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Any Serious Bowlers out there?
Hey there folks,
Okay, a little history...it's still winter so some of you don't have much to do but read threads on forums!
I remember learning how to bowl as a young teenager, and my dad actually got me my first personal bowling ball....remember...this was back in the 70's, it was a 16 lb Don Carter Concentrator, that I think was by Hammer. It even came with an instructional manual/guide written by Don Carter on the basics of good form and technique to throw a ball. I was living in Hawaii at this time, and would go to the local mall/alley every Saturday with my allowance and bowl 3 games, have a Big Mac, Fries, Shake. The ball was drilled with full depth finger grip, and so it was mostly a straight ball...I learned the handshake release to try to put a little twist/hook action to it, but just barely. And remember, I'm 6'6" tall, have a 36" sleeve, and so with my push away and full swing, I could get the ball moving quite quickly, and with the 16 lb weight, would get decent pin action/hitting power!
Took it with me while going into the Navy, and while in Japan, joined a league for almost 2 years. Then back in the USA, once a civilian, joined another league near where I worked. I learned about changing the grip to fingertip for better hooking action. Did fairly well, about a 175 avg, and the occasional 200+ game, bowled for some 10+ years until I blew my lower back out in late 90's/ herniated L5-S1, laminectomy, and forgot about the ball/bag/shoes in the locker at the alley! Then 6 years later, neck also herniated at C6-C7, another laminectomy....no fusions, and have since recovered quite well, hence the bike riding/working, etc.!
Fast forward almost 20 years, and am thinking of getting back into it again. My back/neck is still fine, but apparently I'm developing some mild arthritis in my hands....can't make a complete tight fist like I used to, and my right shoulder will talk to me when the weather changes. So...I might have some age related stress in it from the decades of slinging that 16 pounder on my pendulum arm??
I just did a search for bowling ball reviews......GEEEEESUUUUS
I can't believe how many different brands/models there are! I used a search applet on a website where I put in parameters like weight(15lbs), moderate hook action, late in the track path, any price, lane conditions, and of course GREEN. It came up with 3 brands/models:
1) Hammer: Viral
2) Brunswick: Rhino
3) Ebonite: Cylcone
Now I realize asking for folks' opinions on this will be like asking what TIRES to use,
but I've been out of it for so many years, just wanting to hear from other folks who are currently active and hopefully serious about their sport.
I take a fairly big swing both in my pushaway and then on my follow through, and so even without trying to put much muscle into it, the ball does move at a decent speed, so I'm thinking that I may want a material that actually grips better/stronger to overcome the inherent speed that I put into it?? I don't have a lot of real upper body strength, and I want to keep my swing/throw action relatively simple to reduce the variables to try to maintain consistency, but I do want a modest hooking action. I'm hoping that dropping the weight a lb will make is easier on my joints/back, and still provide enough POWER from the ball speed and rolling inertia to get decent pin action and results. BTW, I'm R handed.
Okay, any thoughts, opinions, suggestions regarding what I've said and what I'm hoping to do? Thanks for playing!
T.C.
Okay, a little history...it's still winter so some of you don't have much to do but read threads on forums!
I remember learning how to bowl as a young teenager, and my dad actually got me my first personal bowling ball....remember...this was back in the 70's, it was a 16 lb Don Carter Concentrator, that I think was by Hammer. It even came with an instructional manual/guide written by Don Carter on the basics of good form and technique to throw a ball. I was living in Hawaii at this time, and would go to the local mall/alley every Saturday with my allowance and bowl 3 games, have a Big Mac, Fries, Shake. The ball was drilled with full depth finger grip, and so it was mostly a straight ball...I learned the handshake release to try to put a little twist/hook action to it, but just barely. And remember, I'm 6'6" tall, have a 36" sleeve, and so with my push away and full swing, I could get the ball moving quite quickly, and with the 16 lb weight, would get decent pin action/hitting power! Took it with me while going into the Navy, and while in Japan, joined a league for almost 2 years. Then back in the USA, once a civilian, joined another league near where I worked. I learned about changing the grip to fingertip for better hooking action. Did fairly well, about a 175 avg, and the occasional 200+ game, bowled for some 10+ years until I blew my lower back out in late 90's/ herniated L5-S1, laminectomy, and forgot about the ball/bag/shoes in the locker at the alley! Then 6 years later, neck also herniated at C6-C7, another laminectomy....no fusions, and have since recovered quite well, hence the bike riding/working, etc.!
Fast forward almost 20 years, and am thinking of getting back into it again. My back/neck is still fine, but apparently I'm developing some mild arthritis in my hands....can't make a complete tight fist like I used to, and my right shoulder will talk to me when the weather changes. So...I might have some age related stress in it from the decades of slinging that 16 pounder on my pendulum arm??
I just did a search for bowling ball reviews......GEEEEESUUUUS
I can't believe how many different brands/models there are! I used a search applet on a website where I put in parameters like weight(15lbs), moderate hook action, late in the track path, any price, lane conditions, and of course GREEN. It came up with 3 brands/models: 1) Hammer: Viral
2) Brunswick: Rhino
3) Ebonite: Cylcone
Now I realize asking for folks' opinions on this will be like asking what TIRES to use,
but I've been out of it for so many years, just wanting to hear from other folks who are currently active and hopefully serious about their sport. I take a fairly big swing both in my pushaway and then on my follow through, and so even without trying to put much muscle into it, the ball does move at a decent speed, so I'm thinking that I may want a material that actually grips better/stronger to overcome the inherent speed that I put into it?? I don't have a lot of real upper body strength, and I want to keep my swing/throw action relatively simple to reduce the variables to try to maintain consistency, but I do want a modest hooking action. I'm hoping that dropping the weight a lb will make is easier on my joints/back, and still provide enough POWER from the ball speed and rolling inertia to get decent pin action and results. BTW, I'm R handed.
Okay, any thoughts, opinions, suggestions regarding what I've said and what I'm hoping to do? Thanks for playing!
T.C.
. Imagine by now, keeping ball outa' gutter would be the challenge
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