Author Topic: Do you want to talk about the Great Wall? (Read 2492 times)

Ragnar · « **on:** February 16, 2005, 02:22:15 AM »

A guy who used to live here was in town last night and bowled in my league. He moved (woman - go figure)to Camarillo (changed on edit after I realized I'd had a brain infarction) CA a while back and was telling us about bowling there. On the local shot Sam was never much better than a 190 average. In CA he's at 230 and nowhere near the top of the heap (according to him). His goal for the year is to shoot 2 300's and an 800. I don't think he ever had either one here. He was saying that there are 20 or more people there who wouldn't average 180 on our THS but are over 220 in CA. One guy that he mentioned I'd love to see: lefty, swing goes almost in his right hip pocket, off balance at the line, has at least 10 boards of room and averages 229 - sheesh.

On the other hand hearing stories like this makes me feel a tad better about my lowly average - maybe the shot here is tougher than I want to give it credit for.
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"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal." Oscar Wilde
Ragnar sure likes to throw his purdy Uranium Buzzsaw.

Edited on 2/16/2005 4:57 PM

The Hose · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2005, 10:37:42 AM »

Rags, this is the reason why I've done everything but quit bowling this year and will not bowl next year or ever again until the insanity stops.

Yep, real bowling now a days. Go to King Pin lanes in Springfield IL, and they give you an honor score to fill out before you shoe up.

Go to Rev-O's house, put on your blindfold, and average 220. Give me a break! A 8 lane center that has had close to 30 300's this year! Just goes to show you that average and scores don't mean a thing. Until playing fields become somewhat equal, there isn't a way to tell the players from the House Hacks.

The problem is that the best bowlers don't get any credit because they play on tougher houses nor do they thump their chest claiming how great they are.
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I can't help it, Hot Chicks Dig the Hose

Edited on 2/16/2005 11:35 AM

Walking E · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2005, 10:39:15 AM »

Damn, I live in California and my bowling alley isn't like that at all! Maybe I need to change houses so that I can regain confidence in my game!

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You weren't unlucky when you left that corner pin, so shut up about it already!!

Snap10 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2005, 11:51:51 AM »

I know what you mean. I switched houses a few years ago. The old place was in poor condition and the owner took pride in having the toughest shot around (don't see that much anymore these days). The highest average in all leagues there was 187. I think I was 176. Anyway, I tried the new house mainly because most of my friends were moving over there.

Up until recently, I thought the newer house (203 avg) I bowl at had the shot everyone here is complaining about, but I was wrong. Very wrong! I was home at my parents in KC for Christmas and a friend invited me to bowl at a new house there. We saw a guy I bowled juniors with years ago, that IMO was never a very good bowler. He told me already had two 300's at the new house. Needless to say, I was excited to try it out. I shot three games. 279-280-215. It was so easy the first two games and I had so much area that I decided to use a house ball and swing it gutter to gutter in the last game. I'll admit I had fun. In fact, a small group of kids came over to watch the last two games we bowled. lol. After this experience I now strongly believe two things. Averages no longer have any meaning. There is a problem with the integrity of the bowling, but I don't see things changing anytime soon.

ten pin killler · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2005, 12:01:03 PM »

I would like to bowl on one of these walls so my pitiful 200 average would sky-rocket!!! LOL

My local house (which has the hardest shot of the 5 in our area) still has only one 300 and no 800 yet after 24 weeks this season. I think 212 average is the highest in the house.
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TPK

Could someone tell me where this Great Wall of China is???

pin-chaser · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2005, 12:18:08 PM »

2 season ago I decide to bowl in what was notoriously the hardest house in the area. This house is an all wood house and the heads were so bad that it looked like they had not been resurfaced in 10 years. A new coat was pulled for the season but the gaps between the boards caused the coat to look like wavey. Well after the first 12 weeks I was high average at 212 in this league and there was only 3 other 200's and they were below 205. The entire league average was 176. The bowlers were complaining every week. I had high game with 289 and high series with 740 something.

The management decided to "loosen" the shot... a 188 average bowlers shoots 796 and there were two 300 games (and one of them was by a drunk bowlers who went cross over ove the 12th shot and fell down on the approach after throwing it) within the next 4 weeks. 6 weeks later there are 10 bowlers above 200 and one guy every week goes 520+ for the first two and shoots a 180 the last game for 700+ every week for 6 weeks in a row. I improve my average to 215 or so and I am now 3rd average in league.

I suppose I am a gripper but I went there to test myself and become better. I did not go there to bowl on THS. I would move my feet and target 15+ boards in a three game set to keep up with the break down. It was fun. I was pissed when I saw that guy next to me shoot 796 when he averaged 188. I was happy for him, that he had a carrer night...but it was not fair that management decided to calm all the complaining by loosening up the shot.

I quit... walked out (after finding a replacement) and told the management why. His rebuttal was that bowlers threaten to walk out if things did not get better quickly and that there were other centers that the condition was better. So what are you to do?

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tekneek · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2005, 12:26:17 PM »

This topic has been going around forever. As long as the management has the say so THS will be the shot. I had a long heated conversation this summer with our manager and asked him to change the shot for our Men's league on Monday night, throw away the 4 board area and put out a "shot" that demanded consistancy by the bowler to repeat good shots to score. His answer, no they'll get mad and bowl elsewhere. It's all about P/L statements. Easy shot equates to high scores ='s high revenue.

CharlieBrown · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2005, 01:03:59 PM »

quote:
It's all about P/L statements. Easy shot equates to high scores ='s high revenue.

Can't really blame the management though.

I was a manager at two different centres up until last Dec., and the story is the same. If I put a tougher shot down, I'd get loads of complains with many league bowlers threatening to walk out.

I enjoy playing a tougher shot, but the bottom line is that it's my job to do whatever it takes to 'look after' our 'majority' customers, and 'look after' my boss, hence a easy THS.

Yep, so what do you do?

Guess there aren't enough bowlers like us who enjoy a challenge huh?!?
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Where is the LOVE ?

Bowl Angry!

iommifan · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2005, 01:06:45 PM »

We have the same thing here in NY. In the house I bowl in 180 is a good average we have only 2 or 3 300's in the last 4 or 5 years. In the neighboring facility they have 15 or so 300's a season. But it's funny to see those guys go to tournaments and not break 500!!! This doesn't make me want to quit bowling or anything like that. It just makes me laugh. Sometimes people are so easily satisfied. Instead of working at becoming good at bowling and forgetting about the score it makes them feel better about themselves by shooting high scores and falling on their face in tournaments. Go figure.

cpo_bee · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2005, 01:20:27 PM »

Hose, come bowl in my house. Laurel Lanes, Washington, Indiana. Jon loosened them up this year, we have one bowler over 220, 3 300s and 1 800 (803) only the second 800 in this house that was built in 1967. Older wood, well taken care of, FLYING back ends with minimal puddle in the middle. Transitions about 15 boards of feet and 6 boards of target each league night. Oh yeah, old Twister pins, just to make sure that every other high flush leaves a nine pin. It DOES make me a better bowler.

Scolai · « **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2005, 01:20:39 PM »

All of this is why I bowl on only 1 league this season: a sanctioned Sport League. My little 180 average means quite a lot to me because I've earned it through blood, sweat, and tears.
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Nut

Proud owner of a 1046/4 series courtesy of Columbia 300.

None are more hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free....

stanski · « **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2005, 03:59:35 PM »

quote:
Hose, come bowl in my house. Laurel Lanes, Washington, Indiana. Jon loosened them up this year, we have one bowler over 220, 3 300s and 1 800 (803) only the second 800 in this house that was built in 1967. Older wood, well taken care of, FLYING back ends with minimal puddle in the middle. Transitions about 15 boards of feet and 6 boards of target each league night. Oh yeah, old Twister pins, just to make sure that every other high flush leaves a nine pin. It DOES make me a better bowler.

I bowled there on vacation visiting my gramma in indiana, and didn't find the shot too hard. 6 people were on a pair, maybe that is the difference. I averaged 218 for 12 while i was down there.
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stanski

stanski · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2005, 04:03:09 PM »

Try bowling at sunnybrook lanes in michigan... In a 12 person junior league, we had 4 kids over 240, and one was approaching 250. I am at 222 or so right now in league, as they resurfaced the lanes and changed the shot some. Before they changed the shot, all the bowlers in my league complained about how easy it was and got them to tweak the pattern a little bit.

the fluffer will back me up on this, it is definately one of the easiest houses in the area (if you don't shoot 1020 for 4, don't bother thinking you're going to win that week). All the houses in my area are about the same, there aren't too many tough shots in the area. Thats why i try to bowl mjma's and bowl a junior sport league over the summer. You just have to learn that the scores are going to be higher, so adjust accordingly. It still comes down to who can score, albeit you have to score differently.
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stanski

Author Topic: Do you want to talk about the Great Wall? (Read 2492 times)

Ragnar

Do you want to talk about the Great Wall?

The Hose

Re: Do you want to talk about the Great Wall?

Walking E

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Snap10

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ten pin killler

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pin-chaser

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tekneek

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CharlieBrown

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iommifan

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cpo_bee

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Scolai

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stanski

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stanski

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