Born Again Rookies
The self proclaimed Born Again Rookies appear to be hanging on to the last playoff spot on Wednesday night. As we like to say here at skeeBOSTON… anything can happen! Seriously, when I ran the averages and saw this team in 16th place I thought I made a mistake. KC has returned from his summer hiatus and put the Born Again Rookies back on the map… and up on his back at the same time.
Yes Alec is in last place (and if we had intro songs in skeeball, Alec would be rocking Wild Thing), but I know this guy has it in him. He is one of my favorite rollers in the league. He legitimately tries to roll well, at least he claims to (I may have or have not beaten him by kicking 9 balls up the lane one night). So the real question here is: What is Alec doing wrong? I don’t know if I have that answer, but I do have some tips that could help Alec (and maybe you)! It’s time to release my “Guide to Becoming a High Roller”:
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Guide to Becoming a High Roller
1. Line up your left foot if you are right handed (right foot if you are a lefty) in the same spot in front of the machine every time you roll. Your rolling arm should line up with the middle of the skeeball lane. Consider this like finding the home row on the keyboard when typing. Once you do it for a season or two it will become second nature.
2. Grab 3 balls at a time. If you use the three ball method you only have to reach for additional balls twice versus after every ball or two. This makes it much easier to get in a groove. You will also be less likely to lose your center position.
3. Pick a spot to focus on and roll to hit that spot. Don’t look up and the holes; they can be overwhelming. The best place to choose is on the ramp, dead center. Figuring out the speed is the easy part… rolling straight is the tough part.
4. Grip the ball like a golf club. Don’t play golf? Stop squeezing the life out of the ball, let it float off of your fingers!
5. Release the ball at the right time. If you release it too early you loose the feel for where it is going. If you release it too late it flies down the ramp and takes a bad bounce. You want a nice, smooth roll.
6. Find your 40. Your goal should be to hit the 40 hole. If you roll a little long, you get a 50, a little short, you will hit a 30.
7. Practice. The best rollers in the league are the ones that stay late for free-skee events and practice.
Note: If you can’t roll the ball straight, banking can sometimes help. Same philosophy, except pick a spot on the rail versus the ramp.
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Alright Alec “Wild Thing” Day, I expect to see 225+ tomorrow night… make it happen! Skee you on the lanes!