Would having alternate THS and sport patterns on league nights be a good idea?

[Hammer]

Just to make things challenging on league nights everywhere I think alternating THS and sport patterns would make things interesting for league folks. Instead of having easy THS patterns all of the time every other day make it a sport pattern. That way you satisfy two groups of people. You won't have folks complaining that it is too hard and folks complaining that it is too easy. Would this be possible for alleys to do this? Would the bowling fees be more because of the sport pattern? I would be interested in something like this. How about some thoughts on this idea?

[Kobra167]

I think it would be cool to have a changing shot laid out. Yes, the alleys can do it if they want to do it. I think somebody is always going to hate or complain. Somebody wont like it, but I would appreciate it for sure.

[swingset]

If there's money to be made, a house will do it. Talk to your league and secretaries of other leagues, try to get enough people interested to make it a prospect to the house and run it by the manager.

[v33dubfox]

I would really appreciate it. It would be useful to get better accuracy. But, we always know people that don't want to have a lower average...

[J Anderson]

I would think there might be a slight extra expense for the alley to reprogram the machine every other week, but I doubt if the THS uses much less oil than most sport shots and may actually use more than the short patterns like Cheetah.

It would be extra work for the league secretary who would have to maintain a regular and a sport average for everyone in the league.

My guess is that the USBC would insist on all the league members upgrading to sport membership.

[billf]

Easily done but not very probable. The THS was incorporated to increase scoring and too many people would have an issue. Personally, I like the idea.

[e-tank]

i would love this. The only way i can bowl on a sport pattern at my house is through the pba experience league which i am not currently in

[crimsoneyes]

I was just chatting this morning with the guy who oils our lanes. He said he put up a sign that said "No Whining. Good bowlers adjust." But apparently people whined and took it down the same day. He also said he has never changed the pattern he puts down and people still complain from week to week. My point is that while I see it as a perfect opportunity to learn and increase my skills, other people want the same thing all the time. I would love to have a Sport league in the area but I guess there is no demand around here.

[bowl1820]

I would think there might be a slight extra expense for the alley to reprogram the machine every other week, but I doubt if the THS uses much less oil than most sport shots and may actually use more than the short patterns like Cheetah.
Changing the pattern the machine is just punching a couple of buttons, it can hold several pattern in memory (the Kustodian ION comes with 30 Lane Patterns pre loaded, that's enough to do almost a whole season ) so you don't have to reprogram it week to week.


It would be extra work for the league secretary who would have to maintain a regular and a sport average for everyone in the league.
Standard leagues can use sport patterns and not be Sport leagues because the sport patterns meet the requirements for standard league patterns.

So The secretary doesn't have to keep separate averages . You only have sport averages on sport leagues.


My guess is that the USBC would insist on all the league members upgrading to sport membership.
So you wouldn't need a sport upgrade.

[mxjosh]

If u are talking about each week alternating, I would see that as a problem. Put out a tough shot one week, that very few people have shot on and they are gonna struggle. Then the next week that shot is gone and back to easy again. Could artificially lower a lot of good bowlers avg's. While this may sound good, I certainly dont wanna bowl a 210 avg bowler who had trouble adjusting and had his/her avg drop to 200 in a handicap tournament. the higher avg's can be detrimental in those types of tournaments. Almost reverse sandbagging so to speak.

Switching out every week would also seem to break the learning cycle. We have patterns set for 8-9 weeks and dont change it til the quarter is over. Gives everyone a chance to learn it and they know what equipment to bring. my THS ball lineup is different than my sport shot line up.

[Hammer]

I think that alternating every week from a THS pattern to a sport pattern would not affect bowlers with low averages who throw a straight ball all of the time. For bowlers that know how to throw a hook ball it would be a different story. I wonder if you can make a ball set up for a THS pattern work on the sport pattern just using a lateral move with the feet along with a target move to set up for a pocket hit.

[billf]

Hammer, yes you can just move your feet, target and hand positions to get to the pocket on a sport shot with a regular ball. The different balls just make it easier and allow for a better line to create better pin carry.

[J Anderson]

Standard leagues can use sport patterns and not be Sport leagues because the sport patterns meet the requirements for standard league patterns.



Ought to attract lots of sandbaggers who could get an average based on bowling sport patterns half the time that wouldn't have to be adjusted for tournaments, although tournament managers could do a re-rate if they realized what was going on.

[bowl1820]

Ought to attract lots of sandbaggers who could get an average based on bowling sport patterns half the time that wouldn't have to be adjusted for tournaments, although tournament managers could do a re-rate if they realized what was going on.

"Renegade leagues" That's a whole other discussion that's come up before.

[Greenday]

I think that alternating every week from a THS pattern to a sport pattern would not affect bowlers with low averages who throw a straight ball all of the time. For bowlers that know how to throw a hook ball it would be a different story. I wonder if you can make a ball set up for a THS pattern work on the sport pattern just using a lateral move with the feet along with a target move to set up for a pocket hit.

It's not like a ball no longer hooks. I mean, if you are using a light oil ball, you are screwed if you try to hook it, but I throw my heavy oil balls my first game of league on a THS. My Invasion or Sync will hook regardless of which pattern I bowl on. It might just take longer to hook so you have to play a straighter line instead of swinging it outside. It also forces you to be more accurate. Put me on any sport pattern, I can hook the ball. It's just the difference between being able to miss by a few boards in either direction and still hitting the pocket vs. missing by just one board and missing the pocket completely.

[EboniteKid299]

It would be cool, but unfortunately just about nobody wants it

[J Anderson]

It would be cool, but unfortunately just about nobody wants it

And yet it seems to me that most of the people who've replied would like this. Go figure.