Wearing street shoes while bowling leagues and tournaments

[Tazzie Devil]

Can someone please tell me more about this rule

125 APPROACHES MUST NOT BE DEFACED
No one will mark on or will introduce on any part of the approach or lane any substance that will have a tendency to injure, disfigure or place the approach or lane in such condition as to detract from the possibility of other bowlers being able to take advantage of the usual conditions. The use of such substances as aristol, talcum powder, pumice, resin, etc, on shoes; the use of soft rubber soles and heels that rub off, and in any manner alter the normal conditions of the approach are strictly prohibited.

I have recently joined a league in Western Australia and the centre manager at this centre has aloud innapropriate footwear to bowl in leagues and tournaments. I find the approaches are very sticky and dirty to bowl on. I have gone to the centre manager and the president of the assocation and they both said that the problem is in my head and to slide, I should put a sock our my bowling shoes. I have also been told if I take this matter any further I would be banned from the bowl, and everyone else who has brought up this matter has also been told the same thing.

Can anyone help me with this matter or do I just give up bowling because its killling me knees. The closest other bowling centre to me is about 100kms away.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I will be in Perth soon and I would like to know which centre is doing this preposterous thing?

Wearing street shoes in league and tournaments is just plain stupid. It's a good way to wreck the approaches!

 

[Tazzie Devil]

Its a country centre about 200kms away from perth. I wont say the centre yet because I am going to be in alot of trouble with them.

 

[kitkat23]

you answered your own question in ur 1st post.
as you have an association, im assuming that your centre is registered with TBA and as such the centre and association, must comply with the rules set down by TBA, which is rule 125. we do allow tiny kids in their street shoes, because they dont slide, walk up and use the ramps, so its not a big problem
in our centre, our gracious manager has allowed food and drink beyond the tables on the concourse, to the seating area and on the approach, with cleaning of them a very distant thing. they were threatened with a law suit when a bowler slipped and injured their knee, due to them not providing a safe approach. after this they kept it reasonably clean. bowling with redskins and coke attaching to your shoes isnt fun. a law suit is a pretty extreme step, but maybe your dr or physio can prove that its the approaches doing damage to your knee. i dont think their public liability insurance provider would be too happy with your medical bills on their desks LOL

 

[AdrianS]

Im assuming these arent white non marking soles, you can get away with Dunlop Volleys i think but any sole lumpier than that on a sandshoe is asking for trouble.

 

[Cam S]

Im assuming these arent white non marking soles, you can get away with Dunlop Volleys i think but any sole lumpier than that on a sandshoe is asking for trouble.

i think as long as their non marking and clean.
Not that im bowling at the moment but my bowling shoes are a pair of Adidas x trainers with non marking soles.
I dont slide so their a comfy cheap pair of shoes to bowl in.

 

[Sean M]

Exactly, not everyone does or can wear bowling shoes to bowl but as long as they are clean and non morking it should be fine in my opinion.

 

[Tazzie Devil]

Thank you for all opinions. The shoes that I have been talking about are straight from outside on the approach with no cleaning of shoes. I bowl a league and out of 22 people, there is 11 people wearing the same shoes that they walked in with. The approaches are dirty and have marks all over them, I was bowling this week and there was a wet patch about 10cms of the foul line from a social bowler and the rest of the lane had black rubber marks over it.

 

[jason_doust]

What the hell is going on in this country..?

Leather/microfibre soled shoes are there for a reason. Theyr'e kinder on your knees.

Regarding the liquid spill you mentioned, from a H&S perspective, if the centre staff have have been notified of a genuine potential for a slip or trip and do nothing, management can find themselves in hot water in the event of an injury. If the hazard has been reported (and maybe even if it hasn't - not sure on that one), then that's either negligence or incompetence on the part of the centre whether or not an injury occurs.

This sort of ignorance is becoming more commonplace as more managers are put in place who know nothing more about bowling than their brief training and are then put under the pump to reduce costs/increase profits. Cleaning and maintenance seem to be among the first things to go.

It must make it really hard for techs who take pride in their work.

Maybe Rule 125 needs to be amended to include clean approaches. Also get your league to make it part of their contract with the centre for next year.

 

[willey]

Everyone here has an opinion on the non marking shoe's, but as an experienced Tech with 36 years under my belt I can tell you there is No such thing. Even the non sliding foot of a bowling shoe will mark the Approaches. So no body should be wearing anything other than regulation Bowling shoe's.

I remember Peter Zambelis not being allowed to bowl in a SPC with a Sneaker by Steve Mackie.

willey

 

[Milena]

another comment, iknow that im the centre that i bowl in , their public liability insurance policy demands that all bowlers wear dedicated bowling shoes that have been specifically made for the purpose of ten pin bowling