Last night in league play I rolled a 725 Series which is my highest to date and first ever 700 series. I ran 9 in a row in the first game only to blow the 10th shot and close out with a 278.  The 2nd game had 2 opens when I created a wash out on a bad first Ball and also missed a single 9 pin for a 215 finish. The final game saw me miss a single pin by actually hitting it and missing the 3 in a 3, 6, 10  which had me finish at 232. I wouldn’t necessarily say this surprised me, but it’s nice to have some credibility behind my game that’s backed up by the actual numbers.

For people who don’t bowl, which I’d guess is most, a 725 would equate to about a 79 in golf. It’s good, but no one is going to be talking about it the next day. They average person though isn’t getting a 700 series. I wrote that I wasn’t surprised to get this because I have practiced to the point that I’m that good. I know that sounds conceded, but hear me out:

Practice – Most Fridays after work I go to North Bowl and roll between 8 and 15 games. I’ve put in a fair amount of work on the 10 pin and I’m pretty good at keeping my ball on the pocket side of the pins and not going Jersey.

Willingness to Learn – I took a lesson for $40 about 6 weeks ago and the teacher gave me one tip that I wasn’t using my left arm at all in my swing. I spent time understanding what he was talking about and then implementing it. It raised my MPH’s from mid 14’s to as high as 16 if I want to really throw it. It’s given me more pin action and obviously a higher ceiling.

Experience – Knowing when to move and where to play only comes from playing a lot. I don’t always play from the same starting spot. Last night in warm ups I noticed the lane wasn’t breaking as much as I thought it usually does so I moved right a few boards. As the night moved on, I moved left ever so slightly. At the end of the 2nd game I tried a new starting position, which didn’t strike, and I knew I shouldn’t mess with my starting spot and try to control the ball more.

Same Ball – I know this may go against more experienced players thought process but I like keeping the game simple and not having 3 balls to choose from. I see some people get so hung up that it must be the ball that’s not striking and certainly not them. I’ve bowled enough to hang with my ball and not blame it.

Luck – I had 3 or 4 Jersey strikes on the night out of 20+. If those aren’t strikes, I’m not getting a 700. I also didn’t leave any ringing 10’s. I wasn’t hitting the pocket squarely on every strike but the pins were reacting in a way that they would all topple over. It was great, but to expect it every time is optimistic.

Shape – Bowlers are out of shape and I think being physically fit can only be an advantage.

A 300 game isn’t far. Sam, good luck on this one. I think I’m a bit favored on the 300 and you may have the ad in the Sixers.