Well, not back in a league yet, but I took a major step forward today. I had thought from the start of my return that I’d be fully back to form when I had a game over 200. It has happened, and sooner than I expected. In my third game of practice today, I started out with a double, left a 1-2-9 leave that I picked up, shot another double, picked up another spare (this time the 2-4), then had a turkey before leaving the 6-9-10. I had a brain cramp and only knocked down the 9 pin from that leave, but that was really my only big mistake of the game. 218!!! 😀
An earlier sign that I was back to form came in the 6th frame of the second game. In that frame, I left the 5-7 split, but I converted it, my first split conversion since coming back. Summary of the practice: 157-168-218=543
From this point on, with 9 games under my belt since I started practicing regularly, I’ll also be tracking my practice average, both running average for the league season and the last 9 games:
Running average: 150 Last 9 average: 150
Talking shop: The pro shop is usually closed when I am practicing, but the pro shop owner, Ray DiSanto, was in to do some things when I arrived, so I stopped before practice to chat him up a bit while the shop was open. I had told him that I was using my old U-Dot, and he said that ball wouldn’t really cut it on today’s lanes, which he told me were now a synthetic surface instead of the wood I had been used to bowling on. He said a reactive resin ball would be good on the lanes now, and that one can be had for around $100, but that he would have to watch me bowl and look at the track on my current ball before recommending one. I also priced bowling gloves, which are running around $30.
League update: I found the standings sheet for the Friday night TNBA league, but I was dismayed to learn that all of the current teams have a full compliment of 4 persons. My search for a league to bowl in after the holidays continues, but I will definitely join the TNBA league next season.
Final note: Looking at the score sheet I took home, I calculated that if I took it off the sheet in that third game instead of having the open frame in the 10th, it would’ve been a 255, which would’ve been my second-best game ever.
The Tenth Board 