8
- November 2016
Pro Bowler
A pro bowler‟s opinion of a town is based mostly on how well or how badly he or she
bowls there, not whether it is a pleasant or historical site. And also you can bet that a
bowler‟s opinion of a lane condition is in direct proportion to how well it was hit. To a
winner, it‟s the best. To the runner-up, it‟s excellent. To the casher, it‟s fair to good.
And to the also rans, it‟s not a matter of pleasant conversation.
Soaker on no soaker (bowling ball dipped in various chemical(s) to give extra action)
Don McCune was the most abused Bowler of the Year in history in 1973 because he
fathered and mastered the soaker, now banned. But McCune came back in 1974 to
prove his ability, winning $33,000 (excellent earning then) without winning a tournament.
Today‟s legal bowling balls make yesteryear‟s soakers look like back-up balls.
A pro bowler would be a fool to suffer the frustrations and instabilities, which almost
inevitably are part of their career, unless he or she firmly believed that someday would
bring stardom, and all that goes with it.
Pro bowlers really aren‟t superstitious but some claim it‟s a scientific fact that they roll
much better while wearing certain colors.
Marshall Holman on Marshall Holman: “I‟m an emotional player. If I were passive, I‟d
be mediocre. My actions are spontaneous and I can no more control them than other
players can change to the way I react. It‟s the way I work. What I do is gut and heart
reactions. You just don‟t change them that easily.”
Winners of pro tournaments don‟t forget. They remember how to win and the feeling it
brings, and that can keep them going for a long time - - - no matter what.
Most bowling pros make it by taking one more chance, over and over again. The dis-
mal failures have no problem. They soon realize that they can‟t make it, at least most of
them do, and pack it in. The fringe players, the one who cash fairly often but seldom win
the big money, have it the toughest. They just get by, hoping for that big win or big year
that always seems to be a game or a strike away from their grasp. Quite a few, if they
had to do it over again, might take a regular job, and be the best bowler in their shop or
office. Others are quite candid and freely admit that the tour, even when the going is
rough, is a lot better than most jobs.
In every way, on and off the lanes, Carmen Salvino has given his all for bowling, almost
as though it has been his personal crusade. And all that you can ask or demand of your-
self, or anyone else for that matter, is that they give it their best.
Bowling is a funny game, even though it wasn‟t meant to be. Isn‟t every bad break,
spooky pin fall, or curious happening in bowling funny, so long as it happens to someone
else? In talking about funny, what happened in San Jose, California, in 1971 wasn‟t
funny to the right-handers in the field. All 16 match play qualifiers were left-handed.
No sport has as many athletes so close together in ability as bowling. On any given
week, any one of more than 50 pros rates an almost equal chance to win any given tour-
nament. The margin difference is often one good game or good shot or one lucky or
unlucky break.
Some pro bowlers beat up their hands so badly that when you shake hands with them,
it‟s like sticking your hand into a bag of walnuts.
Selection of the Proper Ball
Did you know that your thumb is the steering wheel of the bowling ball, that it
sets the course and helps determine the degree of hook? But to do its job right,
the thumb must be inserted all the way into the bowling ball.
Many beginners who push the thumb into the hole only as far as the first
knuckle wonder why they can‟t control the ball. Your thumb will be an effective
steering wheel
only
if it goes all the way into the hole.
Another thing: You can‟t bowl right if you pick up the ball by putting the
thumb, middle and ring fingers into the ball as it is lifted from the rack. The
holes of a bowling ball are drilled at an angle toward the center. So, if you put
all three fingers into the ball at once, you get an improper grip. And, with an
improper grip, who can deliver the ball correctly?
Picking up the ball is a two-handed job. Grasp it from either side, being care-
ful your hands or fingers aren‟t hit by another ball returning from the pit.
To test it for fit, insert the thumb into its hole and rotate the thumb rapidly, first
clockwise, then counter-clockwise. If you feel tightness or pull on the thumb, try
another ball.
With the thumb all the way in the thumb hole, lay your hand on the ball. The
other fingers aren‟t put into their holes yet. Lay them on the ball in the direction
of the holes. The first knuckles or creases of the middle and ring fingers
(counting outward from the hand) should extend no further than halfway over
their holes.
This, of course, applies to the conventional grip, which is the only proper grip
for beginners and others who have not learned to control the ball. Never use the
fingertip or semi-fingertip grip until you fully understand the skid, roll and hook-
ing actions of the ball.
With the full fingertip ball, the holes should fall at the knuckles or creases
closest to the tip of the fingers. The holes for a semi-fingertip ball should be
positioned between the first and second knuckles.
As the grips get wider you have less control of the ball. And having less con-
trol of the ball gives you an earlier roll and a quicker hook into the pins.
The fit of the ball is far more important than the weight. Start bowling with a
light-weight ball. Then, with experience, control and bowling consistency, step
up to a heavier ball.
Now that you have found the correct grip, remember: This is the only time the
thumb is put into the bowling ball before the middle and ring fingers. If you in-
sert the thumb first, the ball doesn‟t fit properly and won‟t roll properly. Always
put your two fingers into the ball first, then the thumb.
Helen Duval‟s Bowling Tips
Idle Bowling Thoughts
By Chuck Pezzano
(reprinted in honor of his dedication to bowling)
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