Local Bowler Makes PBA Debut
Twenty-six year-old Claryville bowler Shane Cunningham made his official Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) debut at the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, NJ the week of February 20-26.
Officially joining the PBA in January, Shane has been bowling for some eight years in several leagues at Kiamesha Lanes. He presently maintains a 211 average in the Wednesday Men's league and subs in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league and the Monday Men's league.
"I stated out bowling with the White Lake Fire Department team and also bowled with Dean Shattuck's team on Wednesday, Shane said.
Picking the PBA tournament with the toughest shot the association lays down is always an eye opener and when asked what the oiled 42 feet from gutter to gutter and 80% oil was like, Shane noted, "it was definitely eyeopening, a different experience and I definitely have to practice a lot more and will enter some upcoming Regional PBA tournaments."
His next PBA Regional tournament competition will include an event on the "White" pattern at Catskill April 20-22 and the East Regional Final with the same pattern May 4-6 at Rome, NY.
The bowling balls that Cunningham used in the US Open included three Hammer Taboo's.
Shane said that the tournament competition for him included Tuesday-Thursday rounds of 6 games per day for a total of 18 games. He didn't make the cut after Thursday's competition and said, "I averaged like 150."
Asked what got him into the game of bowling, Cunningham said he was inspired by "a family of bowlers including grandparents Claude and Ruth Hendrickson." He sadly announced that his grandmother passed away on the third day of his competition but that he was not informed about her death until after the competition was over.
Cunningham at the close of his competition also had the opportunity to meet the great legend in bowling, Carmen Salvino, who won 17 PBA tour titles. They shared a photo opportunity together with Mike and Mickey Luongo who now represent Storm and Roto-Grip in the Northeast. Salvino was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975.
Four other Sullivan County bowlers, Dean and Kelly Shattuck of Monticello and Bob and Barbara Cady of Livingston Manor also attended the Thursday through Sunday portion of the U.S. Open.
Shane is married to Deb and they are parents to 8-month old daughter Zouey. He is employed as a correction officer with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department.
The Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo
Bowlers: This weeks tips is for all bowlers regardless of your level and it has to do with understanding the correct body position needed to execute a bowling shot and being able to duplicate it.
If you were to stand straight on the approach, facing the pins, letting the ball hang on your hand, you could not swing the ball straight without hitting your hip with the ball. This is impossible to do without swinging the ball around your hip because the ball is too big.
This "roundhouse swing" is not able to be duplicated shot after shot.
Therefore, you might be in a position to be able to swing the ball toward your desired target without any obstacles.
The tip: Get your head as far to the right (or left if left handed) and tilt our bowling shoulder slightly downward. Contrary to what some of your fellow bowlers might tell you, you must drop your shoulder toward the floor in order to avoid the "roundhouse swing". At the same time, slightly pen your hips and shoulder and you will be able to swing your arm straight toward your target time and time again.
Due to different physiologist, the exact position may vary slightly from person to person, but, when correctly positioned, you can use gravity to control the tempo of your swing.
Mike Luongo is a certified IBPSIA Pro Shop Operator, Master Instructor, USBC Silver Level Coach and an Advisor-Special Events assistant with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. Have a question, call him at 435-720-7939 or email at mikel@stormbowling.com
Occasionally, tight space requirements results in items being edited out of columns. For full coverage of this column go to http://bght.blogspot.com/ This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur-professional sport of bowling. League and tournament information can be submitted by phone at 845-439-8177, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com, and by fax at 845-205-4474. We are also on Facebook.
IDENTIFICATION OF ABOVE PHOTO
Claryville bowler and new Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Member Shane Cunningham, fourth from the left, competed in his first PBA Tournament Feb. 20-26 at the (PBA) U.S. Open in North Brunswick, NJ. Joining him for this event were, from the left, popular PBA Legend Carmen Salvino, Mike and Mickey Luongo, Northeast Storm and Roto Grip representatives from Middletown, Shane and Syndicated Bowling Columnist Ed Townsend.
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