Clarkston resident Jeff Grego has bowled plenty of 300 games. He claims heading into the final frame with yet another 300 game in the making, he hardly becomes nervous. But that all changes when he has one special spectator, his mother.
Grego, 26, has been bowling for two decades and estimates he has about 25 perfect games on his resume, but he was close to not picking up another one.
‘The first time I was nervous going into the final frame with a perfect game going was once when my mom (Charmaine) was watching me,? he said. ‘I wanted it for her that bad.?
Grego was able to close out the 300 game and add it to an impressive resume.
He recently was named to the Greater Detroit Bowling Association (GDBA) all-city team. He came in with a score of 64 points. Points are accumulated by bowlers who score 298, 299 or 300 scores, or have an 800 series, which is when over a three-game total the bowler’s score is at least 800. It marked the third consecutive year Grego was named to the all-city team and he was the GDBA in 2002, he said.
Grego bowls in three leagues per week and said he plays in tournaments nearly every weekend. In one league, his team’s name is ABC Harley, where he averages 239. The other team he participates in as part of the GDBA, is called Storm-Cozy Inn, where he averages 226. He said the reason for the discrepancy in scoring average is simple.
‘The storm team starts a lot later and I have to get up at 4:30 a.m. for work. The other one is a lot closer to me and starts earlier so it fits into my schedule better,? he said.
A tournament can have him playing anywhere from three to 25 games and his tournaments have taken him all over the country including stops in Las Vegas, New York and throughout the Midwest. He said tournament winnings this bowling season alone were estimated at around $20,000. But his winnings have not come without a price. He has shelled out an estimated $6,000-$7,000 of his own money for equipment including bowling balls and gloves. He said he has around 25 balls, and usually brings about eight different balls to a tournament. Why so many?
‘Each house (bowling alley) is different,? he said. ‘Sometimes it’ll depend on how many bowlers are right handed or left handed and that has a big effect on the oil of the lanes. It’s all about adjusting to the conditions.?
In addition to league and tournament play, Grego estimates he practices 10-15 games per week, and sometimes has a partner who enjoys bowling with, but doesn’t pose much of a challenge. His girlfriend, Ellyn Ferguson, averages about 100 pins fewer than her boyfriend.
‘We go about once a month and we just have fun. She’s never beaten me though,? he said with a laugh. ‘Not even close.?
So, with all these tournament winnings, honors and 300 games, does the bowler from Clarkston, who is sometimes called, ‘The King? by his teammates and friends, ever get rattled when his mother is not watching? Maybe not so much nervous, as embarrassed, he said.
‘One time I had 19 strikes in a row, and then I threw a gutter ball the very next throw. I didn’t adjust to this little piece of tape on my ball. Guess it was superstitious,? he said.
Grego summed up his love of bowling by offering a bit of advice to those looking to improve their scores.
‘It’s just like anything else. Don’t expect to get great at it overnight. It takes a lot of practice. It’s not life or death. It’s just something to do after work or whenever,? he said.
Since he began bowling at six years of age, did Grego take baby steps or jump right in?
‘I don’t think I ever bumper bowled,? he said with a grin. ‘I just started with the real thing and picked up on it.?