How much of an issue is "Blocked Lanes"

[Baz]

People continually refer to the “sport of bowling” and “our sport”.
Sport needs to be a challenge otherwise its pastime or a recreation.

There are three distinct groups of bowlers:
1. The families and social bowlers, who bowl occasionally, have birthday parties and will go bowling as long as they and their families have fun.
2. League bowlers, most of whom come every week to have a drink, bowl and have a laugh. Some of these are serious players.
3. Serious, competitive bowlers to whom bowling really is a sport.

The first group don’t even know there is oil until they go over the foul line and slip over. Most of the second group really want a ditch because to them scoring is fun and bowling centres business is to sell fun.

Bearing in mind postings from more knowledgeable people than I, I think the only solution is to have an agreement between the bowling organizations and all the centres to increase the oiling to combat today’s balls and put some dignity back into the 200 game. Centres will be scared of losing customers but the same fear existed over banning smoking.

Of course this will never happen.

 

[jason_doust]

...put some dignity back into the 200 game.

I liked all of your post Barry, but could not have put this more succinctly. Well said. Thank you.

 

[bowlrig]

I know we all hate analogies to golf, but why not follow their lead in some way.

At the start of next year there is a list of non-conforming drivers (several hundred I think). These clubs are prohibited from use in any round of golf conducted under USGA Rules, including those rounds played for posting handicaps. These rules will also come into effect worldwide.

You may use your "big bangers" during social rounds, fun days or at your local club under local rules, in competition where it does not affect your handicap.

So I guess what I am getting at is why can we not bowling have its own list of non conforming balls that may not be used in State and National tournaments, Presidents shield, Youth Cup an Rachuig etc. Then we could incorporate Merit Leagues, where balls on the list may not be used.

The Centres would not miss out on bowlers that want a challenge or lose the bowlers that like the wall. Centres would not have to reoil before Merit leagues (saving money on oil). A dedicated / tournament bowler could still bowl with his mates in one league, using his "big bangers" then challenge himself in the Merit League.

I asked the question during league last night if anyone was interested in bowling in a Merit League or a Sports League and 9 out of the 11 said they would bowl in a Merit League and only 2 for the Sports League. It may only be a play on words but maybe that is all it might take to get them interested.

The ball companies do not miss out, as they can still make their hook in a box balls for that market that wants them, the majority of league bowlers, then they have a strict new market of Merit Balls that conform to a specific set of guide lines for the serious League/Tournament bowler.

The top amateurs in the world and the pro's could then be used as an advertising platform for this new set of conforming balls. While at the same time the serious bowler is keeping their skills at a higher level but feeling their achievements are worthy of the Merit they deserve.

Maybe not a solution but we need to start somewhere.

Just my ramble.

Rob

 

[AdrianS]

Hmmm, how do you decide what stuff to use in 'merit' competition, my guidelines would be less than .030 rg differential and no solid particle, whatever balls meets those specs would be legal.

On the otherhand.....Willey brought up a point before that the 'good old days' conditons existed mainly through a lack of knowledge, do we really want to replicate that enviroment where 'textbook' ball reaction(skid,hook,roll. Thats right NOT!!! skid,roll,hook like people were taught in those days!!) was impossible? Maybe what happens now is what happens when you do things right

 

[willey]

Well said Adrian, I started Bowling in the 1960's and there used to be an Average Book printed with everybody's averages from Sanctioned Leagues in Sydney, guess what they had a special page for those Bowlers that averaged over 200 and there were a few, the only one I remember was Steve Mackie. Makes you wonder does'nt it, people could actually Strike in the Dark Ages. Further to that I remember watching the 1971 SPC bowled at Rushcutter, mainly to see Philipino, Rene Reyes, as he Qualified with a 220 average, which was unheard of in those times. He did'nt win Steve Mackie did in 1971 with about a 203 average. As anyone who remembers how Steve Bowled, he did'nt exactly throw a lot of Ball, over the top of the Ball over the top of his left foot.

Last year in America the High series for a Plastic Ball was about 856/3, which all means you can Strike with anything under the right conditions.

Did someone mention Eric Jang, I remember Eric won the Australian all Stars tournament in 1966 with a 179 average, considering people were shooting 200 averages at the time I can only say it must have been one of those Dark Ages shots.

As I have mentioned before D Webber averaged over 230 in the 1950's in League.


220 average in 1971:250 average in 2007, we have'nt gone too far.
As for Tiger Woods. I'm sure he can be beat by many over 1 hole, it does'nt matter how hard the hole is.
willey

 

[willey]

Oh, I forgot about Wayne, yes Bowling has nearly priced itself into Oblivion in Australia, you can still get Games for a $1 in the USA.

willey

 

[mickyd213]

I would classify tournament bowling as a sport and a truer representation of a bowlers ability and league would have to be a pastime.
It is plain to see for everyone that there are higher averages in league and the amount of 300's is increasing but is it because of walled up shots or bowlers ability??? If the shots were as walled up as bad as it is made out to be... where are all the 900/3 series. Of late i know a few bowlers who have acheived their first 300 and know that they are deserving but leave league as is. If people want to challenge themselves during league, use your plastic. How many people complain about the lanes being walled up and still try to match up.
Yes, I enjoy a challenge in bowling and i think the sport series tournaments have filled a void, it's just a pity we have to wait until Jan for the next one.

 

[bowlrig]

Hmmm, how do you decide what stuff to use in 'merit' competition, my guidelines would be less than .030 rg differential and no solid particle, whatever balls meets those specs would be legal.
On the otherhand.....Willey brought up a point before that the 'good old days' conditons existed mainly through a lack of knowledge, do we really want to replicate that enviroment where 'textbook' ball reaction(skid,hook,roll. Thats right NOT!!! skid,roll,hook like people were taught in those days!!) was impossible? Maybe what happens now is what happens when you do things right

All I was trying to say was that at least golf is trying to drastically limit there equipment so why can't bowling?


Rob

 

[Amf Facilities]

All I was trying to say was that at least golf is trying to drastically limit there equipment so why can't bowling?
Rob

Control the balls - Control the scores

Make a control ball for all major tournements
players can have what ever sponsor logo they want on them

 

[AdrianS]

I know i sound like a broken record but ''score control" and fairness arent the same thing. Also in these debates things like pins, kickbacks, pindecks and flat gutters almost never get brought up. The oil patterns and the balls aren't the only reason you see 248 now where once you saw 208. And give some credit to the bowlers too, all this mental game, fitness and sports science stuff of the last 20 yrs or so has made a difference too. Lane conditions have been the whipping boy for administrative bodies and pi$$ed off bolwers for far too long and where has it got us? Sure hasnt got us back to the participation levels in leauges an tournaments of the 80's and some of the 90's has it now? Maybe theres where we should be concentrating our energies a bit more and just leave the lanes and balls be for a while.

 

[willey]

I agree again with Adrian, when I worked in the Centres I always re-built the Flat Gutters and put them in as tight as possible, this also had an effect on the Kickbacks, which in my thinking created a solid single unit, this in turn helped the pins rebound.

As for the Bowlers, they are throwing a lot more ball these days, especially the Juniors, this results in more Angle of Entry which is the main cause of easy scoring.

As for the pins, they have increasingly got Heavier in the 30+ years I worked in the industry but they are Controlled, meaning they cannot score more than they did 40+ years ago, so for all those alarmist out there, they don't BOUNCE anymore than they used to, it's all to do with Angle of Entry.

As for a previous post saying his new pins are harder to knock over, the Facts are, AMF Pins Score right out of the Box, than gradually decrease, as they get older.

willey