Corner Bowling Shop Blog

20 February, Accessories (Part III), Bowling Tips and Advice

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:14:11 +0000

Continuing our discussion of Bowling Accessories, this post will look at shoe covers, hand conditioners, rosin bags and sewing kits. We cannot stress this enough—Bowling Shoe Protectors are a must for any bowler. These inexpensive items can prevent you from falling on your face at the foul line because you left the bowler area and got some water, gum or other dirt on the slide sole of your bowling shoes. If this has ever happened to you, there is no more to say. They come in many bright colors and designs: get a pair.

Hand Conditioners for a bowler are to keep the hand dry. It is next to impossible to repeat shots with moist hands and fingers. Hand conditoners are usually in a bag and fit easily in the hand. There should never be any residue left on the hand. The feel of the ball should never change. Once you begin league night, tournaments or just practise, your release hand should never touch anything other than the ball. High fiving teammates could get you into trouble, after all you have no idea where that hand has been!!! Don’t eat or drink with that hand either. Rosin Bags are another way to keep the hand dry. By far the most popular way to help with grip security, there are other products. If you use a powder, be careful. If you interfere with another bowler, this is illegal. You must keep control of the powders. According to the rules, if you get any foreign substance, including powders, on the bowling ball, it must be removed before putting the ball in play. Just be careful.

A Sewing Kit sounds unlikely to have in your bag but when you need one, you need it bad and in a hurry. Popping buttons or zippers are examples of fixes that need to be made now, in the middle of a tournament. Bet you never thought of that did you???

The whole idea of these accessories is to reduce stress levels. If you are prepared, you can have boatloads more fun bowling.

13 February 2012, Quitting a League Mid-Season, Bowling Experiences

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:25:55 +0000

Life will throw you curve balls and hook shots when you least expect it. Here we were going along in the season and the bowling team had qualified for the year end roll-offs for the league title. Suddenly, you find out you have to move to another city. This is traumatic. We were just beginning to find our stroke as a team and I have to break us up. It was really hard to tell the team members that you have to go. They all understood but you can see the disappointment in their eyes. After the move, you start looking for a league to bowl in. You go to the local bowling alley, try the lanes to see if your equipment will work on the house conditions and then talk to the league director. They get you on a team and you find yourself starting over again with a bunch of bowlers you have never met. This really gets old but at least the game is the same and it can be a real challenge. Instead of looking at it in a negative light, use the struggle for positive reinforcement and motivation. Remember, the game is supposed to be fun so throw caution to the wind and just have a blast and make new friends!!!!

06 February 2012, Selecting a Ball for Tournament Bowling, Tournament Bowling

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:10:32 +0000

Words of wisdom from Randy Pederson of Storm/RotoGrip. Lane condition and delivery are factors in selecting a ball. The first point is that it is impossible to select one ball for all conditions. It is like a golf bag. There are 14 different clubs for different shots. You need different balls for different conditions. Core Design is a big factor. Lower RG bowling balls mean the ball wants to start grabbing the lane sooner. Higher RG bowling balls will run down the lane longer. Asymmetrical core designs will have a more pronounced turn in at the break point than will symmetrical cores.

The point is that when it comes time to load up for the big tournament, you will want to have options. From high end equipment for the slicker conditions to the less expensive equipment for the drier conditions. Pin placement is paramount here. Generally speaking, the closer the pin is to the positive axis point, (PAP) the sooner the ball wants to react on the lanes. Also, if you keep the pin above the fingers, the ball will roll longer down the lane.

There are many variables to selecting the correct ball for a tournament. Be sure you have a trusted professional advise you every step of the way!!! Good luck, have a blast and high scores!

30 January 2012, First Time In New Bowling House, Bowling Experiences

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:02:14 +0000

Recently, it was nescessary to find a new place to bowl. Whether it because of moving or other reasons, you have to find some place else to bowl. What should you do? Well, we suggest going to new bowling lanes when there is not much activity. Usually in the morning on a weekday. Then, just walk around the facility and see what is there. Pro shop, gift shop, snack bar etc. Next, read the bulletin board if there is one. Basically, just settle in and see if it fits. At this point, go bowl and see what the lanes are like. Get used to the place. Before you leave, stop at the office and see what openings there are for leagues or other bowling events going on. You may decide this is not the place for you. Go to the next bowling house and try again. Do this until you find a place that feels good. After that, enjoy!!!!

23 January 2012, RotoGrip Defiant, Equipment Review

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:56:24 +0000

Roto Grip has produced a new ball that will allow you to rule the lanes! It is known as the Defiant. The new Paragon core allows you to match the ball reaction to the lane conditions. It has strong midlane roll and a huge continuous sweeping hook giving plenty of backend action. This is SERIOUS technological advancement. The new MicroBite covershell is stronger and more textured than all other brands. When finished with 3000 grit Abralon, this new shell creates friction where all others cannot!! Heavy oil lane conditions pose no problem for the Defiant. Today’s lane oils have more solids than ever and make the lanes very slick at times. Roto Grip has the answer!

Bowler’s with about 15 mph speed and low rev rates will really love this new Defiant. Lane control has just stopped being a problem!!! See it now—ball is available.

16 January 2012, Accessories (part II), Bowling Tips And Advice

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:26:44 +0000

This post continues the discussion of bowling accessories and other items that bowlers require. There are some things to remember. Powders such as baby powder or pro slide to make your shoes slide could be illegal. While perfectly ok for thumbholes, if the powder alters the footwork of another player it is not allowed, (Rule 12, Defacing the Approach).

Towels are another necessary accessory. 16×24 towels are easy to carry and really work well for bowling. The ball surface should be kept clean to allow the ball to work as advertised when it was purchased. The towel should be kept clean. It does not help to use a dirty towel and put more dirt and grease on the ball. That grey towel that used to be white is not very effective. Microfiber towels are great for cleaning but hang up on every little thing. Terry towels are also popular. Using the towel in the pre-shot routine should be the same for every shot. It affects your rhythm and can provide time to recover from a bad break or enjoy a great shot. It keeps you centered.

Bowlers should keep spare shoelaces in the bag just in case. Be sure they are the proper length; the eyes go through the shoe holes and are the right color! Pro shops don’t always carry laces and sometimes are not open.

09 January 2012, What To Do With A New Ball?, Bowling Experiences

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:17:44 +0000

We just bought a new bowling ball. What now? After a session with a coach it was determined that the approach and delivery were not the problem. The bowling ball did not fit right and the coach also thought we were using the wrong ball. We were using the Brunswick Damage for the conditions and we should have been using a ball with a lower RG for heavier oil conditions. We selected the Columbia 300 Omen and had one drilled up. After practicing with it, the first league night with the Omen was interesting. It was hooking almost 10 boards more and we started experimenting with more speed and different lines. We have almost 30 games with the new ball and we are going back to the Damage. The Omen is a great ball but needs more oil to produce the shot we want to throw. We now have a great ball for tournament conditions and a good dry lane (house) condition ball in the Damage.

The bottom line is to have the correct bowling ball for the conditions. It makes you not have to work so hard to get the scores. This is very simplistic but a good dry condition, heavier oil condition and a spare ball should be all you need. It is not like the old days when you would carry 6-8 bowling balls and use them all in a night of bowling.

02 January 2012, Amateur Bowlers Tour (ABT), Tournament Bowling

cornerbowlingshop — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:16:15 +0000

There are lots of true bowlers who would like to know what bowling in a professional tournament is like. The Amateur Bowlers Tour (ABT) will do that. They offer handicap tournaments with the Classic Division, (avg 189 and under), Masters Division,(224 and under) and some of their branches offer scratch tournaments which will get you very close to the PBA in terms of competition and pressure. The ABT offers anyone an opportunity to set up a branch and run tournaments.

The ABT, based in Salt Lake City, Utah is sponsored by Storm Bowling Products and has grown to be the largest bowling tournament club in the U.S. Their goal is to offer all bowlers the chance to bowl in a pro style tournament. They guarantee minimum first place prizes in their Classic Division. Franchises are available.

So, if bowling in pro style tournaments is something you would like to try, contact the ABT and find about them and how to get involved.

26 December 2011, Wrist Braces, Bowling Tips and Advice

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:23:05 +0000

This post will focus on accessories, specifically wrist braces and liners. Bowling accessory purpose is to promote the physical game. They can also be a huge lift to the mental side. Don’t let any accessory be so important you can’t bowl without it.

Wrist braces can be great training tools to help you get the feel of whatever release you are trying to perfect. It should be used only as a teaching tool. If you are strong enough, it is recommended that you be pure wristed. Be careful with them as there are bowlers that have broken their wrist using the wrong brace while trying to execute a shot. Braces can be solid and not adjustable up to some that are totally adjustable in all directions. The brace you should use is dictated by the type of release you are trying to perfect. Consult your pro for proper choices. Those braces that have Velcro straps going across your palm will change the span of your hand. Ball fit should be measured wearing the brace, if you start wearing a brace after your ball was drilled, get re-measured. Improper fit will cause injury so see your pro for the proper fit and measurement. If you become very dependent on a brace, carry an extra one.

Wrist liners are cloth socks worn under a brace to absorb moisture and avoid chafing. You should have a couple in your bag if you wear a brace. Liners are not required but are much more comfortable and easier to wash.

19 December 2011, Hammer Brick Bowling Ball, Equipment Review

cornerbowlingshop — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:26:45 +0000

Hammer has done it again!! The Brick appears to be another great ball for the heavier oil lane conditions. The new Brick Mirror Plane Asymmetric Core (MPA) was designed to allow the pro shop operator to tweak the ball performance when drilling. Making small layout changes will produces larger performance changes than other core layouts. With the core so versatile, the cover stock must be able to handle it!! With a ball so versatile, you may not have to have so many in your arsenal. As your game evolves or changes, you can change the ball to give you the performance you need!! All this at a great price point. Check out this new ball.