Although he had shot an 800 series earlier in the season, Jackson Township left-hander just felt like something wasn’t right.
“I was comfortable with the balls I was throwing,” the 52-year-old Jackson Fire Department firefighter and paramedic said. “I was averaging 226 to 233. But my carry has been up and down this year. It was different than last year when I was averaging 235 to 240.”
Although he had purchased a new Storm Proton Physix, Block made a decision to go into his Park Centre locker and pull out a three-year-old Storm Sure Lock.
“I had used it the week before and felt pretty good with it,” Block said about his play in the Pizza Oven Classic league, one of three leagues he bowls in at Park Centre.
“It seemed like when I pulled that other ball out it put me back in rhythm and I could trust it was going to carry. I knew that ball was going to be more aggressive, and it was.”
The result of the change was an 803 series with games of 248, 268 and 287. Block, who has an all-time high of 856, has between 25 and 30 career 800s and the same number of 300s.
“That ball just set up well and I had a good feeling with it,” Block said. “When I threw it the week before, it was OK, but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it. There was like a four- or five-board difference.
“It had gotten to the point with the other ball that I couldn’t get it to flip or turn over. Once I got into a nice rhythm with the old one and knew where to throw it, it paid off. I moved about five boards right and threw it out to about five or six (board) and it reacted well.”
After starting with a couple of 7-pin spares and an open frame in Game 1, Block ran off 19 straight strikes at one point, including the front 10 in Game 2. His one split was a 3-4-7-9-10 “Greek church.”
“I actually didn’t start feeling comfortable until after I had like four in a row in the second game,” Block said. “I was getting out of the ball well and my rhythm was good. But I wasn’t expecting to have 19 in a row.”
It wasn’t easy to make a change, given Block’s performance so far this season.
“I really can’t complain, but I just didn’t feel I could string strikes like I had in the past,” Block said. “I kept leaving corner pins when I thought I put the ball in the right spot.”
Now, it’s the new ball that is sitting in the locker.
“It’s hard to put balls away when you’re scoring,” Block said. “But the old ball is making a difference.”