From someone that does not enjoy posting on this website, because of the time it takes to read and reply to most peoples opinions, I for one don't have that much time on my hands, but being Anzac Day I thought I would have time to reflect, not of war but of the war of words about our sport.
So I have found this thread that speaks of something close to my heart, and that's the sport of bowling, bowling balls and lane conditions.
As someone who has been a member of the Foundation for several years, I understand where they are all coming from.
Without making this post long winded, I have always agreed that there is a need to do something about bringing the sport back to some kind of level playing field, and inturn bring integrity back to our sport. There has been talk about a single type of ball that would have very little ability to change the lane surface. This would require a ball that:
1. It's dynamic properties be removed, making it a low differential ball that would no longer have the ability to flare, creating an even rolling ball with little chances of a flip.
2. The surface of the ball will be made with no ability to absorb oil, giving it no chance of becoming dead after 100 games. All you would need to do is resurface occassionally because of surface wear.
3. The surface texture is another decision that needs to be made, should it be shiny or dull, this would depend on the bowlers style, and the lane surface, maybe there can be a choice.
4. The surface friction is another area that would need to be decided, but I don't see this as being an issue as much as differential is.
5. The COR (Co-Efficent of Restitution) in laymans terms simply means the pins ability to bounce off the ball. This would need to be addressed.
6. The RG values need to be addressed, because High RG balls can have the ability to flare, whereas low RG balls have less ability to flare. Imagine a ball that had a weight block that was shaped like an orange rather than a pear.
I'm sure we had balls like this when we first started this equipment revolution, they were called Faball Hammers, Columbia Vectors, Angles, U-Dots, Rhinos, Magnums etc.
Maybe we need to go back to where we started rather than go any further?
I have been presenting seminars on this very subject for TBA and bowlers in the National Training Squad for a couple of years now, and anyone that has been to one of the Creating an Equipment Arsenal Seminars would remember me speaking of the struggle between the balls and the lanes, and recognise many things that Kegel and John Davis & Brian Voss was talking about in the video.
Kegel and John Davis recognised many years ago that there was a problem, the difference is that they did something about it, and even after all these years are still struggling to make a change. They need people to listen and try and change it in your own backyard, the more backyards that are fixed the better we are. It seems that these discussions are proving that some people are at least listening.
We also need more bowlers to realise how easy they have it now, compared to where we were all those years ago, but also realise that there are less of them now compared to how many were around then, and this is with higher and easier scores, stronger balls and easier lane conditions!!!
Where are we going to be in 10 years, if we go it this rate, this is something to think about?
Well done George on creating an awareness, and thank you for listening.
Regards,
Patrick Birtig
Bowlers World
AMF Moorabbin Bowl
