The Maven
04-27-2014, 11:42 PM
I see one of the problems is that bowling is a different game from what it was. We have two totally separate different games; one in the 70’s and before, and the other, the 80’s and beyond. The time frame is flexible as to exactly when, and where in the country. Many judgments are tried to be made comparing them; it’s not going to happen or make sense.
Bowling is a “score conscience” game similar to golf. Golf put a frying pan on the end of the shaft to help you drive the ball better, and made huge sweet spots on the irons to cut down on the errant shots. All of this was done for the average golfer to increase his/her scoring and the games popularity. The perfect game would be an 18, but I think we are about 30 to 40 years away from that.
Unfortunately, in bowling the ultimate score is a 300 or how many 300s in a row you can bowl, which has become so common-place in achieving that it is ridiculous. We are comparing that to the pre-70 era.
We would rejoice and dance in the isles if we had a 2 to 3 board area to work with and that was if you were lined up properly and threw the ball well and adjusted as the lanes broke down, and if they were oiled at all. Today it seems like keeping it right/left of center and max revolutions is all that’s needed to be a star. When us oldsters see terms like spare-percentage, we fall down laughing. The game has become not whether or not you hit the pocket, but whether or not you carry. It seems like half the bowlers are driving semis to bring enough balls to choose from. Because of the lane conditioning and equipment the game has become a “strikes only” game; spares are much an afterthought.
The other night I went out and watched the top travel scratch leagues in our area play. In all reality it looked like one of the better handicap beer leagues from yesteryear or that someone turned an asylum loose on the lanes. Very few in the league had consistent mechanics; the emphasis was on hurling the ball with as many revolutions as possible in the “general direction” of the pins. Because of the extreme number of boards crossed and wild shots, the many errant shots left some of the most interesting spare shots imaginable. Looking at their league sheet and seeing the number of 300’s bowled, it occurred to me that if they had bowled in my day, it would have taken 2 of them added together to get to 300.
In all reality, doctored’ conditions have always been with us to increase scoring, but their occurrence was rare and usually for special occasions and/or tournaments. Both shellac and lacquer would wear down leaving a general track toward the pocket. A lot of the early high scorers would throw spinners that would generally stay in the track and hook into the pocket. With proper oiling in conjunction with the track one could, what we call “Block” the lanes where the scratch bowler could kick the ball into the pocket. With the advent of synthetic finishes and lanes, the oiling would control where the shot was.
Different parts of the country would have their general “lane condition” which would be the most commonplace to be found. Scores would vary throughout the country depending on the conditions found.
I grew up on military bases throughout the world and learned to bowl on their lanes. I didn’t know any better, but the conditions I learned on could be described as absolutely brutal. My original house was 12 lanes in a Quonset hut with open windows down the sides in the summer to keep it cooler. The color of the lanes was dark brown. Every morning an old maintenance man would have a spray can of oil and start at the pin deck and walk backwards spraying the lanes; that was the daily ritual.
I developed a unique style of bowling; as back then, the general approach was to watch others and copy what you liked. My heels overhung the back of the approach; I took 4 giant steps; at the top of my backswing the ball was above my head; when I released the ball, my heel was more pointed towards the pins than the toe. Something like today’s bowlers only with less revolutions. I was 15 when I started and was the top Junior with my 158 average.
The military Special Services for the moral and well being of the servicemen and their families schedule appearances of celebrated stars in the sports world. For the bowlers a name star would put on an exhibition and bowl a match against the top Junior bowler. I got to bowl against Buzz Fazio, who I did not like. He gave off the attitude that he was “Mr. Big” and was also trying to tell me what I was doing wrong. Hey, I was the top Junior……who was this Buzz Fazio?
A couple of months later at another base I got to bowl against another touring star. He had an impact on me and to this day, I consider him as one of the most gracious and caring bowlers of all time. You could feel in his attitude that you getting better was important to him. It wasn’t an ego thing, he actually wanted you to improve and what he showed and said to me made a difference. He was Andy Varipapa and he is gone now, but will forever be in the memory of mine and many others.
At the age of 16 I went into the adult leagues and improved. At 18 in another location, I bowled in the Carling Black Label League where 1st place was 5 new 1967 Pontiac Firebird cars. That was my first scratch league. (I did not get a car)
To give you an idea of how the game has changed, I have posted a picture of an award my 1st bowling association presented to a bowler that tossed a 210 or higher game in sanctioned competition.
1147
Bowling is a “score conscience” game similar to golf. Golf put a frying pan on the end of the shaft to help you drive the ball better, and made huge sweet spots on the irons to cut down on the errant shots. All of this was done for the average golfer to increase his/her scoring and the games popularity. The perfect game would be an 18, but I think we are about 30 to 40 years away from that.
Unfortunately, in bowling the ultimate score is a 300 or how many 300s in a row you can bowl, which has become so common-place in achieving that it is ridiculous. We are comparing that to the pre-70 era.
We would rejoice and dance in the isles if we had a 2 to 3 board area to work with and that was if you were lined up properly and threw the ball well and adjusted as the lanes broke down, and if they were oiled at all. Today it seems like keeping it right/left of center and max revolutions is all that’s needed to be a star. When us oldsters see terms like spare-percentage, we fall down laughing. The game has become not whether or not you hit the pocket, but whether or not you carry. It seems like half the bowlers are driving semis to bring enough balls to choose from. Because of the lane conditioning and equipment the game has become a “strikes only” game; spares are much an afterthought.
The other night I went out and watched the top travel scratch leagues in our area play. In all reality it looked like one of the better handicap beer leagues from yesteryear or that someone turned an asylum loose on the lanes. Very few in the league had consistent mechanics; the emphasis was on hurling the ball with as many revolutions as possible in the “general direction” of the pins. Because of the extreme number of boards crossed and wild shots, the many errant shots left some of the most interesting spare shots imaginable. Looking at their league sheet and seeing the number of 300’s bowled, it occurred to me that if they had bowled in my day, it would have taken 2 of them added together to get to 300.
In all reality, doctored’ conditions have always been with us to increase scoring, but their occurrence was rare and usually for special occasions and/or tournaments. Both shellac and lacquer would wear down leaving a general track toward the pocket. A lot of the early high scorers would throw spinners that would generally stay in the track and hook into the pocket. With proper oiling in conjunction with the track one could, what we call “Block” the lanes where the scratch bowler could kick the ball into the pocket. With the advent of synthetic finishes and lanes, the oiling would control where the shot was.
Different parts of the country would have their general “lane condition” which would be the most commonplace to be found. Scores would vary throughout the country depending on the conditions found.
I grew up on military bases throughout the world and learned to bowl on their lanes. I didn’t know any better, but the conditions I learned on could be described as absolutely brutal. My original house was 12 lanes in a Quonset hut with open windows down the sides in the summer to keep it cooler. The color of the lanes was dark brown. Every morning an old maintenance man would have a spray can of oil and start at the pin deck and walk backwards spraying the lanes; that was the daily ritual.
I developed a unique style of bowling; as back then, the general approach was to watch others and copy what you liked. My heels overhung the back of the approach; I took 4 giant steps; at the top of my backswing the ball was above my head; when I released the ball, my heel was more pointed towards the pins than the toe. Something like today’s bowlers only with less revolutions. I was 15 when I started and was the top Junior with my 158 average.
The military Special Services for the moral and well being of the servicemen and their families schedule appearances of celebrated stars in the sports world. For the bowlers a name star would put on an exhibition and bowl a match against the top Junior bowler. I got to bowl against Buzz Fazio, who I did not like. He gave off the attitude that he was “Mr. Big” and was also trying to tell me what I was doing wrong. Hey, I was the top Junior……who was this Buzz Fazio?
A couple of months later at another base I got to bowl against another touring star. He had an impact on me and to this day, I consider him as one of the most gracious and caring bowlers of all time. You could feel in his attitude that you getting better was important to him. It wasn’t an ego thing, he actually wanted you to improve and what he showed and said to me made a difference. He was Andy Varipapa and he is gone now, but will forever be in the memory of mine and many others.
At the age of 16 I went into the adult leagues and improved. At 18 in another location, I bowled in the Carling Black Label League where 1st place was 5 new 1967 Pontiac Firebird cars. That was my first scratch league. (I did not get a car)
To give you an idea of how the game has changed, I have posted a picture of an award my 1st bowling association presented to a bowler that tossed a 210 or higher game in sanctioned competition.
1147