I try not to use the lede of this blog as a personal venting forum, but it seems like it has been like that lately. I hope in the end that there is a moral to the story and the reader understands it accordingly. When I was in what I guess was the prime of my bowling career, I was around a 182 average. I never veered from it, never scoring too low, but never getting that big game or series. Frankly after a while, it became sort of boring. I was never hurting my team but it had seemed like I flatlined.
After finding my game last year and reeling off a bunch of good weeks this season, lately I've struggled. Same thing, I'm not throwing many clunkers, but yet I can't seem to break off a huge game. After another average night, I sought the help of one of my bowling advisors, Don Clayton. What he told me was equal parts shocking and enlightening.
During my last go around with bowling, the thing was to release the ball with the thumb as your guide, pointing toward the pins and the fingers guiding the ball with the finger tips providing the torque on the ball. My wife had told me a few weeks ago that Don told her to release the ball like you were throwing a football underhanded. I figured maybe that was a technique he found that suited her best. During our talk, Clayton told me to do the same thing. I tried it for a game, felt comfortable with it, but I'm nervous to see what it is going to do to my game as I get used to it.
I knew the game of bowling had changed in technology used for balls and that some people have gone full Jason Belmonte. I had never realized I'll have to change the way I've released a ball since 1986. Wish me luck, maybe sometime I'll nab one of the three stars.
Onto the bowling and of course the Three Stars:
Monday Night Gutterdusters
Lucky Balls sweep Meadow Ridge
1. Jamie Kelly- Lucky Balls. 489 scratch, 636 handicap series.
2. Crystal Waas- Lucky Balls. 479 scratch, 629 handicap series.
3. Tracy Cortez- Lucky Balls. 509 scratch, 617 handicap series.
Gillen Masonry sweeps Low Expectations
1. Pat Wilker- Gillen Masonry. 544 scratch, 661 handicap series.
2. Noah Carlson- Low Expectations. 590 scratch, 698 handicap series.
3. Charles Kryzer Jr.- Gillen Masonry. 601 scratch, 655 handicap series.
Lucky Strikes top Fox Lake Farms 5-2
1. Bryan Lorenzen- Lucky Strikes. 459 scratch, 639 handicap series.
2. Amy Luckow- Fox Lake Farms. 440 scratch, 629 handicap series.
3. Jayda Stadler- Lucky Strikes. 352 scratch, 607 handicap series.
Gillen Farms defeat No Name 5-2
1. Whitney Ordal- Gillen Farms. 459 scratch, 618 handicap series.
2. Patti McDonald- Gillen Farms. 425 scratch, 614 handicap series.
3. Cameron Gustafson- No Name. 460 scratch, 613 handicap series.
In two weeks of awarding stars, 20 different bowlers have earned a star.
Monday Night Gutterdusters standings
Monday Night Central League
Our Place on 3rd dominates Faribowl 28-2
1. Mike Gandy- Our Place on 3rd. 620 scratch series, 740 handicap series, three points.
2. Donny Clayton- Faribowl. 674 scratch, 722 handicap series (had misfortune of bowling against Gandy)
3. Nick Fette- Our Place on 3rd. 529 scratch, 694 handicap series, four points
Midwest Collision took 13 of 30 bowling against their averages
Signature defeats Tom's Pro Glass 21-9
1. Kyle Voegele- Signature. 652 scratch, 727 handicap series, three points
2. Courtney Schleis- Signature. 611 scratch, 689 handicap series, three points
3. Dan Korbel- Tom's Pro Glass. 630 scratch, 693 handicap series, two points
Monday Night Central League Standings
Tuesday Coffee League
Happy Gals defeated Retruned A's 3-1, IBS swept Bowling Bags
1. Don Clayton- IBS. 676 scratch series.
2. Mary Richie- IBS. 470 scratch, 626 handicap series.
3. Jean Bronnenberg- Happy Gals. 488 scratch, 617 handicap series.
Tuesday Night Coffee League Standings
Tuesday Night Merchant League
DeGroot Construction defeated Bashers 23-7
1. Del Spronk- DeGroot Construction. 672 scratch, 750 handicap series, three points
2. Ron Burr- DeGroot Construction. 680 scratch, 713 handicap series, four points
3. Brian Pleschcourt- Bashers. 636 scratch, 678 handicap series.
Mid State tops Old Town Tavern 21-9
1. Alex Reyes-Lehrer Mid State. 741 scratch series, four points
2. Jake Kaplan- Mid State. 513 scratch, 744 handicap series, four points
3. Jordan Von Ruden- Mid State. 649 scratch series, three points
Roehrick Painting over Elks Lodge 18-12
1. Ed Roehrick- Roehrick Painting. 598 scratch, 718 handicap series
2. Tom Kuntz- Elks Lodge. 515 scratch, 731 handicap series, four points
3. Adam Rothen- Roehrick Painting. 541 scratch, 676 handicap series, three points
Cry Baby Craig's shattered Tom's Pro Glass 25-5
1. TJ Krause- CBC. 713 scratch series, four points
2. Colby Ordal- CBC. 643 scratch, 757 handicap series, four points
3. Eddie Gruber- CBC. 695 series, four points
Nomad Adventures defeat Depot 24-6
1. Dave Schmitz- NA. 623 scratch, 707 handicap series, four points
2. Jerry McDonough- Depot. 541 scratch, 727 handicap series, four points
3. Scott Finstuen- NA. 615 scratch, 684 handicap series, four points
Champion's Pro Shop defeated Story Equipment 21-9
1. Courtney Schleies- CPS. 655 scratch, 751 handicap series, four points
2. Ed Mahagnoul- CPS. 667 scratch, 736 handicap series, three points
3. Bob Koch- Story Equipment. 602 scratch, 731 handicap series, three points
Faribowl defeated AP Insurance 19-11
1. Bryce Ludwig- Faribowl. 628 scratch, 724 handicap series, four points
2. James Rogers- Faribowl. 658 series, four points
3. Jamie Bauer- AP Insurance. 604 scratch, 685 handicap series, three points
Wednesday Night Mixed
Pin Pals top New Team 5-2
1. Rebecca Angell- Pin Pals. 357 scratch, 618 handicap series
2. Michael Goeing- Pin Pals. 451 scratch, 613 handicap series.
3. Marty Heimer- New Team. 540 scratch, 612 handicap series.
The Whoevers defeat Waffle Stomp 5-2
1. Emily Whillock- The Whoevers. 533 scratch, 671 handicap series
2. Whitney Ordal- The Whoevers. 448 scratch, 634 handicap series
3. Terri Jarvis- Waffle Stomp. 403 scratch, 616 handicap series.
Better Than Charles over Bowl Shyt 5-2
1. Sheri Borgstahl- BTC. 581 scratch, 671 handicap series
2. Dianna Kryzer- BTC. 516 scratch, 634 handicap series
3. Tom Mitchell- Bowl Shyt. 563 scratch, 617 handicap series
Wednesday Night Mixed Standings
1. Bowl Shyt 19-9
2. Better Than Charles 17-11
3. Waffle Stomp 15-13
4. The Whoevers 12-16
5. Pin Pals 11-17
6. New Team 10-18
Notes:
Word is that after a two year absence the Super Bowl Sunday Doubles No Tap Tournament will be returning to Faribowl on February 12th, time to be announced. I can remember the Super Bowl No Tap tournament being a huge deal back in the 1990's. It was a full house of bowlers before heading to their bar of choice for the game. Hopefully Bashers can lure in a full house of bowlers to stick around to watch the Super Bowl too. It should be a fun day.
I have to thank Brenda Probst for scouring through the archives of Facebook to find a picture of Faribowl in its younger days when it was still known as The Bowling Center. I'd love it if someone could conjur up some old pictures of Schaffers/Peterson's/ Johnson's.
My video of the week was a part of my childhood. In the early 1980's a staple of Saturday morning TV was Bowlerama on KMSP Channel 9. Bowlers would qualify at their local alley for a chance to be on the show. The first objective was to knock down a five pin for a Schmidt Beer Cooler, then a baby split, followed by a strike and the "big split" which I belive ewas the 5-7 or 5-10 split that won the big prize, a new TV or VCR!! It wasn't a bad deal if you missed the five pin as you still went home with a Red Lobster dinner for two certificate. I wish these kind of shows were still around.
Until next week, good luck and good shooting.
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