Just found this forum, looks like a great place.
As an older guy, and someone that is new to bowling, it's been an interesting journey
Except for a few times when young, my first bowling experience was five years ago. Since that time, I've been on a couple of fun leagues, and now entering my third year of sanctioned leagues. I've changed my bowling "style", if you can call it that, at least 8 times since 3 years ago. Starting as a straight grip it and rip it bowler, I wanted more.
I'm determined to get to my goal before I'm 80. It wasn't until last year that I started to really seek out help in this game, which started at the ball level. After 2-3 terrible results due to drilling, I started to read more about it, and became very aware of the right Feel of the ball and hand positions. This year marked my very first year of actually looking at the arrows, not the pins.
I discovered something after six months of trying so very hard to get into the right position of release at the line. There simply is no way I'm ever going to properly get my fingers to rotate the ball, unless I become very familiar with the old fashioned suitcase delivery. I started that in Friday night league, and it was consistent enough to give me a 589 series. I'm still learning to adjust to changing lane conditions and all that. My biggest problems have been with a thumb that changes sizes every game.
A new revelation, to me, occurred yesterday at a Storm Matchmaker event. They used finger and thumb inserts so we could try out all the various balls. The big revelation for me, was that at no time did I have an issue with my thumb coming out of the ball properly. I threw approximately 70% strikes once I found the right ball. Amazing for me, since I'm so inconsistent my average is still a 165 now.
I took out my recently purchased Freight Train, just as a comparison. My thumb immediately stuck in that ball, MY own Ball! I went back to the Storm ball, and all was good again. I was there for over 3 hours, discussing what happened, and why.
So my quest to get my equipment to feel right continues. I bought a new Storm Lucid. The experts decided that the problem was not really the ball, but the drilling. The span in my ball is just about 1/8 to 1/16th too much, as compared to the Storm test balls I rolled. So my Freight Train will be refitted with an oval thumb, and span corrected. I'm changing the finger tips to a more supple tip. The new Lucid ball will be fitted with a normal thumb (oval), and not a replaceable insert as I now use.
My first reaction to all of these new changes was to request the test ball AS IS, give me it. LOL It's the only setup I've ever been able to roll the ball with where I didn't have to think about it. I'm by no means an equipment freak, and detest having to tinker with equipment, or worse, keep buying new ones. So I add another ball to my collection of two Hammers, a Brunswick and a new Freight Train. My first test of the new fingertips will be Wednesday. We will discuss both the span and the entire setup of the Lucid next week.
Never in my life did I envision that bowling could be so complicated, or addictive.
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