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Bowling on a foggy night in Edison, New Jersey
-- a beginner scores big

Is this a world record?

Let me set this up.

in 1957 or '58, I belonged to an RCA company league. We bowled at the
Edison Lanes (??) in Edison New Jersey.

My average at the time was about 150 - 155. I bowled a perfectly
straight ball -- never threw a hook.

I had never bowled a 600 series -- not even close.

When we approached the door to the bowling alley, a friend said, "The
scores will be terrible tonight -- with all this fog, the wood will be
dead."

The day before, I had seen Don Carter bowling on TV. His very
unorthodox form was interesting. He bowled with a very short
backswing, a bent elbow and more of a push than a throw. I think he
had a four-step approach -- correct me if I'm wrong.

Check Don Carter out in this video
<< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TcNR9F8JOo >>
( copy and paste into your browser address line if the link does not work)

He had this nice little hook and was almost always in the pocket.

As I got up to bowl in the first frame -- the idea popped into my head
to try to emulate Don Carter's style.

My first ball curved nicely and hit the pocket dead-on for a strike.

WOW -- did I do that?

My first three balls were strikes!

I wound up with a 212.

My second game was a 256! Had seven strikes in a row at the end of
that game.

I started the third game with six strikes in a row and finished with a
224 -- for a 692 series. I had misses in the last two frames -- the
only misses I had all night as I remember it.

It was years before I hit 600 again. I could never get the ball
working like I did that foggy night in Edison.

That 692 was the highest series ever in that RCA league -- it earned
me a trophy which I have since lost.

Somehow I drifted away from bowling in 1980 -- with an average of
about 178 in a mixed doubles, scratch league in Santa Barbara. I
bowled with my wife, our daughter and son-in-law -- finished in last
place in the league and got a trophy for being the best sports. We
were named The Unknown Bowlers -- so we made two little paper bags and
put them over the heads of the figures on the trophy.

I herewith lay claim to the highest "first 600 series" -- has anyone
ever beaten that score?

That 13 strikes in a row over the 2nd and 3rd games might also be a
record in a first 600 series?

Marty Carbone

Carlsbad California
martycarbone@ yahoo.com