I suppose reading some of the topics in this forum has inspired me to finally post something, I am getting many things off my chest that have irritated me for years, please excuse the long winded way I have explained it all. Here I am answering most of those posts in this one, which is my first post. It probably makes up for many.
The idea of creating a Bowlers Association is fine and justified as George has indicated, the likelihood of bowlers being involved as part of a large enough tournament group is unknown, but I wish you all the best in your endeavours, I can assure you it certainly isn't as easy as it may seem.
The problem with tournament prize funds may be be an issue with Greg, and I am sure that you believe that is true.
The problem with lane conditions in another post from Vicbowler is also a justifyable one.
To enlighten you a bit, just in case you might not have noticed a tournament bowlers group was formed in the 1960's called the APBA (Australian Professional Bowlers Association) then in the 70's & 80's the VCBA (Victorian Competitive Bowlers Association) and then in the late 80's changed their name to ATBA (Australian Tournament Bowlers Association) this was done to create a sense of national involvement and have a more unified Australian tournament bowlers group and attract more sponsors, this worked well to a certain degree, however the only state other than Victoria to carry the ATBA name was South Australia, no other state was interested at the time, maybe that has changed now.
Today both are non existent as far as members are concerned, they fell away because of many reasons, politics, tournament entry fees, lane conditions, lack of sponsorships, lack of open bowlers etc, etc. Both dominated the tournament scenes in Australia a few years ago, having around 20 tournaments per year between them. Throughout the past few years both groups dwinded in memberships and there tournaments fell away, along with declining members, sponsors and centers also stopped supporting.
Today the only ones that exist are The South Australian Cup which has been taken over by AMF, the Australian Open which has been fully taken over by AMF, the Melbourne Tenpin Cup which is still run by the ATBA in liason with Ed Fleming Lanes, the Barossa Cup which is run by Barossa Bowl, and the Warrnambool Cup which the ATBA helps in running along with Neville Vagg and Pins and Play in Warrnambool. All the others are gone.
The ATBA Victoria finished it's membership with 20 bowlers, today it consists of an organising commitee of three individuals.. The three are Ian Nicholls who is the best in Australia regarding running tournament programs and still does, I act as tournament director and tournament organiser when I can, and there is Allan Hill who helps in organising everything from entry forms to budgets etc. We arrange with the center involved and all of us discuss everything there is with the tournament from the smallest thing to the prizefund etc.
The ATBA in South Australia no longer exists. In Victoria as well as S.A we tried desperately to stop the membership decline, but to no avail. Our members were getting older and the new breed of open bowlers were not prepared to put up money to bowl in tournaments.
As tournament organisers we have settled into believing many reasons created the decline in members, below is a general view I personally believe to be the case:
(a) Reactive Bowling Balls - Created a generation of bowlers with averages greater than their skill, they no longer practiced being accurate and consistent, because they didn't need to. Hitting one board was never an option, as it was many years ago.
(b) Recreational Bowling - The past 10 years many centers concentrated on creating an environment that attracted the social bowler, the more they upgraded for social play the more neglected the league bowler, eventually league bowler numbers declined. The next generation of open bowlers have to come from leagues first. Social bowlers never improve that much because they were never that serious.
(c) Lane Conditions - Bowlers become products of their own environment, dry lanes usually create faster bowlers, oilier lanes usually create slower bowlers, easy/blocked lanes create lazy and not so skilled bowlers. When bowlers go to tournaments they encounter conditions foreign to them and struggle, complain and don't go back again.
(d) Coaching - Bowlers no longer needed coaches to improve, because their averages meant they were there already, therefore coaches no longer had to teach the better bowler to be better, they just taught how to score.
(e) Tournaments Prize Funds - Too many tournaments were too top heavy, paying far too much at the top, this only benefits the top 10% of players, 90% of the field is there to cut/cash/ or for experience, they want to come out with something if they can. The top players will always bowl, because they know they will get their money back and then some. The others look how often they miss out and how much more they can afford to miss out.
(f) Handicaps - A National Handicap System needs to be implemented, bowlers because of higher averages no longer bowl handicap tournaments, they stayed away because others with greater handicaps blew them away, a fairer and reasonable handicap system that makes the playing field more level needs to be created.
(g) Rating System for Bowling Centers - Some research needs to be done on how to create a rating system for centers, similar to Golf where you can play anywhere and your handicap is accepted. Far too many bowlers compete on not a fair handicap. That can be something the TBA can work on. eg. If I bowled in a center that scored very high, my average would be greater than if I bowled in a center that scored very low, but always my highest average is used, somehow my actual skill level needs to be measured someway. Bowlers would be more inclined to bowl and compete if they were competing on skill alone.
Tournament Prizefunds - Bowlers should be supportive of the centers that provide you with tournaments, in general AMF probably make more money from there National No-Tap and Strikeamatic tournaments, than running the Super 6 Circuit. At least with those tournaments they are catering for a greater number of bowlers than the Super 6.
In general bowling centers are there to make a profit, and making a profit is what it is all about, isn't that what you are doing by bowling in tournaments. You have to remember that centers in most cases don't have to run any tournaments, they don't always make that much, they certainly don't get much for the month's of planning involved, but they do it to support tournament bowling as theyt always have.
The example used about US tournaments advertising their prize breakdown is fine, but if you use the High Roller as an example, all you get for all that entry fee is one game, but the reward is there if you win, as long as you are lucky. We can all pay AUS$500.00 and play for the $8,000.00 win but who would that be for, the 10% of top bowlers. You would only get about 40 bowlers willing to part with that amount of money competing anyway, that would be great for a semi-pro circuit, but you would need them to compete all the time and only pay half the field. The level of sponsorship involved would be high even at $500.00 entry fee, the costs involved traveling to a national circuit would amount to that alone each event.
Lets be realistic this is a small country, the amount of competitive bowlers is not high to draw from, less than 50% of 1%, we need to build up the bottom to get to the top, build a strong foundation to create an elite level. The amount of success we have in international events is very good for a small country, but how many bowlers do we have that will fill the shoes of all the bowlers who have had international success the past 20 years or so. We need to concentrate on building for the future.
A few words to finish up:
(1) Stop whinging and whining about lane conditions, get a urethane ball if they are too dry, you have to adjust to whatever you bowl on. You don't here golfers complaining about using a putter on the green instead of a driver. Some bowling balls are too aggressive for the conditions that you bowl in, find the right one.
(2) Get someone to help test your skill level, have them stand behind you and tell you whether you are able to hit the same mark X times in a row (start with 5) Then add, with the same speed, same release, same mark/target/pocket. See how many times in a row you can do it, test yourself often. Become repeatable, and Get a Coach!!
(3) Bowling balls are just that, they are not magical and do not produce talented bowlers just high scores some times. get the arsenal you need.
(4) Next time you bowl in a tournament, spend a few seconds telling the tournament organisers how you enjoyed the tournament, or if you didn't, give them some constructive feedback, hopefully it will only improve for next year. Remember they don't purposefully create bad conditions for you.
(5I If you don't like the prizefund breakdown or the tournament format, protest by not participating, get on the phone and let them know. Don't accept the conditions of the entry form and then bowl and then protest, you would be better off and saving yourself many dollars by staying home.
Opinions are always interesting, give some of yours.
Regards,
Patrick Birtig
The idea of creating a Bowlers Association is fine and justified as George has indicated, the likelihood of bowlers being involved as part of a large enough tournament group is unknown, but I wish you all the best in your endeavours, I can assure you it certainly isn't as easy as it may seem.
The problem with tournament prize funds may be be an issue with Greg, and I am sure that you believe that is true.
The problem with lane conditions in another post from Vicbowler is also a justifyable one.
To enlighten you a bit, just in case you might not have noticed a tournament bowlers group was formed in the 1960's called the APBA (Australian Professional Bowlers Association) then in the 70's & 80's the VCBA (Victorian Competitive Bowlers Association) and then in the late 80's changed their name to ATBA (Australian Tournament Bowlers Association) this was done to create a sense of national involvement and have a more unified Australian tournament bowlers group and attract more sponsors, this worked well to a certain degree, however the only state other than Victoria to carry the ATBA name was South Australia, no other state was interested at the time, maybe that has changed now.
Today both are non existent as far as members are concerned, they fell away because of many reasons, politics, tournament entry fees, lane conditions, lack of sponsorships, lack of open bowlers etc, etc. Both dominated the tournament scenes in Australia a few years ago, having around 20 tournaments per year between them. Throughout the past few years both groups dwinded in memberships and there tournaments fell away, along with declining members, sponsors and centers also stopped supporting.
Today the only ones that exist are The South Australian Cup which has been taken over by AMF, the Australian Open which has been fully taken over by AMF, the Melbourne Tenpin Cup which is still run by the ATBA in liason with Ed Fleming Lanes, the Barossa Cup which is run by Barossa Bowl, and the Warrnambool Cup which the ATBA helps in running along with Neville Vagg and Pins and Play in Warrnambool. All the others are gone.
The ATBA Victoria finished it's membership with 20 bowlers, today it consists of an organising commitee of three individuals.. The three are Ian Nicholls who is the best in Australia regarding running tournament programs and still does, I act as tournament director and tournament organiser when I can, and there is Allan Hill who helps in organising everything from entry forms to budgets etc. We arrange with the center involved and all of us discuss everything there is with the tournament from the smallest thing to the prizefund etc.
The ATBA in South Australia no longer exists. In Victoria as well as S.A we tried desperately to stop the membership decline, but to no avail. Our members were getting older and the new breed of open bowlers were not prepared to put up money to bowl in tournaments.
As tournament organisers we have settled into believing many reasons created the decline in members, below is a general view I personally believe to be the case:
(a) Reactive Bowling Balls - Created a generation of bowlers with averages greater than their skill, they no longer practiced being accurate and consistent, because they didn't need to. Hitting one board was never an option, as it was many years ago.
(b) Recreational Bowling - The past 10 years many centers concentrated on creating an environment that attracted the social bowler, the more they upgraded for social play the more neglected the league bowler, eventually league bowler numbers declined. The next generation of open bowlers have to come from leagues first. Social bowlers never improve that much because they were never that serious.
(c) Lane Conditions - Bowlers become products of their own environment, dry lanes usually create faster bowlers, oilier lanes usually create slower bowlers, easy/blocked lanes create lazy and not so skilled bowlers. When bowlers go to tournaments they encounter conditions foreign to them and struggle, complain and don't go back again.
(d) Coaching - Bowlers no longer needed coaches to improve, because their averages meant they were there already, therefore coaches no longer had to teach the better bowler to be better, they just taught how to score.
(e) Tournaments Prize Funds - Too many tournaments were too top heavy, paying far too much at the top, this only benefits the top 10% of players, 90% of the field is there to cut/cash/ or for experience, they want to come out with something if they can. The top players will always bowl, because they know they will get their money back and then some. The others look how often they miss out and how much more they can afford to miss out.
(f) Handicaps - A National Handicap System needs to be implemented, bowlers because of higher averages no longer bowl handicap tournaments, they stayed away because others with greater handicaps blew them away, a fairer and reasonable handicap system that makes the playing field more level needs to be created.
(g) Rating System for Bowling Centers - Some research needs to be done on how to create a rating system for centers, similar to Golf where you can play anywhere and your handicap is accepted. Far too many bowlers compete on not a fair handicap. That can be something the TBA can work on. eg. If I bowled in a center that scored very high, my average would be greater than if I bowled in a center that scored very low, but always my highest average is used, somehow my actual skill level needs to be measured someway. Bowlers would be more inclined to bowl and compete if they were competing on skill alone.
Tournament Prizefunds - Bowlers should be supportive of the centers that provide you with tournaments, in general AMF probably make more money from there National No-Tap and Strikeamatic tournaments, than running the Super 6 Circuit. At least with those tournaments they are catering for a greater number of bowlers than the Super 6.
In general bowling centers are there to make a profit, and making a profit is what it is all about, isn't that what you are doing by bowling in tournaments. You have to remember that centers in most cases don't have to run any tournaments, they don't always make that much, they certainly don't get much for the month's of planning involved, but they do it to support tournament bowling as theyt always have.
The example used about US tournaments advertising their prize breakdown is fine, but if you use the High Roller as an example, all you get for all that entry fee is one game, but the reward is there if you win, as long as you are lucky. We can all pay AUS$500.00 and play for the $8,000.00 win but who would that be for, the 10% of top bowlers. You would only get about 40 bowlers willing to part with that amount of money competing anyway, that would be great for a semi-pro circuit, but you would need them to compete all the time and only pay half the field. The level of sponsorship involved would be high even at $500.00 entry fee, the costs involved traveling to a national circuit would amount to that alone each event.
Lets be realistic this is a small country, the amount of competitive bowlers is not high to draw from, less than 50% of 1%, we need to build up the bottom to get to the top, build a strong foundation to create an elite level. The amount of success we have in international events is very good for a small country, but how many bowlers do we have that will fill the shoes of all the bowlers who have had international success the past 20 years or so. We need to concentrate on building for the future.
A few words to finish up:
(1) Stop whinging and whining about lane conditions, get a urethane ball if they are too dry, you have to adjust to whatever you bowl on. You don't here golfers complaining about using a putter on the green instead of a driver. Some bowling balls are too aggressive for the conditions that you bowl in, find the right one.
(2) Get someone to help test your skill level, have them stand behind you and tell you whether you are able to hit the same mark X times in a row (start with 5) Then add, with the same speed, same release, same mark/target/pocket. See how many times in a row you can do it, test yourself often. Become repeatable, and Get a Coach!!
(3) Bowling balls are just that, they are not magical and do not produce talented bowlers just high scores some times. get the arsenal you need.
(4) Next time you bowl in a tournament, spend a few seconds telling the tournament organisers how you enjoyed the tournament, or if you didn't, give them some constructive feedback, hopefully it will only improve for next year. Remember they don't purposefully create bad conditions for you.
(5I If you don't like the prizefund breakdown or the tournament format, protest by not participating, get on the phone and let them know. Don't accept the conditions of the entry form and then bowl and then protest, you would be better off and saving yourself many dollars by staying home.
Opinions are always interesting, give some of yours.
Regards,
Patrick Birtig
, i couldnt find a bad point in there.
