I Really couldn't decide which was sadder...

[RobLV1]

.... bowling senior pot games... watching bowlers throwing horrible shots and yelling obscenities because they didn't strike, and others throwing great shots, but using the wrong ball on the wrong line and looking down at their hand when they didn't strike like it was all the fault of their releases. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry... like witnessing the death of our sport.

[Ishkabibble]

I'm sure the way bowling has become with the synthetic lanes, blocked shots and resin balls it is very overwhelming for many of the senior bowlers. Much like a computer or many other electronic devices. Knowledge is key.

[djp1080]

You probably should just give thanks that you're interested in bowling pot games at all. I bowl with seniors, but not in pot games. Most of them don't yell obscenities at any time. Using the wrong ball, etc., yes! Throwing strikes when there was no way... :) I just give 'em a high five when they do... After reading the new article on BTM about myelin, I think it is, I may never have a chance to fix all these bowling issues I have now and I'll never be confident to bowl in pot games ever again. Right now the main issue is pulling up on my backswing along with turning my hand inward as well. I've found that if I consciously attempt to get my hand to face away from my body a little that I fix both problems. It's not very comfortable though, but my ball just makes a nice move left on each shot. This past week I tried starting with a pushaway with my fingers at 3 o'clock rather than 5 or 6 o'clock and consciously turning my hand counterclockwise right after the pushaway instead. That seemed to work pretty good. If you have any hints for me, I'd appreciate it. Hope you're doing well in those pot games...

[RobLV1]

You probably should just give thanks that you're interested in bowling pot games at all. I bowl with seniors, but not in pot games. Most of them don't yell obscenities at any time. Using the wrong ball, etc., yes! Throwing strikes when there was no way... :) I just give 'em a high five when they do... After reading the new article on BTM about myelin, I think it is, I may never have a chance to fix all these bowling issues I have now and I'll never be confident to bowl in pot games ever again. Right now the main issue is pulling up on my backswing along with turning my hand inward as well. I've found that if I consciously attempt to get my hand to face away from my body a little that I fix both problems. It's not very comfortable though, but my ball just makes a nice move left on each shot. This past week I tried starting with a pushaway with my fingers at 3 o'clock rather than 5 or 6 o'clock and consciously turning my hand counterclockwise right after the pushaway instead. That seemed to work pretty good. If you have any hints for me, I'd appreciate it. Hope you're doing well in those pot games...

I'm finding it difficult to follow what you are saying via the written word. I would suggest that you either post a video here, or email it to me at robbob5@embarqmail.com, and I will gladly take a look at it and make suggestions. As for doing well at pot games, I just go there to practice and watch for fodder for articles. LOL

[GeoLes]

Unfortunately, bowling is one of those easy-entry sport that anyone can try. You don't even need equipment, you can get it all at the lane for a little money. Please try to remember that a great many people learn to bowl by figuring it out for themselves or imitating others. They do the best that they know how to do. Also recall that human being are creatures of habit. We are a little insane in that we kind of believe that we keep trying to get a different result while doing exactly the same thing.

What can help people like this is not pity, but understanding and gentle prodding to get them on the path to improvement. I have a friend who bowls probably 120 average. Whenever I go for practice, he becomes excited when I close a frame. He has a problem with his swing. He bends the elbow in the back swing, and gently swings the ball down to the foul line. It creeps down the lane. I have suggested that he practice just pushing away, letting the ball swing like a pendulum and catching it to get feel for an effort-free swing, but seems only interested in repeated his current method with hope of more spares.

Eventually he will decide to move on, but until then I will let him enjoy his game at whatever level he is on. No pity there. Just encouragement

Sorry to harp on this, but this is the same attitude I see in bicycling. There are elite cyclists who look down on those who can only buy "afforadable" bikes, etc.

It hurts more people than it helps. You get more flies with sugar than vinegar.

[RobLV1]

Unfortunately, bowling is one of those easy-entry sport that anyone can try. You don't even need equipment, you can get it all at the lane for a little money. Please try to remember that a great many people learn to bowl by figuring it out for themselves or imitating others. They do the best that they know how to do. Also recall that human being are creatures of habit. We are a little insane in that we kind of believe that we keep trying to get a different result while doing exactly the same thing.

What can help people like this is not pity, but understanding and gentle prodding to get them on the path to improvement. I have a friend who bowls probably 120 average. Whenever I go for practice, he becomes excited when I close a frame. He has a problem with his swing. He bends the elbow in the back swing, and gently swings the ball down to the foul line. It creeps down the lane. I have suggested that he practice just pushing away, letting the ball swing like a pendulum and catching it to get feel for an effort-free swing, but seems only interested in repeated his current method with hope of more spares.

Eventually he will decide to move on, but until then I will let him enjoy his game at whatever level he is on. No pity there. Just encouragement

Sorry to harp on this, but this is the same attitude I see in bicycling. There are elite cyclists who look down on those who can only buy "afforadable" bikes, etc.

It hurts more people than it helps. You get more flies with sugar than vinegar.

Perhaps I didn't explain the situation properly. These guys are not newbies who use house balls and rent shoes. They do not average 120. They are 200+ scratch bowlers who have all bowled for many years, and have become numb to the intricacies in the game by the insane lack of regulation of modern bowling balls and lane conditions. I'm not trying to catch any flies at all... I'm just trying to wake people up to the fact that we are losing sight of the potential of bowling. If people want to see bowling in the Olympics, this is definitely not the way to do it.

[GeoLes]

I hear you, but like myself this morning. When the alarm goes off, the wife says that it's time to wake up, but I am just not ready yet. I would rather remain asleep. Regardless of the level of experience, people do not move on until they are ready to move on. I hear the frustration. But I also consider the fact that I might have one (teeny-weeny glaring flaw that I cannot see, want to hear about or correct regardless of the prompting of others around me to change. I won't change it until I am ready.

It is true of even scratch bowlers (although I am not one yet). I hope when I get there, I have your insights to help me continue to improve.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Aslan]

I see what Rob is saying. It is very, very frustrating. We've all had those nights where for the life of us we couldn't seem to hold pocket....yet some lower average bowler is having the game of their life striking 6-7 times with mostly Brooklyn hits....or the guy bowling for his 10th 300-game and coming completely up the side of the ball the way he learned to 30 years ago.

I had a similar frustration last season...older guy that was doing EVERYTHING wrong...and was absolutely unteachable. But guess what...he rolled a 268 one night. If he wasn't teachable before that....he's a lost cause now.

Bowling is rare. It's got the history, it's got massive public appeal, and is a huge participation sport. But it has lost it's marketable value at the highest level. That will generally (but slowly) erode the sport away to nothing. It's why soccer has never caught on in the United States. It, like bowling, is easy to learn and inexpensive to play...but without that healthy upper/pro level drawing people into the sport side of things....soccer becomes something for 5-9 year olds to do that doesn't cost a lot. And soccer enthusiasts have done everything they can think of to change that...but even with the most popular sport in the world (and it's not even a close contest)...if you can't make the pro level successful and marketable...it doesn't matter. Soccer, paintball, ice hockey, billiards, ping pong, lacrosse, cycling, etc... All of those are way more fun and way easier to learn than golf. Yet every single weekend....NBC airs nothing but golf for like what seems like 16 hours. Companies spend millions of dollars to put on these events...yet I can't name more than like 2-3 professional golfers not counting Tiger Woods. Same thing with Nascar. Stupidest sport in the country that isn't professional wrestling....yet millions of hillbillies tune in every weekend to watch the equivalent of a Tyco electric slot car race.

The sport isn't going anywhere. But that includes going "up" as well as down. Without a healthy professional level...it's just another thing to fill a couple hours on ESPN when there's no poker games and they have a few hours before some figure skating show or a new 30 for 30.

[NewToBowling]

Without Tiger Woods years ago I'm almost certain golf would be dealing with the same issues bowling has now, just to a lesser extent.

[Aslan]

Without Tiger Woods years ago I'm almost certain golf would be dealing with the same issues bowling has now, just to a lesser extent.

Golf has suffered a downswing...but many things have. Online poker, paintball, motorcycling...all of these were on the rise pre-2008 and then went in the toilet afterwards. I brought up Golf as an example because it's one of the few that still sees a lot of money infused at the upper level. Still a lot of corporate sponsors and money feeding it. So even though local courses aren't seeing the same kind of traffic they saw 10 years ago...the sport is still relatively healthy. It's almost the reverse situation to bowling. Bowling has plenty of participation...but very little money at the top to inspire folks to go down that path. Golf has plenty of money at the top...feeding the sport...but participation is starting to tail off.

[J Anderson]

Same thing with Nascar. Stupidest sport in the country that isn't professional wrestling....yet millions of hillbillies tune in every weekend to watch the equivalent of a Tyco electric slot car race.

Professional wrestling is not a sport. It is entertainment. If you don't believe me just look up what WWE stands for. To be a sport, an activity must have a competition where each participant has some chance at winning. When each match has a script and a predetermined winner you are not watching a sport.

[bubba809]

Professional wrestling is not a sport. It is entertainment. If you don't believe me just look up what WWE stands for. To be a sport, an activity must have a competition where each participant has some chance at winning. When each match has a script and a predetermined winner you are not watching a sport.



Wait.....are you saying it's not real??



What?



WHAT??


WHAT???

[Timmyb]

Wait.....are you saying it's not real??



What?



WHAT??


WHAT???


:o

Next you'll tell me Roller Derby is scripted as well. I am an avid racing fan, but not of NASCAR. Drag racing is waaaaay better. The races only last a few seconds, and you're on to a new one. Great if you have a short attention span like myself!

Aslan is right. The sport isn't going away. I've been doing this for 40 years. Bowling has always ebbed and flowed. Granted, the current ebb has been going on pretty long. Go to a house around Milwaukee on the weekend, and the places are usually pretty packed. I think if some of the houses pushed their youth programs a little harder, bowling could be brought back to what it used to be when I was a kid.

[NewToBowling]

One of the weirdest sports (activities?) I've seen is tractor pulling. They actually have a series that travels across the US

[RobLV1]

O.K., thread is officially dead!

[Amyers]

O.K., thread is officially dead!

Should have been quite a few post ago

[vdubtx]

Dead no, derailed yes.

Wasn't sure the thread was going anywhere from the get go though. So, maybe a good thing it got derailed.

[bubba809]

Lock it up then.

[Aslan]

Lock it up then.

Don't poke the bear. Once he gets on a "locking spree" he's bound to lock a thread where my wisdom has only begun to flow....and that's not good.

[GeoLes]

Golf has suffered a downswing....

Was that pun intentional or unintentional?

[Blacksox1]

.... bowling senior pot games... watching bowlers throwing horrible shots and yelling obscenities because they didn't strike, and others throwing great shots, but using the wrong ball on the wrong line and looking down at their hand when they didn't strike like it was all the fault of their releases. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry... like witnessing the death of our sport.

Rob, if I ever move to vegas, I want you to tell me who these people are, and where they bowl. This sounds like a steady money maker.;)

[Aslan]

Was that pun intentional or unintentional?
I consider intentional pun humor to be beneath me.