Is bowling a dying sport? How to fix it?

[panbanger]

I searched for a thread similar to this and didn’t see anything recent, so I figured I’d start it up. I’ll put a few ideas forward that may seem like I’m a bitter old fart, but I’m doing it more to get the conversation started than to say something I wholeheartedly agree with, if that makes sense. I’m trying to mix things up and get some ideas going, rather than just coming in, guns blazing trying to flame everything in sight.

Why is bowling declining?

1. It’s too easy. It’s too easy to shoot a 200 now. PERIOD. Ball technology has advanced, and lane oil “Christmas tree” patterns do 75% of the work for you. Throw the ball out to the right, put some spin on it, and watch it hook to (or at least close to) the pocket. Shooting a 200 should be proof that you are a good bowler! Shooting a 250 should be amazing! Shooting a 300 should be an over the rainbow event! Instead, 200s are average, 250 is a good game, and 300s happen weekly in many leagues. I go long stretches where the only time I play is once a week during my league, and my average is 188. In the “olden days” that wouldn’t cut it. My average would be in the 150s. Technology has added 35+ pins to my game!

How to fix this? Make the oil patterns harder of course. The US Open pattern should be standard. The THS pattern is fine for cosmic bowling on weekends, kids birthday parties, little kid leagues, that’s about it. Try to compare it to golf: club and ball technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since the 70s, and in turn golf course lengths have gotten longer. You see, the sport responded to the technology. Bowling has almost done the opposite for the average bowler.

2. We no longer leave the house for entertainment. Back in the olden days, home was where you ate and slept…you went out for entertainment and to interact with other people. Now, we go out to eat and stay home for entertainment. It’s totally opposite. We have “entertainment centers” and “media rooms” at home, so why leave to do something like go bowling?

How to fix this? This….this is an expensive fix I would think. Give the lanes internet connections and you can put in your facebook or twitter handle when you start. You can post your scores online as you finish each game! You can track your progress on the web each time you bowl! I’m just brainstorming here, and I’m no genius as you can tell by now lol. I’m sure you guys have some ideas about this too right? I hope?

Im sure you guys and gals can come up with other reasons the sport has seen such a downturn in the last 2 decades, and hopefully you guys have some ideas on how to turn the tide. And if you think it’s fine the way it is, say that too! But I’ve loved bowling since I was 10 years old. I stepped away from it for a while, and I don’t like what happened to it in my absence!

[bowl1820]

1-How to fix this? Make the oil patterns harder of course. The US Open pattern should be standard.

Basically a waste time or short term fix at best, any pattern if you bowl on it long enough (meaning week after week) will become easier as you get use to it.(That's why the Nationals seem hard, the majority of the bowlers that bowl in it. Never bowl on it or similar patterns) and the scores will go back up.

The PBA found that out when they started using harder patterns (Like the animal patterns) because of the constant high scores. At first all the scores plunged and then as the weeks went on, the scores started raising up and up.

A better idea would be rotating patterns week to week. There are plenty of patterns that can be used before you repeat one.


As for number 2: That's basically all marketing issues. Bowling has never been marketed right, mainly because there's no money in it like tennis or golf. Also bowling is not perceived as a sport in the first place by the general public.

As for the internet stuff more and more alleys are adding wifi connections already, a lot of the scoring systems software used by the lanes already had the capability for internet access (Though they don't use it).

Years back I went to Kegel one time and they were testing a scoring system. Where you would go in to the lanes and you got a swipe card and it would keep track of all your bowling, league and open bowling , averages program the scorer for you etc. They didn't say but I assume it could easily have uploaded to the net (I don't know what ever happened to it).

[panbanger]

Oooh I like the idea of rotating patterns! Is it more expensive to lay down patterns besides the THS? I mean obviously more oil is used (or is it?) but are different machines required? I'm not familiar at all with oil machines but I would imagine that they just have different settings on them for different patterns.

[unclemantis]

I don't think it is a dying sport. It sure has come a ways though!

[swingset]

Imagine you've never played golf before, at any age, and right now someone is trying to talk you into it.

One of the things they tell you in order to entice you to this game is "it used to be easy to score high, but recently they've made the conditions much harder! You could have been good 6 months ago, but now you're going to stink! Isn't that great?"

Are you excited by this news or turned off? Be honest.

Making the game harder is, really, about the worst thing you can possibly do to the game. I despise this lamenting over the "ease" of the game. Who cares if 200 is easier to bowl? It's still a competition between you and the rest of the league, or the tournament, the score is irrelevant. If your game is better, so is theirs. You still need to be better than your competition, same as in 1970. People like to score, and there is a small subset of bowlers who like harder patterns. As it happens, there are THS shots and good balls to score high, and challenging sport patterns for the rest. Everybody wins.

The popularity of the sport is not being hindered because it's too easy. The problem is that people are busy, poor, industrial and business leagues are mostly a thing of the past and bowling is god-awful at marketing itself and staying current. The majority of the 25 lanes in my areas have nearly no web presence or advertising...half of their leagues are completely word of mouth...tournaments are even worse.

Fix that, if you want bowling to grow.

[I suck at bowling]

This is the worst idea ever.

Lets get a sport grow by making it harder.

How are beginners (young and old) who are learning how to throw a hook supposed to bowl on sport conditions? Oops, missed my mark, time to pick up a split. That sounds appealing now doesn't it?

Want a bigger challenge for yourself, go bowl in a league that uses sport patterns. And if you still think its easy to shoot 200 on that, go bowl in the PBA.

The best way to grow bowling is to market it more. Simple as that. Bowling also needs superstars again. Sports grow when people have a bar to set themselves at. "I want to be like Tiger Woods", "I want to be like LeBron James", "I want to be like Peyton Manning", etc.

We need young people to watch a PBA telecast and say to themselves "I want to be like just like Mike Fagan/Belmo/Osku.

[panbanger]

This is the worst idea ever.

It's not the worst idea ever! I have plenty of ideas that are worse than that.



How are beginners (young and old) who are learning how to throw a hook supposed to bowl on sport conditions? Oops, missed my mark, time to pick up a split. That sounds appealing now doesn't it?

You miss your mark and have to try for a spare? Sorry I didn't know this would be such a radical idea lol.



Want a bigger challenge for yourself, go bowl in a league that uses sport patterns. And if you still think its easy to shoot 200 on that, go bowl in the PBA.

I didn't make this thread because I don't feel challenged. You are changing the subject. Also, the average PBA member doesn't make much money. I'd be crazy to try that.


The best way to grow bowling is to market it more. Simple as that. Bowling also needs superstars again. Sports grow when people have a bar to set themselves at. "I want to be like Tiger Woods", "I want to be like LeBron James", "I want to be like Peyton Manning", etc.

We need young people to watch a PBA telecast and say to themselves "I want to be like just like Mike Fagan/Belmo/Osku.

I agree with this.

[panbanger]

Making the game harder is, really, about the worst thing you can possibly do to the game. I despise this lamenting over the "ease" of the game. Who cares if 200 is easier to bowl? It's still a competition between you and the rest of the league, or the tournament, the score is irrelevant. If your game is better, so is theirs. You still need to be better than your competition, same as in 1970. People like to score, and there is a small subset of bowlers who like harder patterns. As it happens, there are THS shots and good balls to score high, and challenging sport patterns for the rest. Everybody wins.

Hmmm I didn't think of it this way, but I agree with you. Even though it's easier (in my opinion), it's easier for everybody else too and the playing field is still level.

[ArtVandelay]

I do think bowling is on the decline, for the most part but I blame the alleys.

I think they put too much emphasis on league bowling, and guess what those leagues consist of? Old people. So when younger people want to bowl, they cant get a lane. The easy solution? Join a league. But thats not an option for many of todays ADD youth. A league is too much commitment. There is no simple solution, but 8 think bowling has to realize that the next 10 to 20 years are crucial. As the seniors die out (and really, I dont mean to sound harsh, there is just no gentle way to put it) how do they incorporate the younger crowd?

WiFi is an excellent idea. Some way to integrate social media is probably required. Cosmic bowling might be a possible solution. The only bowlers that hate it are league bowlers.

But make it harder? Yeah... I think that might not be the best idea. Perhaps making it easier during open bowling is the way to go. Dry out those lanes and get those plastic balls hooking something fierce!!! Those young ones love the vicious hook! Who knows? Maybe a meaner hook would get people interested in leagues and drive the average league age down a bit.

Leagues arent REALLY the problem, its the average age of the league bowler thats the problem. Getting that average down is vital.

[GoodGravy]

You want to sell a house...location,location, location. You want to have a lot of attention and focus on a sport....Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!!

I was reading an article a few months ago and it was compairing the top purse winnings between Golf and Bowling. It actually stated that the top winning purse for the upcoming Masters tournment in bowling matched what Arnold Palmer had just won the week earlier. It dawned on me that something was goofy, and I looked at the date of the article and it was from the late 60's!!!!

Point being, somewhere about 50 years ago the 'powers that be' decided for some reason that bowling just was not going to make the cut for ABC's Wild World of Sports...it was all downhill from there.

If you want the sport to grow you need big personalities and even bigger prize monies. As much as we may say that we can't stand multi-million dollar spoiled professional sports athletes, we sure do tune into whichever game is on. Also, i saw a bunch of folks going ape over the fact that CBS sports signed with the PBA....I"m not sure about this, but I was under the impression that this was the CBS Sports channel on cable which I belevie that 8 people have access to. Well done in PBA!!! Now ESPN can free up what little time they had set aside for the PBA so they can introduce us to Lama Oval Track Racing...

If you can grow the professional side, the amature side will follow....getting some hot bowling cheerleaders might help also....!!!!!

[rand]

Maybe I can jump in and share my recent experiences with getting into bowling and how amazingly HARD it actually is.Lets start with which ball to buy.Its a nightmare picking which brand and which ball you should go with a newb.I wanted to buy a ball that I can learn how to curve with.Nothing crazy but some movement will make me happy.I called and emailed every pro shop in my surrounding areas.Guess how many responses I got to my inquiries.....0.I called at different times of the day trying to catch just anyone and it literally took me a couple months of this and me finally driving around to these places several times before finally getting information enough to make a decision.

I learned more off of here than I did in my pro shop to be honest.I wanted to start league bowling after getting a ball.So while I stopped by these places and or called I would ask about info on the leagues and there was literally no info out there.I have never in my life seen a more close knitted tight mouthed sport in all my life.For no reason though.You go to the alleys web sites and look at their league info and if there is any info at all its vague and its outdated.How can anybody run a business in this manner and expect success on any level.Or expect any growth.If we worked at our jobs this way we would be fired.

I am stubborn and wouldnt let all of this turn me away.I also tried going to the pba website I believe it is and looking for a coach.I emailed him off of there he responded once and asked me to give him some more info on my self which I did and I havent heard back from him in a couple months.I stumbled upon a great coach and shop during all of this,their still horrific with communication but they are great to deal with one on one in person.All of this had me thinking why is it so hard for everyone to figure out why bowling is a hard draw for some.

[Greenday]

My issues with bowling these days:

-League bowling is too easy. If it's a youth league or an adult's beginner league, by all means, use a THS so people who are just getting used to bowling have an easier time. But there needs to be more intermediate and advanced leagues. The same guys in my league continue to bowl 300s every single week and 800 series each week. I don't feel challenged at all when throwing my first ball of the frame. When I can throw the ball and miss my target by two or three boards in either direction and know it'll still hit the pocket, that's a problem.

-Bowling alleys suck at advertising. There's two nearby alleys I use for regular practice. One has a website that is NEVER updated. You click on the link for leagues and the page has no leagues listed. Click on the link for tournaments and one tournament is listed (It took place 9 days ago). Their "events calendar" is empty. The other lanes' website has a calendar that is the same every single week. Nothing changes. The upcoming leagues page has one league listed, which started back in November, and it's mixed adult/youth. Luckily I found a new link for 2013 summer leagues which is packed with leagues. (****, those leagues are actually cheap to at just $12 a week and they have good deals).

-Inconsistent oiling of lanes. I NEVER know whether lanes are going to be oiled or not. Alley #1 USUALLY oils lanes at 4pm, but if they have a league at 6pm, they push it back. Even when they are freshly oiled, despite it being a 38 foot pattern, I still find myself having to drastically change my style of play for the alley which I never have played anywhere else. It's usually bone dry and I really can't practice on dry lanes. Alley #2 sometimes has oiled lanes during the day, sometimes they don't. It seems like the staff never know either when I ask. I'd rather not bowl at all than bowl on dry lanes.

-Very little attraction to youth. At 25 years old, I rank as one of the youngest members of my league. I'd say 65% consists of seniors, 5-10% is young adults, and the other 25-50% are mature adults. It'd be a lot more fun for me if I was bowling people my age a lot more often. I'd say there's just two other teams that have a group of young adults out of the 32 teams. And on my team, I'm the only young adult. I don't know how to solve that problem.

-Being a pro doesn't really make money. A lot of pros don't have everything paid for by sponsors. They'll get some free balls but that's it. Winning a major tournament doesn't pay much. In the 2011-2012 PBA tour, just three bowlers made over $100,000 with Sean Rash making the most (a whopping $140,250). Guys who ride the bench in other pro sports like football, baseball, hockey, basketball make more money than that. It's too tough to make bowling a living.

[2fingerroller]

Is bowling a dying sport? Not where I live. But as to how to get more business they have to be more accessible. These are the 3 big ones nearby less than 10 miles away. Sunset Lanes (http://www.sunsetlanes.com/) which is where I bowl league, Big Al's (http://www.ilovebigals.com/beaverton/) franchise that just opened recently, and Park Lanes (http://parklanes.net/) which is less than 4 miles from home. All 3 have free wifi, pro shops, and Facebook pages. As far as getting more people into the sport you need to have the media take more of an active stance beyond Espn 2. Maybe a celebrity reality show during primetime.

[bowl1820]

My issues with bowling these days:

-League bowling is too easy. If it's a youth league or an adult's beginner league, by all means, use a THS so people who are just getting used to bowling have an easier time. But there needs to be more intermediate and advanced leagues. The same guys in my league continue to bowl 300s every single week and 800 series each week. I don't feel challenged at all when throwing my first ball of the frame. When I can throw the ball and miss my target by two or three boards in either direction and know it'll still hit the pocket, that's a problem.



-Inconsistent oiling of lanes. I NEVER know whether lanes are going to be oiled or not. Alley #1 USUALLY oils lanes at 4pm, but if they have a league at 6pm, they push it back. Even when they are freshly oiled, despite it being a 38 foot pattern, I still find myself having to drastically change my style of play for the alley which I never have played anywhere else. It's usually bone dry and I really can't practice on dry lanes. Alley #2 sometimes has oiled lanes during the day, sometimes they don't. It seems like the staff never know either when I ask. I'd rather not bowl at all than bowl on dry lanes.

These are basically contradictory.

You find League bowling is too easy. (do you mean For you or everyone else?)

Yet then your basically saying it is too hard, do to different alleys oiling the lanes differently, your having to change your style of play and having to play different parts of the lane your not use to. And you'd rather not bowl than bowl on lanes you don't like the shot on.

So you would like the alleys to all be oiled the same, with a pattern that doesn't make you have to move and fits your style of play.

Well simple fix put out a Typical House Shot (THS)

[Greenday]

These are basically contradictory.

You find League bowling is too easy. (do you mean For you or everyone else?)

Yet then your basically saying it is too hard, do to different alleys oiling the lanes differently, your having to change your style of play and having to play different parts of the lane your not use to. And you'd rather not bowl than bowl on lanes you don't like the shot on.

So you would like the alleys to all be oiled the same, with a pattern that doesn't make you have to move and fits your style of play.

Well simple fix put out a Typical House Shot (THS)

They are not contradictory at all. I find the league bowling is too easy for people who are not beginners. Lately, now that I've got my mental game down, shooting 200s is insanely easy. I just roll the ball somewhere near my target and it'll hit the pocket. It's not challenging me. And as I said, there are guys who shoot 300s and 800 series every week. Clearly they aren't being challenged either.

I'm not saying it's hard at all. I'm just saying that the pattern is so light, that instead of playing a line somewhere between the 10 and 5 boards more straight up, at that one house, I stand at 30, throw 15, swing it outside and it'll come back into the pocket every time. I don't know what it is about that pattern, but that's what works for me every single time there. It's not challenging at all. I can still miss a few boards and it'll still hit the pocket. The only thing that's challenging about those lanes is that the lane is bone dry half the time. It's unbearable conditions that I refuse to bowl on.

I don't mind bowling on different patterns. Hell, I love bowling on a sports pattern. But finding my line on a THS, whether I need to throw straight down the five board, or swing it out over the 15 board to the outside and back in, is super easy (at least for me). Challenging to me is when you miss your mark by a board, either your ball isn't going to reach the pocket or you'll overshoot it. That's challenging myself. Finding the correct line for myself on a pattern is no longer a challenge.

[J Anderson]

The game of bowling is not dying. It seems like every year the BPAA claims to have set another record for games bowled in the course of a year.

The sport of bowling in the U.S.A. seems to be at death's door. Accounting for inflation, the prize money in the PBA is a fraction of what it was 20 years ago. Fortunately for the better pros, there are is a growing number of big money tournaments in Asia.

The USBC has been losing members for years and doesn't seem to have a clue as to what to do about it.

League bowling is declining. Part is due to the disappearance of the company sponsored industrial leagues. These league started early enough that you could run a second shift of leagues starting at 8:00 p.m. and finish by 11. With the shift from manufacturing to a service / knowledge economy, only public school teachers and retirees can participate in a league that starts before 6:00 p.m. With the early leagues starting at 6, the second shift leagues don't get to start until after 9, making them very unattractive to anyone who has to go to work in the morning. Those who work in retail or health care tend to have constantly changing schedules so they can't commit to a league. And how many people with "9 to 5" jobs can actually leave work at 5?

[GeoLes]

I think it's just a cultural thing. Any sport not part of the "big four" (baseball, American football (not soccer), basketball, hockey) are largerly ignored by the averager Joe or Jane. To illustrate, I will recall a comedian's funny bowling line, She grew up in the midwest in a sleepy bowling town and finds the whole thing boring. She kept referring to "Earl friggin' Anthony". Regardless of the skill reqired to master the sport, the issue of populari image will always exist.

Talk about obscure popularity, I have a friend who loves curling. She curlse weekly at a local ice rink and loves it. We common folk only see curling every four years when Winter Olympics comes around. (Yes, I know; yawn. get the point?)

As for perceived difficulty, I recall a sports announcer challenging Lance Armstrong's achievements. He said "How hard is it to ride a bicycle? I can do that!" He was being provocative, but it illustrates the lack of interest in bowling quite well.

[Greenday]

I forgot my other gripe. Winter leagues are too damn long. Sorry, but a league that goes from September until May is too long. Teams towards the bottom never have a chance to come back. Sandbaggers are rewarded too much (These guys who started with 190-200 averages are now bowling 800+ every week? That seems legit...). Should split it into two halves. Don't reset the averages in the second half, but split the prize into two halves.

[scottymoney]

I forgot my other gripe. Winter leagues are too damn long. Sorry, but a league that goes from September until May is too long. Teams towards the bottom never have a chance to come back. Sandbaggers are rewarded too much (These guys who started with 190-200 averages are now bowling 800+ every week? That seems legit...). Should split it into two halves. Don't reset the averages in the second half, but split the prize into two halves.

My league has 9 teams so we have actually gone to 3 10 week sessions. And every team has 3 chances to make the final roll off with each session winner advancing. Each session the standings reset and the last week is positioning rounds.

[swingset]

They are not contradictory at all. I find the league bowling is too easy for people who are not beginners. Lately, now that I've got my mental game down, shooting 200s is insanely easy. I just roll the ball somewhere near my target and it'll hit the pocket. It's not challenging me. And as I said, there are guys who shoot 300s and 800 series every week. Clearly they aren't being challenged either.

I'm not saying it's hard at all. I'm just saying that the pattern is so light, that instead of playing a line somewhere between the 10 and 5 boards more straight up, at that one house, I stand at 30, throw 15, swing it outside and it'll come back into the pocket every time. I don't know what it is about that pattern, but that's what works for me every single time there. It's not challenging at all. I can still miss a few boards and it'll still hit the pocket. The only thing that's challenging about those lanes is that the lane is bone dry half the time. It's unbearable conditions that I refuse to bowl on.

I don't mind bowling on different patterns. Hell, I love bowling on a sports pattern. But finding my line on a THS, whether I need to throw straight down the five board, or swing it out over the 15 board to the outside and back in, is super easy (at least for me). Challenging to me is when you miss your mark by a board, either your ball isn't going to reach the pocket or you'll overshoot it. That's challenging myself. Finding the correct line for myself on a pattern is no longer a challenge.

If the "too easy" sentiment is really true for you, you're consistently in first place in your league, frequently cash out at tournaments, and are flirting with going pro.

Any of those true? I'll bet not...cause none of us are in that shape.

When you can beat everyone in the house, every time, the game is too easy.

When everyone is rolling 900's, the game is too easy.

Your issue seems to be the lane conditions are too easy for you to struggle on....but that's mindset. Who cares how easy a particular shot is? You're not competing against the lane or the scoreboard, you're competing against the other bowlers. Whether you shoot 198 on a tough pattern or 230 on a THS, you still have the beat everyone else. That means every time you miss striking or miss a spare on an "easy" pattern, you're acknowledging that the sport isn't so easy afterall....because someone else is beating you.

Sort of like NASCAR. Sure sounds easy to drive in a circle right? Well, it is, but it's not easy to do it for 4 hours, at 200mph, 4" from 43 other guys and beat them every week.

Easy is between your ears, and I find nothing about this sport easy...because there are thousands of people better at it than I am.

[americantrotter]

I think a lot has been covered here.

But competitive balance is a fair reason. Is the sport accessible competitively for people? Meaning are the right bowlers matched up with the right leagues? More often than not, there just aren't enough fun leagues to get people into the routine of proper league bowling. The gimmicks that bring in the younger crowd are too geared to pricepoints and volumes.

Signing up for leagues is way too difficult and the commitment is way too long. It's all very intimidating for people who don't have a ready made team and who are anything but extremely outgoing.

Price, let's be honest it's epensive.

No frame of reference, the PBA just doesn't spend it's time being anything other than niche. it's happy that way. Short of some radical personality bowling isn't going mainstream via the players. It needs an industry bump. Which brings me to:

The individual alleys have to care about more than just their margins. Planning your business with all bowlers in mind instead of just which timeframe works best. (Open bowling sucks for league bowlers) (League nights suck for open bowlers) Maybe taking reservations or finding opportunities to engage bowlers waiting for lanes. Then during open bowling optimizing lanes for real practice (oil/away from the more recreational of bowlers)

Outreach and education at the local level, with clear support from the national orgs.

For example my alley is poor on so many things but it's all we got for it's type (32 lanes) in my region so I am stuck.

[Greenday]

If the "too easy" sentiment is really true for you, you're consistently in first place in your league, frequently cash out at tournaments, and are flirting with going pro.

Any of those true? I'll bet not...cause none of us are in that shape.

When you can beat everyone in the house, every time, the game is too easy.

When everyone is rolling 900's, the game is too easy.

Your issue seems to be the lane conditions are too easy for you to struggle on....but that's mindset. Who cares how easy a particular shot is? You're not competing against the lane or the scoreboard, you're competing against the other bowlers. Whether you shoot 198 on a tough pattern or 230 on a THS, you still have the beat everyone else. That means every time you miss striking or miss a spare on an "easy" pattern, you're acknowledging that the sport isn't so easy afterall....because someone else is beating you.

My league is four-person teams. Keyword is team. If the rest of my team bowls below their averages, there's little I can do to make up for that. And I don't bowl in many tournaments because there practically are no local tournaments.

Clearly your definition of easy is vastly different from mine. To me, easy = not being challenged to do well. Shooting 200+ to me is doing well. Shooting 300s every game is just plain luck. If it was just a matter of skill, pros would be shooting 300s every single game. If I can get blackout drunk and still shoot over 200 in a game, the pattern is too easy for me to practice sober. My goal is not to beat every other team. If it was scratch singles, it'd be different. But it's not. My goal, as of the past few months, is to get better. That means hitting the EXACT board every single time. That means rolling the ball the same way every single time. Now what is going to help me become a better bowler faster: a THS where I can both miss my target by a couple boards AND not roll it properly but still strike OR a sports pattern where if I miss one single board, my imperfections will be super obvious? One of those challenges me to become a better bowler. I'll let you guess which it is.

[panbanger]

I've been thinking about why I left the sport for such a long stretch. I was in a youth league from the age of about 10 to 16 (1981 to 86). Then me and a few friends re-started our high school's bowling team for a couple years, until we graduated. Then I joined an adult league.

Let me tell you, that was a rough transition. I didn't finish the league. The smoking, the drinking, it just wasnt for me. And I see that in my current league, people under 25 are a small percentage. People under 21, there are maybe 2 or 3 out of about 80 players. Maybe a focus needs to be placed not just on getting young people bowling but keeping them bowling. Something to ease that transition from jr. to "grown up" leagues.

[billf]

It's all about the marketing. One area the PBA has consistently missed with in this area is a good old fashioned rivalry. Rash and Belmo handed them a golden opportunity and the PBA squashed it (at least publicly).

As for making the patterns harder to score on: I'm all for it but the vast majority of THB (typical house bowlers) would rather brag about their pattern inflated average than actually challenge themselves. We all know these guys. They can't adjust, blame all bad games on something other than themselves and won't bowl away from the favored pattern or home center.

[2fingerroller]

So is this about league bowling or bowling as a game in general?

[billf]

In general, I think. It takes the general public to become league bowlers.

[2fingerroller]

Every alley should have a fun league where at the end you get a ball, shoes, or credit at the pro shop. It's how I got started. There's Vegas leagues where your dues cover your trip and hotel. Or trips to amusement parks.

[Greenday]

Every alley should have a fun league where at the end you get a ball, shoes, or credit at the pro shop. It's how I got started. There's Vegas leagues where your dues cover your trip and hotel. Or trips to amusement parks.

Free pizza and beer got me to join my first league. And that league was cheaper than my winter league where we get nothing.

[Judy clemons]

I remember when the bowling alleys furnished nurseries for league bowlers (at no cost) and had fenced in play grounds for the kiddos with slides & merry go rounds. the parents got to bowl with very little interruption from their children because they were playing with their friends they got to see once a week and did not have time for their parents. the food and drinks were affordable enough that you would prefer to eat at the bowling alley every week before or after you bowled (giving team members more social time to enjoy being together)and the food was
really quite good home cooked stuff not frozen pizzas etc...Yes, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, but why not get back to basics? The more things change the more they stay the same. Why not install an inside play ground area (something like McDonald"s w/games ) for 12 and under? REOPEN nurseries for the 3 & under ( for small charge ) young parents would love the opportunity to get out of the house and be able to bowl without having to worry about what to do with the children. then you would have the opportunity to get more kids involved in the
sport of bowling again (train up a child in the way they should go & when they are old they will not depart from it) because they will have grown up with it it would be a part of their life as it was mine and maybe yours. Get the teams back into matching bowling shirts it is a support and motivation for them. Lets not forget the reward patches they come with the territory
everyone wants to get appraised for achievements they accomplish pins & patches are a must in this sport from the 1st 100 score up to and including the 300 mark .

[swingset]

I remember when the bowling alleys furnished nurseries for league bowlers (at no cost) and had fenced in play grounds for the kiddos with slides & merry go rounds. the parents got to bowl with very little interruption from their children because they were playing with their friends they got to see once a week and did not have time for their parents. the food and drinks were affordable enough that you would prefer to eat at the bowling alley every week before or after you bowled (giving team members more social time to enjoy being together)and the food was
really quite good home cooked stuff not frozen pizzas etc...Yes, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, but why not get back to basics? The more things change the more they stay the same. Why not install an inside play ground area (something like McDonald"s w/games ) for 12 and under? REOPEN nurseries for the 3 & under ( for small charge ) young parents would love the opportunity to get out of the house and be able to bowl without having to worry about what to do with the children. then you would have the opportunity to get more kids involved in the
sport of bowling again (train up a child in the way they should go & when they are old they will not depart from it)

Wanna know why they don't furnish all that stuff nowadays?

One word (and it sums up how our society is turning for the worse): Liability.

The cost to insure and cover themselves from mishaps and lawsuits isn't going to be made up by league fees...let alone the build cost, payroll and such for the folks who are hired to oversee the playing kids.

That's a sad fact of today's sue-happy culture. I know, cause I deal with it from overseeing our area's recreation leagues.

[bowl1820]

Yes, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, but why not get back to basics? .

Why not? BECAUSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED. I agree with swingset insurance costs and liability issues. That's why they took out the play room here the insurance costs shot up.

want to help bowling alley's, then go to Real back to basic's. when people got babysitters to watch the kids and didn't demand every place provide free babysitting services them.

But that won't happen.

[sprocket]

I'd like to see a complete throwback league from like the 50's except that I would allow plastic or rubber but no urethane or reactive. Hopefully the lane machine would be able to oil in a way that would work for plastic. Every bowler would have to dress up for leagues. Nicely embroidered silk (or whatever they wore in the 50's) shirts and dress pants. Yes the shirts would be expensive. There would be fines for swearing and rules for conduct. How much interest would it get? I don't know; I might find myself with a league of one.

[ecub]

I'd like to see a complete throwback league from like the 50's except that I would allow plastic or rubber but no urethane or reactive. Hopefully the lane machine would be able to oil in a way that would work for plastic. Every bowler would have to dress up for leagues. Nicely embroidered silk (or whatever they wore in the 50's) shirts and dress pants. Yes the shirts would be expensive. There would be fines for swearing and rules for conduct. How much interest would it get? I don't know; I might find myself with a league of one.

You can always have a day of your league to be themed bowling.

[2fingerroller]

They already have those at my alley. Tuesday club 55 and the Spirit Mountain Casino Seniors. They both start at 1230pm so you don't have to look at or hear young people and they dont have to see you and be reminded of their own impending mortality.

[J Anderson]

My wife and I met through square dancing. With the exceptions of Darien, Bridgeport, and Westport, there was at least one at least one square dance club in each town from Greenwich to New Haven. Now there are less than ten in the whole state. Part of the problem was that teens were not given much of a welcome in most clubs. Part was that the people who were most enthusiastic about dancing got caught up in dancing at higher and higher levels and stopped going to dances where they would have to dance at the mainstream ( beginner ) level, or be in a square with beginner dancers. Add in the fact that in a whole night of dancing you won't hear one song less than 20 years old, you can see why despite all the positives of fun, exercise, and mental challenge, there's not much dancing going on around here.

As experienced bowlers, we need to be welcoming to both open bowlers and new bowlers, and support efforts to attract new bowlers.

[ArtVandelay]

I have another theory... What about US...?

How many times have you seen a thread complaining about etiquette? How many times have people yelled at the young kids and parents. Safety concerns are real, but how we handle ourselves has a major impact. Perhaps we need to take it on ourselves to never do anything that discourages a young one from fun.

I remember being little, if a stranger said anything disciplinary to me, I remember fear, confusion, embarrassment, etc. it made me uncomfortable. Imagine those feelings in a bowling alley.

I remember my first league experience. I was maybe a 130 average, and the 10 pin was my nemesis more than anything. But I was a drummer and my left arm is good. I could pick the 10 up about half the time by going lefty. Immediately I was called out. Thankfully it was by a fellow Masshole (in TX) and even though he was a jerk about it, I know Massholes and I can handle that. So it was fine, but it could have easily been my last league night if it were almost anyone else being that rude.

[Hammer]

If you think that THS patterns are too easy and that conditions should be made harder like sport then I think that you will lose even more bowlers then we are now. Not everybody likes harder conditions especially beginners. If they see it is too hard then they will give up. You need the THS pattern to keep some folks interested because not everyone wants a big challenge. After a hard day at work folks want something to relax them. If they bowl a hard pattern after work they will say that they are quiting because bowling is too much like work and not relaxing. If you feel you are not being challenged enough then go to a sport or PBA setup. Everyone has a comfort spot and if that is bowling on THS pattern then so be it. Everyone fits in where they are the most comfortable. I think what would make league night interesting just about anywhere is to alternate THS and sport patterns on leagues. You can have your so called to some easy night and then have a night that challenges you more. That way you get a taste of both worlds. So to me you need both the easy patterns and the harder patterns to satisfy more folks.

[Greenday]

If you think that THS patterns are too easy and that conditions should be made harder like sport then I think that you will lose even more bowlers then we are now.

I'm not saying all leagues should have sports patterns. But there should be more leagues with sports patterns. None of the local alleys near me have leagues or tournaments that use sports patterns. Everything is a THS. There's just no options for challenging yourself for a good game around me.

[bowl1820]

I'm not saying all leagues should have sports patterns. But there should be more leagues with sports patterns. None of the local alleys near me have leagues or tournaments that use sports patterns. Everything is a THS. There's just no options for challenging yourself for a good game around me.

If they don't use any sports patterns around there. Then you and some like minded others need to get together. Go and talk to the lanes, leagues, local association, the tournament directors and lobby for it.

Somebody has to start the ball rolling to get changes made.

[swingset]

If they don't use any sports patterns around there. Then you and some like minded others need to get together. Go and talk to the lanes, leagues, local association, the tournament directors and lobby for it.

Somebody has to start the ball rolling to get changes made.

This. The house owner's job (as far as he sees it) isn't to provide each bowler with his ideal challenge. His job is to make money and keep the lights on. He'll do what sells, 9 times out of 10. If you can convince the lanes that there is money to be made off of a sport series and get bowlers to lobby for that, they'll likely do it.

[GeoLes]

"I'd like to see a complete throwback league from like the 50's except that I would allow plastic or rubber but no urethane or reactive. Hopefully the lane machine would be able to oil in a way that would work for plastic. Every bowler would have to dress up for leagues. Nicely embroidered silk (or whatever they wore in the 50's) shirts and dress pants. Yes the shirts would be expensive. There would be fines for swearing and rules for conduct. How much interest would it get? I don't know; I might find myself with a league of one. "

I recall they tried that with Tennis back in the days of Jimmy Connors and Byorn Borg. These guys donned old "county club" gear and competed with wooden rackets. It was a cleaver novelty. If you appreciated the technological advancements of the modern tennis racket, you enjoyed watching the adaptability skills of the players using "dead" equipment, If not, it was just like a haloween party. just a novelty, but it may pull a segment of the population none the less.

[Bendial]

I don't think bowling is a dying sport at all, and honestly I'm perfectly okay with bowling not being extremely popular. There is nothing worse than going to the alley on the weekends or during the week night and being told I have to wait 2 hours to get a lane, or to come back tomorrow. I've only been bowling for 4 months or so now and I've met some pretty awesome people.

[panbanger]

I don't think bowling is a dying sport at all, and honestly I'm perfectly okay with bowling not being extremely popular. There is nothing worse than going to the alley on the weekends or during the week night and being told I have to wait 2 hours to get a lane, or to come back tomorrow. I've only been bowling for 4 months or so now and I've met some pretty awesome people.


Glad to have you in the sport! I agree, it's a bummer to want to bowl and not be able to get a lane.

[hoppy1605]

I'd have to agree with the majority of these posts, in that if the game was made harder it would discourage beginners from getting "hooked"! I'm only in my 3rd season and I can't get enough. I started out at 101 average my first year (straight baller), then bought my first ball (Storm 2Fast) and the rest is history. I now have many balls (not that I need them, but just like to collect so to speak), and right now my average is between 175-180, and have a 700 series and several 600's. If after I bought my first ball and could not get the hang of it (if my average stayed around 130, I know I would have given up. There are many leagues that offer sport shots, or even some house shots are more difficult (at least here in the greater Pittsburgh area). I'm 37, so I got a late start and I enjoy a good challenge, but I still want to do well and I know if I didn't start grabbing a 200 game every once in a while I would have had a hard time coming back.

[Brownswick]

Not sure I necessarily agree with the premise that bowling is dying. The house where I bowl is the highest grossing Brunswick O&O in the region. Things are always hopping there. There's a strong community of scratch (or near scratch) bowlers (I count myself among them), the place is packed seven nights a week with league, and there's the usual compliment of birthday parties on the weekend. I'm told that the place is full even on most weekdays with parties, corporate outings and school events. So if your bowling center is finding it hard to stay busy, maybe they need to talk to the guys running the place where I bowl.

That said, I want to make a few points about what's been said thus far...

First, on the subject of making the game too easy or harder, I must chime in: I agree with those who say it's a ridiculous idea to make the game harder if your goal is to draw more people into the game. That said, I think the real point is being missed by most of you. It's fine to treat the lanes in such a way that makes it easier to hit the pocket. What's really wrong in the formula is the ball itself. Today's bowling ball is too powerful. You can't put the genie back in the bottle when it comes to how much stronger most players' release is. I see players palm the ball, or rev it up in ways unheard of 30 years ago that would have made Mark Roth look like a stroker. People won't go back. But the ball needs to. With these strong releases, pins are just no match for the modern ball. If you want to make the game harder, don't make it harder to hit the pocket. Just tame the ball so it won't strike on every half-pocket hit. Heavier pins would help. But the real problem is the ball.

Second, I coach kids at the bowl on Saturday mornings. I'm encouraged by the fact that there's quite a few young (really young) guns in our junior program. Some of them are going to be great bowlers some day (they're great now for their age and size). More strong junior programs, both for junior leagues at the bowling centers, as well as bowling programs at high schools, are the answer as far as bringing more young people to the game. This can help make bowling "cool" again, at least to a segment of people. I'm actually quite optimistic about this. There weren't high school bowling teams when I was growing up, but there are now. This is a step in the right direction.

Finally, and this might be the most important step of all, the bowling industry needs to somehow come to an epiphany that it made a huge mistake 30 years ago in shifting its marketing away from bowling being a SPORT to the approach it has used ever since that conveys the message that bowling is RECREATION. This has a domino effect that's not healthy. Mainly, such emphasis means that the BPAA, not the USBC, is the organization that has the political cloud to drive the bus. It stands to reason that the proprietors are the ones pulling all the strings; they're the ones who stand to make (or lose) money as bowling's popularity peaks or wanes. But it is the ABC/USBC that holds THE GAME to the highest standards. Like in golf, where the USGA sets standards for golf clubs and balls (and in some circumstances, has mandated that performance of clubs and balls be rolled back to keep the game from being "too easy"), the USBC needs to flex whatever muscle it has. Problem is, the BPAA stands in the way of such decisions. For while it is the ABC/USBC that truly has the game's integrity it mind, the BPAA has only its on self interest in mind. To hell with the game's integrity, as long as we fill the bowling center with customers. Thirty years ago, you would find TWO shifts of league, seven nights a week in most all bowling centers across the country. Today, bowling centers are lucky if they're filled wall to wall with ONE shift of league each night. And half the leagues they do have are NON-SANCTIONED. So if you really want to be concerned about bowling's future, concern yourself over the health of the USBC going forward. Because the BPAA and its members will do fine. It's the USBC that you might see have to reorganize (again).

[Ming]

It's almost impossible to get a lane around here on the weekends, and even the evenings are pretty busy. I would say most of them are not regulars though.