Do you think the junior nationals pattern was too easy?

[GeorgeF]

I think TBA as our governing body should be laying something tougher for our up and coming bowlers. Laying an easy pattern does nothing but boost some ego's and give some kids a false sense of achievement. Nationals is suppose to be the pinnacle of the sport, therefor in my books the toughest pattern of them all.

Whats your thoughts? My opinion another mistake by TBA

 

[the mothership]

yes, nationals indeed should have tougher patterns in the future..why go to nationals to only bowl on a typical house shot which any random kid can score high on.

This year's pattern was indeed too easy.

Nationals is the biggest junior tournament in Australia, so you'd think they would lay something down that would test the bowlers and teach them to play smart in order to score, instead of relying on your ball screaming off the edge and hitting the pocket all the time.

yes george, it was a big mistake by TBA, this sport will get nowhere if the biggest tournaments are set up and having the easiest shot down..this game is suppose to test a bowlers mental game..bowling on these conditions won't do that, only the tougher patterns will...and in the end it comes down to the bowler who plays the smartest

 

[JWhitty]

I agree it should be tough, but not 'toughest of them all'

I'd like to see an honest pattern for the carnival, and a hard pattern for shield. By honest, I mean something that rewards a good shot, but punishes inaccuracy.

 

[AdrianS]

And watch all the A graders and below stay home, unless you have an 'Elite' nationals and one for everyone else.

 

[da_cowman]

And watch all the A graders and below stay home, unless you have an 'Elite' nationals and one for everyone else.

There is a difference between stupid easy, which the last few years have been, and playable.

The kids should look at Nationals and think that in order to perform well, some extra training must be done. By consistently ditching them up, all you create is a mindset within everyone involved that the extra training isn't required because I'll probably average 20 pins over my average anyway.

I didn't hear of one kid dropping out of the sport because Nationals 05 was too hard. In fact, it actually made a lot of us, including myself, better.

If these kids don't need to strive to achieve their goals, especially at State and National level, then where does the improvement come from? When they hit the youth ranks and get demolished by the generally (I say generally because we've had some Great Walls in Youth too...) harder patterns and higher level of competition and then lose interest in our sport??

One of the main priorities of Junior's, mainly state and Nationals should be to prepare them for Youth, just has youth is preparing us for the next step in the Open division. The Youth to adult transition has become much easier. Similar formats and tougher patterns have given the bowlers a better indication of where they are at in comparison. Many junior events are slightly insane with their scoring levels which prepares them for disappointment in the youth tournaments, unless of course we have uncovered a tournament full of bowling prodigies...

Cow

 

[lgt]

There are many events involved with the Junior Nationals:
Graded Championships, Graded Masters, Classic Cup, Open Masters and Shield.

A pattern for the graded sections should not be too hard and should carry through to the graded masters (ideally in the same centre). Remember these bowlers are coming from easier house patterns at home centres.

The Classic Cup and Open Masters have qualifying on the graded pattern and should remain the same as it is the one event.

Shield bowlers have a training process which can incorporate practise on tougher conditions and therefore should have tougher pattern. Advertise earlier than a few days before the start of Nationals.

Schedule a practise Monday night. Make changes now - 12 months to get everyone informed. This year is over, and everyone had the same condition as each other, congratulations to the winners and placegetters.

Tougher conditions for the next 40 odd who age out in 2010 and are feeders to state youth, Asian Schools Team, Asian and World Youth - all have dual and tougher conditions.

And now we could talk about the Adult Nationals and Rachuig condition ...........

Leanne

 

[AdrianS]

Well they tried a normal and long condition at rachiug a couple yrs back, wonder why they stopped that. I do like the idea of shield being a hair tougher but remember the guys top average was 223, not 253.

And is this another one of those crusades for 'fairness' based on the scoring level or because some styles had too big an advantage over another? The 2nd reason is really the only legit reason people should be bringing an argument about fairness to the table. For the millionth time stop worrying about scores.

 

[Nebster]

I bowled on the pattern, using someone else's gear, and only one shoe, after the 2nd day of sheild. If i rememeber rightly, i averaged around 186. That alone shows the pattern was way to easy.

 

[gwhiting]

It must be remembered that the main aim of Junior Nationals is for kids to participate.

There are kids of all different ages and standards.

Lets keepo the fun in it and not worry about the scoring.

 

[kimmi680]

yes it was a house pattern and scores were high yet only one 300 was bowled in 2 weeks of bowling. seems if it was truely "too easy" there would be more 300 bowled

 

[jason_doust]

It must be remembered that the main aim of Junior Nationals is for kids to participate.

There are kids of all different ages and standards.

Lets keepo the fun in it and not worry about the scoring.

That's how we got in this mess in the first place. What got us here won't get us where we need to be. "House Shot" is a euphemism for "blocked lane" or "ditch." It used to be illegal and 300's weren't sanctioned on them. We really cheat ourselves by believing the beautiful lie over the terrible truth.

That said, repeated lane washing turned an easy pattern at the 2008 Adult Nationals into a ditch by the time the Masters came around, so what sort of example does that set?

 

[AdrianS]

Hmmm, maybe we go back to washing 2-3 times a week then instead of every day. Things like that and oiling by towel and bug sprayer may actualy have been the 'beautiful lie'

 

[AdrianS]

I bowled on the pattern, using someone else's gear, and only one shoe, after the 2nd day of sheild. If i rememeber rightly, i averaged around 186. That alone shows the pattern was way to easy.

Gee thanks for that walter ray!!!

 

[KnuckleHead]

yes it was a house pattern and scores were high yet only one 300 was bowled in 2 weeks of bowling. seems if it was truely "too easy" there would be more 300 bowled

There were 3 300's actually.
1 during the first week.
1 during President Shield
1 the very next day after Shield

Tough but fair pattern

 

[rambo1]

the pattern was not as easy as most of the national tournaments that you guys bowl on today, i was there & saw the pattern it suited the straighter bowlers but not as much the power players (the final placings indicated this) the TBA did an excellent job on the oiling pattern & the running of the championships (a big congratulations to John, Ian & the rest of the team) maybe the (TBA SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE NATIONAL PATTERNS SUCH AS THE AO & THE VIC 150)

 

[AdrianS]

And remember besides the pattern other things come into play. Condition of the surface, pindecks, pins, kickbacks, temperature, humidity. if all these flies keep buzzing around going "its the pattern!!! its the pattern!!" Im reaching for the Mortein!!!

 

[thebowlingchamp210]

yes it was a house pattern and scores were high yet only one 300 was bowled in 2 weeks of bowling. seems if it was truely "too easy" there would be more 300 bowled

there was 3?

 

[dominiccarsie]

dont adults have any thing else better to do then compalin that we get easy oiling patterns at nationals of cause we get easy patterns because we dont have the same skill and experience as u guys. have and give it a break it was a house pattern but it was not a ditch by any means...

 

[nls]

Hmmm, maybe we go back to washing 2-3 times a week then instead of every day. Things like that and oiling by towel and bug sprayer may actualy have been the 'beautiful lie'

Washing twice a week is all we get....if were lucky :surrender: Not all "house shots" are ditches...

 

[CHIN]

They dont seem to mind putting up ditches overseas from the look off the scores in the Japan Cup this weekend.

Walter Ray scraped into last spot of the top 48 with a lazy 223 ave.
Think Mallott was top with 255 ave.

127 bowlers over the card out of a field of 144.