Post by fireside63 on Sept 11, 2008 18:44:38 GMT -5
I was a very good bowler in the early 1960's. First place on my high school team, youngest guy to win best bowler on a 9:30 pm Friday night men's league at the old Fireside Bowling Lanes run by Hank Sophie in Chicago back around 1963.
Then I turned 22 and took to whiskey, women and the Army. There went any possible chance at a pro bowling life. I quit bowling except for a mixed league once in a while just to pick up women not spares.
Flash forward some 40 years. Here I am at 66 with a bug up my butt to return to "serious" bowling. I've now bowled some 100 games in the last few months. In this time, I've seen my chiropractor 20 times to treat bursitis (try bowling 3 games with bursitis in your left hip), a perpetual sore wrist that I encase in 3, yes 3 wrist supports, one piled on top of another (also take Vicodin and a muscle relaxer one hour prior to bowling).
My weapon of choice is an Ebonite "Clash" hook potential of 18, and it weighs 14lbs...God, how insulting to my manhood, a 14lb bowling ball (16 is to heavy for my sore wrist).
It's taking me some 90 games to create my new "old" man's bowling style that consists of 5 compact steps, bending my back forward, ball held low. My ball speed averages 15.0 mph even with a 14lb ball.
Good news...My skills, after a 40 plus year lay off, have come back. Of course, not as free and easy as a young man, but enough not to make a complete fool of myself.
I've been averaging 199 in one house and 175 in another. Yes, I know the new balling balls are "juiced", but I figure that is my reward for bowling with so many aches and pain.
Moral of this story...If you are young and talented, go for it. Don't get sidetracked.
Then I turned 22 and took to whiskey, women and the Army. There went any possible chance at a pro bowling life. I quit bowling except for a mixed league once in a while just to pick up women not spares.
Flash forward some 40 years. Here I am at 66 with a bug up my butt to return to "serious" bowling. I've now bowled some 100 games in the last few months. In this time, I've seen my chiropractor 20 times to treat bursitis (try bowling 3 games with bursitis in your left hip), a perpetual sore wrist that I encase in 3, yes 3 wrist supports, one piled on top of another (also take Vicodin and a muscle relaxer one hour prior to bowling).
My weapon of choice is an Ebonite "Clash" hook potential of 18, and it weighs 14lbs...God, how insulting to my manhood, a 14lb bowling ball (16 is to heavy for my sore wrist).
It's taking me some 90 games to create my new "old" man's bowling style that consists of 5 compact steps, bending my back forward, ball held low. My ball speed averages 15.0 mph even with a 14lb ball.
Good news...My skills, after a 40 plus year lay off, have come back. Of course, not as free and easy as a young man, but enough not to make a complete fool of myself.
I've been averaging 199 in one house and 175 in another. Yes, I know the new balling balls are "juiced", but I figure that is my reward for bowling with so many aches and pain.
Moral of this story...If you are young and talented, go for it. Don't get sidetracked.