My Best Days on the Lanes - 2009

January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009

The Roto Grip Cell

A Strong Finishing Bowling Ball

What makes for a good day continues with the same standards that I used in 2007 and 2008. Those standards are still difficult to achieve and certainly if I could achieve the 250 game, 700 series and 220 average on a very regular basis I would certainly achieve a standard that is truly competitive with the better bowlers of today.

My achievements for 2008 were 100 games of 250 or better of which 25 were better than 275.  I had 36 series of 700 or better of which 10 were 750 or better and there were 35 session in which I averaged 220 or better of which 2 were 235 or better.  There is certainly room for improvement in 2009.  It was a good sign that things are on the improve when I bowled a Sanctioned 300 game on March 5, 2009. I bowled 300 again on July 10, 2009 and still remain hopeful that I will bowl 300 again and have an 800 series to add to my modern day resume.  I have highlighted the special achievements of games over 275, series over 750 and sessions with an average of 235 or higher.  I am also keeping running track of achievements numerically as the year  progresses by putting the number of the 250 game or 700 series or 220 average day in parenthesis.

I look forward to improving on my bowling with the benefits of some weight loss and increased physical fitness providing benefits to my game. I might have a day where I average 250 or better for five or more games and bowl an 800 series and yet another 300 game.  On such days I would feel that I am "Really Alive" as Celine Dion points out.  March 5, 2009 was such a day and so was July 10, 2009.

I bowled 268 to start the New Year in the third game of a five game session.

I bowled the year's first 700 series to close out this 8 game session.

This Senior Monday was good although towards the end of the session, I ran out of steam.  The nine games bowled were 247-213-265-215-279-224-192-189-205 giving me scores for each category. I used the Columbia 300 Momentum 15 pound ball as my first ball all day.

279 (4th)

I worked on follow through and balance and a smaller third step for a better slide.  The 8 games were 225-221-183-218-199-237-243-247.  

I continued to worked on follow through and balance and a smaller third step for a better slide.  This day I got an 11 strike 277 game for my efforts.

I do not need to work past the first three steps of my approach for rhythm. This day I was over doing the overall approach concentration and efforts to follow through. I did start my second game with the front 8 strikes and finished with 268 but my work on my game produced an erratic day.

This time at Fairlawn Bowl, I started by using the 15 pound Columbia 300  Momentum for games of 216-191-202-224 and then continued with the 16 pound Morich 'Nsane LevRG for games of 276-228-257-238-216-201 for a strong day which actually included back to back 700 series.  However I want to record the 761 series so I have recorded the day my way, a day which produced statistics in all categories.

257 (8th)

Senior Special Day produced a good average for 11 games which were 232-247-197-212-204-217-253-204-203-208-245

I until I can learn to throw the real power ball, I am very content to bowl as I did today.  The seven games were 209-214-267-214-233-205-213.  It is a slow early upright stride and full arm extension that is producing these relatively good bowling days.

On Super Bowl Sunday, I bowled 10 games and even with some bad games I averaged 216.  At the end of game 7, I closed the game with 5 strikes in a row and started the next game with the first 8 strikes for 13 in a row.  That game with the first 8 strikes was 265 followed by games of 236 and 254 for a strong end to the day.

254 (12th)

On Senior Monday the highlight was game three which was an 11 strike 279 game with a sweeping 7 pin in the 5th frame. 

This was a good league night with games of 258-198-246. That was my fourth 700+ series in the last four outings.

I averaged 217.1 for 10 games with a solid finish of 258-226-221 for a 705 series in the last 3 games.

I bowled 11 games on Senior Monday which were 202-254-244-223-225-214-268-202-215-189-214 which was an excellent day.

254 (16th) 268 (17th)

202-254-244 = 700 (10th)       225-214-268 = 707 (11th)

I bowled 8 games and averaged 213.25.  The shot was from the corner and I had trouble at first but later I started my sixth game with the first 9 strikes and left and then opened on a double wood for 266.

266 (18th)

I seem to bowl well when I am next to Ansley Holmes. For the last 7 games I averaged 227.71 which was enough to get my day's average over 220.  The eight games were 173-216-246-209-229-222-244-228. I always focus more on my arm extension and shorten my footwork when Ansley is  bowling near me.

I did not bowl over the weekend and on this Senior Monday, I bowled 9 games for a 213.77 average.  Actually only game eight stood out when I bowled 279.  My long string of strikes was 10 in a row over 2 games.

279 (19th)

I bowled 8 games on oily conditions trying to increase the finish of the ball.  Once I got a good rhythm with good arm extension I bowled games of 226-253-225 to accomplish some goals.

I did bowl on Friday but 249 was my high game.  This day I bowled 7 games with a 267 high game. Both days I did average well over 200 and came close to a 700 series but my goals for the list are hard to achieve every time I bowl. 

The highlight of this 10 game bowling day were the series of 226-247-244 for a 717 series.  I moved in even a bit closer to the line and have better balance.

Bowled 9 games which were 204-204-228-245-196-211-234-267-188 which gave me an average of 219.66, a bit short of the 220.00 average goal number.

Bowled 10 games of which the final game was an 11 strike 278 game. I had bowled 8 games and a birthday party Saturday had me moved to another lane.  I adjusted to a corner angle shot where the 11 strikes were all solid. 

My league series was 610 but before the league, I bowled 4 games of which the last three were 236-224-256.

264 (30th) 258 (31st)

Senior Monday was up and down but the high was good and some of the strike runs were also good.  I used the old Hammer No Mercy Beat'n.  The games were 213-154-243-194-279-239-192-226-227 for an average of 218.55. The best string of strikes was 11 in a row and the 279 was an 11 strike game.  There was a run of 18 strikes in 19 frames.

279 (32nd)

After coaching on Saturday, I bowled 7 games which were 247-225-159-229-216-232-258 (10 strike game).  I achieved my daily goals in all categories. Although I feel like I might be bowling better I am behind 2008 in two out of the three categories but the sanctioned 300 is the biggest difference.

258 (33rd)

216-232-258 = 706 (18th)

Bowled 7 games with a 257 last game using an inside line.

257 (34th)

Bowled 7 games with the second game being 256.  The day's average was exactly 213.  A 250 or better game still seems like an achievement for me.

256 (35th)

Bowled 3 league games on a night where we took seven points to move into second place.  My three games of 194-258-224 included a run of 13 strikes in a row which resulted from switching balls from the Hammer No Mercy Beat'n to the Morich LevRG which is the ball I used to bowl 300 five weeks earlier.

258 (36th)

I watched Tommy Jordan bowl the other day and decided to emulate his approach in that I am taking my steps with my knees bent.  It is very strenuous on the knees but I was able to bowl well today in a five game block which was 206-185 with the Roto Grip Cell ball and then 279-223-237 with the Hammer No Mercy Beat'n.

279 (37th)

279-223-237 = 739 (19th)

It is difficult from a physical perspective to maintain the good knee bend and stay down with a Tommy Jordan type approach. Ray Ortense, a friend I've made at Bowler City, helped my stay lower and slower and work on my arm extension today and the result was a day's high game of 257.  I will stick with the major changes to my style as I believe that the positive long term results will come as the strength in my legs develop.

257 (38th)

In my own adjusted way I remain close to the Tommy Jordan changes plus some of the suggestions of Ray Ortense. I often start with a low game because I am a bit stiff  and today began in that way.  My 10 games were 173-256-172-225-258-225-203-244-210-205.  The ball used today was the Cell and the day's average for the 10 games was 217.1.

256 (39th) 258 (40th)

225-258-225 = 708 (20th)

On this Senior Monday I had a green pin strike so bowling was for free. Bowling with many new style changes, I recorded 9 games which were 232-246-204-235-277-231-209-202-203.  I even added a Sean Rash wrist cup to the Tommy Delutz, Tommy Jordan, Ray Ortense, Ansley Holmes influences of my game.  Frankly, it was a very tiring 9 game outing but with good success.

277 (41st)

235-277-231 = 743 (21st)

My game continues to be inspired by others.  Tommy Delutz holding the ball in the off hand push away, Tommy Jordan low stance, Ansley Holmes straight arm push away, Ray Ortense drop right shoulder, Sean Rash cupped wrist, Val Benson move in and slow down and Len Koslov heal toe walk.  So I averaged 219 for 7 games with a strong finish for the last three of a 707 series.

257 (42nd)

203-247-257 = 707 (22nd)

My game continued well tonight in my league with games of 237-200-253 for a 690 effort.  My concentration on all the refinements to my game are going well this week,  My leg strength is gradually getting better.

253 (43rd)

It was hot in the bowling center but with games of 210-266-222-258 what more was there to do, so I stopped bowling after 4 games.

266 (44th) 258 (45th)

It was still hot in the bowling center and I am trying to keep the bowling workout down to 4 to 6 games.  The 5 games for today were 226-200-246-194-234 so I had the one achievement of the 220 average for the day.

During the Senior Monday I bowled 9 games and the best three in a row were 242-268-207. From the 5-5-2009 session to this day I did bowl several 240 plus games but the game over 250 can be tough for me at times.

268 (46th)

After the first three games I was able to finally lock my push away arm like Ansley Holmes and the result were games of 226-246-259 (10 strikes). It took moving slowly to get the rhythm.  It is a very physical thing to do and illustrates just how strong and powerful Ansley really is and he is also a truly beautiful person.

259 (47th)

On this Senior Special day my nine games were erratic although I averaged a bit over 215 with games of 181-202-245-178-179-245-243-258- 211. George Kirby and James Malone asked me to join them in the tough Tuesday Night Men's League and I accepted.  The Tuesday night league had 15 different men bowl 300 games and the high series was Ansley Holmes 823 effort.  Although he bowled only 57 games, our own Tommy Jordan was high average at 241.  I guess I really need to learn to bowl now as I was doing when I had the 746 series today with a great extended arm and slow push away.

Just the thought of bowling in the Tuesday Night Men's League at Bowler City creates a need to up my game.  This day was another day with a 215 average with games of 232-211-205-171-203-233-256-211. The low points were the bad 171 game and the fact that I had 15 strikes in a row at the end of the 256 game and start of the 211 game but ended the day with 3 out of 4 open frames.  Maybe I was a bit tired at the very end.  The highlights were that my rhythm was really very good and throwing 15 pocket strikes in a row.

I had an injury to my knee that might have really been from consumption of Aspartame.  So my return to bowling was delayed about a week and it took a while to get another 250 plus game.  On this Senior Monday, my final game of the day was a 10 strike all in the pocket 258 game for my 50th of the year on a day where I averaged 213.66 for 9 games.

I am having a hard time with my first game and a good rhythm seems to come and go and come and go.  In this 8 game 200 average session I did get a 257 game which was number 250 plus game number 51 of the year.

Bowled nine games on this Senior Monday and averaged an erratic 209.2 with a high game of 256 as the last game.  Using the arrows with my eyes, I was down the lane better and will continue to make that modification.  My high series of the day was 705.

After the first two games I used an exaggerated Athletic Approach.  The days scores were 204-177-252-225-246-217-254-233.  Nobel Energy certainly helped and the day's results put a stop to my recent bowling problems.

252 (54th) 254 (55th)

252-225-246 = 723 (29th)      217-254-233 = 704 (30th)

I have been starting slowly and today was no different.  However, game number five was 300 so the day certainly had big highlight. The six games were 171-182-224-194-300-204 for a 212.66 average.

256 (70th) 267 (71st)

255 (74th)257 (75th)