I bowled my first adult league in the fall of 1966.  I used hard rubber balls till 1975, polyester till 1981, and resin since 1992.   Highest average ever with rubber balls, 199.  Highest average with polyester, 218.  Highest average with urethane 229.  Highest average with resin.  In my opinion lane conditions had very little to do with those average increases.

Here may be more telling statistic.  In 15 years using rubber and plastic   2 300s, both with plastic.  In 11 years with urethane 4 300s.  In 25 years with resin, 38 300s.

Not only is it clear that resin balls had a monumental impact on award scores, it is just as interesting that they had a much smaller impact on averages.  I know I am only one person, but my experience is similar to that of most other top scratch bowlers during an era that transcends ball evolution

Good points.  My last 300 was preceded by a 141 game.  That would have been unheard of during urethane or plastic era. 

The biggest differences I see are in speed. I don't go back as far as some of you but I bowled minor house tournaments not saying I was anywhere near high level good but I could keep it fun at least back in the early 80's. So I covered some plastic, a lot of urethane, and the beginning of resin was just coming out. Best average was 198 which made me at least competitive back then. Got married quit for 25 years just came back to the sport 4 years ago.

On my return I see people throwing 17 MPH and 20 MPH with pins rolling everywhere across the decks. Even with urethane the average bowler got up much above 15 mph the ball was a frozen rope and it hit terribly. No worries in the modern game chuck is as hard as you can and it still shapes up.

Unfortunately my ball speed is stuck 12.5 mph which was fine back then leads me to play extremely deep and with weak equipment compared to most. I struggle to stay in the low 190's and often score better with plastic than I do modern balls. Go to a tournament and see it takes 230+ to compete in the modern carry contest. I bowl leagues and have fun but I am not relevant in the modern game.
 

My experience: I started to bowl in the rubber ball era (60's) . 300's? -0. Then we moved into the plastic era. 300's? -0.  Highest average in the rubber ball era-188. Highest average in the polyester ball era- 193. The number of bowlers in the rubber ball era who averaged 200 or better in my town (Pittsburgh)?--  Approximately 5. Not much better in the polyester era.  Shot my first 300 in 1977, on a walled shot. Shot numerous 300s since then, thanks to 8:1 oil ratios (and higher), and the proliferation of the resin missiles.  The guys who dominated in my region back then (Buddy Deluca, Rich Collier...) averaged 200+-- them and only a select few others were good enough to do that, and those guys were flat out, the very best.. Buddy went on to win the Petersen Classic (twice).  Our local conditions were very demanding. No walls, fried heads, you name it, we had to face it. Night after night.  It was only when the lanes started to get walled up that the proliferation of 300's, 700s and 200 averages became MUCH more numerous. You had to be a darned good spare shooter back then because strikes were hard to come by.

The biggest differences I see are in speed. I don't go back as far as some of you but I bowled minor house tournaments not saying I was anywhere near high level good but I could keep it fun at least back in the early 80's. So I covered some plastic, a lot of urethane, and the beginning of resin was just coming out. Best average was 198 which made me at least competitive back then. Got married quit for 25 years just came back to the sport 4 years ago.

On my return I see people throwing 17 MPH and 20 MPH with pins rolling everywhere across the decks. Even with urethane the average bowler got up much above 15 mph the ball was a frozen rope and it hit terribly. No worries in the modern game chuck is as hard as you can and it still shapes up.

Unfortunately my ball speed is stuck 12.5 mph which was fine back then leads me to play extremely deep and with weak equipment compared to most. I struggle to stay in the low 190's and often score better with plastic than I do modern balls. Go to a tournament and see it takes 230+ to compete in the modern carry contest. I bowl leagues and have fun but I am not relevant in the modern game.
 

Probably unpopular opinion:
You're not irrelevant (using your words, no offense intended) in the modern game because of resin, you're irrelevant because you're not young anymore. I don't know you personally, but if you got married, quit for 25 years, and have been back 4, I'd guess you're closing in on 60?

I'm sorry you can't compete like you used to, that'll be a hard realization for me when the time comes. However, bowling is a sport. Athleticism SHOULD be required. If you can't physically get over 12.5mph, it's not the sport that's passed you by, it's your athleticism.

The ball/release match up to the lanes has to be much more perfect for the older guys than the younger guys, and while that's tough for older bowlers, it's still much more forgiving to age discrepancies than basically any other sport out there.  I know some guys that age still competing at a very high level, hell just look at PDW. Those guys are exceptions, not the norm. Kudos to them.

I just don't understand the mindset that everyone SHOULD be able to compete. If that's the case, it's not a sport anymore, it's a bar game.

Btw, I don't get the impression you were complaining about not being able to compete anymore. Unfortunately, lots of people do, and I just happened to use your post as an example.
 

And we care about a scoring explosion in a recreational setting why?

And we care about a scoring explosion in a recreational setting why?

Because people are dumb enough to believe that the scoring explosion is the reason why people have quit bowling...

Quote from: amyers2002 on March 19, 2018, 01:48:44 PM

The biggest differences I see are in speed. I don't go back as far as some of you but I bowled minor house tournaments not saying I was anywhere near high level good but I could keep it fun at least back in the early 80's. So I covered some plastic, a lot of urethane, and the beginning of resin was just coming out. Best average was 198 which made me at least competitive back then. Got married quit for 25 years just came back to the sport 4 years ago.

On my return I see people throwing 17 MPH and 20 MPH with pins rolling everywhere across the decks. Even with urethane the average bowler got up much above 15 mph the ball was a frozen rope and it hit terribly. No worries in the modern game chuck is as hard as you can and it still shapes up.

Unfortunately my ball speed is stuck 12.5 mph which was fine back then leads me to play extremely deep and with weak equipment compared to most. I struggle to stay in the low 190's and often score better with plastic than I do modern balls. Go to a tournament and see it takes 230+ to compete in the modern carry contest. I bowl leagues and have fun but I am not relevant in the modern game.
 

Probably unpopular opinion:
You're not irrelevant (using your words, no offense intended) in the modern game because of resin, you're irrelevant because you're not young anymore. I don't know you personally, but if you got married, quit for 25 years, and have been back 4, I'd guess you're closing in on 60?

I'm sorry you can't compete like you used to, that'll be a hard realization for me when the time comes. However, bowling is a sport. Athleticism SHOULD be required. If you can't physically get over 12.5mph, it's not the sport that's passed you by, it's your athleticism.

The ball/release match up to the lanes has to be much more perfect for the older guys than the younger guys, and while that's tough for older bowlers, it's still much more forgiving to age discrepancies than basically any other sport out there.  I know some guys that age still competing at a very high level, hell just look at PDW. Those guys are exceptions, not the norm. Kudos to them.

I just don't understand the mindset that everyone SHOULD be able to compete. If that's the case, it's not a sport anymore, it's a bar game.

Btw, I don't get the impression you were complaining about not being able to compete anymore. Unfortunately, lots of people do, and I just happened to use your post as an example.

I'm not quite that old only 45 I stated young and married young. I'm a little over weight but not in bad health or anything. Not sure what causes my lower speed I've had numerous coaches look at it they make some changes but the end effect is pretty small difference wise.

I'm not really complaining and it's not that I don't respect the ability. I just feel the game has lost something. What I grew up with was a finesse game that required shot making, accuracy, and repeatability has been replaced with a power game that as long as your accurate within a arrow and throw it hard with a good rev rate it it doesn't really matter anymore. Maybe I'm just bitter but I won't quit love the game to much.