I am for some sort of change, maybe a rating system.  I know that amatuer softball has divisions for teams of different levels.  I think that it would be much easier to do this in bowling because you have very quantifiable data to base ratings on (averages).  Now I know a few people sandbag, and you may always have that going on, but usually the average is a good indicator of one's level of skill.  Unfortunately, a lot of folks bowl in certain leagues based upon other factors such as location, night, and friends and don't care a lot about the competition level.  Most lower average bowlers know that they can't compete with the better bowlers consistently, even in high handicapped situations.

Without rambling on, I know that in softball and golf the technology has changed the game over the years. It has in bowling too and I am not sure that the game can be restored to or even resemble the way it used to be.
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SoonerMike

BowlingKid:

 One way to make the pins tougher to knock over is to eliminate the double-voided construction, and go back to single-voids, thus lowering the pins' center of gravity, and making them tougher to knock over. Bill Taylor has been promoting this idea for years, and it definitely would decrease pin-carry, especially on less-than-perfect hits.

drillbit

Edited on 2/3/2004 5:17 PM

1.  Why did the ABC stop requiring periodic resurfacing of lanes?  Even some synthetic need it?

2.  Why does the ABC allow so many variations in lane conditioning?  

3.  Why are particle balls legal?

4.  Why don't we have a single sanctioning body for the sport?

5.  Could sport bowling become the standard?

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"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings."

The problem is just like many other things have people up at the top that like the way things are going and don't want to change. The ABC Nationals seem to be growing every year, why really mess around with anything, yes I know overall #'s are down however. Also I think we all have forgotten about the busy lifestyle that everyone lives now. I remember growing up Tuesday nights go out and watch my Father bowl get home late that night and go to basketball practice other nights of the week. Now we have parents who are trying to bowl more and more activities for kids to be in. With the growing cost of everything more and more people are looking at cutting expenses just like businesses are. There are many things that can be done. Dividing people into different leagues based on averages may work in very large markets however places like South Dakota it would not work. Most places in the state are 12 lanes or less. There are 13 out of 73 centers in the state that are over 12 lanes. So the seperate by average would not really work here. Most of the bowlers in the state are out to have fun, yes they want to win as much as anybody else but the fun is what they want. It is almost coming down to different rules for different parts of the country although that would never work. Down South bowling maybe more of a year round sport I know in South Dakota just during the winter months even for the most hard core bowlers. I think part of what ABC may want to look at is when honor scores are shot go back to checking the lanes close to that time. Now I believe if the lane is checked within 30 days of the score it is ok. Gives time for centers to play with the oil pattern if they need to. Part of the problem right now is most of the oilers can hold multiple shots and depends on who oils that night on what shot may get put out. In the center the I use to work at we had 1 shot we put out for every league mens,womens, or mixed. I have heard of centers using 3-5 shots depending on what league. Good but also bad. Case in point bowl mix league on Sunday nites a few weeks ago shot 490 got asked to sub on Tuesday night shot 683 complete different shot. That is also why people are not coming back to bowl the next year they get frustrated due to inconsistency of the oil pattern. Then there are the ball companies who think they need to anywhere from 2-4 balls out per company per month. Getting to be to many balls out on the market who knows what to get and when to get it. With the new technology in the balls the centers have to put out more and more oil to protect their investment in the lanes. The bowlers with older equipment can't get the ball to work get upset and leave the game. Bowling anymore is an endless circle of pointing the finger at the next guy. Will bowling ever be back to the glory days of old??? No it will not be able to get back there.
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trying to have fun while I bowl