There should be a difference between the game and sport. That would be easy.

Funny thing about ratios.  Most decent scratch bowlers would have a better look with s couple of extra loads blended out to the gutter.  I remember one year in our sport league when the Cheetah played easier than the house shot for most of us because it wasn't so over/under

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IMO these things are overdue:


-Max diff at .050

-Increase bowling ball hardness by 5%

-set and enforcing a ratio rule of 10:1 for 2019
—reduce the ratio to 9:1 for 2020
—reduce the ratio to 8:1 for 2021
....go all the way to 6:1 slowly reducing the ratio over a half decade
Then, sanction leagues as recreational, challenge and sport

-Lastly, increase dues to $50 annually.  This is necessary to run a governing body.  Ffs people pay $50 just for the privilege to shop at Costco

I don't have a problem with the dues increase if it went 100% to member benefits (tasteful awards for the same things we gave awards for in the 80s/90s, bolster tournaments, etc.). If it goes to salaries at USBC HQ you can count me out.

As for your equipment recommendations, I like mine a whole lot better:

- Get rid of any and all static weight limitations. Load that baby up with 6 pounds of side weight if you want; I want to see you try to control that. As long as the ball weighs 16 or less and has no metal in it, put the pin on the ball's butt and the MB in grip center and have at it. I drill my own stuff and occasionally drill wacky patters on old balls just to experiment and I've yet to find the magic beanstalk.

- I almost don't care at all about durometer ratings. What was the limit back in the 80s, 68? 70? Whatever it was, that's good enough. No reason to raise it and eliminate options.

- No limit on differential. Not one bit. See my comment about 6 pounds of side weight. You've got guys thinking equipment alone can put them on TV and it can't.

Why do I take this position? Because if you keep doing the things that got you where you are now, you're going to get associated with old stodgy bowling in craptastic bowling alleys filled with cheap cigarette smoke and bad lighting. The current and next generations are tech-heads. So open the equipment up to tech head appeal. It's not going to change anything in regards to who is at the top of the sport but at least the kids may be intrigued.

When I see people wanting to tighten equipment specs, I automatically assume they're jealous of other bowlers or bitter because the game changed under their feet over the last 50 years and they wouldn't/couldn't adapt. And my mind immediately goes to this older guy I bowled with 10 years ago who liked telling the kids in the local YABA league that they had no talent, or at least not as much as he did growing up, because "the balls do everything for you today." Nice ambassador for our sport, he was.

Jess

            ^^^^^^ Avabob ^^^^^^

Pattern lengths with dry back ends is the problem.  Mandate a minimum amount of oil on the lane that matters (3 units is not enough) and oil all the way to the pins. Problem solved. You will have to make shots and not carry the world.  Issues: A lot of people that want it easy will quit.  Proprietors will complain about the extra oil as well.

Quote from: J_w73 on February 01, 2018, 06:00:27 PM

Pattern lengths with dry back ends is the problem.  Mandate a minimum amount of oil on the lane that matters (3 units is not enough) and oil all the way to the pins. Problem solved. You will have to make shots and not carry the world.  Issues: A lot of people that want it easy will quit.  Proprietors will complain about the extra oil as well.

I don't know about oiling all the way to the pins.  Our machine was effed up one night and put down oil all the way to the pins from 1 to about 15 board on the right side.  The left side seemed normal.  Both lefties in our league shot over 600 that night as usual.  All of the right handers shot under 500. I sanded my No Rules down to 500 and revved it down the 5 board....it stayed there lol. 

yeah.. That is the way bowling used to be.  They used to buff from the end of the pattern to the pins. There was no bone dry back end.  You will have to slow down and really turn the ball if you want the ball to hook.  Or heaven forbid actually point it toward the pocket.  You won't be able to throw 20 mph with a ton of angle and just touch the head pin and watch the pins fly and get a strike.

That was in the lacquer era.  Oil all the way to the head pin today and the lane man will gkadkt take you out to the alley when he finishes with ball calls.  If you find any back end on anything over 44 ft of buff  you are better than me. 

They need better ball pickups for the machines then.  I suck, but I would rather have them tough where everyone has to make premium shots.

When I see people wanting to tighten equipment specs, I automatically assume they're jealous of other bowlers or bitter because the game changed under their feet over the last 50 years and they wouldn't/couldn't adapt. And my mind immediately goes to this older guy I bowled with 10 years ago who liked telling the kids in the local YABA league that they had no talent, or at least not as much as he did growing up, because "the balls do everything for you today." Nice ambassador for our sport, he was.

Jess

I am in agreement with this sentiment.

When ever someone posts ideas for radical or significant rule changes, they almost always smell like they they are trying legistalating away what is viewed as someone else's advantage so that the only viable way to approach bowling their own "A" game.