without it, you have no game. Keep your shoulders square to the pins you are bowling at. DO NOT look at the pins when delivering the ball. Pick a mark on the lane. Use the arrows you can see 15 feet up. Each arrow points to the center of a pin. Do not.......do not muscle the ball. Let your arm act like a pendulum. The weight of the ball will control your swing..........and above all........follow through your shot and keep the wrist firm. If you want the ball to hook, keep your thumb in the 10 oclock position and release the ball the same way with your thumb exiting the ball first followed by the fingers. Do not roll your wrist over the ball. Otherwise you might as well be throwing pumpkins.Avoid a 3 finger release. And where ever you can, try and find an Reactive Resin bowling ball. These were originally designed for lower average bowlers. Oh before I forget.......don't bend your thumb inside the thumb hole. Use the flat of your thumb to grip the ball.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

cheers mate, ill try all that out.

The problem i have is that the lanes at fairfield are very poorly maintained, and there is an obvious slant on the first couple of lanes on each side. U would be mistaken for thinking that the lanes were built on the side of a volcano! Id be interested to know what is wrong with the Bankstown lanes as well

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

Unfortunately Moffo some centres are independantly owned and aren't willing to spend the money required. Enormous overheads in running a bowling centre.The fact that Fairfield bowl won't use our services or of my competitors speaks volumes about the management. However, a good bowler will over come any condition presented them.

E.A if you remember Allsopp as a young man, you must be older than me lol.

Chris Batson is probably the best ball driller I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. He is the first driller I ever used that didn't require adjustment to my thumb hole. Bloody brilliant.

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

E.A..............bloody lefty. Like the condition on that side of the lane do you? I bet you do lol. I'll look forward to throwing a few lines with you when I arrive over East.

 

[imported_Everlovin_Antichrist]

Fairfield is an AMF centre. I last bowled there in about '84, nothing's changed lol

Chris drilled my Manhattan Rubber in about '77, it's the only ball that has ever fit perfectly from day one and I still use it today.

I still see Fred fairly often, he's still the lefty stroker he alway was, he just hits the pocket with monotonous regularity these days. Apparently he improved a bit while I was off.

When you come over, we'll sort something out mate.

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

I felt inspired Antichrist. I broke out the old Blue Pulse and Sumo I have still laying around. I miss my Dexters. Can't stand house shoes. I never slide in them. I always have to plant the foot.It was a good feeling thoughthat's for sure.

Now I'm thinking of new gear lol. Much to my wifes horror. I had to promise her a new ball also. She still uses an old Rhino RE.

Have you heard much of Mark Ramsay? He's been rather quiet over the years. I expected big things from him. Maybe it was true........he only has a shot on dry lanes. The year I left QLD, he won the Kool Foam Classic, NSW Open and the South Pacific Classic. He was on fire. Threw huge numbers. During match play in the Kool Foam, he was averaging in the 250's.

 

[imported_Everlovin_Antichrist]

Don't know much about Mark Ramsay mate. I haven't followed the Tournaments and the coverage is bloody awful, nothing anywhere. Plus, I'm still trying to come to grips with reactive balls let alone the damn scores people are throwing.

Two things I noticed on my return.

1. Average bowlers shooting big scores. Up until I quit in '86, the biggest game I had ever seen was my 279. Since the start of 2000 when I came back, I've seen 2 300's, a 299, a 298, a 286 and I've bowled a 280. I watched the 298 on the weekend at the Nationals, thrown by one of the NT Rachuig team. Didn't get me too excited. Back in the late '70's, early '80's, we were lucky to see one 300 a year. If someone had 8 in a row, the whole bowl would stop and watch, nowadays, nobody stops till they're lining up their 12th. Mark Ramsay throwing a 250+ average doesn't surprise me, but if you'd told me that in '81 I would have called for the net.

2. The high 5 thing. I consider myself fairly easygoing but when I walked into Macarthur Bowl to join a League in 2000, I nearly died laughing at the high 5 crap. It took a lot of getting used to. Bring back the Opera clap I reckon.

I did the same as you mate, married a bowler. Smart move. lol

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

A little bit of trivia for you mate regarding Reactive Resin balls......

USA, 1990. 5 million bowlers leave the sport which sends all companies concerned into a tailspin. The sollution they came up with was a ball that would find the pocket easily and have an awesome impact on the pins. The birth of the Reactive Resin bowling ball. In 1991 300 games in the USA jumped by 24,000. However, unlike your Manhattan Rubber, Reactive balls were only good for about 100 - 150 games before you notice a loss of impact. I have resurfaced some balls to the point where the label is no longer visable lol. But after a season it's wiser to replace than resurface. Now there is the cost to consider. If you want to remain competitive with the big boys, you have to be using similar gear.

Remember the Helix? What the #*&% were they thinking? And they had the hide to put a $500 price tag on that lemon. Anyway, the Pros got their hands on them and changed everything. As you would know, what ever the pros use, everybody wants to use. And if you are a cranker, you'll have a pocket 2 feet wide. Ask Billy Gardiner. Now there's a tosser.

Now with scores coming so easily (remember the 14 year old in Alice Springs who threw 300 off a 145 average with someone elses ball) the call has come for heavier pins. Now they're 3.2 to 3.6 pounds. In the future it looks like a 4 pounder will be on the deck. But lanes can be conditioned to supply high scores as well. Particularly if you have top flite bowlers in your centre. You do anything to keep them there. Even blocking the lanes to make it condusive to their game.

Anyhow, there is a brief history on the Reactive Resin ball. With all the negatives, some are absolutely awesome. But you tend to leave very ugly splits when it goes wrong. Not to mention the power of the ball which can leave you feeling devastated. You know it's a good shot as soon as it leaves your hand. The ball sails over your spot. Your in the pocket. There was never any doubt. The pins explode. 10 in the pit. NO! The 9 pin. Cold. Why? The bloody ball doesn't deflect lol. Just drives through the pins.

 

[imported_Kill__The__Wabbit]

You're right. Marrying a bowler was a smart move. I use to practice many hours. It was nothing to throw 100 games a week. Although never scoring. It was more technique and skills training. I doubt my marriage wouldn't have survived otherwise lol.

 

[Willow]

I did get my 250 pin at Sylvannia Bowl in the 1970s. I was in a weekly comp there.
Only go ten pin bowling once a year now but can manage a 140 without too much hassle. Bloody hell... the 250 pin is long gone.

 

[imported_Everlovin_Antichrist]

Thanks for the Trivia KTW. I do know of Billy Gardiner and he's a prat. lol

Bowling has more than it's fair share of them, it's a real ego driven sport.

I noted what you said about 9 pin raps, I have a few 8 pin raps that are a bit hard to take. 7 pins are pretty standard but consistent 8 pins just shit me. I also have found that 7 - 10 leaves from weak pocket hits are not that rare either. It used to be that you had to go through the nose to leave a big4 or a 7 - 10. Also, washouts are commonplace these days.

Willow, if you bowled a 250 at Sylvania in the '70's you could probably average 190+ with 1/2 decent equipment and a bit of practice these days. It's that easy.

 

[Willow]

Mate, I go very ocassionally now with my young kids and they select the bowling alleys which glow in the dark... this is the Gold Coast afterall.

I haven't noticed a great deal of improvement in the lanes. The shoes still don't fit... and I don't have my 14 pounder anymore (lost with my 250 pin I'd say) so I use the alley balls.

I did get over 190 last year but plummetted in the second game to under 130 so I'm well out of touch.