By BILL SNIER
CANTON — It was not a great start in the Northeast Ohio Travel League that night for Adam Kutz at Eastbury Bowling Center.
But the finish — that was another matter.
The 33-year-old Louisville right-hander became the eighth player to shoot an 800 series in the NEOTL, putting together games of 227, 300 and 278 for an 805 series — his 11th career 800 and 17th 300 game.
But you never would have guessed his night would end like that from his start.
“I didn’t throw it badly the first game,” said Kutz, a pricing administrator for Goodyear who left 5-, 8-, 9- and 10-pin spares in Game 1. “But I only had two strikes through seven frames, so it wasn’t looking good.”
But things changed then, as Kutz finished with five strikes, ran off the next 12 in Game 2 and then started with another strike in Game 3. He then covered another 10-pin spare and ran strikes until his final ball in the 10th frame.
And he did it with a ball he once gave away — but got back again.
“I used an old (Roto Grip) Idol. I gave it away a few years ago to Adam Webb. He had it for three years but never got it re-drilled,” Kutz said. “So I asked for it back. I got it fixed up the weekend before we bowled.
“I just had a spot in my bag and had nothing to fill that gap.”
Kutz, who averages between 216 and 217 while bowling in three leagues, including Fridays in the Liberty Vending league at Eastbury, decided to go with the Idol during practice.
“They just seemed so tight down lane. I tried some different stuff, but I couldn’t quite get it through the pins the way I wanted,” Kutz said. “So I made the change. I couldn’t quite get it at first, but it didn’t seem to be rolling that badly, so I I stuck with it.”
He said carry was “weird,” with Lanes 13 through 16 being fresh oil, but sitting a few hours due to early leagues without being bowled on.
“They were tight, and we had no hook down lane,” Kutz said. “You had to stay on top of it and eventually, it started to move.”
Kutz made a move right with his feet and target, going straighter.
“There was a switch to urethane which made it even tighter,” Kutz said. “So I had a trough there and made it work.”
The funny thing is that Kutz wasn’t even high on the team after two games. Left-hander Jim Fellows had gone 279 and 269 out of the gate.
“The big thing for me was getting 800 in travel league,” Kutz said. “I’ve been close a few times, but I wanted that. It felt good.”
Kutz calls his 2023-24 winter season “up and down,” while making a few changes.
“I changed a few things and have been working on some stuff the past few weeks, so it has been better,” Kutz said, adding that he now has his equipment drilled by Jim Vespoint at Cutting Edge Pro Shop inside Station 300 Akron after Vince Yoder stopped doing so at Triway Lanes.
“I got some recommendations from people before going to him. We made some grip changes … fixing my thumbs and making them tighter … just trying stuff. It’s a work in progress.”
He also has been working on timing issues, switching between four- and five-step deliveries.
“From where I started the season, it’s a lot better now. Early in the season, I just couldn’t string anything together,” said Kutz, who will be inducted into the Stark County High School Bowling Conference Hall of Fame in April, joining his wife, Kara.
“It’s hard to score when you don’t strike.”