Every so often someone comes on here and starts a thread about the THS, and how bad it is for bowling.  Usually they cite integrity, unrealistic scoring, and and guys spraying the ball all over the lane who shoot award scores. 

Frankly I don't think any of the reasons usually cited for why THS is bad have much validity.  I hear top level scratch bowlers complaining about a house hack shooting 300, and it sounds like sour grapes to me.  Can you imagine a top level PGA pro complaining because an amatuer shoots 66 on a 6200 yard muni?  Bowlers know what they are playing on.

Some people argue that the THS rewards bad execution.   I think that is totally false.  THS may not punish an errant shot as badly as a tournament pattern would, but THS rewards good execution ( speed control, release ). 

So what is the only real problem with the THS?  Until recently it was very difficult to find anything but the THS to bowl league on.  For anyone aspiring to compete at a relatively high level the most important thing to learn is versatility.  You can't learn versatility on a steady diet of one type of condition.  When I was young we bowled on a lot of walled up conditions, but some were dead off the corner, and others had a ton of hold at 3rd arrow.  That is how we developed a versatile game.  Today people should play on as many conditions as possible, including house shots       

Good points. Although the THS typically doesn't demand accuracy and precise repetition, it's a house shot for everyone - the high handicappers as well as the scratch bowler.

The high handicappers will have their days when they score big and are tough to beat, but they are still high handicappers for a reason. Maybe they can't convert the 10 pin, maybe they aren't adept at moving as the shot transitions, who knows?  Over time the better bowlers should win the better percentage of games. 

I get tired of throwing the same ball and same line week after week, so I will occasionally bring a much weaker ball that forces me to play straighter up the boards and try my luck out there.  It just gives me a reason to focus on SOMETHING and keep my interest.  This past summer I bowled on the PBA shots, and enjoyed every minute of it.  I didn't bowl well, but sure enjoyed the challenge. 

Every night we can choose to complain that the shot is too easy, or too hard, or too anything!  Whatever it is just embrace it and do your best on it.

Well said, sir.   

Every so often someone comes on here and starts a thread about the THS, and how bad it is for bowling.  Usually they cite integrity, unrealistic scoring, and and guys spraying the ball all over the lane who shoot award scores. 

Frankly I don't think any of the reasons usually cited for why THS is bad have much validity.  I hear top level scratch bowlers complaining about a house hack shooting 300, and it sounds like sour grapes to me.  Can you imagine a top level PGA pro complaining because an amatuer shoots 66 on a 6200 yard muni?  Bowlers know what they are playing on.

Some people argue that the THS rewards bad execution.   I think that is totally false.  THS may not punish an errant shot as badly as a tournament pattern would, but THS rewards good execution ( speed control, release ). 

So what is the only real problem with the THS?  Until recently it was very difficult to find anything but the THS to bowl league on.  For anyone aspiring to compete at a relatively high level the most important thing to learn is versatility.  You can't learn versatility on a steady diet of one type of condition.  When I was young we bowled on a lot of walled up conditions, but some were dead off the corner, and others had a ton of hold at 3rd arrow.  That is how we developed a versatile game.  Today people should play on as many conditions as possible, including house shots     

If THS is that easy, then how come the elite bowlers are not averaging 279 or higher ?  The shot is what it is.  I ran a handicap and scratch tournament locally for over 11 years.  Only a few wanted a harder shot.  Most wanted to throw right and watch the ball strike.  This is the modern scoring game.

I do agree that centers are putting down easy shots to attract bowlers.  Put down a high scoring shot and the bowlers will come, put down a hard shot and hope your open play increases othewise the center personnel will be watching TV all night.

I saw on the tube the other day that golf is facing attrition at an alarming rate among recreational players.  Biggest beefs are frustration from difficulty, cost, and time consuming nature of the game. 

I think house shots are great for beginners and recreational players.  Despite some people arguments to the contrary, it still requires the mastery of a certain amount of skill to shoot high scores giving recreational players a moderate challenge.   

I disagree with the difficulty aspect of golf.  Since, different tee boxes are available in golf.  One can play the correct tee box/yardage for their driver distance.  Hence, the PGA Tee It Forward program.   If golf was as easy as the wet/dry THS most I know that enjoy the challenge of the game of golf would give it up.  Par is not easily attainable for most golfers.  Golf being a much harder game to become very good at which is not the case in bowling on easy lane conditions.

The reason golf has lost numbers....1.) Recession which is related to ...... 2.)  Cost, 3) Amount of time it takes to play a 18 hole round.  Difficulty would be down the list. 

Back to OP "The real problem with house shots"...........is making a decent bowler lazy and when faced with a more difficult condition the house bowler because of the easier condition has developed poor technique and can't make the adjustments needed to score of a more difficult condition. 

I've always been of the opinion that a proprietor could put out not a difficult condition but a USBC White of the correct volume and length needed for the lane surface in his house and that would allow more bowlers to bowl on the condition using stronger equipment for better carry.  It would allow different bowlers of skill levels and techniques to play the lanes from different angles and learn to adjust a bit better than the dead China Wall with nothing outside and the puddle in the middle.  The wet/dry wall makes players play the shot with very few choices and becomes lazy not perfecting their skills to be a better player and retain some interest at getting better.  Also why very few house bowlers practice. 

Most golfers, I know score within a few strokes on most rounds but because it's not easy and they are looking forward to going back to see if some shots could be executed better.

Gotta love the some in the business. The real problem with house shots, or stupid high scoring conditions if you wish, was written about in 1937 by Billy Sixty.

Here is the link I found: http://www.kegel.net/V3/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=64

One quote from this article stands out:

"And there folks, is the very point that I have endeavored to bring out: The matter of a bowler quitting because his average is too low. Too low to begin to compare with what the big shots are rolling. The gap between the average scorer and the star, under present conditions, is simply too great. To the little fellow the difference looms too large; too big to ever be overcome, regardless of practice. The positive way to encourage the average roller is to narrow the gap – by toughening conditions."

avabob has it part right, but most have it completely wrong. It is time people in bowling stop thinking in shallow selfish ways, and start thinking, and acting, for the greater good of the game.

The "people will quit" argument is getting tiring. News flash - people are quitting at a very high rate now. Maybe "the walled up house shot" is more to blame that people want to admit.

So I guess the answer to number 2 is to put out the easiest shot imaginable and tell the youth bowlers (the future of the sport) to suck it up and just bowl.  Forget the fact you bowl on harder conditions as a youth, this is ADULT bowling now.

While golf and bowling often draw comparisons, the fundamental difficulty of golf to the average recreational player cannot be minized by widening fairways or moving up tee boxes.  A large portion of people who give up golf cite the frustrating difficulty of the game as at least one of the decisions to quit. 

I have said this on these boards many times. Bowlers don't quit because they score too high, but some quit because the other guys scores too high.   Most of the complaining about high scores is sour grapes.     

We'll disagree avabob but since you have not defined recreational bowler to recreation golfer.....I will.  I'd say someone that is shooting from low 80's to 100 is the recreational golfer....these kinds of players are probably not going to give up the game because of difficulty.  Above 100 yes I would agree they may give up over time as they see no improvement nor do they wish to work at the game.  I see many more golfers at a driving range than recreational bowlers practising at the lanes. 

Another side issue that if Playing The Rules of Golf or as close as one can get to the playing the rules is more a game of self honor.   Bowling is played by more specific rules and has same grey areas but not anywhere near the grey areas of golf.  Most golfers do not know the rules verbatim but most I know do try to play within the rules boundaries.

How many bowling websites exist like this one?  http://www.playgolfamerica.com/index.cfm?action=teeitforward

I say people quit both games because of amount of $$$ they have to spend on a recreational activity not because of difficulty.  Also, because of society values which is the non-ability to make a long term commitment to a league season hence shorter length bowling leagues.  The non-ability to concentrate more than 90 mins. hence 3 man teams. 

Just my take.