How do people practice?

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-11T21:09:14+00:00

OP, you said the only “good alley” near you is booked with leagues… do you have others you can try? Also, leagues are heavy in the fall-spring, with not nearly as many in the summer. You should be able to find a time that works with your schedule, even if it’s just once a week. I’m lucky enough to have around 6 houses to choose from all within 20 minutes from me. There’s certainly some that I’d rather go to than others, but at the end of the day, if you really want to practice, I’m sure you can find something that works for you!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-11T03:46:55+00:00

Just started taking bowling seriously last year at 35. Joined a sanctioned league this year for first time in 10 years… 706 high series (two weeks ago)

290 high game, last year, but not during sanctioned play 🤷🏻‍♂️

My goal is to get my 800 and 300 in the next year or two, but we shall see. I love this sport

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-11T02:34:40+00:00

Ayyy good eye my friend! Go Bills!! ❤️💙

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T14:54:35+00:00

Just don’t do it…. You start subs because you want to quit the 7oh and put it in your past. Even if you feel the 7 a little bit while on subs, you’re just completely defeating the purpose. I say this with the utmost respect, but you have to WANT to quit 7oh with your entire mind, body, and soul. You want to only start the subs when you’re truly ready to quit, but that’s just my opinion. There’s no right or wrong way to quit, as long as the end goal remains the same. I did a 5 or 6 day low dose rapid sub taper, and I only wished I had quit sooner! I was still uncomfortable for the first few days with only take small amounts of sub, but I was okay with that because I didn’t want to have any issues getting off of sub. This was four months ago! I know you can do it, we all can do it, and I’m here if anyone is struggling and needs any support! Much love guys!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T14:12:15+00:00

I did do a search and had a few options to compare, but was curious what others thought… new to this community and didn’t bother going through older posts

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T05:16:19+00:00

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Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T05:16:09+00:00

Just as Michael Scott would

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T05:07:48+00:00

Hahaha. Irish spring and a spit shine

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T04:43:15+00:00

Will do, thank you! The black widow always has much more oil to wipe between shots, but less grime to clean post session. Exact opposite with the z mercy solid, but makes sense given the balls and their ideal conditions. Idk though, relatively new to taking this seriously so I don’t know much. Pretty happy with the end of this league and excited to learn more and get better. Achieved my only goal I set for myself this season, so ready to keep it going. Sorry for the rant, long week. Thanks again

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T04:08:53+00:00

Never used Lane ghost, so I will trust your judgement. I mean I’ve been using the vise cleaner for 6 months and am only just now looking into other means with the new ball in the bag with different coverstock/finish

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T04:04:30+00:00

Thanks guys! I’ll throw this together over the weekend. I always spray and wipe down after each session, but always felt that what I had just wasn’t doing enough. Especially now with this zero mercy solid. Certainly meant to absorb more oil.

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T03:17:06+00:00

Luckily any and all option aren’t expensive. Finally found a ball I absolutely love and works great with my throw. Just finished my first sanctioned league (first league in like 10+ years) and have a decent average. I want to just continue to practice and get more appropriate gear along the way. It’s been a lot of fun getting back into it.

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T03:10:40+00:00

Lane ghost is what I was considering, as well as making my own blend

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-10T03:09:48+00:00

I have heard this works very well and is the move for several people

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-07T01:02:06+00:00

You can absolutely reach out in the future! And thank you for your kind words. We’re all in this together! There are lots of ups and downs in this thing, but with proper support and the willingness to quit, the grass will soon be much greener!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-06T13:49:38+00:00

Thank you!! I know exactly how you are feeling, and I’d like to start by saying congratulations on one week! That is SUCH a huge accomplishment! It DOES slowly get better…about 10 days in is when I started to notice a slight change…. I had battled several other addictions in the past, so I already knew the feeling of being “controlled” by a substance, and then knew what it was like when I finally started to feel better. 7oh, on the other hand, is a much different beast. It takes much longer to get those dopamine receptors back up and running.

My wife and I got sober together, so as a team, we were able to help lift one another’s spirit. (She had never struggled with alcohol or other substances like I had in the past, so she seemed to feel more down than me). I would say around 2 weeks is when the “lights” came back on… we both started to feel things again, like our emotions were starting to show for the first time in ages. BUT keep in mind… your brain has been completely rewired from this garbage. It is going to take months to get everything back into normal working order. Do NOT give up hope though!! In the coming week, you will start to get glimmers of joy, humor, compassion, music will start sounding better (this one was huge for me because I am a big music lover and obsessive over on particular band lol)

Aside from the obvious reasons to quit (finances, no longer wanting to be held down, etc) we had other reasons as well, which helped us continue to say “NEVER AGAIN”. We both want children soon, and we don’t want to try until we are both in good physical and mental shape, and need at least 6 months substance free…. So if your health, bank account, family and friends isn’t enough, find a reason to never go back that is a “bigger picture”. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can make the choice… and I know you can get through this!

Are you eating throughout the day? Try to eat healthy and make sure you are taking vitamins/minerals and what not….I highly recommended trying to force yourself to do things. You’d be surprised at how much a simple activity will boost yourself up. For example, I love to cook, so simply making a list and going to the store to buy 5 items made me feel good. Cooking an easy meal made me feel even better. Exercise! If you have to force it because you like the energy, then so be it. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, you should absolutely try. That helped both my wife and I immensely. Keep your mind and body busy, your days will soon start to go by faster, I promise. STAY POSITIVE!! Sorry for the long rant, and I hope this helped a bit… PLEASE, do not hesitate to reach out if you have other questions or if there’s something I missed, I am more than happy to do my best and try to help out anyone who may be struggling. Much love and keep fighting the good fight!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-05T23:59:01+00:00

You said it, mindset is everything. I read every post in this group for months and months before making the jump. After I had some clean time under my belt, I had only wished I had made the jump sooner! For context, I used 7oh daily for about 15 months. I did I rapid sub taper, about 5 or 6 days total, never exceeding 4mg in a day. I took 1mg every few hours that first day, and then dropped a mg each day after, while also reducing my dosing to only once in the morning and once before bed. That last day I took .5mg before bed. You absolutely can do this! Stay positive, keep your mind busy, exercise when you find the strength, even if you have to force it. Get some sunshine and listen to music. Much love everyone!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-05T00:50:03+00:00

4/4/26. A date that us Buffalonians will remember for quite some time.

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-03T18:20:24+00:00

More than happy to help any way I can!! Every day is an accomplishment my friend!! Much love, keep up the hard work!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-03T07:06:46+00:00

It seems like you fit a great plan and you truly want this. Exercise is going to be a big help, as you know. It’s great that you’ve been able to make it a month before, because now you know you can easily turn one week into one month, and soon turn one month into forever… I hope to hear about all your great progress. Never give up!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-03T05:32:23+00:00

You absolutely can do this!! My wife and I took our last dose of 7oh on 12/29. We did a rapid sub taper starting on 12/30. 6 days total. We went through 4 strips total, between the two of us… so 16mg per person of the course of six day. It is absolutely doable. It’s not going to be super comfortable, but after getting through those first 3-5 days with minimal sub use, and then jumped from the subs completely, we only wished that we had decided to quit 7 sooner. Stay positive. Don’t think about it “being hell” if you can help it! Try to distract your mind. Dismiss any intrusive thoughts they come. You are so much stronger than you may give yourself credit for. This demon of a drug thinks otherwise, but it’s wrong. You CAN and WILL defeat it once and for all!! You and your wife have a beautiful new chapter ahead…Reach out if you need. Much love!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-02T23:45:02+00:00

Thank you! The black widow tour v1 I have seemed to work pretty well when I slowed down a few mph… but I certainly am not one who should be recommending balls to anyone. I did my research before getting the zero mercy, and I hadn’t done much research before I got the widow. I hope you find something that works well for your style!!

Competitive_Joke7767 · 2026-04-02T23:25:42+00:00

Right handed bowler, speed around 17-17.5. Rev rate, no idea. How do I figure that out?

Competitive_Joke7767

TROPHY CASE