Sr you are now going through what I will be in a week or so. Since suffering a heart attack on June 23rd (Nuclear Cardiolite Stress Test showed no damage to the actual heart muscle, had two Taxus stents "installed") the doctor gave me the green light to bowl again next week.

It will be interesting, since I had only bowled once between the 1st of May and June 23rd.

Wish you well in your successful return to prior form.
--------------------
The Older We Get, The Better We Were
www.MTFD.com - a NY State Vol. Fire Department
www.BowlWNY.com - local & national stories by Joe Ciccone
http://www.FDracing.com The worlds fastest firemen in the origional Xtreme Games
24 is not my age, IQ, or bowling average, but my firematic number, at least I think that what it is

I stopped bowling in December of '02 because of hip pain.  Had hip replacement surgery (right hip, I'm right handed) in Feb, '03.  Bowled again in late July, '03.  Shortened my approach drastically and just tried to throw the ball without hurting myself.  Bowled two games that day (actually, scored pretty well - 170's and 180's).  Bowled three games the next week and for several weeks afterward.  Started fall leagues on schedule, decided to go to 14 lb equipment from 16 lb.  Stayed with 14 lb until Dec, but got disgusted with poor carry.  Went back to 16 lb.  Slowly lengthened my approach, am now back to about 8 inches shorter than before the surgery and plan to stay there.  Averaged about the same last season as before the surgery, but about 10 pins lower than before the hip pain started.  Have only practiced this summer, but have bowled quite well.  My target is to be back at old average level (around 200) in this fall's leagues.  I should have had the surgery about three years earlier!  --  JohnP

Edited on 8/1/2004 2:28 PM

Just wanted to let you know you are not alone as we have also been in the same boat at one time or another. Our game will come back. At least I hope so.

--------------------
Retired and bowling on Fixed Income

www.drylanes.com

SrK,

I could recount my troubles, but I don't think it would do you any good.

Is your timing truly out of synch? Well, this is 20/20 hindsight, but what I have recommended that friends do is make themselves a checklist of things that they do right when they get that uncoordinated feeling. My idea is that we can't rely on what "feels" right solely because we feel differently, emotionally and physically everytime we bowl. Sometimes we're stiffer, sometimes we're more tired, sometimes we just don't feel up to par.

So my idea is to make mental (or better yet, written) notes of some physical checkpoints when we are bowling well:
Remember exactly what we do with our hand, with our feet, with our shoulders at every key point in our approach.

Most times when we're executing properly and scoring well, we do not think about these keys, such as where our hand/ball is with respect to our foot/feet, at the pushaway step (an important key for me). But if we're executing poorly or just feel uncoordinated, then we don't know what these keys are and we can't seem to help ourselves. It may be weeks againb before we get that good "feel" back and it strictly by accident. Maybe, remembering some of these keys, it will be easier and quicker to get ourselves back on track.

--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."