I was reminded a few days ago of a subject that we should pay attention to, but don't. We take it for granted even though we may argue that we are participating in a "sport." And that subject, my friends, is personal injury safety.

A teammate was joking and talking as he went to pick up his ball from the ball return rack. Not paying full attention to what he was doing, he didn't notice another ball coming so his left fingertips were hit by that oncoming bowling ball. Although it was not rolling fast, anyone who has ever had their fingertips "smashed" in such a way knows how painful it can be.

When you start thinking about safety and list some of the areas and things that could cause us personal injury, you begin to realize just how vulnerable we are when we're bowling.

While not complete by any means, my "Choc-list" for personal bowling safety follows:

1) Warm up before beginning to bowl. Ask around or look at any "learn-to-bowl" book and you'll get some hints for some stretching exercises that will limber up your muscles.

2) Make sure the sole of your sliding foot is clean at all times. I have seen too many falls over the years because people don't bother to check to make sure they could slide properly when they went to throw their next frame.

3) Pick up your bowling ball with both hands (one on either side of the ball) making sure that they are perpendicular to the rolling path of the bowling balls. As aforementioned, that small "bump" on the fingertip can, and will, cause enough injury that you may be sidelined for several days.

4) Never stick your hand inside the automatic ball return hole where your ball comes up. Take a close look at this area and you'll observe a constantly spinning ball wheel. Balls will get jammed in there and people have tried to get them unstuck by placing their hands in that area. Call for lane assistance, that is their job.

5) Always bend your knees when lifting. Bowlers do a lot of lifting during a typical outing. We pick up or ball for every shot, we carry our bowling bags in-and-out of our cars and up-and-down steps or ramps, and we're always bending over our bags to get something or other out of them.

It's not something to get paranoid about, but being aware does go a long way towards injury prevention. Next time you're at your favorite bowling center, see what other things you could add to your own "Choc-list" for personal bowling safety.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)