There are two bowling centers in Clifton – Garden Palace and Van Houten Lanes. Both are 16-lane centers and haven’t done much to maintain their appearance in my lifetime. Garden Palace still uses the original Brunswick 2000 scoring units (which date back to the mid-80s).
I share this because, in my quest to practice for the Games, I kept two things in mind: I wanted to bowl at different centers to experience different oil conditions and different environments and I wanted to be mindful that bowling 20 games every few days can really make a dent in the wallet. A little research basically enabled me to bowl for about $1 a game, no matter where I went.
In the end, there were four houses I practiced at: Garden Palace, Van Houten Lanes, Boonton Lanes, and Hanover Lanes. On the nights I wanted to practice a deeper inside shot (something I expect to see at some point during the competition), I went to Garden Palace. That was until tonight, when I went to Van Houten Lanes.
I hadn’t been in this bowling center in at least 10 years (check out their website and look at the photo gallery, you’ll think it’s 1978 all over again). The place hasn’t changed a bit and I don’t think they’ve put much oil on the lanes in that time either. First shot out to get a read on the lanes and the Messenger makes a nosedive to the left. Move to the left, still goes left. So I switch to the Magic and the same thing happens. Finally, I get the Heat in my hand, stand about 28 and look around 13 and I was in business. Over the six games, I kept inching to the right, eventually settling on the 33rd board and looking around 16. But no matter where I threw my shot, there was nary any oil found on my ball when it returned after each shot.
My scores were strong (225+) but that’s not all it’s about – I was more concerned with getting into a deeper shot, playing something I’m not used to seeing and definitely not something I do on a regular basis in league. I was glad to leave the center … not simply because I couldn’t move in any further to the left but because I had maintained the inside shot I was looking for and was able to end my U.S. practice tour (hey, I gotta make it sound more impressive than it really is) on a high note. Next stop: Israel
P.S. – Through some very good connections (thanks MER), I just found out that we’ll have practice time during pre-camp. My hand can use a couple days off but then it’s right back to business. See you on the lanes on July 5.
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In stark contrast to Matt, I'm a nervous wreck. I'm not done packing and I haven't had my final practice session with my pro; that's scheduled for 9:00 PM tonight.
ReplyDeleteI've been only mildly distracted in the last several months, between recovering from the herniated discs that flattened me at the beginning of April and preparing for a move at the end of August (yes, '05 teammates, you read that right - I'm moving AGAIN), my ability to practice effectively has been somewhat hampered. Never one to give up, though, I've done the best I can with what I have to work with, and though I've only been back on the lanes for about six weeks, the signs are good and at this point, whatever will be will be.
Helping me get through the 11 hours between now and when I leave for New York is the anticipation of being reunited with my old friends and meeting the new ones. '01 and '05 teammates, we'll miss you terribly, but now it's time to look forward. Matt - see you tomorrow morning!
Love to all,
Meryl