By BILL SNIER
CANTON — In you are inside Eastbury Bowling Center on a given league night, you undoubtedly will run into either Kim Zerbey or her daughter, Allison Maurer. Or both.
Zerbey, a 51-year-old Canton right-hander who holds Eastbury’s women’s series all-time record of 823, bowls regularly in four leagues while substituting in two others.
Maurer, a 31-year-old Canton left-hander who bowled for GlenOak High School, bowls in four leagues, including an every-other-week Saturday mixed league.
Bowling has been part of the equation for Maurer’s whole life.
“She was almost born in a bowling alley,” said Zerbey, who manages a Get-Go in Canton. “When I was carrying her my water broke a couple of hours after I got home from league.”
“I grew up watching bowling on TV and always wanted to go with my parents,” said Maurer, an independent delivery person. “They would bowl at Hall of Fame or Embassy and I would go back and forth with them.
“I was practicing all the time and trying to figure out what leagues I could bowl in high school. I had goals.”
This season, Zerbey has “either five or six” 700 series to add to her resume while Maurer has shot two of her career total of eight, including a 719.
Does mom help with her daughter’s game?
“You know, they say if you can’t do, teach, but I can’t teach at all,” said Zerbey, who averages between 194 and 206 in her league play. “I can see a little bit here and there and I know if she is pulling the ball.
“But with her being left-handed, our styles are completely different. I’m more of a down-and-in player and she’s swinging it off the gutter.”
Maurer says that’s not by design.
“I try not to swing it .. . I absolutely hate that swing line,” said Maurer, who averages between 188 and 200 in her league play. “I’m trying to play more down. I’m more like 15 (board) to five than out to the gutter.”
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
But Maurer did make an equipment adjustment this season after balking at doing so in the past. John Cole convinced her to stretch her span a bit. Again, she fought it at first.
“Several years ago, Mark Bradley at Colonial stretched my hand span too far. Since then, when someone would tell me about that, I was afraid to do it,” Maurer said. “But John convinced me to do it.
“Mark Walters (North Star Pro Shop) drilled it. It’s more comfortable and a lot easier to throw the ball. I’ve been trying to change my release so I’m not coming over the top as much.”
She has found success with her Storm DNA and also mixed in her Storm Electrify when needed. Then, there are always her mother’s bowling balls.
Yes, Maurer has thrown Zerbey’s equipment in the past.
“Most of the stuff I was throwing was hers. The span is a hair smaller now, but our spans are basically the same,” said Maurer, who still is looking for her first 300 game with a high of 280. “I can still work with anything’s she’s got.”
Not the same for Mom.
“I can’t use hers because my thumb is bigger. But she can put a piece of tape in the thumb hole and throw my balls,” said Zerbey, who owns three career 300 games.
Over the years, Maurer received advice from, among others, Joe Altimore Jr., Joe Altimore III, Craig Martinez, Tom Fawver and Jossett Petrick.
“I just take the best of all of them and try to go with it. Most of my focus now is not turning over the ball, keeping my arm straight and adjusting accordingly,” Maurer said.
Zerbey, who received most of her coaching in Park Centre’s junior leagues from Ernie Schwab, said then they focused on spare shooting.
“Ernie wouldn’t let us leave until we could cover the 7-pin and 10-pin,” Zerbey sad.
Zerbey also has a young son, 8-year-old Jackson, who is learning the game.
“He’s getting there. I’m still working with him,” said Zerbey, who has her son in a 10-pound finger-tip ball. “He’s just a year out of bumpers, but he’s still developing his own thing. Now he wants a heavier ball.”
LEAGUE INTERACTION
So, who is throwing the ball better right now?
“She is,” Maurer said of her mother, “because she’s bowling more.”
“There’s been times when I just have no desire to bowl. I just get frustrated. She will get frustrated, but it’s no where near the same. I’m more emotional.”
“I can leave it out on the lane,” Zerbey said.
“Nope, I can’t do that,” Maurer added.
But there remains competition between the two.
“We talk about a lot of stuff on the lanes,” Maurer said. “But we both do whatever we can to beat the other.”
And there’s a simple part of their camaraderie.
“If your hand doesn’t sting,”: Zerbey said, “it’s not a good high five.”
And there have been a lot of those between the two this season.