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Author Topic: Sport Bowling is not the answer  (Read 4552 times)

Coolerman

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Sport Bowling is not the answer
« on: May 13, 2010, 06:37:01 AM »

This article is by PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia.The article was written in 2001.
The article is very detailed and long.WHAT DO YOU THINK?


 Here's the simple truth: Sport Bowling is not the answer

I WANT TO MAKE ONE THING VERY clear: I love bowling. I'm extremely concerned about the continuing escalation of scores and how it hurts bowling's credibility as a sport. I'm as much in favor of scores going down as anybody. However, I fear we're taking the wrong steps to correct the problem by rushing to judgment with Sport Bowling, which is characterized by a strict, universal lane oil condition that is being implemented by bowling's governing bodies.


Let's consider why Sport Bowling is touted as the answer. The American Bowling Congress and its executive director, Roger Dalkin--for whom I have the greatest respect--are under a lot of pressure to lower scores. Although the ABC sanctions balls and pins as well as lanes, lane sanctioning historically has been the most important aspect of the organization. That's not wrong, but that emphasis means other factors that affect scoring are overlooked.

There's a growing worldwide sentiment that there should be one standard lane condition for all to play on. I know it's a response to the cry to make lanes fair for everyone--righthanders and lefthanders, heavy rollers and spinners. But what makes bowling great is the inherent variety of playing conditions. It leads to the kind of clubhouse discussion that makes players into legends: Who's the best on the easy conditions? Who's the best on the tough ones? Who's the best on the gutter? On the fifth arrow? Who can dominate from anywhere?

Specifying a universal lane condition would be like mandating that every golf course in the world be the same. You'd never truly test the skills of the players. Why? It's because the one major flaw of bowling--which is nobody's fault--is that, unlike other sports, a tough condition isn't equally tough for everyone. Bowlers stick with one specific technique, no matter what condition is put down.

A universal condition would entrust one person or organization to decide which technique would succeed and which would fail. And who is smart enough, fair enough, or unprejudiced enough to make that kind of judgment? Hundreds of thousands of bowlers should determine the ideal technique through actual performance. That's what I fear won't happen if we have a uniform lane condition. Sport Bowling is the first step toward that end.

Admittedly, lane conditions today are designed to accommodate the higher-average bowlers and their $200 bowling balls; unfortunately, that's only a small percentage of participants. What happens to the rest of the bowling population--for instance, kids 11 and 12 years old or senior citizens, who use 10-, 11- and 12-pound plastic house balls with conventional grips? These bowlers play with the same equipment that was used 20 years ago, on lanes conditioned for someone throwing proactive equipment that could break 30 boards. They're being asked to compete on conditions a hundred times tighter than they were 20 years ago. It's the equivalent of asking them to play against Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach with only a 5-iron.

If you doubt this, all you have to do is take a ball that was the top of the line 10 years ago and roll it down a freshly oiled lane. That ball is going to hydroplane 60 feet. Imagine what a plastic ball will do on the same condition! No matter how good a bowler's mechanics and execution, the ball is never going to hook, and it's never going to get to the pocket.

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent teaching junior bowlers proper form and delivery, and then had to explain why their balls won't hook when they're doing everything I ask. All I can tell them is that they need a different, more expensive ball for that to happen. In the meantime, they see the scoring gap between themselves and bowlers with better equipment getting wider and wider, and their frustration grows.

If a sport lane condition designed to reduce hooking is laid down, the situation will get even worse because lower-tech balls will never "match up" with a sport condition. ("Matching up" refers to the way a bowler's style, equipment, and amount of hook combine to satisfy what a lane condition dictates must happen to maximize hit and carry.)

Here's an example of how crucial matching up is to success: I rolled a perfect game on national TV back in 1994, even though minutes before airtime I couldn't get close to the headpin with the ball I'd used all week. Ray Edwards, Brunswick's ball rep for the tour, handed me a ball I hadn't touched during the tournament. That's what I used for the 300.

I bowled against another lefthander in that match, Eric Forkel. He used the ball he'd thrown all week and scored around 190. No one else on the telecast broke 200, including Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Dave and Dale Traber. If I hadn't switched balls right before the show, I wouldn't have, either. The 300 had nothing to do with the lane conditions that day. It had everything to do with what was in my hand and how that ball reacted to the lane condition. That shows you how important matching up is.

 Back in the days of hard robber or plastic balls, matching up was not that important because there were fewer equipment choices. The greater variety of balls today makes matching up more critical to success. Matching up can affect the outcome of any competition between two equally talented players.

And matching up is just one concern. We must also consider how a sport condition affects lane topography. The PBA lane men tell us that as little as 20/1,000ths of an inch completely changes a lane. The more critical the lane condition, the more prominence the variance assumes.

What happened at this year's Senior Masters illustrates this point. The tournament featured a sport condition pattern, and it took a score of 67 under to make the top 64. One of every four bowlers in the field averaged 197 or better. Given that bowlers with all kinds of styles made the cut, you might think that this proved the sport condition produced a level, true-scoring playing field. But once match play began and bowlers were confined to a specific pair of lanes the same way a league bowler is, it was a very different story. One pair of lanes could yield a 780-750 match, and on the pair directly to the right a bowler would win 580-550. Same condition, same house--vastly different results from pair to pair.

The only way to explain the discrepancy is that the condition magnified the variances in lane topography, something that was disguised during the qualifying when players bowled on all the lanes in the house. This difference showed up within pairs, too. We had a situation where Dave Soutar beat Dave Davis, 804-616. It was obvious that on this particular pair, while Soutar wasn't bowling on a stringent sport condition any longer, Davis was. The variance in lane topography affected the contest more than it should have; in fact, the sport condition amplified the variance.

Right now, use of the sport condition is optional. I suppose that could work if the proprietor is willing to invest in the necessary equipment and personnel and restructure his league schedules to allow time to strip the house condition and put down a sport condition, then strip the sport condition and put back the house condition for the next league--if bowlers are willing to start their leagues a half-hour later to accommodate the switches. However, that's a lot of "ifs" to ask of a proprietor already pressed to meet customer demands.

The alternative is to use Sport Bowling as the one-size-fits-all house condition. I fear that will drive even more people away from bowling than we have already--not only the kids and the seniors I've already mentioned, but middle-aged adults, too, and for the same reason: frustration.

Let me illustrate with another golf analogy. Let's say the golf industry decided to make the hole cup the size of a dinner plate because its leaders thought more people would play if it were easier to shoot the ball into the cup. Inside of a generation, all the golf pros would shoot in the 50s, because they all would have titanium shafts, perimeter-weighted clubs, balls that would fly farther, and a cup the size of a dinner plate.

 People would start complaining that they wanted a return to the old par golf. So a golf course architect would be hired and told, "We want you to get par back to 72. But you can't touch the cup, the clubs, or the balls." That architect would grow the rough eight inches high, make the fairways more narrow, put in a lake here and a trap there, and make the greens lightning fast. The result? The course would be back to a par 72. In addition, everybody would hate playing golf.

Why? Because all of a sudden you would be asked to play at Woods' level, on his conditions (but without his equipment), every week for 36 weeks. And after that, you'd be expected to sign up for another 36 weeks of torture on the same condition.


Would you be happy about that? I doubt it. You wouldn't mind playing on this condition every once in a while, just to see what it's like to be a pro, but you wouldn't want your brains beaten in every week for 36 weeks--and have to pay for the privilege!

All the golf industry would have to do would be to shrink the cup back to normal size, change the balls or the clubs, and leave the course alone. It's the same with bowling. If bowlers are allowed to play their own games, to their own ability level, then whoever is more highly skilled and has better execution will win. Sport Bowling doesn't allow that to happen. It makes bowlers play--match up--to a predetermined formula. What's worse, it makes it possible for a lesser-skilled bowler to beat a great talent like Williams, because it prevents Walter Ray from playing his own game. It would be like a 12-handicap golfer--the equivalent of a 190-average bowler in our game--beating Woods in a round of golf.

I saw how this could happen in our game at this year's PBA Orleans Casino Open, which was played on a sport condition. Walter Ray rolled a 148 game to my right while I was carding a 161. To my left, Wayne Webb was posting a 136. Can you imagine the outcry if the same thing had happened in golf, with Tiger shooting 90 or more? You can bet the PGA would never return to that course!

Keep the current lane condition guidelines. Change the pins and the bowling balls instead. If the pins are as heavy as they've always been, make them even heavier--four pounds apiece, if need be.

How will that affect things? Well, say a righthander averages 185. Because the pins are heavier, he's going to leave one extra 10-pin every game. (A lefthander, of course, would leave the 7-pin.) A 185-average bowler misses about one of every seven spare attempts, and you've just given him an extra spare to shoot. So, his average likely will go down by 10 pins--to 175--without changing anything except the weight of the pin. You've just changed the scoring environment without touching the lanes.

Couple a change in pin weight with some equipment restrictions, and we can bring scoring down 20 pins a game! We can't stifle technology, but we can certainly restrict how a ball is drilled or manipulated. We can require pin placement to be no more than a half-inch outside the grip, outlaw extra holes, and forbid changing the bull's original surface. There are many ways to manipulate equipment and make it tougher to knock down pins.

 Changing pins and balls also reduces the potential for cheating. Once a four-pound pin becomes standard, it's what a proprietor has to buy. Once the extra hole is outlawed, it's easy to tell if a ball is in compliance.

But how do we stop an unethical proprietor from cheating on a lane condition? Anyone can say, "Oh, yeah, I'm offering the sport condition for this league" and not do it, cheating his bowlers out of something they're paying for.

If we change pins or balls instead of lane conditions, bowlers can still get the ball to the pocket if they make a good shot. At the end of the day, they'll be able to compare their performances to that of a Williams or Robert Smith more equitably (because the pros will be bowling with the same pin and equipment restrictions) and say, "If only I could have carded a little better" or "If I just could have made my spares."

Bowlers will better appreciate why the pros are so good at what they do and recognize that their errors come from within. They'll realize they need to get in better condition, become better versed technically, and practice more to get to the professional level. Most important, with pin and ball changes as opposed to lane condition changes, the lesser-skilled bowler never beats the Williamses of the world. Never. And isn't that what we're trying to achieve?

If we decide juniors and seniors need lighter pins, fine--we can make that allowance. We can keep the lighter pins for them and go to the heavier ones for regular adult competition. It should take no more time to change sets of pins than it would to strip and put down a sport condition between leagues and reverse the procedure afterward. Making changes to the pin and ball restrictions, and not the lanes, is the way we should be going right now.

If pin and ball changes prove not to be the answer, then, of course, changes in lane conditions can be investigated. But there's been too big a rush to implement Sport Bowling. The industry's job is to get people back into bowling, and keep them there. I ask of all those involved: Don't put down a condition that makes that impossible.

Johnny Petraglia is a PBA Hall-of-Famer with 18 career titles.






 

JessN16

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2010, 12:33:41 AM »
quote:
What do I think?

  I think I am amazed that there are guys on here who either didn't read what you put here, or just clearly don't understand it.

  Johhny's whole point was that sports conditions, a.k.a. PBAX, just are NOT the answer, even goes into lengthy detail why, yet they are mentioned as the answer to averages and several users agreed. HUH????

  One of the charms of bowling was its simplicity. You had a ball, and you threw it at some pins. How well you did this depended solely on you and your ability to perform the correct actions in the correct manner, NOT whther you had an equipment advantage.

 You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, or the genie back in the bottle, so I don't suppose there's much to be done about this either, except read 9 year old articles about how we could've already taken steps to fix things and didn't.
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I read the article. My take on it was Petraglia was against the original "sport shot" condition, not PBAX. I don't think we had PBAX in 2001. He's talking about the original foray into USBC Sport Bowling. What that was in its initial rollout, essentially, was a 2-to-1 shot or even a completely flat shot mimicking the U.S. Open pattern. Guys who bowled on the original sport shot were averaging anywhere from 30-60 sticks lower. PBAX is much easier than that if/when you happen to match up to one of the patterns.

The other thing no one has mentioned yet is that if you make everything harder for the PBA pro, you still haven't addressed the issue of the viewing audience. Our current PBA viewing audience doesn't really understand the difference between PBAX shots, weighted pins, balls used at the Roth tournament, etc. All they know is the guy on TV is shooting around 200 flat on many weeks and they're not impressed.

You want to impress the viewers, rig it so all the matches finish 300-299 on TV. You want to have a real pro tournament, forget what you're trying to put on TV. Those are two completely separate issues.

As for heavier pins for PBA tournaments, the biggest issue is logistics. Centers don't have heavy pins. You'd need to truck them to every venue, then install them in the machines. And again, you're not accomplishing anything at the audience level.

Jess

LuckyLefty

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2010, 07:50:47 AM »
Interesting read by Johnny.

Note I am not a sport bowling fan!

Only because it narrows the gap between those who throw straight down the middle and can''t average over 170 and those that truly throw it beautifully as intended.

I read his suggestion of heavier pins and I am certain that physics say heavier balls and or faster speeds will dominate those conditions.

Now we have given the power player the advantage.

A second idea very similar to golf is lenthen the course...ie lengthen lanes to 65 feet or 62 feet.  And leave conditions Easy.  This would encourage both high accuracy and strong power in striking.  Sort of like what we get out of our best bowlers already!  BOTH power AND accuracy!

Of course many centers could not accomodate this...or could they?

REgards,

Luckylefty
PS I would love to see a 2 or 3 foot trial and a 5 foot trial  and a study done by the USBC of how many centers could accomodate it!
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TamerBowling

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #18 on: May 14, 2010, 09:19:33 AM »
It's an interesting read.  I know I don't have the answers myself or I'd be a millionaire, but just a couple of observations.  
I think there are a few self-contradictions regarding the lane condition and how it should be used in relation to the golf analogy.  To some extent I would think you would want different conditions.  Not every golf course is the same and it is changed to suit the tournament.  Some golf courses are harder than others, plain as that.  Depending on the tournament, the cup position is moved.  So theoretically, golf already makes it "dinner plate size" by moving it to a flat spot on the green.  They could make any hole tougher by putting the hole on a sloped part of the green.  If you've watched golf, you would know what I mean.  A golfer could go triple bogey on these type of holes because the pin is in such a difficult position.  That's not a whole lot different than bowling in that we use the condition which makes getting to the pocket or carrying a lot more difficult.

In addition, I agree with some about the potential outcome of going back to the "good old days" with the condition, whatever that means, and increasing pin weight.  This makes it pro-centric.  Meaning for sure, the average person can never beat a pro.  Johnny's article is biased towards the perception of a pro bowler, in my opinion.  In other words, there is heavy concern on his part that pros can be beaten by the average hack.  But in the end, we know that even in today's conditions, that's simply not true.  

As some said, making pins heavier will affect low speed and low rev bowlers in a more pronounced way, almost guaranteeing that "the lesser-skilled bowler never beats the Williamses of the world. Never. And isn't that what we're trying to achieve?" as Johnny states.  
How many low rev and low speed bowlers are there on tour??  None that I have seen.  They either have one or the other or both.  Is that really what we are trying to do to our sport?  If you've got a ton of hand, you are it?
I'm not sure if that's exactly what we are trying to achieve.
Again, not claiming I have the answers to the dilemma, but not 100% in agreement with this.

My feeling is that the game should somehow be geared towards rewarding accuracy, not speed or revs.  In the end, physics will always dictate that speed and revs will increase carry, but let's not make that so pronounced.
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BrianCRX90

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2010, 10:27:39 AM »
quote:
I think the simple solution is to change what the USBC considers a legal condition.  Put a little more oil outside and a little less inside.  Just take away the big bumper shots and things will simmer down.  

Give us the gutter and eliminate the mound in middle.  I think a player who can work the boards near the gutter will outscore the guy inside all day.  The entry angle is so much easier to generate.



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Here's a simple question then....if the PBA has regulated patterns why can't USBC do this? Have USBC patterns that would require the lane maintenance guy to oil by the book for that pattern. Have USBC reps in your region actually go to that alley and inspect the lanes periodically and if found the house is using a house shot used for open play and non sanctioned leagues fine the bowling alley! If not a fine the first time a warning. If the alley refuses to pay the fine then USBC can suspend all sanctioned leagues for a week. That would get the message.

I would love USBC patterns for leagues. I think it would make league more interesting instead of playing the usual house shot that the maintenance guy will change very little and for most wouldn't even know the difference anyways. Not saying to put anything close to PBA shots but at least having uniform shots accross the country and changing the sanctioned shots on a weekly basis would be a terrific idea. It would give credibility to the somewhat tarnished organization right now.

JessN16

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2010, 06:12:03 PM »
quote:


Here's a simple question then....if the PBA has regulated patterns why can't USBC do this? Have USBC patterns that would require the lane maintenance guy to oil by the book for that pattern. Have USBC reps in your region actually go to that alley and inspect the lanes periodically and if found the house is using a house shot used for open play and non sanctioned leagues fine the bowling alley! If not a fine the first time a warning. If the alley refuses to pay the fine then USBC can suspend all sanctioned leagues for a week. That would get the message.

I would love USBC patterns for leagues. I think it would make league more interesting instead of playing the usual house shot that the maintenance guy will change very little and for most wouldn't even know the difference anyways. Not saying to put anything close to PBA shots but at least having uniform shots accross the country and changing the sanctioned shots on a weekly basis would be a terrific idea. It would give credibility to the somewhat tarnished organization right now.


First of all, I don't disagree with anything you wrote. But I am about to tell you why it's not possible.

To begin with, people don't want a challenge. We have a scratch league here that nearly fractured and split wide open over something as benign as deciding on which of the Kegel Recreation Series patterns were going to be put down. REC SERIES patterns. If you've got scratch bowlers fighting over that, there's no way they'll go for anything more difficult.

What you're describing is, I believe, the Red/White/Blue idea from the USBC. Now here's the rub to actually putting it down: Those lanes are taped and read by association volunteers. In a lot of associations, those volunteers simply don't exist. In others, they can't afford the tape machines. Then there's the issue of reading them. The tape machine at my old association was not a real-time reader. You ran tape, found someone at a neighboring association that could read tape, and had him read it or you mailed it to him, which I'm not so sure didn't corrupt the sample if you mailed it in hot weather. As expensive as a tape machine is, the reader is more so and then you've got to have training on it.

Meanwhile, you have your BPAA center who would really prefer you did something like go jump in a lake. One of the centers I used to inspect nicely requested I let them know when I was going to come tape the place (I wasn't supposed to let them know) so they could put out a 1-to-1 flood across the lane and pass inspection. The next week, here comes the Christmas tree. The other house I inspected refused to allow me in unless I told them when I was coming. No requests for consideration, just flat-out told me they would not open up otherwise.

I also have a question about surprise tape-readings: What happens if you tape the lanes after league has already been bowled? With these oil sponges we throw today, I wonder if they wouldn't have completely dried some areas out (and thus, the lanes wouldn't pass).

Jess

leftyinsnellville

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2010, 06:48:10 PM »
Many of you appear to be under the impression that reactive equipment makes strokers and tweeners equal with crankers.  That is absolutely not true.  

All of us would agree that crankers have better carry because of the extra pin action generated by their higher rev rate.  But strokers and tweeners can usually compete with normal crankers because they tend to be more accurate.

However, if you have a cranker that is as accurate as your typical stoker or tweener and that cranker will stomp the lower reve bowlers 99 out of 100 times.
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Gazoo

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #22 on: May 14, 2010, 06:49:30 PM »
90% of league bowlers want and are happy with a THS. Why does the 10% who don't think everything should be changed just to make them happy.
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Juggernaut

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #23 on: May 14, 2010, 07:17:58 PM »
I know I've posted several times, but this subject is one that seems to draw me back again and again.

 "Fixing" bowling. To do that, we have to know what's wrong with it, so exactly what IS wrong? And, when did it get that way?

 Was anything wrong with bowling in 1930? No? How about 1950? Not then either?

 At those points in time, bowling was still what it had always been, a simple sport with simple rules and simple equipment. Oil was applied to the lanes more for protection of the lane surface than to facilitate, OR prevent, high scores.

 Bowling didn't really begin to change until the advent of polyester balls, which had a wider performance characteristic than the older rubber balls did, especially when altered with MEK ( or other chemical softening agents). It as at this point that bowling manufacturers began to explore the possibilities of creating balls that were capable of more and more friction.

 Bowling centers countered by increasing the volume of oil, but human nature being what it is, owners were also looking for an "edge" on the competition, and began to formulate oiling patterns that were condusive to higher scores than "regular" oiling patterns.

 Ever since this technological snowball began rolling downhill, it has done nothing but gain momentum. And like that gigantic snowball, its just gotten bigger and harder to stop.

 Bowling, sadly, is no longer a sport, it is a game.
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JOE FALCO

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2010, 07:57:55 PM »
NOW

s1nger1 .. agree with you 100%. Don't know if you recall SAWBONES .. but I argued with him many times that COST is driving bowlers away .. most members thought that bowling cost were keeping in line with the economy! Can't get the point across when responding folks depend on income from bowling!



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al_g

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #25 on: May 15, 2010, 09:01:39 AM »
quote:
Many of you appear to be under the impression that reactive equipment makes strokers and tweeners equal with crankers.  That is absolutely not true.  

All of us would agree that crankers have better carry because of the extra pin action generated by their higher rev rate.  But strokers and tweeners can usually compete with normal crankers because they tend to be more accurate.

However, if you have a cranker that is as accurate as your typical stoker or tweener and that cranker will stomp the lower reve bowlers 99 out of 100 times.



+1

TamerBowling

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2010, 09:59:56 AM »
quote:
quote:
Many of you appear to be under the impression that reactive equipment makes strokers and tweeners equal with crankers.  That is absolutely not true.  

All of us would agree that crankers have better carry because of the extra pin action generated by their higher rev rate.  But strokers and tweeners can usually compete with normal crankers because they tend to be more accurate.

However, if you have a cranker that is as accurate as your typical stoker or tweener and that cranker will stomp the lower reve bowlers 99 out of 100 times.



+1

To some extent, this is what I was saying with my earlier post, "As some said, making pins heavier will affect low speed and low rev bowlers in a more pronounced way, almost guaranteeing that "the lesser-skilled bowler never beats the Williamses of the world. Never. And isn't that what we're trying to achieve?" as Johnny states.
How many low rev and low speed bowlers are there on tour?? None that I have seen. They either have one or the other or both. Is that really what we are trying to do to our sport? If you've got a ton of hand, you are it?
I'm not sure if that's exactly what we are trying to achieve.
Again, not claiming I have the answers to the dilemma, but not 100% in agreement with this.

My feeling is that the game should somehow be geared towards rewarding accuracy, not speed or revs. In the end, physics will always dictate that speed and revs will increase carry, but let's not make that so pronounced."

What Johnny was recommending will make this more pronounced.  I think more equality could be had if we used a condition that required accuracy.  This way, a cranker has advantage of physics, only if they are accurate.  Strokers would have the accuracy advantage, but less carry.  It would make it pretty competitive.


In the end, I still believe bowling is a sport.  When all of us average bowlers can be on the pro tour, then it will no longer be a sport.  Despite all of this about conditions and pins, etc., there is a very distinct difference between pros and average house bowlers.
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baltimora

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2010, 12:55:24 PM »
i find petraglia's article an interesting and valid read. however while i see the influx of pba shot leagues (which is a good thing imo) i don't see anyone adopting the sport shot patterns. the commentary expressed that strokers and tweeners have benefited more from newer technology doesn't make sense to me. i watch high rev, high speed, no thumbers throw 20 mph to the dry bump with the newest sponge available and average scores i only can dream about. am i jealous of that? hell yeah! can i do anything about it? hell no. it is in the annoyingly stupid vernacular of the day: "it is what it is." rev rate and ball speed are the 2 keys to successful bowling on a house pattern (and to a lesser extent pba as well). i do like the fact that the pba shots seem to go a long way in trying to equalize that. i make that opinion based on watching local players trying their hand at pbax as well as the changing field of bowlers that are on tv.
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glssmn2001

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2010, 01:11:02 PM »
While this article is nice to read, I feel a little different. While the sport shot is not the answer, neither is the walled up house shot. I feel there should be a harder shot adopted by leagues, something in the middle between the wall and sport. If this would happen bowlers would adjust after a couple weeks and all would be fine

BrianCRX90

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #29 on: May 16, 2010, 04:45:41 PM »
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Here's a simple question then....if the PBA has regulated patterns why can't USBC do this? Have USBC patterns that would require the lane maintenance guy to oil by the book for that pattern. Have USBC reps in your region actually go to that alley and inspect the lanes periodically and if found the house is using a house shot used for open play and non sanctioned leagues fine the bowling alley! If not a fine the first time a warning. If the alley refuses to pay the fine then USBC can suspend all sanctioned leagues for a week. That would get the message.

I would love USBC patterns for leagues. I think it would make league more interesting instead of playing the usual house shot that the maintenance guy will change very little and for most wouldn't even know the difference anyways. Not saying to put anything close to PBA shots but at least having uniform shots accross the country and changing the sanctioned shots on a weekly basis would be a terrific idea. It would give credibility to the somewhat tarnished organization right now.


First of all, I don't disagree with anything you wrote. But I am about to tell you why it's not possible.

To begin with, people don't want a challenge. We have a scratch league here that nearly fractured and split wide open over something as benign as deciding on which of the Kegel Recreation Series patterns were going to be put down. REC SERIES patterns. If you've got scratch bowlers fighting over that, there's no way they'll go for anything more difficult.

What you're describing is, I believe, the Red/White/Blue idea from the USBC. Now here's the rub to actually putting it down: Those lanes are taped and read by association volunteers. In a lot of associations, those volunteers simply don't exist. In others, they can't afford the tape machines. Then there's the issue of reading them. The tape machine at my old association was not a real-time reader. You ran tape, found someone at a neighboring association that could read tape, and had him read it or you mailed it to him, which I'm not so sure didn't corrupt the sample if you mailed it in hot weather. As expensive as a tape machine is, the reader is more so and then you've got to have training on it.

Jess


Thank you for the reply. But if the patterns are not amazingly too difficult I don't see this as a problem. The only hard parts is every house to corporate with the patterns. But I figure if they have to do it for PBA X leagues, why not USBC leagues. Forget about the challenge. Sanctioned league bowlers will show up anyways and again will bring more credibility to the sport. If USBC could get involved with this along with bowling alleys it doesn't seem to be that difficult.

My Dad used to tell me the houses would actually shut down the pair if a 300 was bowled and ABC would come out to see if it was a legal shot. Even the first guy to ever shoot a 900 to this day (Glenn Allison) has been forever denied of his accomplishment due to ABC stating it was an illegal shot. Yet 25 some years later we have a teenager that prebowls and is granted two perfect series because of the corruption of USBC. I don't see a problem with a sanctioned shot that would be mandatory to play on across the country. If people would get honor scores on these shots then they would deserve it. If people drop out because they say it is too hard or too inconsistent then they don't need to be on a USBC league. I know one of my leagues has too many whiners on a fresh shot with the house changes the shot because it hasn't been the same in the last 8 weeks.

JessN16

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Re: Sport Bowling is not the answer
« Reply #30 on: May 17, 2010, 01:08:55 AM »
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My Dad used to tell me the houses would actually shut down the pair if a 300 was bowled and ABC would come out to see if it was a legal shot. Even the first guy to ever shoot a 900 to this day (Glenn Allison) has been forever denied of his accomplishment due to ABC stating it was an illegal shot. Yet 25 some years later we have a teenager that prebowls and is granted two perfect series because of the corruption of USBC. I don't see a problem with a sanctioned shot that would be mandatory to play on across the country. If people would get honor scores on these shots then they would deserve it. If people drop out because they say it is too hard or too inconsistent then they don't need to be on a USBC league. I know one of my leagues has too many whiners on a fresh shot with the house changes the shot because it hasn't been the same in the last 8 weeks.


You are recounting some of bowling's best and worst times, simultaneously, with the mention of the Allison 900 and past procedures for certifying 300s. The best is that people actually cared about lane sanctioning. The worst is that it was political at times.

One of our local seniors used to bowl in the same house as a couple of guys who made the PBA's top 50 list, and one of those two bowlers (names are being withheld to protect the innocent and/or guilty) held the house record for series at a particular house. One of the reasons he held it for so long is that the inspection crew basically refused to certify anything better. If a bowler happened to beat this star's three-game record, there would mysteriously appear a pin weighted improperly, or there would be a kick panel suddenly out of tolerance, etc. This went on for years until finally the overall scoring pace picked up and the house stopped protecting its old star.

As for Mushtare, it's clear to me that the threat of litigation was the driving force there. I think the USBC realized it just didn't have the resources to pay out a judgment should one be incurred, and they couldn't take the chance.

Jess