BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: BeerLeague on January 11, 2021, 09:46:07 AM
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Does anyone else feel the same way?
At 53 years old I really think the game has left me in the dust.
My knees hurt, I can't carry, and defiantly can't keep up with the 2 handers. I HATE feeling like I need to drag 6 balls to a tournament. That's lunacy. You could make good shots, but if you don't have the "right" ball all you do is 9 count all day. It's just stupid. I just don't have the rev rate to play this game in 2021. It feels like shotmaking and spare shooting have become punchlines. When I see several guys who average 220+, with insane rev rates, missing routine spares more than they make them, I can't help but think I'm right.
It's a different game than what I grew up with. I'm thinking about selling everything and focus on golf.
Ok I'm done ranting .. 8)
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This is a common comment from many bowlers once they get older. I have a family member in a similar mindset, also considering retiring from bowling at the end of this season. They no longer have fun, almost detest having to bowl, and just generally have developed a dislike for the game. I have a teammate as well who has said that once they can no longer average 200 or better they will be retiring from bowling, as it will not be worth it to them to continue.
I still enjoy bowling as I enter my late 40's. There are good days and bad days. However I have pretty much stopped bowling tournaments. They are not worth the entry fee and time. My enjoyment of bowling has improved since foregoing tournaments and only bowling scratch leagues. Handicap leagues, even sanctioned handicap leagues, are nothing more than a social free-for-all that I do not have the patience for as I get older. Five-man leagues are also no fun. Doubles and trios, for me, provide the perfect balance of competition and flow.
I have seen a lot of 2-handers bowl just as poorly as traditional bowlers and leave their share of corners. The "right ball" issue effects them just as much as everyone else. All of those guys will be in the same boat when they get older. Their body will start to hurt, their rev rate will drop off, and they will wonder why they subject themselves to it.
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Does anyone else feel the same way?
At 53 years old I really think the game has left me in the dust.
My knees hurt, I can't carry, and defiantly can't keep up with the 2 handers. I HATE feeling like I need to drag 6 balls to a tournament. That's lunacy. You could make good shots, but if you don't have the "right" ball all you do is 9 count all day. It's just stupid. I just don't have the rev rate to play this game in 2021. It feels like shotmaking and spare shooting have become punchlines. When I see several guys who average 220+, with insane rev rates, missing routine spares more than they make them, I can't help but think I'm right.
It's a different game than what I grew up with. I'm thinking about selling everything and focus on golf.
Ok I'm done ranting .. 8)
Do you really expect to be any better at golf? :o ;D ;D
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Does anyone else feel the same way?
At 53 years old I really think the game has left me in the dust.
My knees hurt, I can't carry, and defiantly can't keep up with the 2 handers. I HATE feeling like I need to drag 6 balls to a tournament. That's lunacy. You could make good shots, but if you don't have the "right" ball all you do is 9 count all day. It's just stupid. I just don't have the rev rate to play this game in 2021. It feels like shotmaking and spare shooting have become punchlines. When I see several guys who average 220+, with insane rev rates, missing routine spares more than they make them, I can't help but think I'm right.
It's a different game than what I grew up with. I'm thinking about selling everything and focus on golf.
Ok I'm done ranting .. 8)
Do you really expect to be any better at golf? :o ;D ;D
Already am my friend !! Playing off a 6 right now.
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I am 73 years old and seen a lot of changes in the game over the years. I think the game can pass a person by, but is not necessarily about age. When I was on my late 30s the cup wristers started to dominate and I felt much the way people feel today competing against 2 handers. I nearly quit the game in the mid 80s. Then the trend back to longer oil started followed by introduction of resin. Suddenly I was able to compete again while the power players struggled adapting to resin. This kept me competitive in to my 50s. However by 2003 I was again struggling to carry . At 55 it would have been easy to hang up because I couldnt compete with the kids anymore. However I was still in good physical shape fir my age and went to work on my release to help my carry. Still couldnt beat :-\ the kids but got another good 15 years beating the other seniors.
Bottom line it has to be your own decision but if you are in good shape and have a relatively solid game by historical standards there is a place to play if you still enjoy throwing the ball.
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So I averaged 160s in the 90s as a teen, took 18 years off, and was able to work up to 175 average before things went sideways. Problem is I get the sense anyone who knows anything about bowling should be able to average 200+ with their eyes closed on the average house shot. :-\
Wonder what the typical pattern ratio actually was in 1996? Definitely didn't have the problem of inside misses going light and outside misses going high back then. ::)
Probably going to spend more time disc golfing :P
(yeah I have cheese to go with that whine ;D )
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Youth will be served to a large extent. Experience counts as well.
I was able to hang pretty good until I hit my early 60's finally ailing joints have cost me so much ball speed I have lost a lot of my look and carry. But I still try to compete.
It seems conditions are easier and more consistent than ever. And while it wasn't the game I grew up with revs and ball speed are a very large component of how wide open the shot is. It pains me to see how many now can throw 5+ strikes in a row and then miss 2 single pin spares and then throw another bunch of strikes. But it is the league shot game today.
I have seen power players/2 handers that are accurate as well. They should have an advantage over someone who has minimal power and accurate.
I wish accuracy was a bigger part of the league game today but technology has changed that. It has helped my game over the years and now others have developed techniques to exploit it further.
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Funny, I've had similar thoughts lately but I'm still out there trying. I went to a scratch tournament Saturday and probably was the 3rd oldest in the field of 93 bowlers(I'm 57). The oil pattern was one I have never seen, nor the field I imagine (Kegel Titanium) so I thought that could be a neutralizer- it kind of was. But I started 165, and after the 6 game qualifying I ended up -40, well back pf the +70 cut line. So the shaky start doomed me. I was in 50th place or so, 22 cashed, 20 went to match play.
What I do notice is the speed and power of the younger guys. It's impressive. I was considered a cranker in the 80s, now I'd be a tweener I bet.
Nothing wrong with technology, but I guess there's the inevitable day where people like us have to consider not entering these types of tournaments ($100 entry here). I hate that- in my mind I think I can compete, hang with them, but I'm unable to generate that 18 mph speed with any type of accuracy- it's just not in the DNA I grew up with. So I'm more of a donor at this point than a casher....yikes.
So while I won't completely give up the ship yet, I am searching more for Senior events than I used to. It keeps you in the game and competing, maybe leading to some confidence down the road.
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Nobody beats Father Time......
And being a 6 index in golf is the same no man's land that you are in bowling. Can't beat the good guys and there will be 15's that hit it 50 yards by ya.
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“Nobody beats Father Time....â€
Truer words were never spoken.
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There seems to three stages of bowling now. Maybe has been all along. You start out in stage one by looking to have fun. Second stage you want to be competitive(test yourself). Third stage is dropping back to having fun(when you discover you can't compete at higher level). No shame here. Just mother nature regulating what you can do
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I'm 52. Low revs, down and in. I still use only one ball for strikes and spares. One ball for any type of lane condition. I can compete any two-hander and cranker out there. I thinks there's a big misconception that folks like us CAN'T compete in this day of high tech balls, easy house shots, and big revs. It's absolutely untrue. Don't give up just yet...
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“Nobody beats Father Time....”
Truer words were never spoken.
Speak for yourself! I plan on living forever, or at least until I see my stocks split a good 25 times! ;D
Youth will be served to a large extent. Experience counts as well.
I was able to hang pretty good until I hit my early 60's finally ailing joints have cost me so much ball speed I have lost a lot of my look and carry. But I still try to compete.
It seems conditions are easier and more consistent than ever. And while it wasn't the game I grew up with revs and ball speed are a very large component of how wide open the shot is. It pains me to see how many now can throw 5+ strikes in a row and then miss 2 single pin spares and then throw another bunch of strikes. But it is the league shot game today.
I have seen power players/2 handers that are accurate as well. They should have an advantage over someone who has minimal power and accurate.
I wish accuracy was a bigger part of the league game today but technology has changed that. It has helped my game over the years and now others have developed techniques to exploit it further.
Accuracy may not be a big part of some bowlers today, but that is to their detriment, not anyone else's. I prefer the accuracy game, and take it further; I prefer the repeatable accuracy game. If I pure two shots, then carry a mixer, then trip a 4-9, I'm not happy, because I didn't pure 3 shots. Something was off, so I'd get to work on what I did wrong. Yes, I'll take the score and be happy, but at some point, an adjustment would need to be made to get back to puring the shot again.
Screw what the others are doing; I'll run my own race and play accuracy, then let the others wonder why they're throwing crap and getting lucky shots or missing, to ask what I'm doing right compared to what they are doing wrong.
Funny, I've had similar thoughts lately but I'm still out there trying. I went to a scratch tournament Saturday and probably was the 3rd oldest in the field of 93 bowlers(I'm 57). The oil pattern was one I have never seen, nor the field I imagine (Kegel Titanium) so I thought that could be a neutralizer- it kind of was. But I started 165, and after the 6 game qualifying I ended up -40, well back pf the +70 cut line. So the shaky start doomed me. I was in 50th place or so, 22 cashed, 20 went to match play.
What I do notice is the speed and power of the younger guys. It's impressive. I was considered a cranker in the 80s, now I'd be a tweener I bet.
Nothing wrong with technology, but I guess there's the inevitable day where people like us have to consider not entering these types of tournaments ($100 entry here). I hate that- in my mind I think I can compete, hang with them, but I'm unable to generate that 18 mph speed with any type of accuracy- it's just not in the DNA I grew up with. So I'm more of a donor at this point than a casher....yikes.
So while I won't completely give up the ship yet, I am searching more for Senior events than I used to. It keeps you in the game and competing, maybe leading to some confidence down the road.
This is where I am glad I have two different styles of game to play, where I can still free wheel it like I have since I was 15, send it out and send the purest 10 back, but also can play down and in, and square up everything. The A game has and still is serving me well, but the B game will help to extend my time in the sport well into my senior years.
This is where we can look at WRW. For being as imperfectly perfect as he has been over the past 40 years, he's reinvented his game roughly every decade.
Stay behind the ball? Check. Come around the ball? Check. Fire it straight up 5? Check. 2 hands? Check. Each one of these has helped to extend his career far beyond what others could do, and make cuts if not shows.
While I'm not saying to forget everything you know, find another style to reinvent yourself and get back in the game, I am saying that it helps to be versatile enough so you aren't straining your joints and muscles so much trying to bowl like you did 30-40 years ago. Find what makes the bodywork easy on you and your game, and let the technology handle everything else.
BL.
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I equate bowling to life sometimes. Did you expect it to be easy? I enjoy it for what it is and as I age,now coming up on the double nickel,I strive and look forward to the challange.New balls,new layouts and new technique. I saw an 80 year old man shoot 750 once and he had the time of his life.
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Truth. The older you get the better you were.
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Hi Beer League and All - I have found this to be an interesting POST. I have read it several times. You grew up in the 1990's forward. You started bowling in the times of the Strokers and Crankers. Mostly Urethane equipment. No 2 Handers and no super Crankers. We did have Super Power Players. So here we are 30 years later. You have your game! Participate in tournaments and leagues that favor your age. To maintain your skill level go and see a High Order Coach. The coach may see issues that can help you score better. You cannot coach yourself! Play your game not the other guys game! Best of Luck - Strikes and Spares - Silver Level Professional Coach, almost Gold Level, Denny O'Neill
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Carry is fixable. If you spare game is on point and you are accurate on your strike ball it may not be age at all.
If you bowl one or two days a week for league and the occasional tournament then thats a different can of worms.
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As others have said, participating in leagues and tournaments that match your skill set is key to enjoying the sport. Trying to compete at a level that is way above your skill level can be masochistic. It can also be a learning experience, but many times will just be frustrating.
There is a time and place for every bowler to have an opportunity to participate, regardless of skill level. It is just a matter of matching your skill with the correct type of competition.
I have bowled in house shot, no-tap tournaments where card carrying PBA members entered and absolutely destroyed the field (shooting 1200 for 4-games). The first time I figured it was just a fluke. The second tournament where that happened was the last one I bowled in at that center. I am a decent bowler, but not a strike machine like the PBA bowlers. It is just a matter of learning when and where you can be competitive. I have since stopped participating in any tournaments. I would have no issue entering a local tournament if someone needed a teammate and invited me to join their team, however I am done seeking out and traveling around to tournaments. Bowling is much more enjoyable just sticking with league and an occasional open bowling practice session.
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As others have said, participating in leagues and tournaments that match your skill set is key to enjoying the sport. Trying to compete at a level that is way above your skill level can be masochistic. It can also be a learning experience, but many times will just be frustrating.
There is a time and place for every bowler to have an opportunity to participate, regardless of skill level. It is just a matter of matching your skill with the correct type of competition.
I have bowled in house shot, no-tap tournaments where card carrying PBA members entered and absolutely destroyed the field (shooting 1200 for 4-games). The first time I figured it was just a fluke. The second tournament where that happened was the last one I bowled in at that center. I am a decent bowler, but not a strike machine like the PBA bowlers. It is just a matter of learning when and where you can be competitive. I have since stopped participating in any tournaments. I would have no issue entering a local tournament if someone needed a teammate and invited me to join their team, however I am done seeking out and traveling around to tournaments. Bowling is much more enjoyable just sticking with league and an occasional open bowling practice session.
I've experienced this one as well. In my opinion, any PBA member who feels entitled to bowl in a house shot no-tap tournament is just a punk-ass.
Bowling should have a place for everyone.
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I realized over the past couple weeks that I just don't enjoy it anymore. I think its time to step away for awhile and regroup. I find myself immediately going into W.G.A.F. mode once I get tapped. I'd rather sit and B.S. with my buddies then have to throw another rock down the lane and wait for it to come back so I can shoot at the 2, 4, 9, or 10 pin. Maybe I'll change my tune in the fall. I've had a lot of good times and met a lot of good people over the years bowling ... but right now I would have more fun setting all my bowling balls in a field and lighting them up with my .30-06. (if I could find ammo) ;D
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I realized over the past couple weeks that I just don't enjoy it anymore. I think its time to step away for awhile and regroup. I find myself immediately going into W.G.A.F. mode once I get tapped. I'd rather sit and B.S. with my buddies then have to throw another rock down the lane and wait for it to come back so I can shoot at the 2, 4, 9, or 10 pin. Maybe I'll change my tune in the fall. I've had a lot of good times and met a lot of good people over the years bowling ... but right now I would have more fun setting all my bowling balls in a field and lighting them up with my .30-06. (if I could find ammo) ;D
I'll admit I have felt the same way as you, and stepped back a bit. But for me it was less that I got burned out than I wanted to get my kids going in the game as well. So when my league folded, I simply didn't find another league to bowl in, though I stayed current with USBC. The drawback for me is if I bowl tournaments now, since I don't have a fairly recent established average, I'm coming in at the scratch average for the tournament (which is okay, since I average around that, +/- 8 pins), and the tournaments I've been in are adult/youth, so I'll still be bowling scratch while the kids get the handicap.
But with COVID going on now and CA effectively having been shut down for a year, I've got that itch again; and it didn't help that I saw every alley open when I went back to OKC and Omaha 2 weeks ago.
So the break will definitely help, but I've been where you are.
BL.
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I realized over the past couple weeks that I just don't enjoy it anymore. I think its time to step away for awhile and regroup. I find myself immediately going into W.G.A.F. mode once I get tapped. I'd rather sit and B.S. with my buddies then have to throw another rock down the lane and wait for it to come back so I can shoot at the 2, 4, 9, or 10 pin. Maybe I'll change my tune in the fall. I've had a lot of good times and met a lot of good people over the years bowling ... but right now I would have more fun setting all my bowling balls in a field and lighting them up with my .30-06. (if I could find ammo) ;D
I'll admit I have felt the same way as you, and stepped back a bit. But for me it was less that I got burned out than I wanted to get my kids going in the game as well. So when my league folded, I simply didn't find another league to bowl in, though I stayed current with USBC. The drawback for me is if I bowl tournaments now, since I don't have a fairly recent established average, I'm coming in at the scratch average for the tournament (which is okay, since I average around that, +/- 8 pins), and the tournaments I've been in are adult/youth, so I'll still be bowling scratch while the kids get the handicap.
But with COVID going on now and CA effectively having been shut down for a year, I've got that itch again; and it didn't help that I saw every alley open when I went back to OKC and Omaha 2 weeks ago.
So the break will definitely help, but I've been where you are.
BL.
Gold County Bowl in Sutter Creek is open daily at this time. They send me text messages weekly, they even have glow bowl on Saturdays.
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I will be 75 years old in May of this year and with all the aches and pains it is very hard to continue and there are times when I just do not want to bowl. I told the teams that I bowl with that this is it for me at the end of the season which is 7 weeks away In bowling you must follow through and when you know that is going to hurt then at times the saying mind over matter just does not work. I have decided to change from bowling to gardening and fishing but it has been good and you just have to know when to hang up the shoes and the time is now.
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This is a common comment from many bowlers once they get older. I have a family member in a similar mindset, also considering retiring from bowling at the end of this season. They no longer have fun, almost detest having to bowl, and just generally have developed a dislike for the game. I have a teammate as well who has said that once they can no longer average 200 or better they will be retiring from bowling, as it will not be worth it to them to continue.
I still enjoy bowling as I enter my late 40's. There are good days and bad days. However I have pretty much stopped bowling tournaments. They are not worth the entry fee and time. My enjoyment of bowling has improved since foregoing tournaments and only bowling scratch leagues. Handicap leagues, even sanctioned handicap leagues, are nothing more than a social free-for-all that I do not have the patience for as I get older. Five-man leagues are also no fun. Doubles and trios, for me, provide the perfect balance of competition and flow.
I have seen a lot of 2-handers bowl just as poorly as traditional bowlers and leave their share of corners. The "right ball" issue effects them just as much as everyone else. All of those guys will be in the same boat when they get older. Their body will start to hurt, their rev rate will drop off, and they will wonder why they subject themselves to it.
I'm turning 48 this year. Interestingly enough, I switched to two-handed bowling about a year ago and while my scores certainly didn't go up, that wasn't the reason I switched: I switched because I find two-handed bowling easier on my body.
My right wrist had gotten to a point where I couldn't get out of the first game before I was experiencing a lot of pain. Since the switch, my wrist doesn't hurt, I was able to get rid of the knee braces I had to wear and I feel like I've added at least 10-15 years to my bowling timeline.
Watching revs go through the roof is fun, but losing ball speed creates different problems. But that has kept things fresh for me -- new challenges.
Jess