MANSFIELD – Tim Harless has always been at home with a ball on the hardwood.
From his days helping Mansfield Senior to the state basketball finals in 1984 to his most recent perfect bowling effort at Lex Lanes, the 49-year-old Harless remains at the top of his game.
Bowling in the Thursday Night Gates State Farm Mixed League in January, Harless rolled his 10th career 300 game – a mark that goes along with five 800-plus series. In an even greater example of consistency, Harless has never averaged less than 200 for a season in the last 29 years.
Though he is far removed from the days he averaged 16 points and eight rebounds for Joe Prats’ Tygers, the 6-foot-3 Harless looks like he could still ball. And he can definitely still roll.
In fact, Harless is having perhaps the best season of his long career. He is averaging 231 per game, four pins better than his previous highs set in 2000-2001 and 2005-2006. That is an average nightly series of 693 for those scoring at home.
That’s not too shabby for a guy who only bowls one night a week these days.
“I don’t practice. I bowl one night a week. I have a ball that is probably 20 years old. I pick it up when the season starts and put it in the closet when the season ends. That’s where it stays until next season. Bowling is just a good winter activity to get you out of the house,” Harless said.
FAMILY AFFAIR
It’s also always been a great way to spend time with family, especially his father, Garrell, now a 69-year-old retiree from Gorman-Rupp who has multiple 300 games to his credit.
Harless started bowling when he was 10 in youth leagues at Park Lanes.
“My parents and all my relatives all bowled and we spent a lot of time there. I grew up watching and learning from my father,” Tim said. “As I grew up, it gave me something I could do with him. It’s a family oriented activity.
“Some people think you just roll the ball down the lane and hope. But my dad taught me the technical aspects of it, from your delivery, reading the lane, understanding and adjusting to oil conditions. Any achievements I have from bowling are because of my dad.”
Harless still bowls on a team that includes his dad and two cousins. The squad has won the handicap-based league two of the last three seasons, but are stuck in the middle of the pack this season.
“We’re not good this year,” he said with a laugh, lamenting the number of pins his team gives up every week. “We would be doing fairly well (if it were a scratch league). If you average 200 or better, you get zero pins. It definitely evens the playing field. You had better bowl your average or you are in trouble that week.”
Harless’ commitment is to his dad, not to the game. When Garrell is done bowling, so is his son.
“I have achieved a lot of things in bowling. The time for us to be together is what is important. The competition piece I won’t miss,” he said. “Bowling will not be the same without him. I just won’t have the same desire anymore.”
But that end doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon for the father/son combo, who also play golf and fish together.
“Dad just keeps plugging along,” he said with a smile. “As long as he can do it, I will keep going.”
800 SERIES
Harless is proud of the 10 perfect games, each of whom have earned him a ring or watch from the American Bowling Congress, now the U.S. Bowling Congress. But it’s the five 800-plus series that offer a better insight into his prowess.
In order to record an 800 series, one must average 267 or better over three games. Bowling an 800 series takes three times as many frames of excellent performance compared to twelve frames in a 300 game, according to BowlingBall.com.
An 800 series requires adjustments during the night. One such night came when Harless rolled his career-best 838, hitting 32 of 36 possible strikes.
“Different types of balls on the market react differently to lane conditions,” Harless said. “Some hook more. Some hook less. At some point during the night, the lanes change and you have to know how to adjust to move yourself on the approach and how to get the ball to the pocket.”
Harless was a good free throw shooter in high school. It’s the same skills he uses on the lanes.
“Like shooting foul shots, it’s a lot of muscle memory. The key to bowling is repetition – delivering the ball, the speed of the ball,” Harless said.
NOT A PRO
Harless laughs when asked why he never tried the professional bowling tour. Having earned a master’s degree in social work, he is now the director of community outreach and programming for Richland County Children Services
“Those guys are the best of the best. It requires tons of travel. You have to have sponsors. They are bowling in different houses every week with different lane conditions. Just to qualify (for a finals), you have to bowl 60 games in a week. I bowl three.
“To say these guys are not athletes is misleading. You don’t understand what it requires.”
