For Canton left-hander Michael Thewes, bowling without stress was enough to get him out of his “slump.”
“A lot of my bowling problems was me. There was a lot of stress with moving and everything from Akron back to Canton,” the 32-yearo-old Detroit Diesel employee said. “Once we finally moved, the stress was gone, the process was gone and I could relax and bowl again.”
The difference was immediate as Thewes, a Stark County High School Bowling Conference Hall of Famer from Perry High School, put together games of 279, 269 and 270 for an 818 series during the JP Pro Shop Trio league at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
Thewes has 15 career 800 series and about the same number of 300s. But it was his first 800 since last season.
“It just felt good to shoot a good series again,” said Thewes, who averages 214 and 215 in leagues at Eastbury Bowing Center and 226 at AMF Hall of Fame. “I haven’t bowled anything over 730 or 740 this season so I’ve been in kind of a slump.
“I’ve been fine at Hall of Fame, but at Eastbury I can’t figure out anything. It’s been rough. I throw every ball I take with me, but nothing works. I’ve only been good for 620s or 630s.”
After a 7-pin denied Thewes a 300 in Game 1, he started strike, spare, spare in Game 2. He decided to make a ball change, going from the Radical Bonus Pearl to the Radical Pandemonium.
“I was throwing the Bonus Pearl well, but it was going a little too long down the lane,” Thewes said. “The Pandemonium made the corner just a little more.”
Following the ball change, Thewes struck out. But in Game 3, he started spare, strike, spare to put his honor score in jeopardy.
“I knew I needed to strike out to get to 800. There really weren’t any nerves. It was kind of just get up and bowl,” said Thewes, who did strike out for the milestone.
Thewes doesn’t bowl in the Hall of Fame league regularly. He came out as a substitute that night.
“I just wanted to use it for extra practice for the Klonowski (tournament),” Thewes said.
He got a lot more than that from his substitute role.
“To shoot 800 again,” Thewes added, “feels pretty good.”
CORRIN’S BIG SEASON CONTINUES
Massillon left-hander Jason Corrin rolled his third 800 series during the Tycor Roofing league at Eastbury.
The 42-year-old Corrin finished with 802, including a 300 game in Game 3. He had two previous series this season in the 820s.