You should just re-name this thread to "Dear Chus".

I've recently started bowling since my last embarrassment at the CSFMB event.

So I bought a ball, some shews, and I got started.

Ok quetions...

1. When/How do you figure averages? I mean, I know how averages work in mathematics, but like at what point do I toss my early scores in my "official" average? When I started I was barely breaking 100's but now I'm getting over 160 most games. So can I say those first few weeks didn't count or what? What's the official word on this?

If you are just bowling for fun, there really is no official word. Add them all up, and see what you get. Even experienced bowlers have bad games thrown in the mix. I bowled a 180 last night.

2. Why am I getting better as I get drunk? Shouldn't I be getting worse?

Just like any other like activity (darts, bags, pool), you seem to get better until you get to a tipping point, and then you start doing poorly.

3. Can you ever frigging go to open bowl at night and not have flashing lights and teenagers who just run up next to you while you're in approach and just throw the ball or what?

Probably not. That is the crowd that goes bowling after weeknight leagues. Apparently, they need the bells and whistles.

4. What are "respectable" scores for amateurs?

If you just started, and are averaging 160, that is very respectable. Don't worry about comparing yourself to others. Just try to get better. Everybody isn't going to average 215.

3. Can you ever frigging go to open bowl at night and not have flashing lights and teenagers who just run up next to you while you're in approach and just throw the ball or what?

I bowl overhand.

Not really.

The Vernon Hills Brunswick has open bowling all day on Friday (big house, not completely full with leagues).

Cosmic bowling starts around 9:30-9:45, but they have a deal where it's 2 bucks a game after 9 (the lady and I found this out a couple of weeks ago)

Also, keep working on spares and strikes will come.

So that 215 is a goal eh?
See I'm not striking much but I'm picking up my spares pretty well now. Problem is I'm following those fuckin spares with a 5 or a 6 . The process repeats itself. I could have easily had a 190 game if I didn't ROUTINELY leave the 1 3 6 10 or or a 1 5 9 10.

No shit? I'm going there tonight. Open bowl Fridays?

Yep...they have a league that starts around 6:30 from what I noticed. We sat at the BWW on 60 until around 9 and then went over.

Reminds me...
Ok so now I've taken to watching bowling sometimes. There's usually a match on sundays on ESPN. So...
there's there cat who bowls two handed. They kind of talk shit about him. So my question is... what's the deal with that?

Dear Chus:

Found a sweet, 16Lb. starburst pink RHINO PRO(TM) at the flea market, but I'm a bit troubled: do I go with the flat black titanium handbrace, or the silver and teal burnished leather one?

Please advise.

-RollinKitty, Alsip, IL

Fuck. I think I'm going to go there then. Maybe the Bee Duubs too. That's the one right by you know who's house right?

The strikes will come, but if they don't keep picking up those spares. You can get a score into the 170's and not get a single strike.

The Australian kid? Yeah, that's nuts but I guess 2 handed bowling is fairly common over there.

That reminds me... back in the old days, there was a place called Schaumburg Lanes. That shit got torn down when they expanded Golden Acres into Schaumburg Golf Course, And Mecca Tribute. Anyway back then they'd have a few hours a week where you could go "Pick up spares". The machines would generate spares instead of 10pins. And you could practice picking up a game of spares. Does anyone do that still?

I have never experienced that, but it sounds pretty cool.

One drill that I do sometimes during warmups if there aren't a lot of people waiting around is to aim for the 10 pin with your first ball, then throw your strike ball on the second ball (this is for a righty.) The ten won't take anything out on a normal shot, and is usually one of the harder pins to pick up consistently. A missed single pin spare costs you that one pin, and the first ball of your next shot which will be 8-10 pins, so you are looking at a 9 to 11 pin drop in score for every missed single pin spare. Miss two of them and your nice 172 game turns into a ho-hum 152.

Are you trying to hook or just throwin a straight ball? After about five months straight of playing, I was able to get over 180 pretty easily and hit my high of 225 with a hook. After a month off from playing, I fell off and couldnt hit the broad side of a barn.