tonx
New Member
Here is my personal opinion on the issue. When you first took up bowling, how much practise time did you put into your game? I see it every day that 130 average new bowlers bowl 3-4 times a week to seek better scores. When they get to 210-220 (only takes about 18months on some conditions) they stop practising.
If a bowler is able to average 210-220 without practising, then he/she won't practise. This cost the centre practise money in exchange for "attracting bowlers" to their centre in search for high scores.
The other hidden profits that they lose, are the social bowlers that otherwise would see the league bowler practising. Social bowlers have so many questions regarding bowling that they feel they HAVE to ask a bowler with a hooking delivery. Hell, I had a posse of about 20 party kids asking questions during C300 youth cup in Geelong while I was getting beaten in matchplay by Loader
If the shot requires a bowler to practise to make a 220, bowlers will be out there practising. All of a sudden the "instant gratification attitude" is replaced by attitudes like "Desire to improve" and "Executing the shot under pressure" It makes a high score that was bowled on a tough condition mean something.
I think blocked lanes are hurting both centres that don't have the ability to put down that big a wall to "keep" bowlers, and in the long term hurts blocked centres because they aren't able to sell bowling to the public through better bowlers that train.
What is the solution? If centres are afraid of losing bowlers by putting down tougher conditions, why don't bowlers in that centre ask for just 1 sport league. There is power in numbers, so don't just rely on 1 or 2 bowlers doing it. Approach your manager in your centre and ask them to help you improve your game by getting access to tougher conditions. They aren't really that much tougher, only they seem it early on because they are different.
What if this doesn't happen? I believe centres will keep closing, bowlers who don't think they need to practise will keep shooting "honour scores" furthur cheapening the term. Leagues will continue to reduce in numbers in all centres until it gets to the stage where there is no point bowling against your average less 10 every week.
It scares me to see centres where high games were really and truely earned now start putting out 290+ games every week, and I hope that bowlers in these centres care enough about the SPORT of bowling to approach their centre manager, and ask for 1 sports condition league. I will personally volunteer to help the centres set a sports league up with conditions and the like with their machines if I have to, as I believe that strongly that this is a crutial part in getting bowling marketted as a sport.
Do any of you agree with me? Is blocked lanes hurting bowling as a sport?
Perhaps you are all for blocked conditions? Is it helping somewhere where I have failed to mention?
How much of an issue is Blocked Lanes?
If a bowler is able to average 210-220 without practising, then he/she won't practise. This cost the centre practise money in exchange for "attracting bowlers" to their centre in search for high scores.
The other hidden profits that they lose, are the social bowlers that otherwise would see the league bowler practising. Social bowlers have so many questions regarding bowling that they feel they HAVE to ask a bowler with a hooking delivery. Hell, I had a posse of about 20 party kids asking questions during C300 youth cup in Geelong while I was getting beaten in matchplay by Loader
If the shot requires a bowler to practise to make a 220, bowlers will be out there practising. All of a sudden the "instant gratification attitude" is replaced by attitudes like "Desire to improve" and "Executing the shot under pressure" It makes a high score that was bowled on a tough condition mean something.
I think blocked lanes are hurting both centres that don't have the ability to put down that big a wall to "keep" bowlers, and in the long term hurts blocked centres because they aren't able to sell bowling to the public through better bowlers that train.
What is the solution? If centres are afraid of losing bowlers by putting down tougher conditions, why don't bowlers in that centre ask for just 1 sport league. There is power in numbers, so don't just rely on 1 or 2 bowlers doing it. Approach your manager in your centre and ask them to help you improve your game by getting access to tougher conditions. They aren't really that much tougher, only they seem it early on because they are different.
What if this doesn't happen? I believe centres will keep closing, bowlers who don't think they need to practise will keep shooting "honour scores" furthur cheapening the term. Leagues will continue to reduce in numbers in all centres until it gets to the stage where there is no point bowling against your average less 10 every week.
It scares me to see centres where high games were really and truely earned now start putting out 290+ games every week, and I hope that bowlers in these centres care enough about the SPORT of bowling to approach their centre manager, and ask for 1 sports condition league. I will personally volunteer to help the centres set a sports league up with conditions and the like with their machines if I have to, as I believe that strongly that this is a crutial part in getting bowling marketted as a sport.
Do any of you agree with me? Is blocked lanes hurting bowling as a sport?
Perhaps you are all for blocked conditions? Is it helping somewhere where I have failed to mention?
How much of an issue is Blocked Lanes?