Brandon Arnold received two pieces of bowling advice from his grandfather, Bob Arnold, that paved the way to a milestone recently at Eastbury Bowling Center.
“I was always having problems with blisters on my thumb. Bowling balls just won’t fit me right,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “So he suggested that I think about going two-handed back in 2014.”
Then, just prior to bowling in the Wednesday Night Men’s league at Eastbury, grandpa made another suggestion on ball surface.
“He suggested that I go with 2,000 (surface pad) on my (Roto Grip) Rubicon UC2,” said Arnold, who is employed by Marathon in its Whipple Avenue station. “It worked.”
Both pieces of advice paid off as Arnold rolled games of 298, 289 and 242 for an 829 series, his first career 800 to go along with five career 300 games.
Arnold, who employs a self-taught different style for a two-hander by standing more upright and laying the ball down early, started Game 1 with the first 11 strikes before leaving a 2-8 on his final ball in the 10th frame.
Undaunted, he started Game 2 with the first 10 strikes before leaving a 10-pin on his 11th ball and converting.
“That’s when I started thinking about the possible 800,” said Arnold, who had a 798 series the night before in the Las Vegas league at Eastbury. “I was trying to hit an area between the second and third arrow all night. I moved up on the approach a little bit and a couple boards to the left, but that’s about it.”
He thought his chances for 800 ended in the fifth frame of the final game when he left a split in the fifth frame. But he was able to strike into the 10th frame before leaving a 7-count en route to the 242.
“I was more nervous when I had the 798 and I left a 4-pin that cost me the 800,” said Arnold, who has been bowling in adult leagues for 6 1/2 years and currently participates in three at Eastbury with averages ranging from 205 to 219.
Arnold, who graduated from Fairless High School, didn’t participate in high school bowling since the Falcons didn’t have a program. He had considered transferring to Massillon at one point so he could bowl.
“I thought about it, but I was comfortable where I was,” Arnold said. “I’m really not good at getting along with new people so I stayed.”
With grandpa’s advice and some changes, the bowling has worked out just right.