The FOFC Bowling Thread

[Poli]

I bowled a 124, pumpy. Suck it.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Poli

I bowled a 124, pumpy. Suck it.

You:bowling center::card counters:casino

"Poli, you are too good for this game, but you are welcome to play the candy grabber machine in the corner."

[Poli]

Don't be jealous.

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Poli

I bowled a 124, pumpy. Suck it.

Until you can bowl your 124 by striking out in the 10th, you're nothing.

[gstelmack]

Took my almost-5-year-old son bowling Saturday (daughter had a bowling birthday party) and he eschewed those nice ball-rolling-ramp-thingies in favor of flinging the ball down the lane Daddy-style. It was fun watching him take an 8-pound ball (he's around 40-45), hold it in the crook of his right arm, left arm cradling the front, stand at the base line, go running up and right before the foul line stop and fling it down the alley. He rarely got much velocity, and as he started getting tired it was hitting the bumper closer and closer to the foul line, but he was leading me through about 5 frames due to my complete lack of recent experience (I could not for the life of me remember how to slide and instead kept getting my front leg planted).

I did manage to break 100 on my first game, and had a good string going in the second game (was over 90 after 5) before my arm got tired and I started leaving opens again, so ended with around a 150 in the second. But my son just had a blast, jumping up and down, laughing, and thoroughly enjoying himself.

[duckman]

You're on notice, Pumpy: Kamron Doyle, 12, youngest to win cash in PBA event - ESPN

[Pumpy Tudors]

Damn. I fucked up my championship match and cost our team the title. I feel like a guy who missed his free throws with no time left on the clock. And a 12-year-old could kick my ass, apparently.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Good news: Last night, I bowled a 193 on the Dick Weber Open oil pattern. It's the best I've ever shot on a challenge pattern.

Bad news: I shot 128 on the Cheetah, which is supposed to be the highest-scoring challenge pattern out there.

Good news: I shot 182 on the Shark, which is a pattern that doesn't really suit my game at all.

Bad news: Pushing the ball through the challenge patterns now has my ball oil-soaked to high heaven.

Good news: Summer league starts tonight, which is always fun.

Bad news: I tore the hell out of my thumb again while practicing on the challenge shots last night, so I'll need to glue it shut and get out there.

Good news: I'm bowling tomorrow night for practice, Friday for my winter league's no-tap tournament, and Sunday for a charity tournament.

Bad news: I'll have to glue my thumb shut three more times after tonight.

Good news: Summer league really is fun.

Bad news: There are at least two middle-aged women in the league who are in love with me, and they haven't seen me since August. It will be hard to bowl when they're trying to pull my pants off.

Good news: Once the pants are off, the bowling will be fine.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Bad news: There are at least two middle-aged women in the league who are in love with me, and they haven't seen me since August. It will be hard to bowl when they're trying to pull my pants off.

Good news: Once the pants are off, the bowling will be fine.

Sounds like Pumpy Season is now officially open.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm officially nervous. Tomorrow is my first appearance in a PBA Experience league. Twelve weeks, four PBA oil patterns, head-to-head competition every single match. Tomorrow is the start of three straight weeks of the Cheetah pattern. It's the shortest of all PBA patterns, and the only way to succeed is to play near the gutter. It does not suit my game at all, but I'll be bowling four matches tomorrow night against four different opponents. Then I'll have to do it all again for the two weeks after that.

Heaven help me.

[DeToxRox]

what

[Pumpy Tudors]

something about bowling i don't know

[PackerFanatic]

Fall season starts up in two weeks! Huzzah!

I had looked at getting a new ball over the summer, but the money just didn't fall into place. We have a new fifth bowler this year and he is pretty excited about bowling with us, so hopefully we can turn around from our second-to-last place finish last year. Just excited to get back on the lanes

[Pumpy Tudors]

Good luck, PackerFanatic!

I need bowlers for my winter league. We will have 4 bowlers per team, and we have 25 bowlers right now. Either we convince somebody to drop out, or we need to find 7 more bowlers within a week. I know a guy who's been on the fence for two months now. I'm hoping he bowls. I have phone numbers for 6 other people, so I will call them tonight and see what they say. I have a feeling that we're pretty much going to be fucked, though. What a way to start my term as league president!

[Alan T]

Fall season starts for me in a week!

My team finished second place in the second half of last year's season which was the best we've done in a few seasons. I ended up with a 144 average (which is pretty close to what I've had the past few seasons).

I didn't bowl more than twice I think since last year's season ended in May, so we'll see how bad I am this year

[Pumpy Tudors]

Good luck, Alan T!

And an update from Tudors:

My league started last week. My stats are linked in my signature. I need to roll off for this Friday, as I will be out of town over the Labor Day holiday. My goal last year was to bowl at least one 600 series (I ended up with 4) and to carry a 180 average (I ended at 185). As I was well ahead of both goals, I need to aim higher this year. So I'm stating them now:

At least one 700 series
A 190 average

I'm not off to a great start, but it is a long season. There will be plenty of opportunities.

I also subbed for another league at a different house last night. The house was an absolute dump. I shot 515, and I feel lucky to have hit that. The place would probably have been considered classy back in the '70s, but I wasn't too keen on it. It was a very compressed space. It had 20 lanes, but the area was smaller than my normal house that only has 16 lanes. Obviously, the lanes were regulation size, but people were bumping into each other in the seating area all night. Add that it was hot as hell, and it wasn't good at all. I will probably need to sub for them a few more times this season. I may start tracking those stats, too, since it is a sanctioned league.

Good luck to all bowlers this season. I want to read some good stories!

[Pumpy Tudors]

Urgh. I am subbing at the dumpy bowling center again. And stupid me, I dressed in black today. I'm going to melt tonight.

[PackerFanatic]

Bowled my best game ever tonight - a ridiculous clean-game 234. Never shot a 200 in my life but I was raking in my first game of the night. Unfortunately, it was the first game, because I couldn't keep my nerves down after that, only finishing with a 486 series (really close to my high series all-time too). But for a guy that has a 131 avg. at the start of the night, that's pretty awesome

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

Bowled my best game ever tonight - a ridiculous clean-game 234. Never shot a 200 in my life but I was raking in my first game of the night. Unfortunately, it was the first game, because I couldn't keep my nerves down after that, only finishing with a 486 series (really close to my high series all-time too). But for a guy that has a 131 avg. at the start of the night, that's pretty awesome

That is epic! Congratulations on the 234!!!

[TCY Junkie]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

Bowled my best game ever tonight - a ridiculous clean-game 234. Never shot a 200 in my life but I was raking in my first game of the night. Unfortunately, it was the first game, because I couldn't keep my nerves down after that, only finishing with a 486 series (really close to my high series all-time too). But for a guy that has a 131 avg. at the start of the night, that's pretty awesome

Screw you, my best game is 212. I did average 135 when I first started bowling last summer but now got it up to 170. Bowled a 545 my second highest series ever Wednesday. My high series is 568 now. Been bowling much better as I kinda got a routine down the last few weeks when I approach the balls, not all of it pertains to bowling.

[PackerFanatic]

That's what usually gets me (the non-bowling related head games, heh). I still do need to get a new ball so I can actually get some curve and decent pin action, but I am usually decent at hitting my mark or at least releasing at the same point - as long as my head doesn't get in the way, heh.

And thanks Pumpy

[Pumpy Tudors]

Last week, I bowled my first 600 of the season (a 625) and raised my season average by 4 pins in the process. Dating back to the previous week, I've now bowled 4 consecutive games over 200 in league play. I also did a practice series over the weekend, and I put up a 618. I feel like I'm hitting a groove. I'm reading the lane better than I have all year, and I'm making the necessary adjustments. I think my experience of bowling on PBA lanes this summer is finally paying off. I'm learning the right moves to make, and I'm making them quickly. It is never cool to waste frames, and I'm finally figuring that out.

I have to roll off for this week as I have plans this Friday night, so I'll get my 3 games in on Wednesday or Thursday and see if I can keep the streak of 200s alive.

[spleen1015]

That was one of the things I always struggled with PT. I would always adjust 2-3 frames later than I should.

[OldGiants]

Started the season even more erratically than last season. We bowl two games in the teachers' league, and I have been 150 or so in one game and 100 in the other every night.

Is it possible to bring in a hand gun to blast the ten pin? A little one do, a mere derringer.

Of course I would likely take out the seven pin in the next lane instead.

[Glengoyne]

I've changed bowling centers this season. The new place is actually quite an old and fairly run down place, but they take good care of their equipment. So the "business end" of the alley is in great shape. The thing that sealed our involvement with this center is free child care for league members. Last year the wife and I would spend $30 a week for bowling, but then throw down another $40 or $50 for child care.

This new place is a Brunswick center as opposed to AMF, and as I was told by my fellow bowlers, I have added a good 15 pins to my average since moving over. Whatever the difference is, it is quite notable. I'm up to a 160 average, and bowled my best ever in a sanctioned league 567 series this last week.

The league is quite different, one of my team-mates from last season is in this league as well, on a different team however. He was the best bowler in last year's league, and we finished second overall. He carries about a 200 average. In this new league, he isn't even in the top ten bowlers. A number of folks are carrying 230 or better averages. My team is getting a ton of pins every outting, but we're getting drubbed most weeks. It is looking to be a long season.

[Glengoyne]

Have to bump my own post. A new personal best this week. Three two hundred plus games(224,250,213) for a 687 series. I'm torn between being ecstatic with my first ever 600 series, and throwing away a 700 series by opening the eighth and ninth after opening with six strikes in seven frames. This week that was good enough to net us three out of four games. Actually that is three out of four for two weeks in a row, ending a LONG dry spell.

These last few weeks are going to my head. This month at least, I could bowl with Pumpy.

[TCY Junkie]

Pumpy never visits Houston for bowling or at least lets me know, anyway congrats Glengoyne.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by TCY Junkie

Pumpy never visits Houston for bowling or at least lets me know, anyway congrats Glengoyne.

i'm on my way

wait outside for me

[TCY Junkie]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

i'm on my way

wait outside for me

Outside one of the two airports or one of the plethora of bowl alleys?

Got my average of 165 tonight the first game. I worked it up to 170, but sometimes I just don't enjoy bowling with a bunch of old people. Had to be my worst series since I started bowling. Jumping on the trampoline over the weekend with my nephew must of made my jeans weak. I noticed them splitting in the second frame of the second game. I thought they would last the night but I was wrong kind of. I stopped following throw and then I said the hell with it after a few frames of crap, but I got my approach of and then I was just jerking the ball, I couldn't get nothing to feel right. It was funny but wasn't. 84 and 84. Hopefully I bowl better when I get some new jeans, it's distracting when you grab your ball and you get a blast of air.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Always blaming the jeans.

And outside the airport.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by TCY Junkie

... it's distracting when you grab your ball and you get a blast of air.

None of the stock smileys seem appropriate in reply.

Back on Topic. 84. The inconsistency I had in my first couple years bowling brought on a number of sporadic low scores. I'm sure that I've bowled sub-100 in the past year. back to back is rather impressive however. The 84 specifically reminds me of a game where after posting an 84, my team mate, who had just put up a 230 something, looked at me and said "You scored 84 with two spares. That is actually pretty hard to do."

Better luck next week, and know that I'll be adding "check pants" to my list of pre-bowling procedures.

...There's the smilie I was looking for.

[PackerFanatic]

Bowled my first 500 series last night in our position round - a 542! I was on from the 6th frame of the first game on - I put up a 7 in our beer frame in that game, and everyone else struck. So I was feeling disappointed I didn't strike as well, so I ran 5 in a row after that. Finished with a 198, and it didn't go too far down hill after that. 174 and 170 to finish the night (remind you, my current average is 136, heh). So it was a great finish to the first half of our season - even if we did take last Things start fresh after the new year, so I hope I can continue my upward swing!

[OldGiants]

Congrats on the 540 series!

If it weren't for my 'No Tap' 230 games this week, I'd be having a miserable season. Far too many splits with two pins wiggling and deciding they'd both better stand up.

OTOH, we are in second place and face the first place team after the Winter Break.

[PackerFanatic]

Thanks

I wish I could say our team was doing well too - but we had a miserable first half. We had about a 4 week stretch where we went 2 - 5 each week - then followed that up with back-to-back 0fers. With how well I have been coming along and how well our newbie has been coming along, I am hoping we can get some consistency together in the second half. I mean, it's fun to hit personal goals and everything, but its even more fun to roll for a title as a team

[TCY Junkie]

I went to throw the ball like 3 hours ago and people behind me said it would have been a youtube clip. The ball was slipping out of my hand when I was going back and it was all I could do not to throw it backwards. It went straight up in the air. It wasn't like I struggled with it for a second, it happened in a flash. Went about a foot over my head and then straight down. All the spin on it from the two fingers I had in it after my thumb left the hole made it go straight to the right when it hit the ground.

My dad said he thought the ball was going to come backwards or even hit the table 15 feet back. Mention he would have thought I would have been scared it would have hit me, but I could tell it wasn't going to when it left my finger tips. Notice I didn't say let go, it was instantaneous. I thought when it left my fingers it might get up to head level but it went almost a foot above me others said. Damn I wish I had this on tape.

[Pumpy Tudors]

TCY Junkie gonna kill himself on the lanes. Calling it now.

I'm on a roll lately. Check out my 2010-11 stats in my sig. At least one 220+ game every week for the past 4 weeks. I've bowled at or above my average for 12 weeks in a row, and I've raised by average by 15 pins in the process. Granted, I was way below my regular average before that, but this is still quite a run.

Sadly, I'm nursing an injury as of Monday night. I have a bad hip. I don't know what happened, but it is probably the worst pain I've felt in years. I don't know whether I'll be able to bowl effectively this Friday. Can I bowl? Yes. Will bowling make the injury worse? Maybe. I'm going to hit an urgent care center tonight to have them check it out. I'm hoping that it's nothing serious. I have a fan club waiting for me at bowling tonight, and I've already warned them that I probably won't be able to see them. I've already gotten multiple Facebook messages and text messages on my phone with fans begging me to show up tonight, even if it's just to say hello. Next thing you know, they'll come to my house and beg me to bowl just like the Vikings talked Brett Favre into coming back last year.

This is what my life has become.

[PackerFanatic]

I want to be Pumpy when I grow up.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I just had a couple of awkward moments on the phone with a teammate. My wife and I have been on a team with a married couple. The four of us won the season's first half, and we're three weeks into the second half. We're guaranteed a spot in the championship match at the end of the season, but if we win the second half, we win the championship automatically. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Here's where it gets screwy.

Last week, our teammates didn't show up to bowl. They usually call if they're not able to make it. It was just one week, though, so it wasn't a huge deal. Today, the woman called me. She explained that she was in the hospital last week, but she is feeling better and she expects to bowl tonight if the weather isn't too bad. I told her that it was OK if they couldn't make it. If she's not feeling up to bowling or if the weather is too bad, they could sit out another week and come back next week. That's when she dropped the bomb on me. She and her husband split up. She has absolutely no idea if he's going to bowl for the rest of the season. I now have the uncomfortable task of asking her for his cell phone number (assuming he even has a cell phone) so I can find out if he's coming back. If not, we'll get by. If he is coming back, my wife and I will be in the position of bowling alongside a couple that just split up in the past two weeks.

Awkward.

[Lathum]

ugh

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I just had a couple of awkward moments on the phone with a teammate. My wife and I have been on a team with a married couple. The four of us won the season's first half, and we're three weeks into the second half. We're guaranteed a spot in the championship match at the end of the season, but if we win the second half, we win the championship automatically. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Here's where it gets screwy.

Last week, our teammates didn't show up to bowl. They usually call if they're not able to make it. It was just one week, though, so it wasn't a huge deal. Today, the woman called me. She explained that she was in the hospital last week, but she is feeling better and she expects to bowl tonight if the weather isn't too bad. I told her that it was OK if they couldn't make it. If she's not feeling up to bowling or if the weather is too bad, they could sit out another week and come back next week. That's when she dropped the bomb on me. She and her husband split up. She has absolutely no idea if he's going to bowl for the rest of the season. I now have the uncomfortable task of asking her for his cell phone number (assuming he even has a cell phone) so I can find out if he's coming back. If not, we'll get by. If he is coming back, my wife and I will be in the position of bowling alongside a couple that just split up in the past two weeks.

Awkward.

I recall you having another bowling buddy that you liked very much and he liked you very much. Maybe he could be the replacement?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

I recall you having another bowling buddy that you liked very much and he liked you very much. Maybe he could be the replacement?

oh shi

[TRO]

I just found out last week that the new bowler added to our team is one of only 3 bowlers to ever shoot a sanctioned 800 series after the age of 80. And he did it his first week back after recovering from pneumonia!

He currently is carrying a 209 average as our leadoff bowler at the age of 82. Pretty awesome guy to boot.

[Pumpy Tudors]

It looks like one of my teammates is just out of the picture. I don't think the husband is coming back. The couple bowled together in another league, and he just stopped showing up to that one. She's going to keep bowling with us, so after next week, we're going to just take a vacancy for the rest of the year and bowl as a three-person team. No big deal.

I just bowled my highest series of the season, a 665. I also bowled a 258 in there which is my highest game of the season. My average is up to 190 for the first time ever. I don't know how I'm doing so well this season, but I'm not complaining. What's funny to me is that I've only bowled all three games over 200 once this year. I've got 7 series of 600+, but only once did all three games get over 200. Again, though, no complaints. It's a great season so far.

[Danny]

I joined my first bowling league in 12+ years about 10 weeks ago. I bowled a ton when I was a kid until about age 15 and then had only bowled maybe a a half dozen times in the past 12 years.

I started off the league ok (averaged 167 the first week), but have improved my average every week and am currently averaging 202. It's amazing the way muscle memory works as even all those years off and my body still knew what to do. I've actually avered around 220 the past 5 weeks, so hoping I can get my average up to 210 before the season is over.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Danny

I joined my first bowling league in 12+ years about 10 weeks ago. I bowled a ton when I was a kid until about age 15 and then had only bowled maybe a a half dozen times in the past 12 years.

I started off the league ok (averaged 167 the first week), but have improved my average every week and am currently averaging 202. It's amazing the way muscle memory works as even all those years off and my body still knew what to do. I've actually avered around 220 the past 5 weeks, so hoping I can get my average up to 210 before the season is over.

Wow, great job! I feel like I'm losing it if I go even two weeks without bowling. Good luck getting the average up to 210. Sounds like you certainly have it in you.

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I just had a couple of awkward moments on the phone with a teammate. My wife and I have been on a team with a married couple. The four of us won the season's first half, and we're three weeks into the second half. We're guaranteed a spot in the championship match at the end of the season, but if we win the second half, we win the championship automatically. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Here's where it gets screwy.

Last week, our teammates didn't show up to bowl. They usually call if they're not able to make it. It was just one week, though, so it wasn't a huge deal. Today, the woman called me. She explained that she was in the hospital last week, but she is feeling better and she expects to bowl tonight if the weather isn't too bad. I told her that it was OK if they couldn't make it. If she's not feeling up to bowling or if the weather is too bad, they could sit out another week and come back next week. That's when she dropped the bomb on me. She and her husband split up. She has absolutely no idea if he's going to bowl for the rest of the season. I now have the uncomfortable task of asking her for his cell phone number (assuming he even has a cell phone) so I can find out if he's coming back. If not, we'll get by. If he is coming back, my wife and I will be in the position of bowling alongside a couple that just split up in the past two weeks.

Awkward.

Two years ago a divorced, male teacher began dating a woman from the School Board office. She joined his team in the bowling league and they got married over the summer. At the start of the new season, one his teammates broke her leg, and they needed a sub for the rest of the year. So he got his ex-wife to be the sub.

Now he's divorced from #2.

[TCY Junkie]

Don't have any divorce stories to tell but I did bowl 22 pins over my best and now beating 234 is something really to aim at for me. I am still alive pumpy.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by TCY Junkie

Don't have any divorce stories to tell but I did bowl 22 pins over my best and now beating 234 is something really to aim at for me. I am still alive pumpy.

Come bowl with me, baby. I have a vacant spot on my team.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I don't have a vacant spot on my team. Never mind. The husband half of our teammate couple is still bowling with us.

In other bowling news, I bowled my first 700 in competition tonight, a 707. Love it.

[Danny]

Nice! Congrats!

I bowled like total crap tonight. Scores of 187, 193 and 173, but strike ball was all over the place and I bowled about as bad as I could have.