I don't necessarily agree straighter is greater just to say it. Wes Malott is far from a straight player and he's still number 1 in points. There is so many factors to playing the lane with accuracy, speed, touch, timing along with how that bowler is bowling at that time. I've seen Norm Duke play straight up the boards and get destroyed. I've seen him hook the ball and win. Both of those two situations have been awhile but still. You still need a reaction and pin response playing it straight, otherwise we all would try to do that and average 250 wouldn't we?
With that said, I think if Fagan made a professional adjustment in the title match he may have won. I don't like the chances of a high rev bowler lofting it in the air and having to make big moves every frame. Though I've seen T.Jones and Smith win titles this way I've also seen players like Robert Smith loose title matches bowling like this.
However, if it works, then you can put fear in your opponent that may not be able to do that. Just like yesterday you know Fagan was feeling the heat when he knew he couldn't adjust quick enough and he does not have the talent to do what Norm Duke was doing and he knew he was in big trouble after 4 frames. If it was the opposite and Duke had little accuracy and a bad ball reaction playing straight along with bad carry and you see Fagan carrying the world with a big hook, loft and pins dancing everywhere then Duke would realize he couldn't win. But that didn't happen.
If I could do what Fagan did yesterday and what Norm did yesterday I would, but most of us cannot because we cannot mimic a professional touring bowler.
