I started bowling in the 60's. We had 7 centers in our town of 150,000 that were full with 2 shifts every night. Now 3 centers quite empty most the time. Pro bowling on TV was one of highest rated shows on ABC, what is it now. I believe its due in part to the  ridiculous easy scoring for league bowlers. The resin era has not been good for the sport. I believe the ball companies are to blame, they saw the money being made in the golf industry and wanted the same.  They failed to look at the dynamics, in golf you can give a bogey golfer the newest high tech clubs and he is still a bogey golfer. The only real way to improve is with better technique through practice. The last year I bowled was the first year of resin 1994, I can remember it was fun at first just standing left and throwing at the gutter and watching it come back and rip the rack like Mark Roth. Later I realized I struck even when I wasn't close to my mark or if the ball had slipped of my hand with no lift. My avg went from 190 to 220. It was hard to watch 160 avg bowlers now hit 700's without practice with terrible form  and brag about it. We used to look up to the pros who could ave 200, and turn in every week for a tip. Now you don't have to learn how to change your roll, loft, speed to adjust to lanes, just change balls. I know bowlers wont give up these balls and go back to rubber and plastic, but it would be good for the sport.

One of the other major differences between lane conditions of today and those in the old lacquer era was that back then, there was no "house shot" for the everyday league bowler. Everybody pretty much bowled on similar conditions, whether you were bowling in say, a mixed league or if your were bowling in a more competitive arena. ABC rules prohibited the walling of lanes and honor scores were routinely rejected if it was determined that the scores were bowled on "walled conditions".  The ABC (now the USBC) now allows for huge crowns. League bowling in the old days was in general, much more challenging than your typical league bowling is  today.  League bowling
in those days was in many ways, as challenging as it is bowling on many of today's "sport patterns". There was seldom any easy way to get to the pocket. Six baggers, let alone 300s, were very hard to come by.

The other major difference between sport conditions today vs. LEAGUE conditions in the lacquer era is that on today's sport conditions, it is usually the early going that is the most challenging. However, due to
the power of today's balls, and the higher friction created by not only the balls but
the generally consistent synthetic lane surfaces, it is often possible to "open up " a shot that was really unheard of in the old days. In fact, back then, scores were likely
to deteriorate during a block, thanks to the myriad of imperfections, dents, chips, severe track burn, epoxy patches, you name it, that was characteristic of wood lane surfaces.

One of the $64,000 questions often asked is how would  the modern (power)
game have fared if it were possible to go back in a time machine?  The real answer is that we will perhaps never really know for sure. Today's synthetic surfaces and lane oils make it virtually impossible to replicate the conditions back then. However, we can give it a best guess. That best guess is that the typical power release of today
might have SOME advantage, but not as much as one might think. Ball trajectories would have to be much more direct. Walking left and throwing right (with non bowling arm pointing towards the pins at the peak of the backswing) would have to be drastically minimized (there was a very good reason why old schoolers were taught to keep their shoulders closed, squared  and "silent"). Average ball speeds would have to
decrease because plastic balls rolled  on 50 ft of oil applied by a hand held spray gun had a very nasty habit of deflecting if thrown just a bit too hard, leaving 8-10s, 5-7's--- common leaves in those days.

In conclusion, traditional league bowling today (I left out sport bowling) is frankly, not nearly the challenge as it was years ago, thanks again, to 12:1 oil ratios and high powered modern balls that are the norm today. One very well known PBA bowler, now retired recently, used to bowl in a house shot summer league when he was not competing on the tour. One night, he arrived late for league. He asked a teammate what the shot was like to which he replied, "you have 2 arrows out there tonight". The PBA bowler paused, disappointed, and said, "yes, and by the end of the Summer I will be needing those 2 arrows." This pretty much explains typical league bowling today, and which did not exist during the lacquer era.

Was it really up hill, both ways, in the snow to school?

Quote

Was it really up hill, both ways, in the snow to school?

The good ole days when gasoline and house paint still contained lead and there never was a shortage of ash trays in the bowling alley or the hospital waiting room.

Hell! Back in my day while you guys were bowling, we were in line with the rest of the people in line out the door waiting to drop our quarter into a game of Donkey Kong!

What.. is it too early? 

BL.

All of you that think bowling is too easy need to go watch some leagues bowl.  Not good leagues, the leagues that make up 95% of a center's business.  Lane conditions have little effect on these bowlers.  Their scores have changed very little. 

If you want to blame anyone for the decline in league bowling blame the proprietors.  How many other businesses do you frequent that look the same as they did when they opened 40 years ago?

Don't get me wrong.  You can have something old and keep it nice.  But most bowling centers aren't the case.  All they have done is unlock the doors and maybe slap a coat of paint on every now and then.  And to compound the problem a good majority of those look like they haven't been cleaned in about as long.

Also a great point. If anyone has ever watched restaurant impossible, bowling alleys are the same way. Family owned and ran for many years with no updating or cleaning for that matter. With little to no promoting.

The other issue for many is committing 32-36 weeks to a league. Not to mention how long most 5 person leagues take to bowl three games vs 4 person or less teams. Failure to adapt to the changing times and keep up with what people need from their entertainment dollar will hurt any business/industry.

Quote from: HackJandy on November 27, 2017, 11:36:47 PM

Quote

Was it really up hill, both ways, in the snow to school?

The good ole days when gasoline and house paint still contained lead and there never was a shortage of ash trays in the bowling alley or the hospital waiting room.

Hell! Back in my day while you guys were bowling, we were in line with the rest of the people in line out the door waiting to drop our quarter into a game of Donkey Kong!

What.. is it too early? 

BL.

Talking 10 years before Donkey Kong when there were only pinball and electro mechanical games.  That is the days the OP longs for.  Before urethane came and ruined bowling.

Quote from: bradl on November 28, 2017, 02:10:37 AM

Quote from: HackJandy on November 27, 2017, 11:36:47 PM

Quote

Was it really up hill, both ways, in the snow to school?

The good ole days when gasoline and house paint still contained lead and there never was a shortage of ash trays in the bowling alley or the hospital waiting room.

Hell! Back in my day while you guys were bowling, we were in line with the rest of the people in line out the door waiting to drop our quarter into a game of Donkey Kong!

What.. is it too early? 

BL.

Talking 10 years before Donkey Kong when there were only pinball and electro mechanical games.  That is the days the OP longs for.  Before urethane came and ruined bowling.

Oh, I know... I'm just making a joke about not being old enough to make old man jokes or reminisce and wax on about the good old dark days. 

BL.

Man...

You guys are old!!