Ok so the season is now more than half over and I'm still subbing in a league at Eastpointe lanes, won't go back there ever and I would like to find a new home for a while. So if any of you Michiganders know of any good leagues in the summer or winter season or need a sub send me a reply with some info. I'm looking to stay in the Northern suburbs area of Detroit. Just looking for some friendly competition and camaraderie
I've been rolling on PBA / Sport patterns at the training center and want to find a sport or PBA fantasy league to test the average/ skill out under normal bowling environments.

I started to bowl on a tweaked version of the USBC national patterns getting ready for a late June

 appearance with team , hope to start a team/ double concepts matches so that we all have a plan of attack and setup the lanes to our liking in Reno.

    This also seems to be the most asked lessons programs that we offer this month at .

    For all of those that are gearing up for the USBC National, Good luck to all of you who are going and have fun in Reno.

Coach Lou M 

 

      After having some thoughts about bowling in this league again after my last episode, I agree to sub again for my friend's team.
     I travel on down to the bowl and meet my team and warm up before practice, the usual stretching routine legs, arms, wrist, torso and back. I meet the opponents and do the meet and greet thing, hand shakes and the like. A much better start than last week!
     I feel good and roll a few shots to get a read on the oil pattern. Check for length front to back at the foul line, friction from left to right. Start off rolling a few shots with my medium speed and benchmark ball up the 3 different tracks on the lane (4-6, 9-11and 14-16) going parallel up the boards then shooting diagonal across the track zones. . I make a few more moves in practice and try to find the two pin leave so that I can then move right 1and 1 and follow the oil pattern. I settle in on middle to out side track a 9-4 trajectory with medium revs and a more forward rotation with the release "the back ends are very clean and snappy" and have to make sure that the ball doesn't jump only arcs.
     League starts and off we go, I make a few moves 1-0, 2-1 in game one, no opens, clean...237.
    Game two, lanes start to develop carry down and makes the backend push longer, I soften up and move in 3-1 and go around the carry down and change rotation, better look ...247
    Game three, lanes continue to breakdown in the heads. Left lane is on fire and the right stays on pace with my last moves from game 2 ...Ouch. Got to stay focused!
I make a few moves on the left, total amount is now 14 boards (approach) from where I started the night and 4 with the breakpoint. Right lane is only 6 left on the approach and 2 with the breakpoint. Get to the eight frame, left lane..... Strike. Get up in the ninth, right lane ......Strike.  Now I'm thinking about another good set for the night.... no opens, get into the tenth, left lane and I pure this one off the hand,........ Sweet....... feels great in the bones ...............

Through the face :( and I leave the 3,6,10. Get my spare ball out and make the shot...... oops chop the 6-10 off the fence.....214.

Well better luck next time. Plan to work on my game (new year's resolution) getting ready for nationals and few other events this year and have committed to start with spare making. Lesson learned.....LOL

 

       On Thursday night I got prepared to go and sub on my friend's team at Eastpointe lanes in Detroit. I always look forward to bowling with this group of guys when I get the call.
I spend time prepping my equipment for battle that is about to take place between me and the lanes at work. I get to the bowl a little early and see the lane person oiling and cleaning lanes and the approaches and look at the process as I still want to see if I can get some information about how the condition is laid out, length, loads of oil and speed of the machine that kind of stuff. I always keep my distance at the back of the concourse as lane men are funny people and don't like their space invaded, "I used to be one so I have to show respect".

  
    I venture on down to my lanes that I am to sub on and I see one of our opponents getting his equipment out of his bag. I say "hello, how's it going". The response is............ "So you must be the F'n ringer". "My mouth drops as I was blown away by the comment". I get my jaw back up and shut the mouth for a moment and say to the gentlemen, and I use that word lightly. "I' m flattered at the thought that you would honor me as a ringer" and I mentioned "I wish I had that much talent I'd be a Pro". The tension is starting and I thought I would have a nice night "it is the Holidays yea know"!

Now my team starts to stroll in and as we get ready to start practice the other members of the opposing team also get ready and we place our equipment on the ball rack.
"Now here is were all hell brakes loose"
One of the opponents of the other team starts out by welcoming me with a barrage of special racial slurs,......."who's this F'n wet back?       "Go back across the border".       "I'll call the INS on your ass" There team joins in on the fun and laughter on my account.

Now I am not a Mexican or Middle Eastern or a 9/11 terrorist, yea these were all hurled at me, but American of Spanish decent.
    "I just about loose it" and practice is not even over yet. Inside "I am boiling and want to fly off the handle but I don't".
I mentioned to one of them in a very stern voice, that "if this (stuff) [substitute word] doesn't stop I will have to" .............. "I pause for a split moment and remember that I am the coach and have to conduct myself professionally" and say ......"show you how a real ringer gets the job done"!
I proceed to light up the lanes putting more pressure on them to win the fist match.....they loose game one ours!
Second match.... no change in tone of voice, slanders and insults flying around even more and now broadened to the rest of the team and myself. We end up losing by a close margin 30 pins or so.
Final match "we win" and take series and win the half season of the league.

    Now here is were it gets interesting The team we beat is also the "secretary's team" and I would have thought that maybe this person would have had some class as to control the "trolls" that are abusing us and me and conduct themselves in a sportsmen like manner. "Not a chance" and maybe this is one of the reasons that bowling is just going to the hell in a hand basket fast.
     I haven't bowled in a league in three years due to work and teaching internationally, but if this is what we have become as a bowling community, I'll soon leave this league and would hope that all other that have people like these would die off as well.

What are your thoughts is there a place for crap like this? Or is this part of what bowling has become?
Oh by the way I shot .....237,222,247...........sweeeeeet.

 As I wait for Christmas to come for my family and me, I spend my time watching the classic ESPN 300 game show and just wish bowling returned to that era in our sport. Though I know those days are long gone I just wish that maybe under the tree would be the magical box that would return us to that long gone era.  Maybe someone else could recieve that magic of christams under their tree.   :)

      Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and  Happy New year to All

Wishing all of your games are big ones!

Lou Marquez 

 

 

       

 

 

 

    

Wow,
So they finally got informative with a tip of the week and they open up with a tip on recreational bowling and the differences between league patterns and Tour patterns.
I'm kind of glad that they brought back an important part to education for us league bowlers who need help from time to time.
I hope they continue with this and raise a level of awareness that separated the average league bowler scoring potential and that of Professional bowlers. We all win in the end when education is placed in the forefront.

Peace