Published: October 19, 2008 12:50 am      

Cubbage rolls area high 750

Troy Cubbage was the area’s top bowler for the week, rolling 750/268 at The Bowler in LaVale. Brian Boore and Travis Walters were just a few pins back and bowled 747/279 and 747/266, respectively. Bucky Hall posted a big 285 game in a 662 set.

Shane Nickleson also rolled a big game. His 280 game and 746 series put him at the top of the White Oak Lanes scoring list. Greg Smith was next rolling 728/277.

At Rainbow Lanes Kevin Mansfield rolled the high for the week scoring 707/236. Bryan Jose was next bowling 695/248.

Bob Greene’s 705/256 was the week’s high at Wilson Lanes. Joe Buff was next high rolling 676/237.

The Sherwood leaders were Bob Werner, scoring 603/212, and Troy Smith, who rolled 602/265.

Don Parsons scored highest in the PBA Experience League at White Oaks. Parsons’ 645/224 was followed by Chad Gable’s 634/220 and Doug Otto’s 618/223. Chad Taylor bowled the league’s high game for the week, a 258.

Gina Rando in the Tuesday Strikers League at The Bowler was the area’s top lady bowler, scoring 602/247. Vicki Coughlin was next at that center rolling 564/211.

Janice Mercer was highest of the ladies at White Oak Lanes bowling 589/200. Betty Gable was next at 543/213.

Janet Bucklew’s 566/208 was the ladies high at Rainbow Lanes. Lou Dille was next, rolling 549/195.

Julie Greene’s 555/227 was top ladies’ score for the week at Wilson Lanes. Pat Gwizdale was next high bowling 551/198.

Alice Monahan bowled 522/213 and the ladies’ leader at Sherwood Lanes.

Ray Foster rolled 638/232 at The Bowler and was the area’s senior leader for the week. Senior Don Pownell bowled 578/212 at Rainbow Lanes and Pat Logsdon rolled 529/187 for the Golden Age Seniors at White Oak Lanes.

Cody Morton bowled 652/227 at Rainbow Lanes and was the area’s top youth bowler for the week. Youth Nathan Lowery rolled 584/194 at The Bowler and Tanner Smith scored 559/208 at White Oaks. Nick Ward bowled 540/190 in the Adult/Junior League at Wilson Lanes.

One of the most damaging factors to bowling high scores is muscling the ball. By that I mean, trying to guide the ball during the initial downward travel of the ball. This part of the armswing reduces the final speed of the ball and usually results in erratic angles of delivery. The final speed of the ball is a combination of your walking velocity during the delivery, the initial height of the ball at the start of your delivery (providing you have a loose armswing) and finally the muscle or force you apply to the forward motion of the ball during your delivery.

The critical "loose armswing" contributes 8 to 12 miles per hour to the final speed and best of all it is repeatable. Watch some of the higher scoring bowlers, men and women, and notice how fast the ball moves during the initial downward travel of the armswing. That higher velocity results in a higher backswing that contributes to a higher forward velocity of the ball. Let gravity control the initial downward travel, not your muscle. Good luck bowling and have fun striking out!

Howard “Pete” Peterson is the Cumberland Times-News bowling columnist.