My Best Days on the Lanes - 2008

January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008

The Morich 'Nsane LevRG

A New Generation of Bowling Balls for 2008

What makes for a good day continues with the same standards that I used in 2007. 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.

I consider that if I bowl a game of 250 or better or a series of 700 or better or Average 220 or better during a session, I have achieved some sort of special success for that day's activities. So I am keeping track of those days in this section.  I never want to take for granted, that I have bowled such scores.  I started back bowling in October of  2006 using my old Ebonite Tornado.  By using reactive resin modern bowling balls I finally bowled a game higher than 250 on December 20, 2006.  I bowled my 50th such game on June 19, 2007.  A sanctioned 289 game was achieved March 1, 2007 and a series of 792 was accomplished on May 29, 2007.  I have highlighted the special achievements of games over 275, series over 750 and sessions with an average of 235 or higher. 

I look forward to bowling some games in the 290s and of course more Perfect 300 Games, and achieving a series of 800 or better would be a milestone.  Those are my 2008 goals. Doing either or both under sanctioned conditions would be an extra special achievement. I might have a day where I average 250 or better for five or more games which is another goal.  On such days I would feel like at that moment I am "Simply the Best" as Tina Turner points out.

Returned to Bowler City from Kentucky. Bowled 8 games on Senior's Day.  They were 201-218-225-216-225-300-237-219.  The 300 game had all 12 strikes in the pocket with the last 3 shots all excellent solid strikes.

Good bowling continued today with a strong finish to my 12 games bowled.  The scores were 180-224-249-192-183-227-224-225-214-233-279 (finished with last 10 strikes)-257.

279 (3rd)257 (4th)

233-279-257 = 769 (2nd)

Finally bowled some good games with the new Black Widow Bite including a 278 eleven strike game. Had a run of 16 out of 18 strikes.

I have been reading a lot about the mental game and learning to use the Black Widow Bite and the Morich 'Nsane LevRG. After a poor warm up game (179) and a poor ball selection and finding the pocket entry angle game (172), I settled in with games of 243-232-195-265-216-253 to average 234 for my last 6 games.

265 (7th)253 (8th)

Another good Monday on Senior Social Day.  I am bowling past the point where I get tired but an early effort produced 27 strikes in three games for a 783 Series.

278 (9th)258 (10th)

I have rested and reduced my bowling activities this week as I have felt ill.  I practiced with the Bergen Catholic Bowling Team and had 8 strikes in a row to finish with a 256 game to conclude a good month of bowling.

I was tired today and the lanes were heavy oil conditions. Eventually I got myself more upright and finished with 223-206-267 (8 strikes in a row.)

I put together a good series with a good game.  The 276 game had nine in a row after starting with a spare.  This was my fifth game over 275 so far this year and my seventh 700 plus series of 2008. 

Bowled 7 game. In the fourth games I used the Chris Barnes side ball position with great results. The 279 high game had a very solid 8 pin in the eighth fame with the other strikes mostly very solid and all in the pocket.

279 (17th)267 (18th)

Bowled 6 games which were 223-236-215-199-194-256 making a 6-7 split in the last frame of the last game to achieve goals.

After bowling about 7 games, I made a ball position style change on the advice of professional bowler Tommy Jordan. Games of 216-222-227-257 followed to conclude this 11 game session with new ball speed of up to 16 mph coupled with a powerful driving hook finish.  Thanks TJ.

254 (22nd)277 (23rd)

244-254-277 = 775 (13th)

Still staying with the Tommy Jordan changes and using an exaggerated follow through, I bowled 257-236-179-258-223-235 with the Morich N'sane LevRG ball still finishing well on somewhat oily conditions.

257 (24th)258 (25th)

Now the Tommy Jordan style change has become the style of my new game which has a faster ball speed.  Consistency today for six games which were 212-246-215-207-205-245 once again game me a day with an average above 220 for the third day in a row.

It is always a special bowling day when I can fill my three columns.  My 9 games bowled this day were 185-232-235-213-277-177-200-237-232 including a string of 11 strikes in a row starting at the end of my third game into the start of my fourth game.

I bowled 4 games which were 212-247-236-248.  The four games had no open frames and none of the 28 strikes were out of the pocket. 

I bowled 3 games in my Thursday Night Mixed League which were 244-224-234.  I bowled 6 days this week and each day I averaged 220 or better making this the most consistent week of bowling at a high level in my life.

I bowled 9 games which were 195-194-204-225-237-236-235-226-248.  There were two frames that were bowled on in wrong lanes and did not record but no matter what I achieved another day with a 220 plus average for my seventh straight session.

This 11 game session was 195-185-213-236-200-218-214-218-266-213-197 for a 214 average.  No 220 average today and a 697 best series left me short of 700 for this session but the 266 game saved the day.

This 9 game session was 224-245-185-235-235-247-185-204-279 (9 strikes in a row).  This Senior Social Day got a fill for me in all three columns.

This 5 game session was 214-246-238-213-236.

This 3 game League session of 212-250-191 provided a game good enough to record an event  in one column.

I started to improve the more I bowled and eventually got a good game and a good series out of this day.

The  8 games on this Senior Social Day were 199-245-215-202-202-223-227-257 which filled all three columns.

The  6 game session was 232-217-269-190-216-226. I had 60% strikes with 8 in a row being the best.

Bowling outside of Bowler's City for the first time in a while, I was able to bowl a 266 game with the front eight strikes, a split and a then the last three strikes.

Concluded an 11 game session with 515 (259-256) for the last two games. I had good timing leaning back in my stance in sort of a Jason Couch position but for a right handed bowler.

259 (34th)256 (35th)

Concluded an 11 game session with an 11 strike 279 game. It took 8 games to get my good timing leaning back in my stance a la Jason Couch once again.

This 9 game session included a high game of 258 as the seventh game.

257 (38th)258 (39th)

Returning to the Tommy Jordan style change with a simple cupped wrist position, I had a good 5 game set of 195-213-267-213-258. I used the 15 pound Momentum ball.

267 (42nd)258 (43rd)

For the second day in a row I two good games which were 265 and 258.  This 12 game Senior Social session concluded with a 248 game which showed good stamina. I even got a Green Pin strike and was able to bowl for free.

265 (44th)258 (45th)

255 (46th)257 (47th)

I bowled 9 games including a 743 series using my new Roto Grip Cell ball. Included also was a 278 games with the last 10 strikes.  I started the next game with strike for 11 strikes in a row before leaving a ringing ten pin. So far in 2008 in the first five months, I have bowled 50 games over 250 of which 14 games have been over 275.

I bowled 13 games including a 783 series using my new Roto Grip Cell ball. The series contained 11 strikes in a row before leaving a ten pin which was the close of the 270 and the start of the 235. This was my 30th 700 series of the year and 7 of those were over 750.

270 (51st)278 (52nd)

258 (54th)259 (55th)

During a 10 game session, Len Koslov made some other changes in my delivery.  A lower push away and the continued small steps in the early part of my approached helped produce very positive improvements in my game.

Finished this 16 game session with 223-270-213 including a string of 10 strikes in a row using the Momentum bowling ball. I had not bowled in a week.

Finished this 7 games session with a final three of 706, which was the same as yesterday. I used the Cell bowling ball for the last three using an inside line.

Finished this 11 games session with a final three of 704 bowling outside of Bowler City for the first time in a while. This was my 35th 700 series of the year.

This 10.8 games session (they cut me off) on Senior Social Monday reached a real highpoint in games two, three and four when I put together 29 strikes including 15 in a row. For this year so far, I now have 60 games over 250 of which 16 have been over 275.

This was a seven game session with games of 183-194-224-215-277-212-244.  The 215 game concluded with last 4 strikes in a row and the 277 game started with the front 8 which game me 12 strikes in a row.

Another day of averaging 220 plus.  The 8 games were 243-247-163-247-182-235-201-254. 

This 8 games session had a three game run of 289-236-216. I now have 18 games over 275 this year.

This was an excellent and consistent 7 game Senior Social Day with games 224-224-221-245-237-247-248 using the new Arch Rival.

After two days of swimming for exercise, I returned to the lanes and was able to bowl a 267 game. That game marked my 65th game of the year over 250.

We were only able to bowl 6 games for this Senior Social Day.  I was able to bowl a 255 and I closed out this session with a 226 game with the last six strikes in a row and a 247 game starting with the first five strikes in a row for a string of 11 strikes in a row. 

I bowled nine games and the final three were my best. Bowling a game of 250 or better and a series of 700 is always gratifying for me.  This was my 40th 700 series of the year.

I bowled twelve games and in game ten, I start with the front nine strikes and left a split for a 265 game.

221.57 (27th)

234-237-246 = 717 (44th)

Eastland Bowl, Lexington, KY

My high game was 251 at Eastland Bowl in Lexington, Kentucky during this 6 game session

Eastland Bowl, Lexington, KY

During this 6 game session, I bowled consistently with games of 206-213-238-223-234-216.

These past several days were without highlights but I did bowl a very solid 268 game which might have been a good bit higher without some tough breaks.

This 10 game set was 183-179-188-213-214-245-190-278-228-247. Chris Barnes style elbow in, Tommy Jordan style ball held low and Tommy Delutz, Jr. style spread left hand and keep the ball weight there on the push away,  all combined to get my game back in some sort of order. My high string of strikes was 11 in a row over 2 games.

For the second day in a row, I had an 11 strike game which today was 265.  My long strike string was 10 in a row.  Bending my knees helped me not lean forward to soon. Local pro Ricky Warren pointed out that bowlers should take a stance like they are leaning on a stool.

After starting a game with two open frames I threw nine strikes in a row and the final outcome was 255. I need to examine my stance to improve comfort for better consistency.

I had laser eye surgery the morning and with less than perfect vision I still bowled well on this Senior Monday. The 11 games I bowled were 171-220-246-231-157-224-211-279-184-267-248. My totals for the year are 93 games over 250 of which 24 are over 275 and 55 series of 700 or better and 34 sessions of 220 or better.

I bowled my 94th game over 250 and 700 series number 35 today as I continue to bowl good scores with the very slow and short early steps.