PBA Summer Swing

[RobLV1]

One of the competitors in the finals, Brian Valenta who is a two-hander who puts half of his thumb in the ball, decided that destroying the pattern was to his advantage because of his ability to throw this very shot. He did this by using a heavily sanded bowling ball during the twenty minutes of practice, causing everyone to have to move left a long way, and very quickly. Personally, I was happy to see that tournament leader Bill O'Neill was able to find a shot around the third arrow to overcome the pattern by coming directly up the back of the ball, to defeat Valenta in the final match. Our sport, at the professional level, is out of control with steroid bowling balls, ball reps, and stupid oil patterns. Personally, I'd like to see PBA matches contested on flat patterns like the Bear pattern last week, where players get no practice on the championship pair before game one begins, and the lanes are re-oiled between each game to keep it the same for everyone. As virtually everything is taped in advance anyway, the extra time to oil the lanes between games should not be a problem. This game of manipulating the oil has really got to stop IMHO.

[MICHAEL]

One of the competitors in the finals, Brian Valenta who is a two-hander who puts half of his thumb in the ball, decided that destroying the pattern was to his advantage because of his ability to throw this very shot. He did this by using a heavily sanded bowling ball during the twenty minutes of practice, causing everyone to have to move left a long way, and very quickly. Personally, I was happy to see that tournament leader Bill O'Neill was able to find a shot around the third arrow to overcome the pattern by coming directly up the back of the ball, to defeat Valenta in the final match. Our sport, at the professional level, is out of control with steroid bowling balls, ball reps, and stupid oil patterns. Personally, I'd like to see PBA matches contested on flat patterns like the Bear pattern last week, where players get no practice on the championship pair before game one begins, and the lanes are re-oiled between each game to keep it the same for everyone. As virtually everything is taped in advance anyway, the extra time to oil the lanes between games should not be a problem. This game of manipulating the oil has really got to stop IMHO.

MAKE it So, number 1!!! ( what tv series LOL) easy one.... Too much manipulating going on in THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!!

[Amyers]

One of the competitors in the finals, Brian Valenta who is a two-hander who puts half of his thumb in the ball, decided that destroying the pattern was to his advantage because of his ability to throw this very shot. He did this by using a heavily sanded bowling ball during the twenty minutes of practice, causing everyone to have to move left a long way, and very quickly. Personally, I was happy to see that tournament leader Bill O'Neill was able to find a shot around the third arrow to overcome the pattern by coming directly up the back of the ball, to defeat Valenta in the final match. Our sport, at the professional level, is out of control with steroid bowling balls, ball reps, and stupid oil patterns. Personally, I'd like to see PBA matches contested on flat patterns like the Bear pattern last week, where players get no practice on the championship pair before game one begins, and the lanes are re-oiled between each game to keep it the same for everyone. As virtually everything is taped in advance anyway, the extra time to oil the lanes between games should not be a problem. This game of manipulating the oil has really got to stop IMHO.

Thanks for the explanation. I agree on the flat patters or the re-oils to often these guys aren't bowling on the pattern they are bowling on the break down. Giving players advantages or disadvantages that should not be there.

[Bunny]

One of the competitors in the finals, Brian Valenta who is a two-hander who puts half of his thumb in the ball, decided that destroying the pattern was to his advantage because of his ability to throw this very shot. He did this by using a heavily sanded bowling ball during the twenty minutes of practice, causing everyone to have to move left a long way, and very quickly. Personally, I was happy to see that tournament leader Bill O'Neill was able to find a shot around the third arrow to overcome the pattern by coming directly up the back of the ball, to defeat Valenta in the final match. Our sport, at the professional level, is out of control with steroid bowling balls, ball reps, and stupid oil patterns. Personally, I'd like to see PBA matches contested on flat patterns like the Bear pattern last week, where players get no practice on the championship pair before game one begins, and the lanes are re-oiled between each game to keep it the same for everyone. As virtually everything is taped in advance anyway, the extra time to oil the lanes between games should not be a problem. This game of manipulating the oil has really got to stop IMHO.

We were thinking the same things as we watched! No practice on the championship pair and re-oil between matches. Seems easy enough and more fair.

We were so rooting for Bill. We don't have anything against Valenta's style, it's just not something we can relate to.

Before Pete came out we wondered what he would try to do. Pete came up short so we wondered what Bill would do. I said that I wished he would just give it the "high hard one." My hubby said, "Fagan would do it." So when Bill came out firing up the 14-15 board we were stoked.

What an exciting match! Good stuff!!

[Aslan]

...they watch professional bowlers lofting the ball 20' down the lane. That can't be good for the lanes, and it's also probably not too good for the young bowlers who look up to these guys who will undoubtedly go out to their home centers and try it for themselves.

Great. Now that I've gotten rid of my loft it is going to be the new "in thing"??

[Jaescrub]

I always look forward to what rob post. I'm on the fence about this yes it's sad to see that the lane is being manipulated by a bowler. And that he can use his practice time to adjust the conditions to be more favorable to his playing style. But on the other side of the coin it was fun to see someone be able to fight back and over come that. I guess it is what it is

[RobLV1]

Something else that I didn't mention earlier, is the future of professional bowling, particularly as it relates to television. While the PBA has been trying for many years to make the telecasts appeal to NASCAR fans or wrestling fans with the bright jerseys, etc., I truly believe that the people who watch the PBA telecasts are primarily league bowlers. Now one of the big problems with a show like Tuesday's Badger pattern, is that league bowlers can't relate to it at all. When viewers can't relate, viewers stop watching. Somehow, the PBA needs to get bowling back to something that league bowlers can relate to, or, frankly, there will no longer be a PBA.

[Amyers]

Something else that I didn't mention earlier, is the future of professional bowling, particularly as it relates to television. While the PBA has been trying for many years to make the telecasts appeal to NASCAR fans or wrestling fans with the bright jerseys, etc., I truly believe that the people who watch the PBA telecasts are primarily league bowlers. Now one of the big problems with a show like Tuesday's Badger pattern, is that league bowlers can't relate to it at all. When viewers can't relate, viewers stop watching. Somehow, the PBA needs to get bowling back to something that league bowlers can relate to, or, frankly, there will no longer be a PBA.

Which part wasn't relatable?

[fortheloveofbowling]

Lofting the gutter cap out to 20 feet is something only a small percentage can do. Also the badger pattern itself at 52 feet is something that no one can relate to these days. The fall back shot is not something that we encounter at all anymore.

[Amyers]

Lofting the gutter cap out to 20 feet is something only a small percentage can do. Also the badger pattern itself at 52 feet is something that no one can relate to these days. The fall back shot is not something that we encounter at all anymore.

I figured the lofting was what he is referring to but wanted to be sure