Pinchaser, thanks for a great thread. I was fortunate to start bowling at an early age(3, my parents say lol). I didnt get competitive at it till i was round 13 yrs old. My first "hook" ball was a Columbia Ultra-c, followed by others like a Blue Hammer, and an original Rhino. I grew up and learned bowling the hard way, through good ole hard work-practice, and late night pot games after leagues.
What really amazes me is the difference in scoring pace between the 2 centers in my home town-they are total 180''s from each other. The house i grew up in used to be notorious for carry problems, combined with a beat up wood surface. They switched to gaurdian overlays about 10 yrs ago, and the scores went through the roof, capped by a city record last year of 858.
Center two is the newer of the 2, and has older Brunswick synthetics. When it first opened, the pace of this house was off the charts, with numerous bowlers from house number one, barely 200+ average bowlers switching to the new center and imediately averaging 220+. Now days, though they are the complete opposite. Center one as of last week has 2 bowlers averaging 240+, with a handful over 225. Center two has not one bowler averaging 220, i think high average might be 218.
A great bowler from house one who averaged 230+ there last year, switched to house two and is now averaging 214. After bowling at house two the last two years, a couple of things have happened to me, 1- after bowling at the harder of the two houses i feel like im a better bowler for it. I no longer have 5 boards of miss in either direction at house two, and its made me hit my target more.
2-Because of the harder conditions, house two is struggling, to the point that it is up for sale and has been from what i hear for 6 months. Business is so bad there, the pro shop operator moved right after christmas. My point is this, today''s average bowlers dont want a challenge. Center two in my city took a chance and tried to toughen conditions, wether on purpose or not is debateable, but now they are really suffering. Its gotten so bad that our local Men''s association tournament, handicap tournament no less, was cancelled monday because of lack of entries. This is the most telling sign, handicap leagues and tournaments are suffering too not just scratch events.
I think until there is a standard house shot all across USBC sanctioned leagues, that is regulated by USBC approved officials similar to ABC regulations from too many years passed, the sport is gone. I dont think they should have ever done away with checking lanes after an honor score was shot. I think thats where it all began, because shots got easier because managers made it easier and easier to get rings.
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Taking your lunch money, one strike at a time....
Edited on 1/13/2010 12:12 PM