Shoes make the athlete, especially bowlers
Many years ago, in a land far, far away, I worked as a shoe salesman. Trust me you haven’t lived until, in the middle of July, you pull the boot off of a Nebraska farmer fresh in from the field. That is a fragrant experience that is not soon forgotten. Because of this former profession I am a little more shoe conscious than the average guy. So, it is not such of a stretch when I delve into the world of bowling shoes this week. My old boss was a believer in the saying “the shoes make the man.” With out polished and proper shoes you just were not dressed correctly. The same is true in many sports and, in particular, the game of bowling.
Those who study physics as it relates to sports can trace the path of energy as it flows from our connection with Mother Earth through our legs, torso, shoulders, fingertips, and ball release. It matters little which sport you choose, there is a shoe designed to improve the athlete’s game. To start off on the wrong foot really does lead to problems.
Just as one can divide bowlers into casual and serious, so to can shoes be classified. There is one set of shoes that are referred to as athletic and the other as performance. The athletic tend to be designed more like common athletic shoes, but are custom made for the sport of bowling. These shoes tend to be popular with the casual bowler or the beginner. These shoes usually have the sliding sole on both shoes giving the beginner a little extra leeway with their footwork.
The performance-style tends to work better for the seasoned bowler. Each shoe in the variety serves a purpose in the all-important flow of energy and control. With shoes designed for left- or right-hand bowlers, you soon realize how important that transmission of energy from floor to hand is. The sole of the sliding shoe is made of a material that lets one slide during the delivery. The braking shoe in contrast has a sole that is made of rubber or other friction-producing material. Some performance shoes even come with interchangeable sole pads to better meet the needs of the bowler.
This is probably not new information for the seasoned bowler, but it does highlight how important the first step is and what you make it with.
The scores from the recent PSBA Championships held in Lancaster are available on the Internet. Some local bowlers show up on this listing. I am sure I will miss some names because I am relying mainly on the city listings. If I miss your score, e-mail the column so I can include your score next week.
Starting off the with team scores, a team called White Lightning from Fayette-Greene came in second with a score of 3,642 and Perry SOI from Fayette-Greene finished in 8th place with a score of 3,566. The lowest team score to cash was 3,296. In the doubles handicapped, the team of Gregory White and Daniel Leighty finished 2nd with a score of 1,601 and a handicap of 240, while Keith H. Hillen and Charles Halasz, Jr. placed 4th with a score of 11,545 and a handicap of 264.
Daniel Leighty shows up again on the scoring tables under the all events-handicapped division, finishing in 8th place with a score of 2,328 and a handicap of 291. The lowest score to cash in this division was 2,027.
The only other local score to come in was a late score from Manor Lanes. The Hopwood Lanes reported a score of 259 for Danny Davis on June 30.
In closing, I am thinking how grateful I am that I no longer need to sit down wind of a working man’s sweaty feet, but I also respect the fact that you just never know when your past is going to influence your present.
Brian Casey can be reached at brianwcasey@hotmail.com.