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?

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

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?

4. What are "respectable" scores for amateurs?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

1) whenever you want, and its just the same as any average. Since you have an idea of what you are doing now, you should start now.

2) I generally miss my marks as I get drunk, which means I'll miss more spares. I'll end up throwing more strikes as I get drunk because of a number of reasons, so sometimes my scores are higher.

3) Saturday and Sunday mornings/afternoons. Leagues should be wrapping up soon so you could probably find a weeknight (not Friday) that has just regular open bowling.

4) Nothing wrong with a once or twice a year bowler being happy with scores in the 120s. If you bowl a few times a year, 150s. For you to regularly be in the 155-165 range is pretty good so far.

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Well, I've asked him questions privately. I'm interested in hearing what others know too. Best to reach out to multiple resources, eh?

That being said he'll probably offer help.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I'd like to join a bowling league, but none of my buddies bowl. Last time I was in one (2004), I carried a 178 average, so I'm not shabby.

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-- source

Unless you want to compare yourself to Elmhurst Steve, in which case if you can muster one more mark per game you will be right on his level of "greatness"

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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.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

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.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

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

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

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?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Those are the types of spare opportunities you will have when you throw a straight ball. The ball bounces off of the pins, no matter the weight or velocity of the ball. You need the ball to be turning to blast through the back pins.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

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.

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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.

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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?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Throwing the ball two-handed gets more revolutions on the ball, but it seems silly to me. Some people can make that work. I don't think I could.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

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

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Dear Rollin in Alsip,

That depends on what is more important to you, comfort or look.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Yep

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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?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

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

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I guess you gotta find a place wth manual pinsetters... Was a place in Chicago like that. Maybe called... "Kingpin" or something like that. Its only like 6 lanes.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I've been living literally across the street from a bowling alley for the past 4 years, so you would think I'd be better at it.

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Its now Bluebird.

My Dad bowled in a weekley league there for years. He actually got an award for having the highest average ever there for a league. 226 point something. At the time, it was the highest in the history of Laredo (want to say it was like 1996). Still has the plaque hanging on the wall at home.

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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.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

In practice, I always roll a few at the ten pin with a full rack. That is the one pin spare that I will deal with the most.

I actually left an 8-pin last night. Fucking buried it, and left an 8 pin. It knocked me out of the strike pot, and broke up what would have been seven strikes in a row.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Wife and I have debated getting back into a league. The problem is a lot of the leagues are either ultra-competitive and filled with drunk assholes or they non-competitive and filled with old assholes. Either way there are assholes.

The key I think is to find someone who works at an alley and see if he/she can find you off hours to bowl for free. Seems the best thing is just a lot of practice.

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.

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I'm throwing a straight ball. I'm getting much better at hitting that 1-3 pocket with consistancy.
It's a straight damn shot and I've even got a weird ass backspin on my ball, hooking ever so slightly back to the right.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

If I'm free I'm down to bowl whenever.

Darko you have what is considered a backup ball like I used to and sometimes still do. Go for the Brooklyns!

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