Its funny, this pre-occupation with the comparisons with golf. Golf is played out doors, you hit the ball, and walk after it... to hit it again. At least bowling is played in doors and when you throw the ball away, it comes back. Where is there any simularities between these two sports that would suggest that anything good or bad for golf would be good or bad respectively for bowling?
Suggesting that modifying lane conditions alone would lower scores is not understanding that bowling balls, pins and surface all togther offer higher scores today. Reducing any one of these would only offer a different type of bowler to score rediculously. As mentioned, high rev and high ball speed bowlers today score at will (for the most part). Altering only lane conditions to prohibit those bowlers will allow straighter bowlers the benifits and they will score out of control. In order to place the emphasis on skill and restore integrity to bowling, any items that alter or stir the ball or makes pins topple easy or aide the ball in less deflection need to be controlled. Period.
Would anybody really know if suddenly lane conditions change? Heck yes. Every league bowler would know. Even the 140 average women bowlers at 9:30 am would know. Having worked in this industry for 30+ years in every capasity of the center, I know that any change, especially unplanned is noted by all bowlers.
Bones, I think you are correct when you say that the reason bowling has been popular is because it is easy. It is easy and fun to walk to the foul line and throw a ball down the lane and knock over pins. And it is fairly easy to shoot a 150 game on any condition by any bowler... and even the occaisionally completely lucky 200 game... three in a row a couple spares and even an open and you have 200. The whole family can enjoy this sport. So yes, it is fun to have success even if it was lucky. But I completely disagree with your contention that because it is easy to average 200 today, bowling is a popular sport. This ability is not and has not caused an increase in competitive bowling. As well, your opinion that improving the skill required to compete in this sport will cause an increased "exodus" of competive bowling is simply unfounded. Where is your proof of this? Please provide your details for such an inflaming remark. WHile you have seen alot in this industry over your long life, you have seen this sport get easier and easier, scores getting higher and higher and still the sport is in decline. If anything, this suggests that if we make it more respectable then bowlings decline in competitive bowling might increase.
I also disagree with the concept that we should gage bowling by averages. We should learn how to gage bowling by the requirement of skill. We should only allow a predetermined amount of ball path guiding, friction, pin topple and balls that produce flare and refuse to deflect. We should learn how to control this items to guarentee that the skill required is the same for today, tomorow, next week, next year, next century. If I can average 250 on that I should be allowed to and not have the condition changed because I am averaging too much.
As for MichiganBowling's comment on sport compliant conditions are on the rise, I think it is in some area's. This might be a direct reflection of all the work that MichiganBowling has been doing for the last 3 years in his home state. For the other states, should you decide to follow the example shown by MichiganBowling you might as well see the same results. The bottom line is, stop all this usless bantering about the woes of bowling, and spend you time trying everything and anything to fix it. You might end up being the hero that finds the correct answers because it certianly is not found yet. If we all do just a little, together it becomes a big change. But mostly what you can do, is change your attitudes from I cant, to I can. Then the answers will be found.
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