RevZiLLa - Bowling

Bowling

I have been bowling since I was a Bantam at The Bowling Square in Los Angeles, CA in the 1960's. A kind and patient man there named George Chastain gave me a few lessons and then let me loose on the lanes. I'm sure George is long gone, but I still remember him and thank him for what he taught me. Maybe someday somebody will remember me too... I left CA when I was 17 and was averaging about 165 with a rubber ball. My high game was 257. My Dad moved us to VA and I started bowling as a Junior there. I was using a green Manhattan Rubber ball and averaging about 180. When Columbia made the first White Dot, I got a red one along with a Dick Weber book on bowling. I was averaging about 187. My average among juniors was high for the city that year and I won Bowler of the Year along with a scholarship.

One day I decided my beloved red White Dot was not shiny enough so I went to get a new one. The distributor said Columbia had a new Yellow Dot ball and asked what color I liked. Well, naturally I wanted another RED ONE! So by pure chance I got one of the first batch of famous Yellow Dot Bleeders. I SAW THE LIGHT AND LEARNED THAT THERE WAS MAGIC IN THEM BOWLING BALLS!

By the time I was ready for college, I was averaging 196 with that Yellow Dot. I had bowled some regionals (is that what they were called back then) and done, "OK" and I had bowled some pro-ams and wasn't afraid of anybody. I had seen how the PRO's lived in Holiday Inns and trailers and decided that I could build a better life by focusing on college instead of practicing my bowling skills, so I quit bowling. I quit for 20 years and still regret it to this day.

I got an education and worked in Corporate America for a few years and then joined my Father and Brother in starting a family business. Eventually I was able to pick up some hobbies and get into bowling and fishing again.

When I started bowling again, my old friends were still there and they welcomed me with open arms. How did I ever walk away from a great group of friends like those??! (Bowlers everywhere are a great group of people) I had missed the urethane era completely and the latest ball was the Danger Zone. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE HOOK ON THAT THING. I was instantly averaging 215.

Since then I bowl a little less, but still carry a 211 average. I have learned a lot about oil patterns, drillings, coverstocks, targeting, hand positions, ball fitting....etc.

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