Q. How do you handle the dreaded third game? First your track dries up then after you move in you cannot carry the ten pin, change balls to a dull ball and splits start popping up. After a 238,300 then 160. Help?

A.. Do you have a ball with a little more back end pop? Something with a
little higher rg. or slightly shiny. What is happening to you is two things. First the heads dry out a little and this makes you move in. Then the back ends have carry down so the ball won't quite finish. This leaves you corners. Instead of going dull try going shiny even if you have to move a little right. The shiny ball should go thru the heads and still have energy at the back. To get you the back end reaction you want. Dull uses up too much energy in the front end and doesn't want to carry. Shiny should retain energy and carry. You will have to experiment a bit you don't want to be too shiny and it does depend on the ball cover some. PS stay, away from particle the last game they tend to lose energy in the front of the lane later. If you are using a particle go to a reactive cover you like the last game that might be all you need.

Q. It must be really great to be you. You always have an answer for everything. So you must always win. How do you handle all that success?

A. Well thanks for your support but truth be known. I don't have every answer for myself. Yes I do know how to move and I do know what ball to use. Just like everyone else I don't always make the right decision. Often I guess wrong just like everyone else. I do try to put those bad decisions into memory for the next time. Maybe that way I will get a jump-start on the field in the next tournament. I have found that every time I bowl I learn something I didn't know either about myself or the shot I encountered at the time, I try to learn something new each and every time out. When I write this article it is to try to help you avoid the mistakes I have made and I have made plenty. When I have problems the guys I bowl with say why don't you ASK BOB. Thanks for the advice I think I will try that next time.

Q. I just got a copy of the new edition of the ABC Bowlers Encyclopedia. In this new edition I saw you listed in a category all by yourself. This category was the most 800's in consecutive decades. You are listed as the record holder of 800's in 5 consecutive decades. Do you remember what the composition of the balls you used during this amazing string?

A. Thanks for the kind words and yes I do know, my first was in 1965 and it was with a Brunswick Track Master 1 this was a hard rubber ball. In the 70's I had 3 800's my highest was an 844 with a Bonanza Yellow Dot by Columbia this was a plastic ball like we use for spares today. The 800 I had in the 80's was the new composition cover of the time a urethane Track U-2. Then my next one in the 90's was in the Oregon State Tournament with an Ebonite reactive urethane the Crush-R. I also had another in the 90's with a Track Enforcer this ball is a particle ball. Then in 2001 in another Oregon State tournament event I had the record setter in two ways I had 824 in the doubles It was with a Hammer Tour 3D a reactive with Mica. This gave me the 800 in 5 consecutive decades and also an Oregon State all events record of 2316 for 9 games, which still stands today. It is a very good feeling to have set a record by spanning all of the equipment that we have been introduced to over the last 40 years it proves that bowlers can adapt to change. Thanks for asking.

To ask bob a question write to sosbob@charter.net