Want to bowl a few frames with Dianne and myself?  We are usually at Main Street Bowl in Henryetta, Oklahoma on Sunday afternoons.  The price for bowling in Henryetta is the lowest I have ever seen.  The downside is that the score-keeping is old-school.  You have to count for yourself and write down your pin counts.  Here is a link to a handy online bowling score calculator, just in case you are addicted to automatic scoring machines like I am!

If you are curious about how we bowl, check out the bowling blog entries near the bottom of this page. I'm trying to keep a diary of my first real attempt to learn a sport.

The Eighth Annual Greater Tulsa Open October 8th, 2011 through December 4th, 2011.

Tournament prize fund last year was over $200,000.00. Please note that each event has an estimated prize fund to insure your satisfaction. Don't miss out on your chance to WIN - reserve your SPOT NOW with the USBC Women and USBC Open. FOR RESERVATIONS, please call 1-877-299-9494 or 918-229-0062 or email  bowlgto1@aol.com.
 

All City Teams 12th Annual Strike Out Breast Cancer Fundraiser

July 9, 2011 at Andy B's Family Entertainment Center in Tulsa.

Oklahoma High School Bowling

High School Bowling creates new opportunities for Oklahoma youth.  It promotes self-confidence, better attendance and grades. High School Bowling is the stepping stone for Collegiate Bowling and then on to the PBA. 

If your school is not currently involved in Oklahoma High School Bowling but is interested in participating contact Sahoma Lanes in Sapulpa, OK for more information.

Sooner Bowling Center in Norman

Sooner Bowling Center is located at 550 24th Avenue NW in Norman, Oklahoma. 24 lanes of bowling, a full service snack bar, video games and pool tables. Non-smoking. 

 OU Sooners Gifts

Hours of operation:
Monday - Thursday 10 am - 12 am
Friday and Saturday 10 am - 2 am
Sunday 12 pm - 12 am

Sooner Bowling Center
550 24th Avenue NW
Norman, OK 73069
405-360-3634  
http://www.soonerbowl.com

RedPin Restaurant & Bowling Lounge in Oklahoma City

The RedPin Restaurant and Bowling Lounge in OKC's Bricktown has put an upscale spin on grub at the traditional bowling alley. The bowling lanes at RedPin feature plush couches, cocktail tables and the option to personalize a 10-foot video monitor at the end of your lanes.

RedPin Restaurant & Bowling Lounge
200 S. Oklahoma Avenue,
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone: 405.702.8880
http://www.bowlredpin.com

Hourly Lane Rental Prices:
$45.00 per hour before 5:00 p.m.
$55.00 per hour after 5:00 p.m.
Includes bowling for up to six and shoe rentals

Go for the bowling...stay for their Red Pin Sliders (sliders are miniature burgers).

The Bowling Ball Fence of Nowata After he retired in May 2006, Chris Barbee of Nowata, Oklahoma decorated 80 feet of his fence with bowling balls and bowling ball accessories. He has even made some religious icons out of his bowling balls. The fence encompasses the front and side yards, sculptures in the hay and now a bowling ball alphabet!  See Oklahoma's Bowling Ball Fence yourself at E021 Rd in Nowata, OK.

Bowling Lessons from the Pros - DVD

My Oklahoma Bowling Blog
 

March 13, 2010 - We bowled at Fast Lanes in Checotah, OK on Saturday.  I managed to bowl an average of 165.  I usually work on my slide when we go to Checotah as their approaches are more slippery than I am used to. I had to add a bit more wrist action to strike on their lanes.  Dianne was rolling a strike ball at around 14 mph, while mine usually came in around 16 mph. We found out they do some open bowling on Sundays before 5pm as well as Saturdays.

March 6, 2010 - I bowled a 191 this weekend, but still only managed to average 160 over six games.  That is a pretty good day of bowling for me.  Dianne's scores are way down.  She has found a release that provides a strong hook that doesn't 'backup' but it is inconsistent.

February 14, 2010 - No bowling last weekend due to the snow damage work taking up all of our free time.  However, I got a 148 average over 7 games this Sunday at Main Street Bowling in Henryetta. Not my best day of bowling, but my spare shooting was terrible. I am plagued with single pin spares from my 'bad corner'. As a lefty, my ball naturally curves a few boards to the right just before it hits the pins. This makes hitting the 7-pin as a single pin spare kind of tricky. I'm told that I should either roll it straight at the pin from the Extreme Left position of stand at the Extreme Right position and throw diagonally across the lane. Neither approach works consistently for me. Another distraction is that I was trying hard to focus on improving Dianne's game.

Dianne has never really used a slide in her bowling approach, but she doesn't really 'stand post' method like most non-sliding bowlers (i.e. Walter Ray Williams). For sometime, I have suspected this was robbing her strike ball of its power, leverage and timing.  Since she was kind enough to allow us to go bowling on our 16th wedding anniversary, she definitely deserved some help.

My own sliding has improved since I read a tip in Bowling Execution that said the knee-bend to begin the slide actually should start on Step Three of the approach. The author, John Jowdy, described it as getting into 'the sitting position'. i think he is spot-on! This appears to have reduced the unsteadiness I felt in my slide, while reducing my tendency to 'pull' the shot by not releasing soon enough. Dianne tried the technique this Sunday and got seven strikes in one game...a huge improvement!

I usually come home with a great deal of muscle fatigue in my right leg and none in my left leg. I have long suspected that this might be due to bad form on my part. It is surprising to me that leg strength has SO MUCH more impact on my bowling than upper body strength does. However, on the advice of John Jowdy I have started to trying to use as little arm muscle as possible. It really seems to improve my bowling if I let gravity do what my arms where doing before! However, my weakened leg strength from decades of IT work needs to be corrected, if I am ever to achieve a decent 7 game average.

January 24, 2010 - I bowled seven games last night and averaged 168 overall. I've been reading Bowling Execution in the toilet since Christmas and I picked up some very helpful tips.  I nailed a five-bagger last night and two games over 200.  That is a big improvement for me.  Dianne's game was a nightmare, she got real discouraged.

January 10, 2010 - After an intense week of Wii Bowling, we decided to hit the lanes in an effort to eliminate Dianne's Backup Ball problems.  Switching to a side-grip seems to get her ball curving the correct direction again and her game this weekend was a bit improved.  While throwing the Backup Ball (a backup ball is when the ball curves AWAY from the pocket), she was leaving a lot of 5-pins and splits. We also bought a WD polyester covered ball to improve Dianne's spare conversion efforts.

My accuracy issues are a constant struggle.  One thing that has helped is reminding myself to target the arrows, not at the pins. Also, I have been trying to focus on a free arm-swing.  Although, I got fewer strikes this weekend, I managed a 178 and a 202 and came home with far less pain in my arm and hand. I also learned that bowling on old-school wooden lanes has resulted in a great deal of wear on both of my bowling balls.  I think I will be getting my Kinetic Energy resurfaced.

December 19, 2009 - Last night I was doing some terribly inaccurate bowling.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but I was not throwing straight at all. I did have one good game when I bowled a 206, but overall Dianne dusted me 5 games to 2! My scores were so all-over-the-map that I didn't have the heart to figure my average.  Hopefully, I will put in a more respectable performance today.

Dianne's bowling scores have been moving upward lately, after a bit of a slump. This Spring she was throwing a killer strike ball that was fast a powerful. By the time Summer was over her speed had dropped back down to around 12mph and her hook changed direction!  After months of observing her ball curving in the wrong direction for a right-handed player.  I suggested she change sides of the lane and use the same lines a lefty throws for. This has increased her number of strikes a bit and improved her spare throwing even more. She is averaging around 145 these days. I think she isn't using enough knee bend or slide on the approach, but I'm just guessing.  We could both use some bowling coaching.

September 21, 2009 - Although I have not updated this bowling blog in a few months, Dianne and I are still bowling at least one day per week. Lately, we have been enjoying the Saturday night glow bowling at Main Street Bowl in Henryetta, OK. The dim lights, lasers and fog might cause me a few aiming issues, but the music is louder and the birthday parties are fewer. I bowled a 216 this Saturday. Once I start focusing more on keeping my elbow stiff, the strikes start appearing in series. Last weekend I bagged 6 consecutive strikes in a single game!

On Saturday nights, Dianne and I play seven games each. Seven games is enough bowling to leave me drenched in sweat and pretty darn exhausted. Even though I hit a 199 and a 216 this weekend (great scores, for this Okie), my average was still only 156. Developing consistency in my bowling is proving to be quite a challenge. I suspect that it may be tied to my endurance issues, but so far my low scores are in my early games. That suggests that I am slow at 'reading the lanes'.

July 13, 2009 - I haven't been posting my bowling scores for a couple months, mostly because I got bored and no one is reading it anyways. However, I have been bowling from 5-10 games per weekend and the occasional mid-week game. My averages lately have been between 150 and 170.  I finally managed to get a hambone while bowling on the vintage wooden lanes in Henryetta. As a bonus, my son was watching!  Despite my somewhat slow progress, I am still pretty obsessed with bowling.  I've begun working on a faster approach that seems to have improved both my strike ball and my spare conversions.

April, 5, 2009 - This weekend, we bowled in Henryetta twice and once in Tulsa. While we were there we noticed that Henryetta has expanded into Glow Bowling on Saturday nights and even a Wednesday night bowling special. We went to Tulsa Saturday because I needed to stop by the Pro Shop. Bowling so much appears to be changing the size and shape of my thumb! However, now that the thumb holes in both my Kinetic Energy and my Ebonite Tornado are larger, I am having trouble getting my grip on the ball correctly. As a result, I was tossing many more tomatoes than usual today.

Dianne has really upped the speed of her strike ball. A month ago she averaged 8mph and this week it is 16 to 17mph. Naturally, this has her crushing more strikes. She still throws her spare ball quite slow and I think this is causing her some problems making the switch.

March 29, 2009 - Dianne and I bowled 6 games in Henryetta on Sunday and I averaged 159. For me, that is an OK score and a great average. Last weekend we bowled more games than usual and I managed to knock a chunk of skin off my thumb. It was mostly healed up by this weekend, but the swelling caused me some problems with my release. I use EZ Slide powder on my thumb to mitigate the problem, but I may have to enlarge the thumbholes on my bowling balls if my thumb doesn't shrink soon. I've bowled a 190 or better two weekends in a row now, so I hope I don't have to alter my gear!

March 22, 2009 - I bowled a 210 and topped my high score last night at Main Street Bowl in Henryetta. Dianne and I played seven games and enjoyed the new jukebox the have installed. I was completely used up by the end of the night. My other games were bad enough that Dianne beat me in overall wins. She topped her best score also by making a 190.

Before we went to Henryetta, we bowled three games at Riverlanes in Tulsa. Bowling at River Lanes occasionally is nice because their system tracks the speed of your ball. In the last few weeks, Dianne has brought her strike-ball speed up to around 16mph and it has really helped her game. I made a few exciting split conversions and two turkeys (three strikes in a row) in one game. However, the highlight of the evening was Dianne throwing a hambone (four strikes in a row) in our sixth game!

March 14, 2009 - I averaged a 145 in Henryetta last night over 6 games. I had a couple decent games, but I am starting to realize that if I want any hope of a high average score...I will have to start playing fewer games! Dianne was mostly chunkin' pumpkins, but she has been sick and missed a weekend of practice. They added some new video games and a jukebox, so now Dylan doesn't mind making the trip to Main Street Bowling anymore.

February 22, 2009 - I was SO crushing the pins in Henryetta at Main Street Bowl today! I didn't best my personal high scoring game, but it was easily my best day bowling overall. Yesterday, we bowled with Dianne's friend Lyda at RiverLanes in Tulsa. I had a pretty decent day, but nothing like today. I think we bowled about a dozen games this weekend. I have started figuring out what my average is for a day of bowling.  Bowling rewards consistency, whether it be consecutive strikes, spare or games.  Anyone can make a strike, but winning demands repeating success.

My new Kinetic Energy by Track  bowling ball curves so hard that I have to pitch it way out on the lane or right between the first and second arrows (I'm a lefty). Pitching it out on the lane never seems to work for me, so I have to chase the rail until the ball flips and spins into the pocket. My best game today was a 187. I put a mark in darn near every frame in that game, certainly not my custom!

The new fingertip grips have taken the pain out of my hands, I heartily recommend making the transition to fingertip grips. Now what should I do about this pain in my elbow?

February 1, 2009 - The new bowling ball is proving challenging for me to adjust to. The increased weight of the  Kinetic Energy ball, combined with my poor technique has laid a touch of  bowling tendonitis on my left elbow.  Worse, the increased hook gathered me a load of gutter balls in Henryetta this Sunday. I think I just need a bit more time learning to visualize the way it curves.

I like the new fingertip grips that are now on all of our bowling balls, I may try adding a thumb insert one of these days.

January 25, 2009 - This week Dianne and I have bowled much more than usual. We made a few trips to the pro shop at River Lanes and now Dianne and I are both trying to adjust to fingertip grips and new bowling balls. I got a Kinetic Energy by Track and Dianne bought an Ebonite Bash.

Dianne saw an almost immediate improvement in her scores, but I am having more trouble adjusting. In addition to the different action the new core shape provides, my new Kinetic Energy is also one pound heavier. My Ebonite Tornado was only fourteen pounds, I'm getting it filled and re-drilled for fingertip grips.

The Tornado rolls very straight only hooking slightly at the end of the lane when I roll it. Learning to use a new bowling ball is tough, but fun. I hope that having two choices that perform so differently will help me respond effectively to a wider range of lane conditions.

January 17, 2009 - We took a trip to RiverLanes in Jenks this weekend to get Dianne's old Tornado, refitted for fingertip grips.  I killed two turkeys in one game and bowled my personal best... a 200!  The have a really great Pro Shop at Andy B's, they said they could even fix the big chunk that got knocked out of her new Ebonite Bash last time we bowled in Henryetta.  Using two bowling balls adds some complexity to the game, but it provides options. Buy one inexpensive straight rolling ball and one more aggressively hooking ball.  For powerful strikes, you want your ball to hook hard into the pocket at the last second.  However, for many single-pin spare shots (which I constant find myself shooting for) it pays to be able to throw the ball straight down the lane.

December 27, 2008 - This weekend we hit RiverLanes to get a new bowling ball for Dianne. She got a Chocolate-colored Ebonite Bash fitted with fingertip grips. We were both wanting to see how fingertip bowling compared to our standard drillings. Dianne found she liked the fingertip grip. However, we will now have to get her old ball re-drilled. She says that switching between fingertip and standard grip is a non-starter.

December 18, 2008 - This Thursday evening we had to make the trip to Jenks to pick up our monthly order from the Oklahoma Food Coop. This time, we hurried up there right after work so that we could roll a couple games ar Riverlanes before making our pickup. When we arrived they were conditioning the lanes with their Kegel machine. I rolled a 160 and a 159, both quite good games for me. I should have scored higher, but I was missing too many single pin spares. Dianne was chunkin' pumpkins.

December 7, 2008 - We rolled at Fast Lanes in Checotah. We played five games, but we were both struggling to get to 140.  The lanes seemed very slick, causing my ball to slide farther than usual.  Great bowling center: Fried Green Beans at the Snack Bar and it's located next to a large Wal-mart.

November 30, 2008 - Both Dianne and myself were rolling over 150 this Sunday in Henryetta.  I got my bowling ball holes opened up a little at the RiverLanes Pro Shop yesterday. I was getting some pain on top of my middle finger at the second joint.  I'm hoping the extra drilling helps.  So far, so good.

November 23, 2008 - Dianne and I went bowling in Henryetta, Oklahoma with her Mother today.  I rolled 188 and Dianne's Mother rolled 130.  Dianne was mostly throwing tomatoes but she has been sick most of the week.  I've started aiming with my slide foot and that seems to help my game quite a bit.

November 16, 2008 - I rolled a 149 in Henryetta.  I had to throw very close to the gutter to hit the lefthand pocket.  I had some problems staring down the channel, I gotta learn to tune that stuff out.

November 9, 2008 - Dianne and I took our game to Henryetta's only Bowling Center.  I was mostly throwing tomatoes but Dianne converted some very tough spares.  I was careless while wiping off my bowling ball before one frame and got some weird black stain on my shirt.  The open bowling in Henryetta is very affordable on Sundays, maybe I should get a black bowling shirt.  Certainly, I will be more careful to avoid getting lazy and resting the ball on my fat belly!

October 31, 2008 - We decided to try spending Halloween at the bowling center this year.  It worked out great!  We avoided having to drive through scores of kids by heading for RiverLanes well before dark and returned home around 9:30pm.  No hassles and we had the lanes mostly to ourselves.  Our son Dylan had a blast.  I bowled around 130 most of the evening and enjoyed an excellent pizza.

October 26, 2008 - Dianne and I bowled ourselves into a healthy sweat this Sunday in Henryetta, Oklahoma. We saved a bundle due to the low prices for Sunday bowling in Henryetta. I couldn't find many strikes, but I made some tough spares.  Buying our own bowling balls and shoes turned out to be a great choice.  It is much more comfortable and fun, plus the shoes pay for themselves quite quickly in rental savings.

October 12, 2008 - This weekend we got together at RiverLanes for a little bowling party to celebrate Dianne's birthday.  We rented one of the VIB Bowling Lanes and enjoyed a couple of eight player games under the black-lights.  It takes a long time to complete a bowling game with so many people. 

The VIB Bowling Lanes at RiverLanes allow you to setup the bumpers to automatically raise for any kids playing in your match and lower after their turn concludes.  This makes it much more fun for families with young children.  Despite the kids using the bumpers, Dianne beat us all soundly in both games.  Good times.

September 13, 2008 - Dianne and I went bowling today at River Lanes in South Tulsa. I bought an Ebonite Pro-Form Positioner Bowling Glove at the Pro Shop before we bowled. I find adding a new toy makes the bowling a bit more fun. The glove seemed to help as I bowled my personal best, a 183.

One week later, I'm bowling 100 again.  Crap!  I think I may have to buy my own bowling ball.