I didn’t even know it was possible; but I did it last night. Last night’s league must have set the record for the number of people who fell on the approach. It seems there was a High School tournament earlier in the day and someone spilled a drink on the steps leading to the bowling area. Wetness ensued, that was then transferred via shoes to the approach.
For those who don’t know, when you are sliding during the end of your bowling swing and you hit moisture, your foot stops. Physics being what it is, though, your body doesn’t. I landed on my knees hard. Twice. And I wasn’t alone. Nor was our lane the only one with the problem. But I think I’m the only one who bled. And today my knees hurt terribly. Afterwards, of course, I bowled horribly because I was afraid to properly slide on my release. Twenty-five pins under average sucks, and not in a good way.
Stupid drink spillers who didn’t tell the house about it so it could be cleaned properly.
I’ve fallen while bowling. It’s not a pretty sight! Once I did the slip-n-slide thing down the lane and soaked up all the oil on my shirt. Another time there was oil on the approach and my push off foot kept sliding backwards. That was a scary night! Once I was bowling in a pro-am (with Mike Scroggins, for those of you who know) and repeatedly kept sticking. I had to quit before I hurt myself. Tres embarassing.
One time I saw this older gentleman fall and he broke and cut up his elbow on the gutter. He was out for 6 weeks.
I always check that I can slide before practice starts. That way you can have the LA clean the approach. At least I used to. I don’t bowl anymore.
One of my two falls was during practice. Because of the tournament, they were reoiling the lanes when we got there to get ready for pactice. Practice started 15 mintues late because of this. It was an awful night, to say the least.
Did you complain to the management? My league secretary would have a FIT if this happened to us. Sorry about your knee
I have never fallen … because I don’t have an approach…but the first time I went bowling in many many years, I had been snookered into joining a league. Since I don’t know how to bowl I managed to pull my left quad muscle and could barely WALK for a couple of days. Talk about a dumbass injury
My deepest sympathies…I have strained muscles in an attempt to stop myself from falling over thanks to sticky approaches, although I don’t know if I’ve ever gone down specifically because of that. I have, however, hit the lane for other reasons, and I can appreciate the pain involved.
If you’ll all pardon a brief hijack, Dolores, I have to ask: Mike Scroggins seems like he’d just be the nicest guy in the world. Maybe a little shy, but very down-to-earth and pretty funny. How’d that go?
At least you can slide at the release point. I can’t. I have a pair of these and I’ve tried every combination of heel and sole, and nothing works to keep me from sticking at the release point. I was told to try a pair of the new Dexter shoes, but I don’t think it will help. I’ve also been tempted to try some soapstone, but I’m afraid that I will go from one extreme to the other, and end up sliding halfway down the lane and onto my ass.
One of these days, I need to teach myself how to slide to the line instead of sticking. After a 3 game set, the force of my leg stopping myself up at the line causes some serious pain in my upper leg.
I’m sure you’re an experienced bowler, so I apologize if this comes off as a stupid question, but have you used these shoes in different houses?
There are a couple of places locally where I will stick no matter what I do. The approaches are just sticky, period, and it sucks. I just wonder if the problem is not with you, but with the approaches in whatever house you’re bowling in. And I know the leg pain to which you prefer…that can be very unpleasant, particularly if you’re bowling in a 9-game tournament.
I haven’t used this pair of shoes in another house. Since I can only physically bowl once a week, I haven’t wanted to try them in any place else.
However, I only started back up a year and a half ago after not bowling for about 7 or 8 years. Granted, the shoes I had way back then were garbage, I would stick in those everywhere.
I had a video analysis done about a year or so ago (back view, side view, and side close up of the release point). The guy who did the video studied it, and said that I’m sticking at the line because I’m not letting myself slide. I don’t distribute my weight properly on my slide foot. I know that I can correct this, but muscle memory is a bitch to change.
The bowling ally where I grew up used to allow my to wear socks (before huge lawsuit scares) an i slid clean into the gutter once and broke my little toe. I KEPT bowling too! Hope your knee feels better, those floors are most unforgiving.
A couple of months ago one of my teammates forgot to take his shoe cover off before he made his approach. He ended up in the gutter, mightily embarrased.
How’re you doing today?