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!
 

Tulsa Bowler Sets the T-Town City Bowling Record

Thomas Patterson broke the Tulsa city record with games of 300-299-279 in early March of 2009 at Sheridan Lanes.

Thomas Patterson is a PBA Bowler who finished second in his first regional PBA event in March 2008 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. At 22, Patterson is likely to have decades of big wins ahead!

2009 Oklahoma Bowling Tournaments

Regional Family Bowling Tournament
This tournament will take place May 9 - May 10, 2009 at The Lanes at Coffee Creek in Owasso, OK at 2pm.

Oklahoma State Family Bowling Tournament - June 5 - June 7, 2009.
This tournament will take place at AMF Sunny Lanes in Oklahoma City.
 

Oklahoma YBC Bowling Tournaments

This youth bowling tournament will take place at Andy B's in Tulsa, Oklahoma April 4-5, 2009.

This youth bowling tournament will take place at Sahoma Lanes in Sapulpa, Oklahoma April 18-19, 2009.

Andy B's Tulsa RiverLanes
8711 S Lewis
Tulsa, OK 74137
918-299-9494
 

Time For High School Bowling in Oklahoma!

Oklahoma High School Bowling started in 2002 with 18 schools in Tulsa and 250 bowlers.  Today, Oklahoma High School Bowling has grown to 106 schools and more that 2,000 bowlers.

Oklahoma High School Bowling State Championship
at Oakwood Bowl in Enid, OK
Saturday Feb 28, 2009

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

The National Bowling Stadium will host the 2011 USBC Open Championships The United States Bowling Congress has reached an agreement to bring the 2011 USBC Open Championships to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. Reno will host the championship for five consecutive years running from 2009 to 2013. The wondrous facility offers five stories of bowling used exclusively for tournament and league play. Public use of the lanes is extremely rare. National Bowling Stadium 300 North Center Street Reno, NV 89501

Ebonite Bash When Dianne wanted to upgrade her Tornado for a ball with more hook, she bought an Ebonite Bash.

My Oklahoma Bowling Blog
 

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.

My wife Dianne and I enjoy bowling at Fast Lanes Bowl in Checotah, Oklahoma, AMF Sheridan Lanes in Tulsa and RiverLanes Bowling Center in Jenks (Tulsa) and Henryetta Lanes in Henryetta, Oklahoma.  As children, we both used to enjoy visiting Bee Line Bowl in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.  Sadly, it has been closed for years.

Dianne, Dylan and I only do open bowling as none of us really have the game for league play, much less tournaments! However, it is a form of exercise that is enough fun to get me sweating before I even notice.  As a family of computer geeks, we need that kind of non-seasonal, non-weather impacted, healthy activity! Another great thing I like about bowling is that is perfectly compliments our love affair with Oklahoma kayaking.