Bowling in Alabama

Rerated Anonymous

2012-01-23T21:58:00.000-06:00

I walk into the small room. It appears to be a classroom being used for this mandated meeting. Other bowlers are in the room with all the chairs positioned in a circle. I do not recognize anyone in the room. As I have been to many scratch tournaments, none of these bowlers look familiar. Wait, I think I do recognize a couple of them from a few handicap tournaments such as The Stepladder or Ebonite eliminator tournaments.As the newest member to the group, I have to stand and introduce myself. "My name is Joey. I've been re-rated."There are fewer things more embarrassing than a public confession. The experience is therapeutic as it is humbling and introspective. The others welcome me to the group and encourage me to continue my story, most likely hoping for some juicy tidbit or embarrassing confession of a transgression. I continue.

"I've been bowling for close to 40 years. This has never happened to me before. It is mid-January and I decide to enter the monthly tournament being held at the local lanes. It is a handicap tournament using an eliminator format where the top half advances to the next round after each cut. This continues to the final two bowling for the championship. As I have bowled in this tournament before, I pay my entry and prepare for practice. Everyone draws for lanes and we begin the three game qualifying round. During the first game, I need to ask the tournament director a question concerning rules as this is the first of these tournaments that I have bowled in the current season. I ask to what average is the handicap based upon. The answer was 220. I then informed the director that my book average from the previous season was below that. Yes, I had a bad year. I have never had handicap in this tournament before. I had bowled only one league at the statistically hardest house that previous season. I also had a shoulder injury that required missing a few weeks after the pain became unbearable. The director entered the book average into the laptop. I also explained that my current average was more than 10 pins higher than the previous year's book average. I instructed him that I will approve a re-rating if he determined it necessary. The director did not change my handicap back to zero. The tournament flyer lists very few rules if any. I returned to bowling my qualifying games.

I bowled very well. I easily made the top half eliminator cut as I qualified 2nd with my handicap score. To be fair, my scratch score would have also qualified me second. My handicap was a bonus of 5 pins that I hadn't seen in many, many years. I made the next eliminator cut after the next game. The following game, I had the first 10 strikes in a row and very easily made the next eliminator cut. The field is down to the remaining 5 bowlers. After the bowlers are announced over the intercom system, I am publicly requested to come to the front desk. I am then told that I am being rerated to a scratch average, and my handicap is removed. I accepted. I had no remorse as I felt as I had provided all necessary facts. Is it normal to be re-rated when the tournament is nearly complete?

Bowling scratch, I made the final elimination to the championship match. At no time during the tournament, did any handicap pins give me an edge to qualify to the next round that I would not have made with my scratch score. I did not enter any handicap brackets. All my bracket money was entered into scratch brackets. The championship match was close for about two minutes. I was giving my opponent thirty-one pins handicap. He bowled a scratch score over 250. Since I did not start with ten strikes in a row, I ended up finishing the tournament second place. It is a different time. Back in the 1980's, when I was averaging in the 180's (which is a handicap in the 30's), I never shot a 250 score. Only the 200 average bowlers were shooting a rare score of 250. The young bowlers who grew up on high scoring, high risk, high reward deliveries can bowl 250 one game and then follow with a 160. I hope that when this young tournament champion bowls the next tournament, the director looks at his high tournament average and re-rates him accordingly."

I conclude my story and sit down. The looks in the room of the other participants are unimpressed. I guess I should have spiced the story up with tantrums, ejections, protest letters, loud public arguments, and blacklists. A laughable story of how one bowler can justify his 175 average while others have seen him in Tennessee bowling scratch tournaments is told by another participant. I can't believe I am in this group listening to these stories.

The moderator thanks everyone for showing up for this month's meeting. The next meeting date is announced. I told the moderator that I had no plans for attending any more meetings of this group. I would not ever be back.

Bowl For Jacob

2011-12-07T15:13:00.000-06:00

Valley Family Asking You to Bowl for Jacob

You can make a donation to the Jacob Shields Donation Fund at a Wells Fargo Bank, or mail your donations to Bowling for Jacob, PO Box 274, Brownsboro, AL 35741.

"Bowling for Jacob" will be Saturday, December 10th from 10:00am to 1:00pm at Plamor Lanes in Huntsville. There will be a raffle and a silent auction. You can email a.m.hutchins@hotmail.com for more information.

State Record (Again)

2011-09-24T16:40:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Donald "DC" Chatman. DC tied the state high series record at Bama Lanes in Montgomery on September 21, 2011. He bowled games of 300, 300 and 279 for an 879 series. He tied Ron Ware, who had the exact 3 game set, on June 8 at Plamor Lanes in Huntsville.

Witnesses say the lone 10 pin in the fourth frame of the last game was leaning, but failed to fall preventing the perfect series.

Ben Thames of Enterprise had an 878 series in June 2003. Now, we have had two 879 series in a matter of months. That is incredible and amazing that one (or two) could perform under that kind of pressure knowing how history will be written with your name on such an incredible accomplishment.

Congratulations DC.

Stop the insanity of the 'celebrity' hall of fame

2011-07-17T17:29:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is that time of year where you, the bowling fan, can vote for the next inductee to the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame. I thought this was some kind of fad. But it does not seem to go away. Why are we doing this? Why do we care? Have the nominees really deserved a nomination? Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers are nominated because they have a party or charity fundraiser in a bowling center. Let's face it, if they could play golf, their fundraiser would be on the links! In previous years we have seen sports stars nominated because they could at least average 180 in a league. Is it a coincidence that when the PBA televised the Chris Paul invitational with his sports and music buddies bowling, we no longer see this group on the ballot? Once they showed their bowling prowess on national television, the public was no longer fooled by this silliness.

If we want to keep this thing a little serious, then Jeff Bridges and Bill Murray should be included for their iconic characters in bowling-related movies. If Lady Gaga is on the ballot, why not Tim Matheson or Michael J. Fox? Even if their movies bombed, the bowling theme shows more relevance than Lady Gaga's one time in a bowling center.

Kill the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame. We all know why Kim Khardashian is nominated. She was the 'celebrity' that opened one of the high end bowling lounges. This one event put her on this list? Maybe it was the dress.

PBA Team Shootout Review

2011-07-04T14:42:00.003-05:00

Well, the yearly summer PBA Shootout is now completed. It was definitely more interesting than previous years being outside while Batman and Bugs Bunny cheered the bowlers. I almost missed this years event as I was not that excited about the shootout as previous years. I thought it may be more of the same.

Did the PBA change more than just the venue? It was almost scripted like a WWE pay-per-view event. First, the good thing was the move to an inside venue. I only like to sweat when I run, bike, or cut the yard. Bowling is not an outside activity during a hot Midwestern summer. If you believe the Democrats, global warming makes bowling very uncomfortable. Of course, the new PBA jerseys could be worn by Lance Armstrong and crew during a bicycle road race. Just change the Ebonite logo with a Trek one.

Of course, it was not a bowling alley, nor a bowling center, but a bowling lounge. What is a bowling lounge? It is a more expensive place to eat, drink, and bowl. Awesome ambiance, but still more expensive. I was expecting to see $5 soft drinks, $10 beers, and $12 wines on the tables with the bowlers. I'm sure Jason's water bottle was at least a $3 drink. Another thing about bowling lounges? They seem to attract the 'beautiful people.' Kim Khardashian has been publicized at a bowling lounge. Is this the second bowling tournament where I have seen an attractive blonde woman sitting directly in the camera's line of view? I guess I lost my concentration as I have not heard any announcement or close-up identifying her as a PBA wife or girlfriend. I'm betting she did not have to pay for her ticket to the show.

An advantage of tape delay show is more time to edit. We have heard about 'Bottlegate' for a couple of weeks now. The old saying is that any publicity is good publicity. The new PBA encouraged Pete Weber's antics. It put some life into the telecasts. Any competitor is focused on what he has to do. So, no one is encouraging you should distract your opponents. Well, that seems to be ok for free throw shots or field goal kicks. However, I don't see another PGA golfer sneezing in Phil Mickelson's backswing. ESPN and the PBA had plenty of extra camera angles, background video and commentary ready to go as soon as Sean Rash expressed his frustration. I'm not blaming either bowler, just noting that everyone was ready to exploit the event quickly. There would not have been as much analysis of this if this event was televised life.

I like the ball manufacturer staff team competition. However, with the shape of the economy, the pros on these teams look like the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Twins. One or two teams are loaded while the other groups are 'smaller market' teams. The Ebonite team is like the Brunswick team of the 90's. Remember, they had all the big names back then. Parker Bohn was one of them and is still on the team. This is rare. The few examples are Dick Weber with AMF, Johnny Petraglia and Parker Bohn with Brunswick. This is like your favorite baseball player staying with his team for his whole career. Looking at the teams, obviously Ebonite and Storm are your big players. Looking at the inventory at your pro shop, these are the two brands you will see. Around Alabama, Brunswick and 900Global products are less likely to be stocked. If I want to be on Brunswick's staff, I need to win a televised tournament with a Brunswick ball and then I can be on the Team Shootout the next summer. 900Global's best player is a senior bowler. Being a smaller company, it is not likely to have a large staff. Is Robert Smith still an exempt bowler? It is also not likely to renew bowlers with larger contracts. From Walter Ray's site:

“The company I represented last year did not offer to renew my contract at the end of the season,” Williams said. “I had heard some really good things about Track equipment last season and the equipment coming out of Ebonite International. You want to go to a company with good equipment so you can be competitive.”

With the prize money professional bowling offers today, a serious pro needs a ball contract. Since Walter is with Track, you couldn't find him on the Ebonite team. Ebonite could literally have it's own Team Shootout event with the pros representing each of the four brands; Ebonite, Columbia, Track, and Hammer. Walter, most likely, had conflicts with the short PBA Senior tour.

Watching 900Global winning was good for the event. Having Ebonite dominate the points events and then losing the tournament is like the seasons of the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, and Kentucky Wildcats. Unless you are a big fan of these teams, it is fun to root against them.

But, with 900Global running the table and winning for the upset still seems like a scripted WWE event. If these are 'exhibition' summer events, maybe scripting them would make them just as entertaining as this year's Team Shootout. If the final would have been Team Storm versus Team Ebonite as was the highly probable outcome, I may not have been around to watch it, as my interest would have been lost a long time before.

New State Record

2011-06-09T13:04:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Ron Ware. Ron set a new state high series record during the Super Classic League at Plamor Lanes on June 8, 2011. He bowled games of 300, 300 and 279 for an 879 series. He broke the 2003 record set almost exactly 8 years ago by Ben Thames of Enterprise by 1 pin.

To beat 879 will be a tough feat. There are only a few ways to do it.
1. Throw 36 strikes in a row for a 900 series.
2. Throw 35 strikes in a row for 890-899
Or the less obvious ways,
3. Throw 24 strikes or 25 strikes in a row, then a spare, then strike out for a 890 or 880 series.
Or reverse this order
4. Spare, then 35 strikes in a row, or strike, spare, and 34 strikes in a row.

Congratulations Ron.

Overconfidence?

2011-05-16T21:53:00.005-05:00

When I get to the host city of the USBC Open (or previously, the ABC Nationals), I like to watch earlier squads to gather information as to where I can or should play the lanes. Now, you can read the Internet for other bowlers' experiences or insights. One source of information has always been USBC Hall of Famer Jeff Richgels. He has posted on his blog his information, sources and practice methods for his team on how they attack their team pair.

If you have been following bowl.com, there have been higher scores and numerous honor scores. The top teams are, once again, scoring high. Even Jeff has posted his insight while practicing on the Open lane condition in his home house.

One thing to emphasize about this year is that it's more about getting to the pocket "correctly" to carry well, rather than just finding the pocket, as it usually is at the Open Championships.

Getting to the pocket is not an issue this year? The Open is not a tournament to let your guard down and lose focus on your goal. The pessimist in me knows a bad set or sets this year will be more disappointing than in year's past. I will now block all this Internet information and do my normal routine. I will watch similar bowlers to my style while I am there and see how they are doing. I will make my adjustments to the lanes as they are playing. Tougher conditions dictate that I play more conservative. Easier house conditions usually require more aggressive style, such as more speed or more back-end reaction. I will keep a tough condition mentality and try not to lose that focus after my first double. I hope it will be the start of many strings. But only focus, concentration, and good shots make that happen, even if it was on a house shot.

Side note: We used to bowl the same dates and squads as Jeff Richgels teams. Well, both groups moved to different dates. While they took our money most every year, I do remember those guys congratulating me as I bowled a perfect game in team event in 2007. I also enjoyed bowling with some of them during the Bowlers Journal squads. As current and former professional bowlers, they are a pleasure to bowl with and against. They are a credit to our sport. However, I am glad we no longer bowl on the same USBC Open squads!

May 21 update: Too prophetic. This team is now leading the USBC Open team event with a record 1281 team game.

You know the feeling when you strike every shot in practice, and then cannot strike once the competition begins? I'm starting to get that feeling before I am even on the plane to Reno.

Storm Damage throughout the State

2011-04-29T10:24:00.002-05:00

AlabamaBowling.Com is headquartered in Huntsville, Al. On April 27, one of the worst outbreak of tornadoes and thunderstorms hit in the state in recorded history. Power has been out across north Alabama as many regional utility companies have lost their feed to the Tennessee Valley Authority.

While the servers are not located in the state, I am. Updates to the web site may be slower while power and internet access is restored across the state. Many bowling centers are also out of power, so many leagues and tournaments are postponed or canceled.

If you have any updates on damage to bowling centers or tournament, please comment.

Is the Internet changing the free market?

2011-03-02T20:22:00.002-06:00

For those not subscribing to Bowlers Journal, the February 2011 issue featured an article concerning changes that Ebonite is implementing in selling its bowling balls to web based retailers.

How does that affect us, the common consumer? Those great discounts some web shoppers were getting may be gone. Some large Internet based pro shop retailers were selling Ebonite products for less than your local pro shop could purchase the same ball. It may not be a short term problem for the consumer as you could find great deals on the Internet. It does lead to a long term problem as less pro shops can make a profit to survive. It also leads to a long term problem for Ebonite if the retail value of their merchandise is artificially devalued. While the Internet retailers slowly grow market share, it comes to the expense of one of their product suppliers. If Ebonite cannot make as much money creating the product, there will be less choices in the market place and less product to sell. Less supply creates higher prices.

This is not a problem exclusive to the bowling ball industry. The article mentions other industries changing its resale policy. Ebonite is now treating the top three retailers as a 'national house account' similar to how Ebonite treats Kmart and Dick's Sporting Goods. There is no longer a distributor or middleman involved between manufacturer and retailer. Ebonite sells directly to these retailers and subjects them to its pricing policies. Ebonite imposes a minimum suggested retail price for its products.

The article mentioned a similar situation with airlines and dropping certain travel web sites from ticket booking web sites. I have also noticed the Internet retail boom affecting running shoe prices and supply. As an avid runner, I usually buy a new pair of running shoes every six months. I would always purchase 'last year's model' of shoe from running shoe web sites. They were always on clearance price. A $100 pair of quality running shoes could be purchased for $40. I did this for two or three years. As I mentioned how Ebonite was worried about their products being devalued in the market, running shoes were not a $100 product to me. Running shoes were worth no more than $40. The running shoe industry fixed this problem a different way. They didn't flood the market with too much product. Then, six to eight months later, they come out with the latest 'improved' new model, and once again, flood the market with product. Thus, retailers were stuck with a large inventory of 'old' product which they sold at wholesale price or lower.

While your favorite pro shop still exists, pick up the February issue of Bowlers Journal and read this article. Steep discounts with bowling balls bought on the Internet may be coming to an end. My favorite running shoe manufacturer now makes only enough product to supply the demand for its maximum value price. This is the first law of economics. Now, I cannot get running shoes for $40. My short term loss for great deals may be a long term victory to keep my favorite running shoe manufacturer viable.

Welcome Back PBA to ABC

2011-01-26T17:39:00.003-06:00

Sure, times have changed since the Professional Bowlers Association was last on the ABC network. For one, Disney now owns both ABC and ESPN. So, it seems very easy for the PBA to be on ABC if it is the big brother of ESPN. The show seemed much like an ESPN telecast except for one huge difference; HIGH DEFINITION.

I believe that was the first time professional or serious bowling has been televised in HD. It was incredible. The PBA can be seen on your ESPN HD channel, but the show is not broadcast in HD. You see the same 4:3 aspect ratio in HD as you do on the standard definition channel. The picture quality was incredible. I have seen HD shows for years, and PBA bowling for decades before that. Maybe that is why the picture seemed that much more incredible as I am used to a certain quality in bowling programming. Hey, I thought the Weather Channel was cool the first time I saw it in HD. Can the PBA afford to broadcast in HD in the future? I hope so. As I have reported before, I usually drift to sleep in the middle of the show after I know who is on and what equipment they are throwing. With a superior quality product, I did stay awake this time.

I was disappointed that the commercials were the same as the ones on ESPN. Even on ABC, there seemed to be no commercial bonanza of new sponsors. Even with a large prize fund and $250,000 first prize, SportsCenter exposure, and news headlines around the country of the semi-final match, there was not any new sponsors. To me, this still does not bode well for the PBA.

Would you bowl a 100 game for millions to watch for your 15 minutes of fame? Wayne Garber did. I am positive he did not do it on purpose. He bowled a great tournament. Remember, he received $50,000 for his placement. He may have bowled a 100, but a 279 would have given him the same result; a loss to eventual winner, Mika Koivuniemi. Mika's 299 made SportsCenter's top plays of the day. Wayne also received a Commissioner's Exemption for the Earl Anthony Memorial PBA tournament. I don't think he would have received the possibility to bowl in the next tournament stop with a 200 game in the semi-final match.

UPDATE: Tom Daugherty can appreciate my post as I totally misattributed his new PBA record to former exempt player Wayne Garber. Tom can hope he can still have some sense of anonymity. I blew that completely. At least I did not say confuse him with former American Idol contestant, Chris Daughtry. Thanks to the reader who corrected me with his comment.

Shouldering the Burden

2011-01-03T15:19:00.008-06:00

For the past six months, I have been bowling in pain. I was getting used to it and adjusting my backswing and hand position to minimize the discomfort. My shoulder was hurting. After 35 years of a high backswing, the wear and tear finally caught up to me. It was ironic to note that my approach looked 'more textbook' as I lowered my backswing and held a more closed hand position to alleviate the discomfort. If I had bowled the way the game is usually taught, I would have never seen a doctor, learned shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises, taken lots of anti-inflammatory pain medication and received one cortisone shot.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Like most males of the species, I don't want to go to the doctor. I prefer to have some idea of why I need to visit so I am not surprised by a professional diagnosis. With the Internet, I can search on my symptoms, research possible causes and treatments, and determine if I need professional help. I am not a person who needs to visit the emergency room with a headache or nose bleed. WebMD listed this diagnosis:

Impingement syndrome is a common condition affecting the shoulder and is often seen in aging adults. This condition is closely related to shoulder bursitis and rotator cuff tendinitis. These conditions may occur alone or in combination.

Aging adults. I do note that most of my current ailments usually have those two words in the definition. It is usually an overuse injury. For my case, it was an overuse due to bowling and an aging adult. Google Health described my condition exactly as risk factors for being over age 40 and participating in sports or exercise that involves repetitive arm motion over the head.

Road to Recovery
Just taking the summer off from bowling did not make this problem go away. I still went to the gym and did strength training. However, I did diminish any exercises that resulted in shoulder stress. When my sleep patterns were affected by shoulder pain, it was time to go to the doctor. I still have doubts that most sport orthopedic doctors know the physical tolls on a body due to bowling. I was passing a lot of simple shoulder tests. I could raise my arm over my head. I could still do push-ups and chest presses. However, it hurt to raise my arm behind me. Typical shoulder impingement areas involve failing those first tests. Demonstrating a backswing that hurt was a new symptom. Luckily, the treatment is the same. The doctor started me with a conservative treatment; physical therapy and lots of anti-inflammatory medication. Even though it did not help with the pain that much, the medicine was needed to reduce the swelling.

Oral anti-inflammatory medications -- such as aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen, remain the most common treatment for impingement syndrome.
You must consistently take the medication for nearly eight weeks for it to be effective. You should do this under the care of a doctor because these medications can cause stomach irritation and bleeding.
Taking anti-inflammatory drugs for a short period of time may treat the symptom of pain, but it will not treat the underlying problem and symptoms will come back. There is no specific medication for this condition and response to any given medication differs from person to person. If one anti-inflammatory medication does not help within 10 to 14 days, then another one will be given until one that provides relief is found.

I was taking ibuprofen and Meloxicam for two months. In addition, I did common stretches such as trying to reach my thumb up my back. I used resistance bands to force the hand further up my back. I used a pole or towel to raise both my arms behind my back as far as comfortable. I also did a series of light weight shoulder activities known as Hughston Excercises. I used 3 and 5 pound weights. Since the muscles being worked are smaller muscles, you will find that these weights are more than sufficient, especially if you are having rotator cuff problems. After six weeks of these exercises, I was still failing one test. Holding my arms straight out from my body palms up, the doctor would push down on my hands. It was hard to resist his force with the injured arm. Every other impingement was much better except for the bicep tendon. This is the tendon that connects the shoulder and the top of the bicep muscle. My injury was specifically diagnosed as bicipital tendonitis. I received a cortisone shot at that location.

Bowling During and After Treatment
Why are you still bowling? A question that was often asked by relatives familiar with my shoulder injury. Well, the doctor didn't tell me to quit. I was going by the adage, if it hurts to do it, don't do it. It did not hurt that bad, but did get worse the more games I bowled. I had basically cut back to bowling one league a week and one tournament a month. With no practice, that meant 3 games a week with one week-end of bowling 4-8 games. As I mentioned earlier, I was doing basic adjustments that relieved the pain. The summary was that I was bowling more correct as I should have been doing. My arm was more of a pendulum with a shorter backswing. This took a lot of stress off the shoulder. The release and follow through were not forced but more natural. Forcing the downswing and follow through adds stress to the shoulder and bicep. You would only feel this extra stress if that area was injured. Letting the weight of the ball control the pendulum swing adds no extra stress to the shoulder joint. Those shots felt good and pain-free. I was disappointed if I did not strike on those deliveries. If I executed correctly and did not wince, I thought I should have struck.

I also had to quicken the steps of my approach to add ball speed. This would also alleviate my shoulder from forcing the delivery. As my ball speed is not that great anyway, I was struggling on house shots. I had to play more inside than I would have wanted for maximum scoring potential. The tournaments in which I participated were sponsored by Bowlers Advantage Pro Shop. This series of tournaments uses the Kegel Challenge series of lane patterns. These patterns are advertised as harder than house shots but easier than sport patterns. I have had the same success this year as previous years on these patterns. The slicker patterns play to my advantage with my slower, more deliberate style. I have made the qualifying rounds about the same percentage as previous years. However, the more I advanced, the less I had to give to the match. This is no excuse. I was defeated by the better bowler when I lost. I am not sure a 100% healthy me would have won. One thing that could have helped was the mental aspect. With my injury, there was no easy shot for me. While the rest of the league is shooting their normal average and honor score ratios, I am still working hard for a good set. I don't feel that I have as much area. I also feel a bad delivery will have bad results. I am prone to leave more pocket splits this year than in the past.

The Road Back
Now, I feel good. The competitive juices are coming back. I am still a little apprehensive. One inspirational story is San Diego Padres/San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky.

The following season, a cancerous desmoid tumor was found in Dravecky's pitching arm. He underwent surgery on October 7, 1988, removing half of the deltoid muscle in his pitching arm and freezing the humerus bone in an effort to eliminate all of the cancerous cells.^[1]^[2] By July 1989, he was pitching in the minors, and on August 10, he made a highly publicized return to the major leagues, pitching eight innings and defeating Cincinnati 4–3.

He coauthored a book, Comeback, that chronicled his story of returning to the mound after his cancer diagnosis. The reason that I am apprehensive is that Dave's cancer came back and he broke his arm pitching during a game. His arm deteriorated and had to be amputated. Dave is now a motivational speaker after the success of his next book, When You Can't Come Back. I have this book. I think it is too early to be forced into retirement from a sport and activity that I have done for a significant majority of my life. There would be some serious emotions to handle if the decision is forced upon you. I am not ready, but am optimistic that it is not yet my time to give up the sport. I always thought my more simplistic approach would allow me to outlast and outbowl many of my competitors in the long run as we all became senior bowlers. Many of the younger bowlers apply too much stress on their bodies with their powerful deliveries. It is humbling to know that these type of injuries can plague even those who consistently exercise and stay in good shape.

There have been good signs. I have bowled a 300 game within 2 weeks of the cortisone shot, and went to the championship match of a Bowlers Advantage tournament. The good news is that I did not feel pain or sore later or the next day. I am starting to remember what I used to call 'normal.'

Do Not Stress Over Your Competition

2010-12-21T19:46:00.001-06:00

Stan Popovich

Many athletes sometimes get anxious when they play against a tough opponent. They get nervous on who they are competing with and they get so worked up that they lose focus on playing their sport. In the end, they make mistakes and end up beating themselves up if they do not win. As a result, here is a list of techniques that an athlete can use to help manage the stress of playing against the competition.

The first step is to learn as much as you can on your opponent. Although this may seem obvious, some athletes may think they already know what they need to know. Remember there is always something to learn about your competition. Read the reports about your opponent and watch him or her performance. Try to figure out an angle on how you can beat your competition. The more you know about your competition the better your chances are you will win. This will also help to reduce your worries in the future.

Do not assume anything about your competition whether they are stronger or weaker than you. Every athlete has his good and bad times and just because you may be facing a stronger opponent does not mean that you will lose. Remember that you and your opponent both have an equal chance of winning. You are both starting from scratch. This should help you to give you confidence going into your next event.

Focus on how you can best strive for perfection in your own event instead of worrying about your opponent. For instance, you are going against the number one athlete in the tournament and you are nervous. Instead of focusing on how good your competition is, focus on your performance. Concentrate on how you can perform your event and how you can best improve on your problem areas.

Realize that you can't win all of the time and that also includes your competition. You may be the best athlete in the world, however you will still sometimes lose. No one can win all of the time. When facing a tough competitor, use this fact to your advantage. Even the best athletes will make some mistakes.

It is not uncommon to get nervous when you go against a better opponent. All you can do is to focus on your skill sets and do the best you can. This will help you in the long run.

BIOGRAPHY

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

MANAGING YOUR ANXIETIES IN YOUR BOWLING

2010-12-21T19:45:00.000-06:00

Stanley Popovich

At times, our worries and anxieties can overwhelm us. In addition, our worries can distort our perception of what is reality and what is not. As a result, this may interfere with your bowling. Here is a brief list of techniques that a bowler can use to help gain a better perspective on things during their anxious moments.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could read the newspaper, listen to some music or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This is a great technique to use right before your next game.

Remember that our fearful thoughts are exaggerated and can make the problem worse. A good way to manage your worry is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.

Remember that all the worrying in the world will not change anything. Most of what we worry about never comes true. Instead of worrying about something that probably won’t happen, concentrate on what you are able to do.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that you can carry around with you. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you. Whenever you feel stressed before your event, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety before your event and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

It is not easy to deal with all of our fears and worries. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, try to calm down and then get the facts of the situation. The key is to take it slow. All you can do is to do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it in stride. Take it one step at a time and things will work out.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

The unusual bowling in college story

2010-12-12T20:51:00.002-06:00

Did you watch the Tennessee Volunteers upset #3 Pittsburgh in college basket ball on Saturday, December 11? It pains me as an alum of the Memphis Tigers to see Tennessee do well in basketball. One player on Tennessee's roster was not eligible for this game. He is forward Jeronne Maymon. Maymon transferred to Tennessee from Marquette. Maymon is ready to join the team after sitting out his NCAA mandated year due to transfer. However, he was not cleared to play because he was still waiting on one class to post his grade. That class was bowling.

Maymon took and says he passed five classes in the fall semester; the final grade he's waiting to get posted and make his eligibility official is a bowling class that ended in October.

Please, no jock jokes on types of classes. I took bowling as a PE class at Memphis State in 1983. Yes, it was an easy A. I knew how to keep score. I knew the history of the American Bowling Congress. I was already a 185-190 average bowler, so averaging a 130 in class for an A was a piece of cake. Besides trying to boost my GPA with an already loaded engineering curriculum, I now had practice time. The Tennessee state tournament was going to be held in Memphis that year. One of the houses hosting the tournament was also the house hosting the bowling PE class. I had a whole semester of practice at the tournament host site for no charge. Well, there was a charge. It was buried in my tuition.

That kind of rationalization can still work today. I see businesses doing corporate outings for team building exercises. Maybe I can organize a team building event at the local bowling center hosting the city tournament this year.

They moved the fences in.

2010-08-06T14:15:00.006-05:00

Jason Thomas had an excellent article on pba.com concerning the changes he has noticed in softball as the seasons roll on over time. As it was on a bowling web site, reading the story had me thinking of the current softball season as an allegory to the current state of bowling leagues. I'm pretty sure that was the author's intention.

It was not a great game to play or to watch being played, one team getting mauled and the other circling the bases regularly with no real effort. How fun was it on the other side? No strategy, no base running, only which guy can jack the ball over the fence the farthest seemed to matter. Is that really why we play the game now?

I've been 'retired' from softball for ten years now. We were all growing older and our kids were now starting their activities. Softball became a lower priority. However, I remember the waning days of my softball career. Our team was composed of primarily engineers by trade. We were a bunch of desk jockeys or meeting attendees. The teams we played were sponsored by air conditioning companies or plumbing companies. These guys did manual labor. Their forearms were bigger than my thighs.

I have played for Coach on Monday nights for 31 years now, from wood bats to aluminum bats to carbon bats to exotic composite material bats.

Yep, these huge guys were swinging the newest technology also. The newest softball bats now cost as much as your high-end reactive resin bowling ball. An extra $250 in my pocket is going for a new bowling ball, not a new bat. With livelier softballs, I started to fear for my life when I had to pitch. Bowling gave me some slow pitch softball skills as I could put some serious arc on a pitch. The pitch may be called illegal for how high it went, but I could drop it in for a strike. No one else wanted to pitch as a flat pitch was going to be hit solidly....HARD...turning it into a lethal projectile.

If we went back to wood bats and didn’t do anything to the ball, the game would be much more fun to watch and much more fun to play. Singles and doubles would matter again, off center swats would be ground balls or pop flies instead of gappers or home runs. Good pitching, timely hitting and tight defense would settle ball games, not a tape measure.

Aren't we really discussing tougher lane conditions, spare shooting, timely adjustments, and a solid mental game? If we go the extreme, this could be a discussion on more rigid equipment specifications. Since I have already written on that subject, I won't rehash it here.

The question you have to ask yourself is do you want to be competitive in every bowling center, or just string strikes with no real measure of your true ability? If the latter, the proprietors have a bat, ball, and short fences for your enjoyment.

Lamentations of a League Secretary/Treasurer

2010-06-04T19:50:00.003-05:00

As the fall/winter leagues end, my job as a league secretary/treasurer has ended for the season. I was the secretary/treasurer of the Huntsville All Star League. I had done this previously many years ago. The bowling center did this job in the previous years, with no charge to the league. However, difficulties arose over the years as many people trying to keep the records and books for one league led to many errors. They wanted a league member to resume these duties.

During the league meeting, I was nominated for the position. Knowing there was a demand with no other person wanting the job, I accepted provided the fee of $1/person/week was accepted. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Economics 101. Low supply with high demand leads to high prices. Maybe I should have asked for more. Why? Computers and league secretary software do all the work. Why can you command such a salary?

By my calculations, I think holding this particular office cost me 5-8 pins in average. Pin Palace was the lowest scoring house in the Huntsville USBC last season. Only 4 people averaged over 220 in the whole bowling center last season. Walking to the line and having 8 boards of area would allow me to think about where that extra $25 went. A huge contrast compared to the other centers in the association. Concentration was required on my game instead of counting funds and ensuring accurate league fund record keeping.

Let me be clear. I would be league secretary for no expense. The league is paying for my duties as league treasurer. This is the job for which I can be suspended by the USBC for any irregularities. League secretary software is easy to manipulate averages, games, wins, etc. I require all this data anyway to update the Huntsville All Star League website. I had the bowling center provide me with the league files in the previous years to maintain the website. The treasurer side of the software is adequate once you have collected the funds. This is the 'pain in the a**' part of bowling nights. Some bowlers seem to think that they can bowl without paying. What other industry provides a service for a promise to pay at a later date? I ask, beg, command for late league fees. Some teams even forget to deliver the pay envelope to me. I would like to bowl also. I don't want to spend the evening counting funds, and ensuring accurate records of each team's pay envelope.

Here is a personal pet peeve about team fees. I only care about the team t0tal payment, not each individual's weekly payment. I talk to the team captain about whether the team is ahead or behind in payment. I would think it is his responsibility to interpret this information for use to divide among the team members. I get a question from one bowler concerning their payment history and I have to interpret their pay envelope when it is hardly entered neat and legible. I try to anticipate this at the beginning of the year by interpreting each team's record keeping system. This is done so I can prove whether a bowler is $20 or $50 behind in league payments.

The other part of being a league secretary that makes me very nervous is the end of year payouts. Yes, I am taking the entire leagues' prize fund as one check and cashing it. I walk out of the bank with over $20,000. I am on edge until the prize fund is paid out.

It is stressful. The All Star League is competitive and I would very much want to be in the midst of the competition. Like the other members, I want to bowl. I don't want to count money, find the miscalculation, and pay the bowling center. I want to bowl well. If the league members get into a nice rhythm of accurate record keeping, and timely delivery of the pay envelope, I could reduce my fee for the less stress and work. However, I charge for my time and frustration. I'm thinking about raising my rates next year.

Any one else have a league secretary/treasurer story?

Do Not Let Fear Affect Your Game of Bowling

2010-04-29T18:56:00.002-05:00

by Stan Popovich

Sometimes, fear and anxiety can get the best of us in bowling. The key is to know how to manage that fear and anxiety. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a bowler can use to help manage their fears and every day anxieties.

Occasionally, you may become stressed when you have to bowl in an important event. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you have to bowl in the championship game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself bowling. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could read the newspaper, listen to some music or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that you can carry around with you. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you. Whenever you feel stressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a small walk before your bowling event to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

Remember that patience, persistence, and education will go a long way in preventing fear from becoming a factor in the sport of bowling.

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

Are you hall of fame material?

2010-03-01T19:35:00.007-06:00

Scanning the associations' halls of fame, I notice that some include most anyone, while some have few bowlers. This is not necessarily due to the number of bowlers in that area of the state either.

I was on an association hall of fame committee for three years. During our committee meetings, I was shocked that we did not have discussions and debates on nominated bowlers' resumes. Merits of accomplishments were not discussed. Personalities of the nominees seemed to carry the most weight. Secret ballots were held almost ten minutes into the committee meeting. I openly discussed my criteria so as to start the debate. I did not feel that a friend filling out the application form automatically qualified someone for the association hall of fame.

Scoring is relative. High averages and lots of honor scores do not necessitate an automatic bid to the hall of fame. In what era did the bowler compete? That determines the worth of his average. Here is my criteria:
1970's: 200
1980's : 210
1990's: 220
2000's: 230

There has already been a 240 average bowled in the state of Alabama. The 2010's may up the average requirement to that level. Handicap tournaments realize this increase also. If you are my age, you may remember tournament handicaps being based on the difference in your average and 200. Now, many handicap tournaments are using base averages of 220, 230, or more.

This should apply to honor scores also. A 300 game in 1985 is probably worth 10 such scores today. We can probably calculate this worth by total number of honor scores divided by total number of games bowled in an association. I'm betting the ratio in 1980 is much lower than the ratio will be for 2010. The state hall of fame application has a point system to determine minimum criteria for nomination. It lists points qualified for 700 series. Unless you are over 45 years old and have been bowling for 30 years, this element should be eliminated. In my system, bowlers qualifying in this millennium would already have averages over a 700 series every night.

However, in spite of all I have mentioned earlier, you still need more than a high average and some honor scores from your Friday night mixed league. Have you duplicated this success in other bowling centers? Have you won any scratch tournaments? Tournaments won outside of your home area should carry more merit also. State, regional, and national success will bring no debate on your credentials from your peers.

The Huntsville Bowling Hall of Fame has a lot of members. Not shown, but obvious to many witnesses of Huntsville bowling history, there is a top tier of five bowlers in this hall: Jimmy Certain, Tony Churchey, Richard Smock, and Ron Ware. The fifth bowler to be included on this level is open to debate. Their success has spanned decades, including high averages, honor scores, and tournament victories. Two of these bowlers, Certain and Smock, have PBA titles.

Hall of Fame credentials should stand the test of time. High scores and tournament success over many years will get you in the local hall of fame.

Another subject for another time is the nomination and voting process. Should local board members, who rotate out every 3-5 years, vote on new members? Should the current hall members vote on their newest inductees, like the Heisman Trophy award or Alabama State Hall of Fame?

Bill Simmons and the PBA: Successful Experiment?

2010-02-01T20:47:00.008-06:00

Last Sunday's Dick Weber Open featured a third man in the booth. It was ESPN's The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. Now, I have to admit that I enjoy reading Bill's columns and his interweaving of pop culture into his sports analysis is witty. I feel as if I am part of the inside joke with many of his television or movie references. I'm sure you do too. Most all males currently in their mid-40's can recite many lines from Caddyshack or Ghostbusters. Simmons' in-depth analysis of the movie Hoosiers is like something that I have never read. However, is he good for televised bowling? Does the PBA throw any random person into the announcers' booth as a bridge between the hardcore and casual fanbase? Should the PBA stick to only the 'experts' in the bowling industry?

As part of his ESPN duties, Bill also does podcasts, or taped Internet shows. The day before the telecast, he and Rob Stone discussed bowling and soccer. Entertaining interview, but one point made me wince. He asked Stone about the pronunciation of 'Weber.' He asked Rob if he should do some research or do 'fish out of water.' He, obviously, was the latter. Various comments across the Internet seem to dislike his performance.

Is this a one-time shot with the PBA? Will they also have other guest announcers? The WWE has guest host on RAW every Monday night on the USA network. Should the PBA also have William Shatner in the booth with Stone and Pederson?

This was good and bad. I think if Bill had done more preparation for the show, it would have worked better. Most everyone should know about Dick Weber. He should represent the casual fan that the PBA needs to expand its ratings. Also, to appease the hardcore fans, the announcer cannot appear to mock the sport. Rob Stone mentions this in his beginnings as a PBA announcer on the podcast with Bill Simmons.

The hardcore fans want another expert as the third announcer. Not every expert can be a good fit for the booth like Nelson Burton, Jr. or Randy Pederson. The show is not that entertaining if I hear too much technical commenting about how the bowler missed inside of target because of something the expert saw in the third step of the approach. I don't want too much hilarity, but I also don't want too much USBC gold medal coach jargon.

I like to be entertained when I watch the show. So, I give the Simmons experiment a 'thumb in the middle' sign. Maybe another celebrity who knows bowling could be a good fit. How about Jerome Bettis?
Or, bring back Simmons, and give him another shot when he is better prepared. He loves sports and can be that bridge between the casual fan and the hardcore fan if he just learned the sport. Most all of us like to explain the nuances of bowling to our co-workers. Let Randy school Bill like he does Rob.

Can we fix the city tournament system?

2010-01-09T20:48:00.013-06:00

In case you haven't noticed in your area of the state, association championships, or city tournaments, are floundering. Entries have been low for years. Reading various associations' board of director minutes, this is not an isolated incident. It is happening all over the state. What can be done to increase city tournament entries?

League bowling is down
Let us not forget this important fact. Long gone are the times of two night shifts of league bowling. Long gone are the days when open bowling was only available during the day and Saturday nights. So of course, association tournament entries will be down also. Now, it is more important than ever to increase the percentage of your membership into tournament entries. There are different ways to secure this goal; a positive one and a negative one.

Promote, Market, Publish, Inquire, Advertise
The association board of directors and various house representatives basically have to work every league night in every house and invite everyone to participate. This is more than making the P.A. announcement at the counter. Invite each team to enter. If they are having a good time bowling one night a week with their friends, why not do it on another week-end? An Open association does not discriminate on gender anymore, so all are welcome to enter the open tournament. Try this method but let everyone know months in advance when the tournament is being held. "The tournament has always been held on these week-ends." Don't assume everyone knows this. Publishing entry forms for the bowling centers 3 weeks in advance of the closing date and posting tournament information on the association web site less than a month before entries are due is not timely promotion. Too many competing activities and other commitments can fill up a person's calendar long before you even notify the community of the city tournament dates.

Change the Dates
If the city tournament has been losing entries, maybe it is time to change the time of the season when it is being held. Leagues that last more than 32 weeks are dwindling as more and more people think the typical bowling season is too long. Shorter season leagues are getting more popular. While the bowling season is young and interest is at its zenith, hold a city tournament. I've noticed that some associations hold their championships in October and November. The association may not have to worry about a ten-pin rule if your bowlers don't have 21 games in the current season for average establishment.

Solicit input from the members
While board members are promoting the tournament, handing out entry forms, ask the bowlers about why they have not participated in past tournaments. Ask for their ideas. They may be more honest than anonymous surveys or e-mails.

Negative Changes
I mentioned earlier of positive changes and negative changes for the association tournament. Positive changes are inclusive so all bowlers feel welcome. Negative changes are exclusionary where bowlers feel they are not wanted in the tournament. One idea that always limits the amount of bowlers available for leagues or tournaments is the average cap. The average cap is the top limit for a sum of a team's individual averages. Obviously, the idea is to foster more balance and equal playing strength among the teams in a league or tournament. There are a few reasons why this won't work. First reason is that the average cap is usually poorly chosen and static. With today's high scoring conditions, bowlers in an high scoring house can not bowl together because they made the unfortunate choice of bowling league in an easy house. Teammates for years cannot bowl together in this average capped tournament or league. Some average capped leagues have had to keep raising the maximum team average to keep the current teams in the league intact. So, instead of recruiting new bowlers, these leagues are trying to retain the ones they have by raising the average cap each year. Soon, the average cap is so high it defeats the purpose of having one.

Who is helped and who is hurt?
Are the high average bowlers winning too much? Mathematically, the higher your average, the more times you should win. I have always believed that you increase your skills by competing against better bowlers. There is always someone better. However, if everyone feels they have no chance and the better bowlers are 'taking all the money,' a perception becomes reality. However, city tournaments have never involved a lot of money. Even brackets and side-pots are measly because tournament squads are small. However, these higher average bowlers support the association championships by entering multiple times. The other side of the equation of the higher average bowlers 'taking all the money' is that the higher average bowlers are putting in the most money by entering multiple times. Rules limiting the number of team events one can enter only seem to apply to these bowlers as they will bowl on two or three teams.

So, an average cap prevents the bowlers who most support the tournament from even entering it. An association championship, as well as league bowling, is still a social activity. Strangers don't come together to form teams to enter a tournament so as to meet average cap requirements.

Tournament managers want the maximum number of entries for their event, so why would any tournament exclude people from entering?

End of 209 Notes

2010-01-03T18:17:00.003-06:00

If you are a regular viewer of the front page of AlabamaBowling.Com, you may occasionally click on some of the bowling stories that appear in various newspaper, TV, and other web sites. I have various Internet searches give me a list of daily news stories based on certain key words, such as 'bowling.' I could use an automated program to just post these stories automatically, but you would be subjected to multitude of stories from Great Britain, India, and other parts of the Empire regarding the latest controversies in cricket. You would also get tired of stories about local news in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the multitude of stories that pass on just local scores. However, there is also a lack of creativity in the journalistic profession. These examples include:

Video Game Seniors
Do reporters get writer's bloc? If so, do they read newspapers on-line from another part of the country and just copy the same subject? Our nation's senior citizens are getting exercise by playing Wii bowling. Every part of the country has run this story, including some television stations. My editorial control prevented me from basically showing this same story run all over the country. Just 'google' this subject and see how many stories you can take before you realize that we will all live longer if we pay video game bowling. My personal opinion is that Wii bowling is too easy. Play the Brunswick or AMF Wii bowling games where you have different lane conditions and equipment characteristics. Also, like real bowling, if you are not consistent with the release, you get different results. So, Brunswick's version is not as forgiving as the regular Wii bowling.

College Football: End of Season
Why does each college town paper call a successful football season as 'going bowling?' "The Big 10 is going bowling." "Fresno State hopes to go bowling this season." No, you are not going 'bowling,' you are playing one more college football game as a reward for a successful season. Rolling a ball to knock down pins is not involved in winning the Cotton Bowl. This is a stupid cliché. With a variety of sports web sites and 24-hour sports channels, sportswriters just want to be cool and dream of hosting SportsCenter.

Top NFL Players Change Sports
This year the annual NFL all-star game, known as the Pro Bowl, is not in Hawaii. It seems that most players want to be selected, just not play in the game. Chris Barnes is a pro bowler, not an NFL all star. However, I hear NFL announcers call a player selected to the annual NFL all star game as a pro bowler. Another stupid cliché as it must be cool to compare America's favorite professional sport with bowling. As an aside, of all the major American sports leagues, the NFL Pro Bowl is the worst all star game of the lot. Ironic, as the NFL is the league that has the most popular championship game.

Get a New Blackberry for Christmas?

2009-12-28T16:03:00.005-06:00

With the new Storm2, you can play a PBA pro on a PBA lane pattern

PBA Bowling 2, BlackBerry Storm2’s OpenGL Game Now Available

Sport or Recreation; Reality or Perception

2009-12-13T21:33:00.005-06:00

There has been talks for years of trying to get bowling into the Olympics. Bowling on the same par as track & field, soccer, swimming and the decathlon? Gymnastics gets the most television viewers for the Olympics but with its subjective scoring, I don't consider it a sport.

However, the perception of bowling is probably what is keeping it out of the Games. I am not referring to an individual's perception of bowling, or taking a general survey of the population. I am no sociologist, but I think there is an institutional negative perception of bowling. USBC has now decided to focus on the SPORT of bowling; advanced coaching and more equipment specifications as some examples.

There is a lull period in college football right now; the end of the season and before the bowl season. This void needs to be filled with other televised activities. This institutional perception was made aware to me while I exercised at the gym one Sunday afternoon. There were many televisions around the facility displaying different channels. Besides the NFL game, I noticed the other events being televised; billiards tournament, darts tournament, and a poker tournament. If you include the PBA show earlier in the day, you have included every event you can see in a 'family fun center' or 'recreation center' or whatever we call 'bowling alleys' these days. Thus, my view is that society groups these events together.

The purpose of television programming is to broadcast shows and events that attract viewers so as to sell advertising. That works for me. I'd rather watch darts, billiards, bowling, and poker than gymnastics.

Help Mark Roth

2009-11-23T15:48:00.000-06:00

News from CharlestonBowling.com

New items added to the Mark Roth Live Online Auction

Charity Tournament to be held for Mark Roth

Charleston Traveling 8-Game Year End Tournament held

Greater Charleston USBC Youth City Tournament Results

Greater Charleston USBC holds Hall of Fame and Annual Awards Banquet

New items added to the Mark Roth Live Online Auction

Want to own a piece of bowling memorabilia while helping support a legendary pro bowler? Check out the live auction going on right now at http://charlestonbowling.com/markrothauction.htm - autographed jerseys, balls, and photos have just been added by recently crowned PBA title holder Bill O'Neill, legends like Tom Baker, Ryan Shafer, Norm Duke as well as Ryan Cimenelli and Jason Belmonte and many more. Check it out today, auction ends on December 6th!

Charity Tournament to be held for Mark Roth

In addition to the live online auction, we are teaming up with John Howe and Royal Z Lanes in Columbia to hold a Old Dog Young Dog tournament charity tournament for Mark Roth. One bowler must be over 50 and one under 50. The Tournament will be held on December 26th at Royal Z Lanes in Columbia, SC. Check in begins at 11am and bowling begins at 12pm. Prizes are - $900 1st place singles (based on 30 entries), $1800 1st place doubles (based on 20 teams). Go to http://charlestonbowling.com/MarkRoth.htm for more information!

I thought we already had these ...

2009-11-09T21:00:00.004-06:00

900Global has introduced a radio controlled bowling ball. A real life bowling game like Wii when you can use your controller to guide the bowling ball after it is delivered down the lane. On some of today's lane conditions, it appears that some balls are being easily directed to the pocket by some mysterious control. It must be radio control as it does not matter what board, or arrow, the bowler uses on each subsequent shot. I like to see how good a 'poker face' a competitor has I observe his facial reaction after an errant shot is dead flush in the pocket. Is he showing gratitude, relief, discovery, or no emotion at all? I need to know if he realizes that his 'look' to the pocket is better than he thought. I don't want him to get more comfortable. I don't mind if he wants to explore his area on the lanes. My opinion is he will sacrifice some carry if he varies too far from his intended target.

900Global has signed Walter Ray Williams, Jr. to its professional staff. For the conspiracy theorists, is the new remote control ball the reason WRW can play the outside part of the lane when no other pro bowler is out there?

I once made a 3 point shot and hit a home run

2009-10-29T13:29:00.008-05:00

The Birmingham News has a news story on Alabama's Heisman hopeful Mark Ingram. Touting his multiple athletic prowess, the story proudly states he has bowled a 248 and shot a round of 69 on the golf course.

Well, bowlers will tell you that this is not equivalent. Ask any bowler and he would tell you that he would rather have a 69 golf score than a 248. For me, it is the old saying of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." With the 69 being the hard to collect 'two in the bush,' most bowlers see 248 scores on some league nights like leaves falling off a tree.

I know that some hero worship by local sports media is expected sometime, but this local story is a little over the top. I am not the only one to see it as one on-line commenter to this story added more parody:

He's the only known specimen to win 3 free games of putt-putt in one 18 hole round. He sunk that hole-in-one so hard on #18 that came in and out of the windmill 2 times before sinking itself for the third time.

One must realize that this kind of reporting is the reason there is little, if any, bowling coverage in newspapers. Sundays during football season, your paper probably has its own Alabama section, Auburn section as well as the normal Sports section. As a former member of an Association publicity committee, this reason was given as to why there is no bowling coverage. There is no space available to it.

Happy Anniversary to Us

2009-08-31T19:12:00.005-05:00

The Internet turns 40 on September 2. Well, that means that AlabamaBowling.Com has been around for one-fourth of that time. Alabama's bowling web site is 10 years old on September 1.

As a computer systems engineer by profession, I don't use my right side of the brain too much. That is why the design of the main AlabamaBowling.Com web site has not changed. You can compare the current version of the site to this view from May 24, 2000. I've always believed that 'content is king.' To grow the site, I focused on statistics, stories, bowling associations, tournaments and other keys that would make the site be an authoritative source for information related to bowling in our state. Granted, I could use help with design ideas or a better graphic layout. I welcome your ideas.

I have tried some of the hotter trends in Internet lore; most just didn't seem to work with the normal visitors. I have implemented a discussion forum, hoping to make the site more interactive. Maybe it was too early, but there was no input or discussion being generated. I tried to syndicate the content before RSS became popular. It was not worth updating the headlines if so few people were adding it to their personal or bowling web sites. Some of more popular functions were the contests. I may try that again. Lots of you enjoyed entering simply a name and e-mail address to win a free bowling ball. As I mentioned in the web site privacy policy, I never did anything else with that information. It ended up being deleted.

While there were some idea failures, there have been many successes. Catering to associations to make more of their information readily available on-line has always been a staple of this web site. Once the USBC was created, this was highly encouraged. League standings were posted before bowl.com or other secretary web sites were doing it. As a personal service, I posted a variety of formats. The league secretary programs export to simple image formats, but I was also posting submissions from league secretaries in Excel, Word, Txt, and PDF. Most of the information from associations' yearbooks are available on the web site. Some associations leverage this more than others. This is the bread and butter for AlabamaBowling.Com; information that can't be found other places. Associations list their honor boards, all city teams, officers, local tournament as well as information that can also be found at bowl.com. This includes final averages and league standings. While some associations are doing a good job of getting the information on-line, they are not adequately promoting the existence of the web site. Luckily, most bowlers know about AlabamaBowling.Com, they 'accidentally' stumble upon the association web site.

After ten years, I still welcome your suggestions. This blog is a new idea. Another web 'fad' that allows opinion and discussion. Please, join us.

The Ball or the Bowler?

2009-08-05T20:47:00.006-05:00

As a swim parent, I have enjoyed watching the major swim meets , when they are actually televised. Whether it is the Olympics, SEC Championships, or the recent World Championships, the drama is exciting for the individual as well as the team.

Hey, this is a bowling blog. Hurry up and tie it together. It seems that the technology versus the athlete debate has come to a head even in the sport of swimming. Remember the mini-controversy and publicity generated over the Plastic Ball Championship? My initial observations on this subject were more directed to the amount of lane oil used today versus the the amount used in the 80's and early 90's. I initially ignored the debate over the tools used. Wood rackets for tennis, plastic balls for bowling, wood drivers in golf seem to be the "good ole days."

What has swimming got to do with this? Well, it seems the swimming's international governing body has banned the new high-tech polyurethane swimming suits that became popular right before the 2008 Olympics.

After months of debate by representatives of FINA’s 201-member countries, suits made of polyurethane-based materials—and suits made of any material extending below the knee and above the navel for men and above the shoulder and below the knee for women—will be outlawed from sanctioned competition. The prohibition doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2010, but it’s already created ripples in the swim world.

The world championships held in Rome last month had 43 world swimming records broken during that meet. Look at the similarities with bowling. Over the past 15 years, season averages are rising fast. 220 was incredible and rare in the early 1990's. Now, a 230 average won't make you one of the top ten bowlers in Alabama. I will make the prediction that by 2020, there will be two 250 average bowlers in Alabama. Newer technology and the center proprietors' willingness to attract, keep, and satisfy the sagging number of league bowlers will lead to this breakthrough.

Almost immediately there were protests from representatives of supersuit manufacturers such as Jason Rance, vice president of marketing for Speedo, who warned that banning the high-performance polyurethane suits could “throw the sport back two decades.

Well, can you imagine if the USBC banned an existing product line from a major ball manufacturer? It has happened before. How many remember the Columbia Shur-D? This ball was too 'soft' according to hardness specifications. The Plastic Ball Championships threw the sport back one decade. That was how long the last champion was crowned throwing a plastic ball.

PBA Experience Leagues are only working the lane condition part of the equation. I would love to have a Yellow Dot tournament. Nice idea, but it is too costly. It is hard to get tournament entries now, much less enough bowlers with plastic bowling balls.

Why would you want to buy a wood driver again?

A New Kind of Bowling

2009-07-25T20:09:00.004-05:00

by Konnor George
On July 9, 2009, I arose at 3:30 a.m. to begin the 8-hour drive to Indianapolis, Indiana, host of the 2009 USBC Youth National Tournament. Little did I know of the experiences that awaited me at the Racing Capital of the world. Upon arrival, our crew quickly unpacked and relaxed after our long day of driving. Expo Bowl was our next stop that day. Practice was needed at the host bowling alley of the tournament. We did not want to bowl badly without a taste of what was to come the following day.

On July 10, 2009, another early awakening. After a quick breakfast, we arrived at Expo Bowl. Our team was fairly early; the alley was quite empty. We proceeded to get signed up, and then myself and 3 others: Justin Srygley, Matthew Gregg, and Clayton Whitfield, all posed in our Youth Nationals team photo. At 7:00 a.m., we began to bowl on our lanes. The rush of adrenaline as the “Star-Spangled Banner” could not be ignored. Bowling was in the air. If you loved bowling, and you were a competitor in it, there was no better place in the world to be at that moment than at Expo Bowling Lanes in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Blue #3 was the oil pattern of the tournament. First came relief to our minds; we braced for a sport shot. However, after the first ball, I, as well as my fellow teammates, discovered this pattern was just as difficult, if not more, than a standard sport shot. The lanes were drenched in oil, and no quick drying oil for that matter. Those three games were an awful sight to the eyes of all of us. 180 and 200 averages meant nothing as we bowled 140-170 on that ghastly pair of wet, oily lanes. At the end of our team event for the Youth Nationals, we arose with disappointed faces. Never had bowling let us down as it did that day. Fortunately, however, not all of our bowlers felt so down. Chris Stockard, who won the Pepsi Youth Tournament at Vestavia and rode with us to Indiana, shot a 631 with a 215-213-203 during the team event. And, as I have to admit, he had the privilege to ride his “high horse” that day. We could not let this blunder affect us. We had to shake it off, and move on. Singles and Doubles awaited us in the late morning of the following day. After a time of swimming, movie watching, and a late night, we braced ourselves for Day 2 of the Youth Nationals.

On July 11, 2009, a break came amongst us. Bowling began at 10:00 a.m.; few more hours of sleep. Upon arriving at Expo Bowl for a third time since our arrival, a fresh start beckoned us. It was a new day. We would be bowling our Singles and Doubles on a pair of used lanes. Simply adjust and keeping focused was the key to bowl well. At 10:00 a.m, my Doubles partner, Matthew Gregg, and I started to bowl. Our whole group experienced another wave of horror as we all bowled below our means. Low 400’s and 500’s was the forecast for our bowling series. More disappointment. “Great”, we were thinking. Singles followed on the pair to our right. “Alright”, I thought to myself, “One more chance.” I began to bowl in the Singles portion of the nationals. Bitter sweetness cast itself upon me in that set. It is true that I did bowl my highest series in my singles, but only with a 534 to call my best. Not a single 200 game thrown. However, they were plentiful. Justin Srygley, with his 130 average, bowled a 215. That I, with a 202 average, could not seem to do. Matthew Gregg bowled a 221 with a 180 average, Kellen Kling a low 200 with a 160 average, and Chris Stockard with a 213 AND 215 AND 203. And I, Konnor George, 202 average, not ONE 200 game. Only a measly 189 game to my name. I have never felt so pathetic than I did at that moment in time. I came with high hopes and bold determination, but crashed and burned in my attempt to bowl well. I just did not have it in me. My lack of focus and of adjustment was my downfall. “You need to be focused, relaxed, and prepared to bowl on the National level” is what I told myself. I only wish I could have followed that advice. Another night of relaxing and packing followed, as we prepared to leave Indianapolis.

At 6:30 a.m. on July 12, 2009, our crew packed up our Ford Explorer and began the 8-hour drive home. The USBC Youth Nationals were over. We had left our imprint upon the Nationals, and now the opportunity would be bestowed upon the bowlers of the following week. However, my experiences will last forever. I may not have bowled my best, but I surely learned a lot about bowling, and bowling at the National level. That is what counts. My bowling will be changed for all the better, and so much better than that, because of my 4 days in Indianapolis. Next year will be here soon, and I will be ready. My time of recognition and glory is within my grasp. I will take my poor, lousy bowling this year to learn. To plan. For next year, a brilliant set of games awaits. Look out 2010. Here I come!

Bowl Like The Pros Report

2009-07-16T19:51:00.006-05:00

Only July 12, 2009, Redstone Lanes hosted the USBC program, Bowl Like The Pros. Scheduled to appear was Chris Barnes, Brian Voss, and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. My dad and I went. No matter what your average, there is always a next level, there is always someone better, there is always a desire to improve. Upon entering the parking lot, we saw Brian Voss unloading equipment from his SUV. Shannon O'Keefe pulled in next to us. As she was not advertised to be there, I was thinking that more pros would be appearing. As we entered the facility, I realized what 'scheduled to appear' meant. However, I had no problems with the substitutes for the Huntsville event.

Brian Voss, while in the U.S. Army, had been stationed at Redstone Arsenal in the late 70's. He recounted stories of his time in Huntsville. He was the leader of the event and took charge of the clinic. After having everyone warm up for five to ten minutes, Voss started going over drills he wanted everyone to do. We all started with the one-step approach, a la the Tony Reyes trick shot. Then we did a two-step approach. Brian's point was no matter how different everyone's approach seems, most of the pros finish the same way as far as timing. During this time Shannon stopped on each pair and worked with each individual. Here she is giving some tips to my dad.

Wes Malott finally arrived as he had been in Indianapolis the day before. He was working with the youth during the Junior Gold championships. During each of the drills and individual coaching, there was a camera with laptop connections for bowlers to have their approach captured on video. A representative from Storm gave you a quick analysis. For $10, he would e-mail the video file to your e-mail account. As of this posting, I am still awaiting this file. I'm sure other software is needed to convert this video file from the proprietary camera capture software to a well-known format used by Windows Media Player, Quicktime, or Real Player.

What did I learn from this video? I learned that I am not a Gold or Silver coach. Egotistically, I thought I looked good. I could use a better knee-bend or armswing. As a matter of fact, I would like Shannon O'Keefe to teach me to have her armswing and finish. But, I was told that I need to work on allowing gravity to do its thing with my armswing. I am trying to 'control' my armswing. Watching the before and after videos, I couldn't tell the difference, but it sure felt different. Now, I have something to target my practice sessions.

Near the end of our nearly 2 hour bowling practice/drill sessions, the three pros gave a lecture on reading lanes and making adjustments. While waiting on our lunch to be served, they had a Q & A session. The more interesting discussion was how Wes Malott's targeting scheme was something more unconventional than any other professional.

After lunch, an exhibition match involving the professionals and local celebrities was started. It involved a baker match mixing the pros and celebrities. Brian Voss was doing color commentary while bowling during the match. It was not that exciting as half of your bowlers looked like the typical Saturday night bowler. We did see all our pros throwing left to right on the lanes as I am sure the typical house shot involves more friction than their normal tournament shots.

What did I learn? I learned that these clinics are worth the money, no matter your average level. The pro will work with you at your level. I would recommend not being shy. When the coach or pro arrives on your pair, talk to this person. Ask questions. Have them watch you. Have them watch your correction to make sure you understand what the coaching tip. Take advantage of video tools or any other one-on-one opportunities. This is your time and money. Make sure you take advantage of it. Follow up with your local pro shop which offers certified coaching. Collaborate with them on your new knowledge. Let them work with you to continue your road to perfection. Everyone needs coaching...especially me.

Commercial Success

2009-07-09T20:46:00.006-05:00

Looking back near the end of ABC's run of the Professional Bowlers Tour, one should have seen the end coming. Nearly all the commercials being run were of bowling products. Gone were the Quaker State oil and Miller Beer commercials.

The success of any show or other entertainment vehicle is measured in advertisement dollars. Obviously, with the large number of people who watch the Super Bowl, the networks charge high rates for commercial time. If professional bowling on television is to be a viable success, there must be companies willing to advertise on the programs. On ABC, there seemed to be nothing but Brunswick, Columbia, or Dexter commercials. Sure, that is targeted advertising, but bowlers buy Buicks just like golfers who watch Tiger Woods on TV.

With the new PBA on ESPN, we are seeing non-bowling products being advertised, which is a good sign. Now the bad sign. Must we see the same three commercials over and over? The GEICO commercials are clever. But they get old when you see them six times in a 90 minute telecast. I know the PBA sales staff is trying hard to get more sponsors. The more variety you see for commercials, the more successful the PBA.

The new PBA also wanted to make stars out of its bowlers. Seeing them in commercials endorsing non-bowling products is a good way to increase their visibility. WRW in Denny's commercials and the new Lumber Liquidators ad with Parker Bohn III are a good start. How about Chris Barnes drinking a Pepsi? Of course, ESPN uses them also for self-promotion. Remember all the coverage Pete Weber had under the persona of 'PDW'?

So, you can gauge the success of the PBA by watching the commercials. The more variety of products you see on the small screen, the more prize money, the more respect, and a better image for pro bowling should follow.

Red, White, and Blue House Conditions

2009-06-12T14:38:00.007-05:00

How easy is easy?
The USBC is developing a set of 'standard' house shots; 3 categories classified as red, white, or blue.

The group of patterns is designed to provide bowlers a better description for the difficulty of traditional "house" conditions.

How many times have you ever used or heard the words 'difficulty' and 'house conditions' in the same sentence? Granted, some house shots are easier than others. In my opinion, all houses in Huntsville have an easy shot. I guess now the USBC is trying to assign a 'degree of difficulty' for house conditions. Nice idea, but it has been done before. Kegel has had a series of 'Recreation' patterns.

Identify and Classify
It seems that now we need to know exactly what pattern is on the lanes before we have put on our bowling shoes. With the success of the named PBA sport patterns, is the USBC trying to do the same with the house shot? One of the biggest misunderstandings about bowling from the average person-on-the-street is the concept of oil patterns. This is invisible to the eye and invisible to the eye of the television camera. The misconception is that every bowling lane around the world has the same dimensions and thus, the line of attack to the pins should be the same. Have you seen televised bowling from the 60's and 70's? To me, all the tournaments looked the same and all the pros played the same slot shot. If I have a 'trained eye' to this and cannot spot the difference, then how could we expect the person who knows little about bowling to tell the difference in Parker Bohn's or Wes Mallot's line from week to week?

The bowling industry is, once again, trying to compare itself to golf. With golf, you know the layout of the course, locations of trees, sand, water, and possibly pin placements on the greens. You have a general idea where to place each shot for better scores. There are still variables that change each day; wind, temperature, humidity, depth of the rough, etc. Is bowling going this way? When I walk into a league or tournament, will I know the lane pattern? Is it Red, Cheetah, Blue, Scorpion, Route 66, Shark, or Broadway? Then, like golf, you only have to adjust for the conditions; temperature, humidity, lane surface, condition of the lane machine, etc.

However, bowlers will still complain. I have been to a few PBA pattern tournaments where the bowlers were vociferous. "This is not Cheetah!" "I've bowled on Scorpion before, and this is not any PBA pattern!" All because certain bowlers finished ahead of them, who had not done so in the past. I can hear it now. "Yea, he shot 803, but it was on the Red pattern."

PBA Dreams: Easier now?

2009-06-10T17:16:00.004-05:00

If you could give the PBA a shot and minimize the risk of time and expense, would you do it? The PBA has announced the World Series of Bowling.

The inaugural event, which begins Aug. 2 and runs through Sept. 7, 2009, promises to be a revolutionary festival of competitive bowling boasting a $2 million prize fund and seven ESPN telecasts. The schedule is available at a new dedicated website, www.pbaworldseriesofbowling.com.

The PBA is basically bowling half of the season in one month...in one location. In order to save logistical and production costs, the PBA is taping most of the season in one city to be televised in a succession of Sundays.

In my day, in order to fulfill your dreams of professional bowling, you suspended your college education or starting that first job to give the tour a shot. Get a sponsor and travel the country bowling in rabbit squads trying to make the tournament field. I had a few friends who tried this lifestyle. I did not have the confidence and liked graduating college at age 22. Now, thanks to the World Series of Bowling, your travel expenses are somewhat minimized by a month's stay in Detroit and at least half of a PBA season is condensed into a short month.

The schedule includes seven Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events, five PBA Women’s Series presented by USBC events including the inaugural PBA Women’s World Championship, a rejuvenated PBA Senior World Championship and at least nine side-event sweepers or shootouts providing “something for everyone” in competitive bowling.

Are you willing to give a month to pursuing a dream? My bowling is like a sine wave. If I could catch that month while my bowling is riding the top of the wave, I would love the experience. Otherwise, it would be a month-long embarrassment while my game is at the low point on the graphical wave. I like the "something for everyone" theme. Not all people have a month's vacation, but if us older guys have joined 'fantasy' camps for baseball, this should give the professional bowling experience a lot more reality. If I seriously practiced, and the location was a little closer to Alabama, I would try it. My window of opportunity is closing fast as I approach the 'senior bowler' status.

No Hand Slapping

2009-04-30T17:11:00.003-05:00

Jeff Crowley wrote an article about hand-slapping and the reasons he was against it. With the unconfirmed reports of swine flu in Madison County, it seems that Jeff's opinion carries more weight. Jeff's friend, Norm King of Evansville, Indiana wrote the following piece validating Jeff's opinion. BTW, hand slapping is no longer 'cool' since I am not a hip youngster anymore.

I consider myself to be a reasonably healthy person. Typically, I have contracted respiratory infections, also known as “colds” or the “flu,” only once every few years, in spite of dealing with large numbers of people most every day in my work as a USI professor (just retired!). These ailments are caused by viruses. Antibiotics don’t help. You just have to wait it out, taking care of yourself and getting plenty of rest. Within the last month, I have come down with two cases of common cold or mild flu. The second one began just days after finally getting over the first. Both episodes were unusually severe. Of course, I don’t know for sure where I picked up either one, but I had not been with large groups of people in several weeks. Except, that is, during the two nights each week that I participate in bowling leagues. And I distinctly remember several recent matches involving individuals, some on my own team, who showed obvious signs of having colds. I noticed because I know how easily viruses can be spread, and everyone wanted to slap my hand–again and again. My wife, Joanne, works for the Vanderburgh County Health Department. She bowls occasionally, and shies away from slapping hands. She knows that physical contact, especially hand to hand, is one of the primary means by which flu and cold viruses are spread. She always carries her little bottle of hand sanitizer; there’s one in her bowling bag!

Here is what the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about the flu and colds: “Flu viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick” (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm). The flu and common cold are similar, but are caused by different viruses. Generally the flu is worse than the common cold. For more information about the current flu threat, go to vanderburghgov.org/health and click on the green “2009 Flu Info” button. Now that we are concerned about the spread of the dangerous swine flu, it seems we should recognize that the bowler’s penchant for high-fiving and other forms of hand slapping is risky behavior.

I started bowling in the late 1950's when I was in middle school. There was no hand slapping. While in college (mid-1960's) I bowled for the University of Colorado, and I never saw anyone in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Bowling Conference slap hands. In the 1970's I bowled regularly in one league a week until I gave it up in 1981 due to family and career pressures. Over this time there was no hand slapping at all to begin with, but gradually it became more common to pass around high fives when people got a few strikes in a row. There was always plenty of applause, too. That is, hand clapping. Clapping is like high-fiving yourself. Your germs stay with you instead of being passed around. When I picked up my ball again and bowled in my first league in 24 years at Franklin Lanes in the summer of 2005, I noticed the change. Everyone was hand slapping, even for spares (as if that was reason to celebrate)! Since I didn’t want to be the odd man out, I bought into the hand-slapping culture of modern bowling, just like I bought a new state-of-the-art bowling ball.

Every year there is a mad rush to make a vaccine that will reduce our odds of contracting the season’s most threatening flu bug, and now we are faced with the potential for a pandemic of swine flu. Cold bugs are always out there. You never know when you might catch some, but I bet that bowlers are especially efficient at spreading them due to almost incessant hand slapping. That could also be a way for swine flu to be spread. Let’s quit this risky behavior and build camaraderie by clapping our hands in appreciative and encouraging applause instead. Here’s to your good health!

It seems to be good common sense. Is he paranoid, or the hundreds of people that bought all the hand sanitizer out of every store in Huntsville? Maybe this hand slapping thing is just a social conscience for us to be somewhat human. I can show some compassion for the smallest human contact without invading personal space. I, also, try not to infect anyone with my respiratory germs or touch my own eyes, mouth, or nose. Seems a good balance.

Interesting week

2009-04-12T20:59:00.002-05:00

It's never over
Easter Sunday had some pretty exciting television. I'm sure once you were finished with your family activities, you must have watched the PBA Women's Series Championship as well as the Masters. Using the simplified scoring system which counted number of balls thrown to clear the deck, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard was nearly eliminated in the first round with a 17. That averages to 3 strikes and 7 spares. In a regular scored game, that is anywhere from a high 180 to nearly 220 game if the 3 strikes are all together. To barely surviving the first round on the Cheetah pattern, she set the PBA television record for 20 consecutive strikes. She needed every one of them to advance and win the tournament.

Angel Cabrera, in the last pairing at the Masters, was fading while superstars Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were surging up the leaderboard. Cabrera birdied 3 of the last 6 holes to get into the playoff. He survives errant tee shot in the first playoff hole to win the Masters on the second playoff hole.

Obviously, the lesson is that it is never over. I have had a miraculous set to qualify or put myself back into contention. I have also been knocked out contention when a miracle 300 was bowled by another entrant to place me below the cut line. Exhilarating or painful, but powerful emotions were evoked.

Keeping an exemption
Georgia's Jason Sterner was just below the cut line at the conclusion of the US Open. Jason earned his exemption as the Southern Region's Point Leader in 2007-08. However, the PBA granted his petition for an exemption due to the unusual events at the US Open that caused him to fall below the cut line. As it seems, Mike Edwards was allowed to replace Pete Weber, who had to withdraw during the tournament. This situation gave Mike Edwards the extra points he needed to qualify for his exemption for the next season.

Lesson here is to know the rules if you are going to write a petition, whether a tournament or league. For the match play leagues, how many are following Rule 100k, paragraph 4? If each team has an absentee bowler, they must be lined up against each other. The rule states how you determine which absentee bowler wins.

Inside Information

2009-04-07T20:33:00.005-05:00

We are in the midst of the USBC National Tournament for 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Have you gone yet, or awaiting information on what balls to take and where to play the lanes? Well, I have not been yet, so I don't have any report for you. Remember the old days? You had to ask other bowlers who went before you to give you a report of where they played and what kind of ball they threw. You knew their game from league, so you could guage what you were going to do.

When in the tournament city, you went to the civic center the day before you bowled and watched. You hoped to find a bowler with a similar style to predict your reaction. Well, that was the old days. Now, you have the Internet for additional information from total strangers. I ask friends and colleagues for information. I also read the USBC Open forum on bowl.com. Now, a new source of information that I don't recall viewing from previous years: YouTube.

Now, while at home, I can see other bowlers and judge how I would play the lanes based on low quality video. Of course, if I was posting a video of my nationals performance, it would certainly be edited to show my best shots. Hopefully, that would not be a short video!

You also still have the lane graph that is posted at bowl.com. But, as I have written earlier, who can read these things?

Child of the 80's

2009-02-22T13:41:00.004-06:00

I just finished watching the GEICO Plastic Ball Championship on ESPN. Congratulations to Jeff Carter for his first PBA title. As a fellow child of the 80's, I was thinking the exact same thing about Carter's shirt before Rob Stone mentioned the Van Halen reference. How many of you had this image in your mind when you first saw his shirt?

I also enjoyed following the scoring on this tournament during the week and watching some of the 'older' guys like Brian Voss and Pete Weber excelling in this format. Maybe, if they had an open format to this tournament, we could see some of the guys who love the strong arc type roll, such as Wayne Webb or Del Ballard.

Other interesting observations:
Though it was the PBA Cheetah pattern, only half the volume of oil was used. You can easily blame the ball manufacturers for the price of bowling going up. With the advent of resin bowling equipment, proprietors have to use twice as much oil on the lanes as they did 20 years ago. Does that sound correct? Has lane oil properties changed in the past two decades? If not, then there is twice as much oil on the lanes today than the days of the Yellow Dot.

There was a mini-controversy about this tournament. Wes Malott refused to enter because everyone was forced to use the same ball? Come on. I agree with Woody Paige that Tiger Woods would still win many tournaments if everyone used wood drivers. I'm sure Malott is confident enough to know he can be competitive with any ball in his hand. How about this theory? Anyone's ball contracts cause an issue with participating in this tournamen where they could not throw the sponsor's equipment? Notice how they worked around this by holding the sponsor's bowling ball during their interview segments.

1993 was the last year that the champion used a plastic ball in the championship match. That was Walter Ray's 13th career title, his 7th in that calendar year. Did you notice how many revolutions he had during that clip? He, and Norm Duke, are the most versatile players out there in my opinion. Can anyone identify that particular bowling ball he used? I can't find that tournament on YouTube.

Arnie Van Buren has passed

2009-02-12T17:22:00.002-06:00

Arnie Van Buren passed away on February 10, 2009 he was 92
Arrangements: Viewing will be Saturday Feb 14 at 12:00 at Elm Wood Chapel and the funeral will immediately follow at 1:00 pm at Elm Wood Cemetery.

Mr. Van Buren was a past treasurer for the Alabama State Bowling Association and was inducted into the Greater Birmingham and Alabama State Halls of Fame in 2002.

How many televised 300's?

2009-02-04T17:30:00.004-06:00

Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Sun has an article about the USBC building and tearing down a world class bowling facility for the USBC Open Championships. He makes an allegory that uses bad facts.

"...is more remarkable than watching somebody named Earl or Walter Ray roll a 300 game on TV (there have been 14 of those, but none since 1999)"

Well, there have been 18 televised 300 games. The problem with journalism these days is there is no fact checking. If you don't check your facts for a news story, you might as well write for a blog. A quick Google search for "televised 300 games" led me to this web page. This page references a February 2003 Bowling Digest article which lists all of them at that time. Page 1 of this link shows only 14 televised 300 games. I'm thinking the article reporter stopped his research at this one page. So, his reference was 6 years out of date. The author did not check to see if there were any perfect games rolled since then. If you love finding journalistic mistakes in the print or television media, there are a multitude of political blogs that love to highlight this type of mistake.

No wonder, my children's teachers don't trust a lot of Internet references for papers.

One Lane or Two

2009-01-30T19:40:00.003-06:00

Proper lane courtesy? No, that is a discussion for another time. It is now your practice time, one lane or two?

When I was a mere teenager working the counter at a Brunswick house back home, I remember one of the better bowlers insisting on a pair of lanes to practice. Bowling was more popular back then, and I thought he was a little arrogant to ask for two lanes for just himself when the bowling center was somewhat busy. Why does one person need a pair of lanes to practice?

One lane allows a slower tempo to practice. At over$2.50 a line, practice isn't going to be a lot of lines, so it does not need to be rushed in less than 15 minutes. When I used to get a lane for $10/hour, I would practically kill myself to get as many games in the timeframe as possible. Not much of a quality practice as simply a repeat of shots and getting as much bowling in for little money.

One lane also allows the conditioner to change more quickly if you are the only one throwing shots. "But you are making each lane different on the pair." So? This is not golf. I don't have to rake the sound trap after I was in it. Most people realize that most lane pairs are not equivalent anyway. Yes, they are very similar, but you can notice which lane hooks more or less. The difference may only be one board or you may not adjust your line between lanes, but it is there.

So, if you are alone or with one friend, why do you need a pair of lanes if the center is moderately busy?

Bad Beat Stories

2009-01-15T23:25:00.006-06:00

Poker players refer to a bad beat as the one, or two cards, that were dealt to make their seemingly strong hand lose. During poker TV shows, they show the probability percentage of winning the hand. When the guy with a 5% chance gets that one card in the deck to win, the guy that had a 95% chance of certain victory will let everyone know in the future the story of his bad beat. Want to see a bad beat? Yes, 4 Aces can lose a poker hand.

I feel like venting. Enough time has passed now to calmly relay my bad beat bowling story. The situation is a Peterson Point style match play league. After a mediocre 205 game, I am behind in series by about 20 pins. I feel confident. I feel that I am balanced at the line, throwing the ball well. I was slow in adjusting to the transition. I feel a big game coming to win series.

My opponent is bowling well, but I am bowling better. I have a small string to extend my lead in the game to the magical 20 pins. I just need more count. I step up on the approach first in the tenth frame. I strike. By my bowling first, I was hoping for this situation to put the pressure on him. It works as he leaves the dreaded 7-10 split. I just won, or so I thought. I let him finish to clear the frame. Yes, you guessed it. He picks up the 7-10 split! I have to double in the 10th to reclaim the victory that I was sure I had a few seconds ago. No problem. I still feel good and in the groove. Coming off my hand, the shot felt good. Before the ball even reaches my intended target at the arrows, I am thinking that was a good shot. Being left-handed, I know it will be flush in the 1-2 pocket. As I thought, it was dead flush. For some unknown reason, the 10 pin was untouched by this explosion of pinfall in a textbook pocket hit. I had a stone 10 pin! No, it was not a weak 10, nor a swishing pocket hit that failed to knock down the 10 pin. It was not a high hit, it was not a light hit. It was not half-pocket hit that could have left a 7 pin. It was a stone 10 pin. Needless to say, with my opponent's fill ball and my failed double, I lost.

I lost to a converted 7-10 and a stone 10 pin, each event within 60 seconds of the other. Time heals the bitterness as I suppressed my emotions until I was alone in the car driving home.

When bad luck happens, you feel the need to tell the story. I hear these types of stories at the bowling center, some in excruciating detail. Here is your chance. Let it off your chest. What is your bad beat story?

New State Team Record

2009-01-14T19:49:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Joe Hudson Collision Center team in Montgomery for setting the team scratch series record at 3703. Team members were Tim Stansel with a 722, John Witcher had a 673, Vince Kutchak with a 733, Steve Bartoszewicz with a 740, and Matt Woods with an incredible 835.

This scores is an average of 740 per bowler. They beat the previous record by over 100 pins. The 3609 posted by Mobile's Bowling Carousel did not stand even a year. In team bowling, it is rare when all 5 bowlers are in the zone. The best teams in the USBC Open strategize, communicate and attack the lane conditions the same way for maximum scoring potential. They usually are working the breakdown of the conditions in a uniform manner that helps the team. That kind of thinking usually works on medium to hard conditions. On easy conditions, once you and your teammates get in the zone, you don't want the conditions to change much. However, I'm sure they communicated when they noticed changes. High scores mean recognizing and adjusting to the changes fairly quickly. Multiply this by 5 and you can see how 3700 is quite an accomplishment.

In today's state tournaments, 3500 (700 per man) will not guarantee you a state title. But, this record could last a long time. How many 5-man leagues are there nowadays? I think there is only 1 in Huntsville. The State tournament may be the only opportunity to break this record. I wish we had enough history and record-keeping to know the 3 and 4 man records. These leagues are more prevalent today.

Bowling Family Wanted for Wife Swap

2009-01-13T12:39:00.003-06:00

Here is your chance at reality show stardom. I received an e-mail from the ABC show Wife Swap. Looks like they want an episode involving bowling. If you like this kind of television genre, go for it.

My name is Jeff Eggleston and I am a Casting Producer for ABC families hit reality show 'Wife Swap.' We are currently casting for our fifth season and we are looking for Bowling Families! (Ones that bowl together, or participate in competitive leagues, or families that own and/or operate a bowling ally)

The premise of Wife Swap is simple: for seven days, two wives from two different families with very different values exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover what it's like to live a different family's life. It's an interesting social experiment and a great way to see your family in a whole new light. It is shot as a documentary series, so NO scripts and no set. It's just one camera that is documenting your life.

Families that appear on the show will receive a financial honorarium of $20,000 for lost wages, time and commitment. And if you refer a family that appears on the show you would receive $1,000.

Here at 'Wife Swap' we look for a two-parent home with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 17 living at home full time.

If you are interested, please email me your contact information and tell me a little about your family and how the sport of bowling plays a roll in your lives. Or if you would like to refer a family, please email me their contact information and I will be in touch.
Thank you!
Jeff
--
Jeff Eggleston
Casting Producer
RDF USA
100 6th Ave.
3rd Floor, Suite 3 - 29
New York , NY 10013
tel: 646-747-7946
fax: 646-216-4295
jeff.eggleston@rdfnewyork.com
casting.jeff@gmail.com
http://www.rdfusa.com/shows.php
http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap

Economic Impact of State Tournaments

2009-01-11T14:08:00.004-06:00

The hotbed of bowling is usually located in the Midwest or Northeast areas of the country. We see the decline of bowling here in our state by looking around us. Is your league getting smaller over the years? Where is that companion league that used to bowl next to yours? Remember when second shift of league night filled the house also? In the past few days, two Midwest newspapers touted the cash flow their community was receiving from their respective state tournaments.

Green Bay is hosting the Wisconsin state tournament. This event draws local media coverage because of the economic impact to the city and area. Bold added for emphasis

"When an estimated 10,000 bowlers visit Green Bay the next 17 weekends to participate in the Wisconsin State USBC Bowling Association Tournament, they'll drop more than pins.
They'll also drop $4.4 million into the cash registers of hotels, attractions, restaurants and retail shops, according to estimates by the Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau."

By comparison, Alabama runs three week-ends in two of its larger houses in one of its more popular tournament site cities. Birmingham and Huntsville are the two sites where the state tournament gets its most entries. However, that only means 300-350 teams. Wisconsin may have been the home to Bowling Headquarters, but this same story is also covered in Michigan.

"About 12,000 bowlers and 2,300 teams from around the state are expected to visit the area for the Michigan State USBC Bowling Association's 106th state tournament, which continues today and 15 other weekends through May 3."

Because of the downturn in the economy, Lansing business are loving having the influx of tourism.

""You bring that size of a tournament in any area, (and) we look at it to being between $5 and $7 million," said Barney Eagan, association manager for the Michigan State United States Bowling Bowling Association."

The state association should calculate our impact to communities when the state tournament(s) roll into town. It won't be millions of dollars, but local convention and visitor bureaus love to know and report this kind of stuff. With the local CVB working with the association, maybe the bowlers could get some better coupons or deals from hotels and restaurants competing for the week-end surge of bowlers.

Competition is good for us. How many of you actually stay at the host hotels? I usually find better deals at other hotels. If hotels realize that an unofficial multi-weekend 'convention' was coming to town, there are more deals for the bowlers. Some hotels do realize this. Do you see the ad on the state tournament web page for the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park? They are not an official host hotel but sure are competing for our business. This is good. In an economic downturn, the consumers have more bargaining power. We just have to have a collective voice to be heard.

The 900 Debate

2009-01-09T16:06:00.004-06:00

The story coming out of Baltimore is the sport's 12th bowler has rolled the perfect set; 3 consecutive perfect games. I say congratulations to Rich Jerome Jr. for his accomplishment. He is 29 years old in his 11th year of bowling. Doesn't seem fair, does it? He's too young, too inexperienced to have accomplished the ultimate.

Mushtare Debate
I don't think any bowling subject has elicited so much hatred than the 900 series. Do you know the story of Robert Mushtare? He has bowled multiple 900's by the time he was 17. The debate involves his integrity and to a small degree, whether USBC should have sanctioned some of the sets. He pre-bowled them with only few witnesses that happened to be close friends. Read the comments on the Youtube page. Visit websites that are on the Internet solely to mock.

Jealousy?
Does anyone clap anymore when a 300 game is announced in your league? Do you congratulate the bowler? "He had the easy pair." "He had the whole left side." "He plays the same shot everywhere. Tonight, that is where the line was." Are we upset that fate did not touch us that night, as it should have? "I could beat him anytime." Well, not tonight, because he shot 300 and you didn't. I have seen sub-200 average bowlers shoot 300. I would have bet against it. There might have been a lucky shot or a brooklyn. But, they did it. Good for them. I hope it means as much to them as a perfect game means to me.

Really not THAT easy
I don't care who you are. 900 is still an amazing feat even if the lanes are completely walled. Nobody is arguing the fact that the lanes were not easy. I think they have to be easy by...A LOT. You still get nervous. You still may not come out of the ball correctly. Pin fall is not automatic. How many solid 8 pin or 9 pins have you left unexpectedly? Lane conditions can break down or oil can carry down.

But technology has helped. Improved bowling ball and pin designs have helped scoring as much as golf club and tennis racket changes have helped their respective sport's athletes. That is why Glenn Allison's 900 series is so amazing. As I recall, he did it with a Columbia Yellow Dot.

"High-tech balls and synthetic lanes have replaced the plastic and wood of Allison’s era. Higher scores and dwindling memberships are dividing purists and recreational bowlers over the sport’s priorities. Even the once-sacred 900 series and the 300 game have become so common that bowling parties have upstaged late-night leagues."

Remember, they inspected lanes, pins, and balls right after an honor score back then. That certainly does not happen anymore.

"If Allison rolled a 900 series in a league tonight, it would be approved without an inspection. Rule changes now allow for season-long certification of lanes, another accommodation that rankles traditionalists."

The debate used to be whether the USBC should retroactively approve Allison's series. The sheer number of perfect series and the Mushtare controversy have overshadowed the original Mr. 900. He shot his 900 in 1982. All other perfect series were shot in the 11 year span from 1997 - 2008.

An honor score is an honor score. I'll take them any way I can get them. Some are more special than others, but I still get nervous for the 12th shot or the one I need for an 800 series.

What makes a good league?

2008-12-31T10:33:00.002-06:00

A recent commenter to this blog suggested that most league bowlers want a good and consistent shot. Is that what makes a good league? Is that your main criteria in choosing in which league(s) you bowl? After thinking about these criteria, here is my list of what makes a good league.

Friends
First of all, if I am going to commit to a 32 to 36 week league, I am going to bowl with people I like and get along with. I bowl on a team of my friends. I don't see how this could not be top on most people's list.

Competition
I want to bowl where the better bowlers are bowling. Those leagues are more fun and can be more frustrating. Good sets have more meaning, and bad sets hurt just a bit more. Each week can be a big match. I tend to focus more. I get more motivated than just another league night. Chicken or the egg? Bigger prize funds tend to develop with the higher competitive leagues. Is it because sponsored leagues draw the competitive bowlers or do a large group of competitive bowlers draw sponsors?

Bowling Center Facilities
I like a bowling center that is brightly lit. I like a clean center. You are not afraid to go to the rest room while there. The bowlers' area is not littered with popcorn or other food from open play or birthday parties. There should be lots of room in the bowler area for seating. The pinsetters should be well maintained. It should be obvious that these machines should work flawlessly and not damage your bowling balls nor break down during the league session. This leads to a long night. The center should have a good central air/heat capability. That leads to good approaches; not too slippery and not too tacky. I prefer wood approaches, but that trend is going away. Some centers install synthetic lanes but leave the wood approaches. I like that combination. Since I don't normally eat at a bowling center, I'm not that interested in the snack bar/restaurant area. This is a major profit area for the bowling center. This should be obvious by the prices.

Friendly/Knowledgeable Staff
Most of the time, you do not interact with the bowling center staff. However, when something goes wrong or you need some information, this is where you will form your opinion on this part of your customer service.

Lane Conditions
I think most bowlers choose their leagues based on lane conditions. This would be first but is last on my list. With high quality competition, does it matter what the lane conditions are? Everyone is bowling on the same shot. Granted, I hate when my pair is bone dry while all other pairs are not. A commenter to this blog stated that most bowlers want a good and consistent shot. I interpret that as meaning that most bowlers want an easy league shot. A good shot does not have to be easy. Why does it have to be consistent from week to week? As long as lane 1 has the same shot that lane 20 does is the most important thing to me for a league. If the shot was consistent, we would still only have a double ball bag, with one ball for hooking lanes and one ball for slick lanes. Isn't that the way we did it back in the 80's? Now, league bowlers are coming in with 4 bowling balls. We have 10-15 minutes of practice and a reasonable theory on where the shot is each week. That is better than what we get in most tournaments.

Obviously, you can't get all of this. Smaller associations are only 1 or 2 bowling centers. Larger associations have many bowling centers, but driving distance is also an option in choosing a league.

Inside vs. Outside

2008-12-15T20:42:00.003-06:00

I have heard it now a couple of times on the ESPN PBA Sunday telecasts. Randy Pedersen repeated the difference between amateurs and pro bowlers; amateurs work the outside of the ball and pros work the inside. What is he talking about? Usually, explanations for the show are "dumbed down" for the non-avid bowler. Here, Randy steps into it by introducing a concept that needs to be further developed. All he mentions is that the amateur comes around the outside of the ball producing more spin. However, no explanation is given for how a pro works the inside of the ball. At least, not one that I can discern and try to duplicate.

Well, I heard this concept again. Discovery Channel's Time Warp program on December 10 featured Michael Fagan. The show slowed down the footage of Fagan's release as well as ball rotation and pin action. The purpose of the show is to explain the science and physics of everyday activities or events. Michael's explanation starts at around 2:07 of the video. He tries to keep his hand on the inside of the ball and rotate to underneath the ball. By contrast, I'm guessing that us amateurs start with our hands underneath the ball and rotate the ball around the outside of it.

There may be good practice tips in that video. However, I cannot and am not encouraging anyone to duplicate Michael Fagan's style.

When is the best time for televised bowling?

2008-12-08T13:41:00.005-06:00

Bowling Rules Cable
I just switched cable companies. I now have ESPN Classic which televises old PBA shows from ESPN and ABC. Do they have the shows from NBC? Yes, I can now enjoy the Pete Weber or Parker Bohn III marathon. These shows are on daily at 11:00am CT and the occasional Sunday marathon of shows already mentioned. With live PBA telecasts on Sunday, is bowling get all the exposure it could get? The fall/winter season competes directly with the NFL. Since I don't live in an NFL city, it is easy for me to watch the tour live as network television shows the same teams every week. I know about NFL Sunday Ticket but am too busy and too cheap to watch any NFL game every week.

Spring Tour in Prime Time?
Jeff Richgels is a regional pro bowler, newspaper reporter, and regularly takes my bracket money at the USBC Open every year. In his blog, The 11th Frame, he reports that ESPN is close to signing the PBA for a spring tour in which the finals will be televised in prime time.

I'm one of many who believe the PBA's Holy Grail is weeknight prime time, perhaps immediately following SportsCenter on Tuesday or Wednesday night.

So you can imagine how stunning it was to hear Schreyer casually mention to the Phantom that PBA was close to a deal for a Spring Tour in which the TV finals would be in prime time on ESPN.

"We have the potential right now of even possibly getting a four- or five-week run with ESPN in the spring on prime time in the evening," Schreyer said. "So we're trying to finalize that. We're hopeful that we'll be able to pull that off. And that could be really exciting in terms of getting tremendous additional exposure for the sport."

I also agree that Tuesday or Wednesday night at 7:00pm telecast would get better ratings than Sunday noon. Unless the networks come out with the next blockbuster series, Tuesday and Wednesday nights provide little television enjoyment; particularly after college basketball season.

Bowling puts me to sleep
Let me caveat that title statement. Televised bowling on Sunday puts me to sleep. I look forward to noon and get in my recliner to watch the show. After seeing who is on the show, watching their styles, lines, and ball reaction, I will soon drift off. Is the show that dull? The new 'powers that be' that run the PBA were right. The personalities of their players do catch the average fan's attention. I can fall asleep easier watching some pros than others. However, the time of day lulls me to an afternoon slumber. A tour show at 7:00pm will keep my interest just as an episode of House or any CSI franchise.

As much as we watch bowling on the tube, it is still more worthwhile to participate. I am rarely in a bowling center unless I am bowling. I don't go just to watch. I've only done that when a pro tournament is in town, like the PWBA in 1998 and the Masters in 1997.

These Guys Are Good

2008-11-21T21:07:00.005-06:00

Perception vs. Reality
Remember the PGA marketing campaign; These guys are good? Everyone understands that PGA golfers are better than the scratch guys on the public links. Is there really a misconception that your association's top bowlers are just as good as PBA bowlers? ESPN and USBC seem to think that the general public thinks so. There may be some truth to that, but the PBA television audience is smarter than that. When I practice at Redstone Lanes and string 5 or 6 strikes in a row during lunch rush, I draw a crowd and a few compliments. I have to explain that the pros on television would average 250-260 at Redstone. If you ask your 220-230 average league bowler, they have a healthy respect for professionals and know it would be tough to compete against them on easy or hard conditions.

Ultimate Scoring
At the PBA Ultimate Scoring Championship, 4 of the 64 exempt players averaged over 240. Over two thirds of the field averaged over 220. What? That sounds like a Bowlers Advantage scratch tournament at Plamor on a house shot. According to bowl.com:

Typical league oil patterns usually are 38 to 42 feet in length and feature ratios in the 8-to-1 or 12-to-1 range. That means the oil pattern used during the Ultimate Scoring Championship, while easy by PBA standards, was approximately twice as difficult as most league oil patterns.

The PBA Ultimate Scoring patter featured a an oil ratio of 6-to-1 at 22 feet and 4-to-1 at 40 feet. Since PBA experience (and most Sport patterns) feature 3-to-1 ratios, the Ultimate Scoring pattern was still twice as easy as the typical PBA tournament pattern. The article shows the lane graphs of Ultimate Scoring pattern and the Chameleon pattern.

Who can read these things?
Can someone who understands how to read lane pattern graphs explain how this works? These graphs are posted at the USBC Open. At the last few Open Championships, I did not play where I thought I would after I "read" the lane graph. Also, opinions would be welcome about how the Kegel Challenge Series patterns compare to the PBA Ultimate Scoring pattern. The ratio for both series of patterns are the same at 3-to-1. Kegel describes the Challenge series as an intermediate set of patterns; harder than house shots, but easier than sport patterns.

The Rise (and Fall) of Senior Bowling

2008-11-20T19:13:00.007-06:00

Largest Leagues
Senior bowling, especially in Huntsville, has the largest league in town. Bowling on Monday afternoon, it takes 32 lanes at Pin Palace. At the exact same time, 4 more teams are bowling down Memorial Parkway at Parkway Lanes. The only travel league in town is a senior league. Why does senior leagues flourish when all other leagues struggle for bowlers? You are left with your more serious bowlers. Senior bowlers have probably been bowling for 30-40 years. These are not the people who picked it up in their 30's and quit when the kids' activities started taking over. Senior leagues seem to be the perfect combination of competition and camaraderie. Pot luck luncheons on holidays with spirited roll-offs for league championships. My parents bowl in a large senior league at Imperial Lanes in Memphis on Friday afternoon. Any week-end trip to Huntsville to visit their son or grandchildren will not begin until league session is over.

Too Many Divisions
Does this excitement translate to senior tournaments? This depends on how you define a senior tournament. If you consider your association or state championship one tournament, it is probably defined a success. However, I define these tournaments as 8-9 small tournaments. That is because senior tournaments are done by age division. This is fine if you have the participation in each division. However, I'm seeing bowlers get prize money they were the only person in their age division bowling, or they beat the other guy. You can have a pretty good squad, but competing against only 3 people. This is the same issue I have with youth tournaments that use too many divisions for too few bowlers. This works well, probably, in the state tournament, but each association should look at their participation and rearrange the grouping; senior (55-59) and super-senior (60 plus) for example.

Divisions defined by age bring up qualification issues. What is a senior? USBC sanctioned tournaments define it at 55. The Senior All Star Bowling Association, a very popular senior scratch tour, defines eligibility at 50.

Anxious to Compete?
As I approach my mid-40's, I'm not in a hurry to bowl in SASBA events. My friends who were around 49 were rushing the calendar to compete. I think we all think we are still young, while 'those guys' are old and we dominate the competition. I am not thinking that way. I seem to remember that while I age, everyone else does too. The same people I am competing with now will be the same people I will compete against when I become a 'senior.' However, I feel pretty good about my age now. I exercise regularly; running and lifting weights. The fitness element may be a bigger variable with senior tournaments than regular open competition.

Old School vs. New School
I would exclude the young guns of today when I become senior eligible, but does it matter? Look at the top averages in the state. The majority of the better bowlers in Alabama are over 40. We bowled when 540 was a great league night. The only people who shot 700 were at least 190 average bowlers. Today, a 190-200 average bowler can have an 800 night. That 'old school' mindset is still with the middle age bowlers who started back in the 1970's and 1980's. I admit, those mental habits are falling away as I want an honor score with every league session.

The Potential Fall of Senior Bowling
As I mentioned, the large senior pool is around because of the large league base that existed in the 70's and 80's. However, look around. You can get an open lane most any night in most bowling centers. The number and size of leagues is dwindling. There will be less bowlers to be senior bowlers. This bow wave will move to the future. There may be large senior leagues because of the camaraderie. Unlike the regular league night, senior bowlers will come together to have the super league. It is too much fun with old friends and new friends.

Also, there is hardly any coverage of senior professional bowling. The senior PBA tour was a summer fixture. They also had their gimmicks. Watch this senior PBA telecast from ESPN. It features one of my favorite senior pros from the 90's, Gene Stus. He was recently elected to the USBC Hall of Fame. Notice all the fancy promotional things; outside, gold pins, The Villages.

South Alabama bowlers remember Avery Leblanc. I met him also when he was a Brunswick center manager at Bartlett Lanes in Tennessee. His style will never get old. Here is a 1997 match between him and Earl Anthony.

For the North Alabama bowlers, Huntsville's Jimmy Certain in a 1990 Senior PBA match against Dick Webber.

As far as now, I will be patient. I am in no rush to bowl in this somewhat exclusive club.

Best Bowling Center in Alabama?

2008-11-15T17:15:00.006-06:00

The November 2008 issue of Bowlers Journal International lists one Alabama bowling center among the "95 Bowling Centers you must visit before you die." Granted, the article states the list is completely arbitrary. It does include old, new, domestic, international, mom-and-pop, and multi-million dollar palaces.

Listed at number 86 is Birmingham's Lightning Strikes. Bowlers Journal states:

Bowling is the star attraction, with 40 lanes, but the center's Billy Club gets plenty of traffic, too. Little wonder: It's packed with billiard tables, Golden Tee golf machines, plastic-tip dart lanes and six monitors for viewing sporting and other events.

I believe Lightning Strikes has the most space of any of the McCorvey's Pro Shop locations also. I have been to this facility but have never bowled there. The 2009 Alabama state tournament will be there, so many from across the state will see what all the press is about.

Wherefore art thou women's bowling?

2008-11-15T11:50:00.006-06:00

Top Women's Leagues
I was asked for help promoting a competitive women's league in Huntsville, the Pepsi Ladies Peterson Point. It is a 3 bowler 10 team league. In today's declining interest in league bowling, this seems to be a rather good size league. I honestly did not know what to do to help. Should I have posted a "Join our League" blurb on the front page of AlabamaBowling.Com? Would it have helped? Of all the fancy web statistical packages, I don't think I am smart enough to discern the gender of my visitors. One reason for starting this blog was to help promote different causes such as league promotion as tournaments are regularly posted on the web site. Are there other competitive women's leagues, scratch or handicap, in the state? Are they on the decline? There are at least 10 women in the state who carry a league average of 210 or more. Do they regularly compete against each other in the same leagues? Do other women try to measure their skills and want to better their games by competing against these top bowlers?

Social or Competition
It is obvious that mixed leagues are the backbone of league bowling. Most of these are purely a night out with the spouse to join friends for a good time. There is nothing wrong with that. Women joined the ABC for the 'open' competition to join their husbands and boyfriends when going to the city, state, or other sanctioned tournaments. Some women wanted to do more than watch; they wanted to participate. It is my opinion that many women's associations were forced to merge because of rapidly declining membership. Once the men's associations became 'open' associations, some women joined them and did not join the women's association. Anecdotal evidence from Google searching has led me to believe that women association membership declined at a larger percentage than ABC associations. This still does not explain why women only leagues are not forming. With fewer women bowlers, I can understand fewer women-only leagues. In the big 4 associations, I would understand if only 1 or 2 competitive women-only leagues existed. In the case of open classic money leagues, most bowlers gravitate together to the league, no matter which bowling center. In the 80's bowling centers would get big sponsors to their leagues to pull these bowlers to their center. So, thank you Pepsi (or Buffalo Rock, the Huntsville distributer) for supporting women bowling.

Not the WNBA
Women's professional bowling, as an organization, is gone. Most people I know enjoyed watching it live or on TV. The WNBA has horrid television ratings but continues to thrive. The NBA is working very hard to keep it alive. Continued sponsorship like that never materialized for the LPBT or PWBA. I'm sure everyone enjoys watching the guys throw the big sweeping hook on television. Top women bowlers are just as balanced, throw more revolutions than I do, and as accurate as men. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is not as exciting to watch as Michelle Feldman, but she is one of the top women bowlers in this country. Let me stop these comments before they are posted, I think Walter Ray is not that exciting to watch either. That does not diminish their superior skill.

So, the pool of competitive women bowlers is shrinking. To satisfy that quest for competition, these women must come together locally for leagues and tournaments, regionally and nationally for tournaments. AlabamaBowling.Com is the web home for three regional women's tournaments; DixieBelles, Women's Southeastern, and Ladies East Coast Classic. One of the best scratch tournaments in the region is the TNBA Bill Rhodman Southern Division. The women's division usually has about 70 entries.

Does scoring affect tournament bowling?

2008-11-13T09:42:00.000-06:00

Is 230 the new 200?
According the the Alabama USBC All State teams, the 10th highest average in the state was 232.51. In 2007/2008, there were 6 Huntsville bowlers and 7 Birmingham bowlers over 230. The All State teams include 4 Montgomery area bowlers. While I saw no 230 averages in Mobile, I do know at least four would be among this group if they bowled in ~~PlamorVestaviaBama~~ the typical north or central Alabama super league house. I also know of good tournament bowlers who do not bowl in the 'super' houses that are not 230 league average bowlers.

Practice, we don't need stinkin' practice!
I admit, I don't practice as much as I should. I say this every time I am driving home after missing a cut or failing to cash. You have a lot of time to think about your failed strategy, shot selection, ball reaction, poor mechanics, etc while driving 10, 20, 100, 200 miles home from a tournament.

Why? I'm not sure I know how to have a good practice regimen anymore. Practice to me is mostly keeping loose and repeating shots. I don't shoot corner pins for 30 minutes, or try shooting strikes on every arrow. For me, it is a resource issue; time and money. It is too expensive to practice. I can bowl two-three leagues and a tournament every 3-4 week-ends, which keeps me loose and repeating shots. I don't visit the bowling center to practice for $2.25 a line. I would rather pay the $20/week league fee knowing I am getting a chunk of that back, while bowling in competition and pressure situations.

Where are the tournament bowlers?
Alabama seems to be a bowling state. Moving to Huntsville from Memphis in 1986, I couldn't believe the number of bowling centers this 'small' town had. Monarch, Plamor, and Parkway were all within visual distance of each other. So, why aren't there more tournament bowlers? I have been to scratch tournaments in Birmingham where I counted more Huntsville bowlers than local bowlers. I rarely see any Montgomery area bowlers unless it is the state tournament. I'm not sure if there are any major scratch tournaments in Montgomery. Is it safe to be a once-a-week 220 average league bowler and not suffer the embarrasment of a poor showing at a tournament? Yes, we all have gone through that. However, I want to suffer the pride and accolades of a victory or great showing.

Scoring is relative
I have been in sweepers where I shot 700 for 3 games and was barely in the top 20. I was also in a RealBowlers.com tournament where I was one of only 8 bowlers who were plus (averaged more than 200). I felt more proud of the top 8 finish with 201 average than averaging 233 and missing the cut. With tournaments, it is not the pinfall, it is the placement. PBA Experience leagues are picking up momentum. Not enough, where we see successful fall leagues. However, sport condition tournaments during fall/winter are here.

Why are you not out there?

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