What should bowling be? Should bowling be about who has the right ball to give them the most mistake room? Should bowling be about lane conditioning that guides balls to the pocket? Dont we all agree that these are different levels of cheating?

I know that is not what our game is about today. And I also know that prior to the 70's bowling was closer to those ideals and quess when bowling was in its prime??? You got it...

Its all about everyone knowing there place is line and not being able to move up in line with simply taking advantage of technology (even if for a day). The days when you had to perfect your style, post at the line, hit a dime at 40ft 9 out of 10 times in order to be at the top made everything clear. The guys on TV were GODS to the bowling world and everyone knew it. Funny there used to be double shift leagues, morning leagues, afternoon and sunday leagues, open play that packed the house... why?? Because it was in vogue?? Perhaps, but because there was money and everyone knew that when they got good enough they could make some money.

If we can get back to the correct order of things, we might have solved many of the issues of what is causing the attrition rate.
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Read this book . . .

http://www.bowlingalone.com/

I started to type some boring stuff from back in the day, but it's all been said.

The game is still great.
It all depends upon how you view it.

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Duke Harding


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"A Great Bowler thinks only of what's in Front of Him."
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When I first started bowling (early to mid 80's), I could hit anything, and I mean anything.  I was bowling with plastic/polyester, whatever it was back then.  I threw a straight ball with conventional grip.  I literally mean I could hit anything....I could make the 10 pin by hitting it on the right side, 9 out of 10 times.  

Now, I don't think I could hit the same mark twice if I tried.  Now I throw reactive drilled finger tip.  I score much higher (most of the time), but I don't think it's because I've gotten any better.  It is all about the technology, and the fact that everybody wants to throw "the big hook."  It probably also has to do with the fact that I'm 20 years older and don't have the eyesight or dexterity that I used to.  

It's funny, 10-12 years ago I started bowling again with some buddies, and got mesmerized with the "big hook."  Of course back then I had to throw no-thumb to get the hook (wish I still had that Gyro!).  After that I've never been able to go back to throwing straight.

It's funny, I now suddenly get what Marshall Holman was talking about when he made those comments on bowl.com - about having to make the shots and being able to carry the 8 pin.

Problem now is that everybody has access to the same technology.  You can claim you want a challenge, but I don't see anybody bowling with plastic/polyester anymore, unless they are shooting spares.  I imagine its probably ego - we can know that we are better than that punk kid throwing his new inferno, knowing that he has no talent and the ball is doing all the work, but we don't want to see him with a higher average, so we jump on the newest ball too!

I for one get frustrated when I see people in league throwing their plastic ball from the local sports store (at least 10-15 years old), throwing it fast and straight, hitting the head pin dead on and getting strikes.  You see them not hit the same spot twice and still get good count.....it's ridiculous when you see somebody hit the 3/6 pocket and still get 8 or 9 count because the pins are flying.  Meanwhile, you are throwing a nice hook, getting almost dead flush each time and still leaving 10 pins or some funky 4/9 split.
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Haywood

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