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Author Topic: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?  (Read 3213 times)

9andaWiggle

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Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« on: December 02, 2004, 11:29:45 AM »
Bob Hansons post about "What If" got me to thinking a bit about technology and it's place in our games, and I started to wonder why we look to technology to help us win games.

What is a game?  Isn't it an action (or set of actions) that are made up for us to test our physical skills against an opponent?  If so, then why are technological advances allowed in any game or sport.  If we never heard of graphite shafts and titanium heads in golf, or Resin covers and diamond cores in bowling balls, wouldn't we enjoy the game as much today as competitors did years ago?  When (and why) did we allow technology into our games that will do half the work for the competitors?

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icetink

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2004, 08:55:37 PM »
...or we accept that we have no skill and therefore turn to high performance equipment to help compensate for our inability to play the game well...
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charlest

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2004, 05:35:54 AM »
Basically because 99.99% of the people truly believe in the saying,
"It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether you win.",
AND
most, not all people, can be ruthlessly lazy.

Combine those two and you'll see most people's apparent pleasure in bowling comes from winning bracket money and pots, not from the peleasure of executing better and thus beating their opponent. So much of the talk ont he lanes today was which brackets they were put in, who they're against in those brackets and what they have to bowl to win their bracket, NOT what they have to do to winthis game or how the lanes are transitioning and what they have to do to get back to the pocket.

(No, this isn't as far off the topic as it might appear.)

As I have said a few times here, in bowling both on TV and on your local lanes, it seems that the better executor rarely wins.
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LuckyLefty

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2004, 05:45:23 AM »
I continue to say that the game was easier and simpler in the two other times I bowled.

The 60s and the early 80s.  Than it is today!

The only difference is carry!

Regards,

Luckylefty
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scotts33

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2004, 06:19:39 AM »
Hmmmmmmm progression.  

Let's see the 1896 pole vault record with bamboo was 10' 6"s.  Rev. Bob Richards vaulted 15' with bamboo in the 50's.  Don Bragg ushered in the next era with steel poles in the 60's going mid 15'.  Sergei Bubka goes over 20' with fiberglass.  

Scott
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Scott

njbowl

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2004, 06:22:04 AM »
Great way to pose a question we all have beaten around a lot ( maybe too much ).
Great answer Sawbones!
Unfortunately at 57 I have not yet sho 300 but I think many will agree it is no longer the "perfect game" just 300.
Those that don't want difficult condition aren't sportsman they are just ball throwers.
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T-GOD

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2004, 10:32:44 AM »
Maybe it's because humans have a brain, that they like to use..? It thinks and can be used to figure out situations to overcome any obsticle. =:^D
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Steven

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2004, 10:43:24 AM »
The premise of this topic implies that technology enables bowlers with lesser skills to perform consistently higher than bowlers with greater skills.

I don't believe this to be true. Overall, scores are higher across the board, but the pecking order of bowlers stays about the same; skilled bowlers continue to remain at the top.

At the end of the day, skill remains the differentiating factor, and this is all that really matters.
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Big-T

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2004, 10:44:42 AM »
Bottom line for me is this with bowling and golf....

1. You still gotta be consistent.

2. Somebody still has to swing the club or throw the ball.

Technology doesn't take the place of skill.  In fact it's made the game harder than it was for me 18 years ago when one ball did the job of the 5 I have now.  Technology makes the ball hook easier, ONLY if you throw it correctly.

It's all relative in my experience.
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Steven

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2004, 11:21:52 AM »
quote:
Today, we have flingers who can and do put up numbers a so called skilled player can not match because we continue to determine skill by ones ability to repeat shots and consistently hit the pocket.


Sawbones: Sorry. I have to respectfully disagree. "Flingers" do not consistently put up numbers that skilled players can't match. Just consistently hitting the pocket is not sufficient (that's all flingers really do on their best days anyway). If you can't consistently vary speed, angle, and rotation based on lane transition, you have no chance of competing with skilled players over the longer haul.

Bob just said it well:

quote:
High tech balls, cavity back clubs, etc are tools that give us a higher probably of success than the tools they replaced. However the person most skillful in utilizing the advanced tool is still most likely to achieve the full potential of the tool.  


Do you really not believe this, or are you just playing devils advocate?
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9andaWiggle

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2004, 11:46:56 AM »
I see where Sawbones is coming from, but the flinger theory only works on walled up conditions.  Put a flinger on a flat pattern where they can't merely bounce off the dry and I think you'll see their scores plummet.  Therefore, the combination of strong equipment (that carry off hits better) and softer conditions (that allow the flinger to hit the headpin easier) is what give the flinger an advantage in this situation.  I've seen it too often, a consistent guy pings 10 pins from what appear to be solid pocket hits, while the flinger nicks the head pin oneither side and the pins fly around and eventualy get back and forth across the pin deck enough times to knock everything down.

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Steven

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2004, 11:55:48 AM »
quote:
To date, I doubt that we have any data as to results of a good flinger opposed to a bowler of your ability over a wide range of conditions over a long enough period of time.  


Sawbones: I think that if you look at the league sheets of any good scratch and/or classic league over multi-year period, you'll see the same bowlers in the same relative ranking year after year.

Even the best leagues have their "flingers", yet no matter what high tech 'ball of the month' they drill up, they consistently stay a rung below skilled elite. Yes, these flingers have their occasional night in the sun, but they are infrequent and do not change pecking order over the longer haul.

I personally suffer from the same affliction. While I'm as consistent as most, I don't have the ultimate level of versatility that define the cream in the leagues I bowl in. I have occasional success, but not often enough to crack the top five when you examine the year end sheets.

Do you actually have flingers in your area who consistently average 220+ in competitive situations?
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Ishmael

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2004, 12:23:07 PM »
The answer is capitalism.  There is money to be made improving sports technology.  Once the technology is available you must use it in order to compete.  Simple as that.
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pin-chaser

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2004, 02:58:38 PM »
For the same reason we climb mountains, goto the moon/mars... (with far less noble gains) becuase we are smart enough to figure how we can gain advantage. But not so smart that we understand that by doing so we cheat and ruin the sport itself.
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pin-chaser

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Re: Why does man turn to technology when it comes to games of skill?
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2004, 03:17:34 PM »
jfonti.... scores have never ever been higher and stil bowlers are leaving this sport by double digits. What I hear you saying is that if every bowler can shoot an award score bowlers would be happy. THat is just not the case... people want to be proud of achievements... virtually no one is proud of 300's anymore.
You are wrong and it is a misconception that higher scores make happier bowlers. Higher scoring creates higher (unearned) expectations and when bowlers dont reach those expectations they get disgrunteled and eventually leave the sport after long enough.
Put the requirement of skill in the bowlers hands, take away the advantage of technology then you will see a return of bowlers who practice to get better, and stop hoping, praying and relying on technology to give them what they dont deserve.
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