Ahh, The Hammer...the brand of bowling ball I threw for almost 20 years.

Ahh, The Hammer…the brand of bowling ball I threw for almost twenty years. I’ve always loved bowling. My “favorite” (only) sister, Teresa, started me on it when I was three years old at the now-renamed Y-Bowling Center in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Hoisting the six pound plastic black ball with its numerous nicks up to the foul line and letting ‘er rip in the days before “bumpers” was a truly a moment to behold. I’d watch as the Brunswick slowly rolled down the lane before eventually toppling a pin or two or else meeting its fate in the gutter.

My first strike, however, solidified my love of the game and I was forever hooked. My sister was on the alley’s phone at the time and she recalls her little brother coming up with the same intensity and excitement of a lottery winner to inform her of the miracle that had just taken place on lane #12.

It’s been quite a few years since that first strike…and I’ve had quite a few strikes since then as well. My highest game as of this writing is a 268 (at the age of 13, sadly) and the highest average I’ve ever carried in a league over a period of time is in the 190s. I’ve had the same bowling ball — a red Hammer nicknamed “The Hammer” (original, eh?) — since the early ’80s when my brother Doug took me to the North Kansas City Pro-Bowl and made me a deal: if I would continue to bowl for years to come he’d buy me a “nice” bowling ball. I agreed and he purchased for me The Hammer with my initials inscribed in it. I’d love to know how many strikes and spares I’ve thrown with that 15 pound beauty over the years. Due to my competitive nature I could almost easily tell you about all the misses I’ve had as they’re permanently etched in my brain. Argh!

The thing that has always attracted me to bowling is that it is a truly individual game requiring skill and discipline. I know that sounds funny but think about it — bowling is not just about getting up there and throwing the ball. You have to know where to stand, you have to develop a standardized approach with which you are comfortable, if you throw a hook you have to figure out the condition of the oil on the lanes and adjust accordingly each and every time you bowl, you have to know simple geometry so that you can determine how the pins will play off one another during a spare or split, etc. etc. etc. Getting up there and having to rely entirely upon yourself each turn is a rush as bowling is not a team sport, contrary to what anyone on a league would tell you. League bowling is a blast, don’t get me wrong. It’s also a whole separate beast…but bowling still comes down to you as an individual making or breaking your shots each and every time.

Bowling is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone at any age, in any shape, and pretty much at any time throughout the year. It’s a relatively inexpensive pasttime that has its throwbacks to the older days of Americana (come on, you know you love those retro bowling shirts as much as the next guy or gal!). It’s also a great way to spend time with your friends as you can play, drink, and talk trash at the same time.

Ahhh, yes…bowling. I’ve always loved it.