Has the game changed THAT much?!

[bowl1820]

1) Thats not my name.
2) Already addressed "sport" oil patterns in my other post. I didn't mean "sport oil patterns" as we think of them now...I meant a standardized USBC pattern that pre-dates today's easier house patterns.

Aslan, you just have to watch on how you use the terminology. When The term "Sport Oil" is used, most people think of today's system of "Sport Bowling" which uses the harder "sport oil patterns".


The "patterns" used back in the day (the way they blocked them), were called things like the "Christmas tree" which was a basically a "Funnel Block" because it helped guide the ball right to the pocket. The basic block, the Berlin wall , tunnel block.Flat oil And they weren't "standardized" patterns like you know them today.


Trivia:
(as you can see here oil amounts were changing long before resin balls came out)

History Of Oil
Background - the numbers below reflect values from the PBA National Tour and were provided by Len Nicholson and John Davis. The primary ingredient of lane conditioners is mineral oil, a by-product of petroleum distillation.


1970 - approximately 4 milliliters (ml) of conditioner was applied to each lane. In 1970 the conditioners contained 10% mineral oil and 90% solvent. The solvent helped disperse the mineral oil evenly across the surface of the lane and would then evaporate. So in terms of the amount of actual "oil" placed on the lane in 1970, it was .4 ml.


1971 - approximately 6 ml of conditioner was applied per lane, with the percentage of mineral oil increasing to 20%. Effective amount of oil per lane was 1.2 ml, or 3X the amount of oil used in 1970.


In 1971 the average number of games bowled per lane during a PBA event's qualifying rounds between re-oiling was forty-eight (48).


1973 - "soakers" were first used in '73 and STP was added to the conditioner to help increase viscosity. The ratios were 19 parts mineral oil, 79 parts solvent, and 2 parts STP.


1975 - the Shure D and Yellow Dots were introduced, and the percentage of STP being added to the oil almost doubled to 3.5%.


1978 - the LT48 was launched and oil volumes took a dramatic increase. The percentage of mineral oil increased 50% and the amount of STP being added climbed to 5%. Compared to 1970, the depth of the oil was 450% greater, and because of the STP, the oil was thicker and more slippery.


Up to this point in PBA history, the distribution of oil was fairly even from front to back.


1980 - the introduction of urethane caused a dramatic shift in the volume and distribution of oil applied to the lanes. Total volume per lane increased to approximately 10 ml. and solvents and STP were removed. New "slick agents" were introduced. 1980 oils typically contained 1-2 additives. Effective increase in the volume of oil on each lane compared to 1970 - 2,500%!!! Not only is there 25X as much oil on a lane, the majority of it is loaded into the front part of the lane.


1990 - volumes have now climbed to 15 ml per lane and oils contain 4-5 additives.


2000 - volumes average 22 ml per lane and oils now contain 7-8 additives and slick agents.


2010 - volumes are as high as 28 ml per lane and oils contain 10-12 additives and slick agents. Not even considering the "slickness" and "viscosity" of today's oil, the volumes are 70X what they were in 1970.

[Aslan]

Two great, informative posts. I like bowling...because there are old (er) people that play it...and they "know stuff".

But does anyone know the reference to when the USBC allowed lanes to vary their patterns? I can't find the dang article I read. Again, I don't know the history of the patterns or oil application...I just know that according to the article I read (which was legitimate...not a 13 year old's FB post)...Lanes wanted to make the oil patterns easier, drum up more business (for all the reasons The_Shepard mentioned)...more strikes, etc... The USBC sanctioned lanes weren't allowed to "initially" because the USBC had a certain standard or guideline. Then...they allowed it. For some reason...I'm thinking 1983...but I have no idea if thats right.

[bowlerRob2]

Yes the game has changed from someone who has been there. I'll turn 60 soon and learned to bowl around age 10. You can do the math to figure out when that was but it was a long time ago in bowling years. Roth was considered a "power cranker bowler" in his day but he looks rather tame now.

When I learned to bowl all the balls were black and we had to have our initials or first names engraved on them to tell them apart. I have no idea what they had for cores but they were probably round cuz those things barely hooked even when you turned your hand. That is why I learned to turn my hand and bowl from outside. When I learned to bowl we needed to bowl from outside to gain the angle advantage because the balls didn't hook much (esp as kids).

Fast forward 50 years and here I am using a reactive-azz resin ball with a wonky core that hooks a lot when I turn my hand. And the terms I am still coming to grips with (PIN to PAP, rev rate, blah blah..). Having to deal with transitioning oil was also something I had to learn as adult because then oil was mainly laid down to protect the wood lanes. The only thing we needed to know about oil was that it was there beyond the foul line so don't you dare go beyond the line or you'll slip and break your neck.

Let you in on a little secret though. Today's game is a lot more fun! Always something new to learn and damn if that resin ball doesn't look nice hooking into the pocket to smash some pins.

My first ball: AMF 3 dot. My most recent ball purchase Storm Reign of Power.

[Aslan]

Let you in on a little secret though. Today's game is a lot more fun! Always something new to learn and damn if that resin ball doesn't look nice hooking into the pocket to smash some pins.

More fun...but not more skilled. I wish there was a way to fix that. I guess competitive sport oil patterns have tried to do that and have been successful. But I agree...it used to be a frustrating game to go out there and bowl a 73-133...more spares than strikes....which means having to accurately pick up spares. Now guys just hammer down strike after strike after strike...until by some dumb luck a 5 pin stays standing or they get a split and miss one of the 2 pins.

Whats the next evolution....adaptable surfaces that sense the oil and can open/close pores accordingly? Who knows.

But I do like the reference to the old black balls with the initials. I hear kids say, "Some guy put his initials on this one...I wonder why he'd bother to do that." Because back was I was a wee little tot...like you said...all the balls were black.

[vdubtx]

More fun...but not more skilled.

Think you are seriously reaching here. Until you can say you can bowl a 600 series on a regular basis and even an occasional 700, your talk is just that. You talk a big game and seem to "know" all about skill of the game.

Sorry, even on a house shot you get carry down oil and need to transition as the night progresses. That takes skill to know how to do that and which adjustments need to be made. Not all of those adjustments will work each and every night and you won't be the high man each week if you don't learn from the mistakes made.

[Stormed1]

Back in the old days (60s/70s)...your best bowlers would bowl 208 averages...very few 800 series if any and it was done on sport oil conditions. As time progressed...equipment improved...now anybody with a $150 ball and a couple lessons can bowl a 212, 219, 235. That short list of 300 games...that used to be slightly bigger than the list of hole-in-ones at a golf course...now it's almost an entire page...mostly 1998 to 2013.

In 1990 when I shot my 800 there were 35000 accross the entire country. Now days there's that mant just in the Chicago area. I bowled a league a few years ago where we 27 300 and 38 800

Imagine if the PBA bowled on house oil patterns. You really think the best team at your friday night league couldn't take down a PBA foursome on any given night? And thats not only the "joke" that is bowling...it's also what I think makes bowling great. It's the ONLY sport a regular ole Joe could beat a pro at. No matter how good you are at basketball, hockey, baseball, boxing, tennis, soccer, etc... You wouldn't last more than 5 minutes in a pro game. You couldn't score one goal...you couldn't get one hit...you'd be lucky to return one serve or make one basket. And new equipment won't save you. New bats, basketball shoes, a new racket, a new hockey stick...these things mean nothing. But on any given night at the lanes...you could beat a Dick Weber or a Norm Duke. It'd be tough...especially in a series...but you could do it.[/QUOTE]

If you remember a couple years ago the PBA had the Red/White /Blue tournament on USBC's tougher house shors and it took a 257 average to make the top 24. The leader averaged 269

[Stormed1]

Also keep in mind back in Earls day we were bowling on wood. Carry down was an issue to be dealt with. In todays environment carry down is pretty much a myth unles a lot of people are throwing plastic up the middle. What people interpret as carry down in 90% of the cases is actually the heads going awat ( due to the amount of oil todays equipment soaks up) and the ball loosing energy too soon.

One of the reasons sport leagues are few and far between is most of todays bowlers can't check their egos at ther door. Thery cant deal with the fact that their 220+ THS average will be 180-190 on a sport shot because tou don't have 10 boards of miss room

[Aslan]

Think you are seriously reaching here.

It's more a universal statistic than an "opinion". Averages, perfect games...have all went up drastically. The USBC even did an intensive study of it. And believe me...they didn't ask me for my opinion on the matter. Just google it...you'll find articles and links to all kinds fo sources that will talk about how the game has changed, house oil patterns, ball technology, increased scores. I certainly don't expect you to take my word for it...I'm just nobody...but there's tons of data out there on it.

I'm not saying it's "easy"...if it was...I'd be a heck of a lot better than I am. I'm just saying it's "easier". Again, not really so much an "opinion" as an observation supported by statistics over the last 35 years.

[bowlerRob2]

Sorry, even on a house shot you get carry down oil and need to transition as the night progresses. That takes skill to know how to do that and which adjustments need to be made. Not all of those adjustments will work each and every night and you won't be the high man each week if you don't learn from the mistakes made.

Indeed!! And that is why I said today's game is more fun. There are more challenges than we used to have not the least of which is trying to figure out the invisible oil monster that is a shape-shifter and a hiding giant (or midget).

[Aslan]

Back in the old days (60s/70s)... In 1990 when I shot my 800 there were 35000 accross the entire country. Now days there's that mant just in the Chicago area. I bowled a league a few years ago where we 27 300 and 38 800

Thats what I meant. Lord knows I can't bowl an 800 series or a 300 game...but I used to check that list when I'd go to the alleys back in the 80s and early 90s...guys had plaques on the wall if they had a 300 game. Old alleys would have like...100-200 names. The league scoresheets would show like "3" guys the entire year that did it that year. ANd this was the 80s/90s...the drastic technology shift had ALREADY happened 5-10 years earlier. Then...flash forward to now...the last league scoresheet I looked at had 3 people with 300 games during just that one league season. On bowlingboards.com...I bet more people HAVE 300 games than don't. It was a HUGE deal back in the day. My Grandpa used to say, the only thing he wanted more than a 29 hand in cribbage (which he had once) was a 300 game in bowling (which he never acheived).

If you remember a couple years ago the PBA had the Red/White /Blue tournament on USBC's tougher house shors and it took a 257 average to make the top 24. The leader averaged 269

I actually stopped watching pro bowling for a long time because it seemed silly. Back in the 80s/90s...it just seemed like it was 10-15 guys bowling 280-300 every game. Obviously averages weren't 290...but it "seemed" that way. Look at nowadays....whats the biggest accomplishment in the PBA the last 5-10 years? The guy that bowled barely over 100. Because that was SO RARE....SO UNHEARD OF...it was so shocking it was unbelieveable.

One of the reasons sport leagues are few and far between is most of todays bowlers can't check their egos at ther door. Thery cant deal with the fact that their 220+ THS average will be 180-190 on a sport shot because tou don't have 10 boards of miss room

I've echoed that sentiment...and actually, there was a show I watched on YouTube by a couple bowling experts where they had a whole show about that. You get a LOT of bowlers nowadays that start bowling 200-220 averages...they see a pro match where it's sorta in that range...and they ask the question..."Can I be a pro? Is a pro really that good?" Many, many articles and webcasts have been devoted to that topic...and there are many, many, many house bowlers that go out and roll 230-270 each week and when you ask, "Why don't you try tournaments...you're good, you could make some money!"...they give all kinds of excuses about how they "just do it for fun" and they "don't have time" or some kind of injury. But at the end of the day...they're happy going to the lanes and being "King for a night".

My uncle is a great example. A GREAT bowler...very impressive. He finally decided to test his luck in tournaments...and has never really done super awesome. Not "bad"...but just...it's not the same game. But hey, I like that he tried...I like that he took that leap/step and said, "I'm gonna check my ego at the door and try to take that next step."