Editorial Feedback

[Aslan]

The really sad thing is that if you bowled a 900 series, the USBC would recognize it because they no longer check the lanes because THEY HAVE NO STANDARDS to check against!

Then shouldn't they just finally acknowledge Glenn Allison's series already??

I realize that we in Vegas are incredibly spoiled...If bowlers start to leave a center because they don't like something, eventually the center has no choice but to fix what the bowlers don't like or go out of business. The problem is that most bowlers don't realize that they have this kind of power.

It's not just Vegas, although Vegas IS probably the best place to live as a bowler. But the greater New York area and suburban LA/Anaheim area...there are plenty of centers in close enough proximity that if you don't like one, you could easily move to a new center with minimal additional travel time.

This actually came up last Tuesday. I disappointed my team when I told them that primarily due to my moving to a new apartment...I'd be switching centers and not bowling there anymore. While the move is the biggest motivator (why drive 15 miles to a center when my new apartment balcony overlooks a bowling center?)...I'm also making it well known to them, the pro shop, and probably the league coordinator eventually...that the 2nd biggest factor in the decision is the center's cavalier disdain for league bowlers and their decision to not oil pre-league...which has led to a completely inconsistent lane condition from night to night and lane to lane. Rob will point out that such differences will exist even on freshly oiled lanes...and that's true. But generally speaking, differences from lane to lane are minor. You adjust a couple boards and usually the problem is solved. That's how it is on my Wednesday night league. But when you don't oil pre-league....you are at the mercy of whomever rolled on that pair on that day. How do you think the league night would go for Rob if he showed up at a center one night for league play, they didn't oil since early that morning, and one lane wasn't used all day but the other one...I came in and practiced 15 games on it earlier that day?? Rob would be using his normal ball on one lane...playing a line he usually plays...then on the other lane he'd be out of room on the left using his weakest resin ball. It's just not fair.

My team kinda responded; "Hey, it's a challenge...but I like a challenge and I am going to overcome it." And that's great and I respect the enthusiasm...and I tried that approach as well. But if a center wants to put down a challenging pattern...put down the WTBA Beijing or the PBA Badger or a USBC Masters pattern. I don't care. I'd LOVE that challenge. But it can't be random. I pointed out to them that since I started bowling 1 league a week at that center in September 2013....there hasn't been ONE 300-game. And since they made the decision to not oil pre-league...we've had less than 10 (out of nearly 150 bowlers) that average 190 or higher. Last season, mid season, the owner finally gave in and changed the pattern that they put down to something shorter with less volume...but he still refused to oil pre-league...so it really doesn't matter what the pattern is they put down at 10AM when by 6:00PM it has been altered. I bowled 12 games yesterday during the day. I burned up those lanes between the 6-board and 14-board. I wonder how the Wednesday night team did that had to play on that pair at 6:00PM? They probably had a horrible night trying to figure out why the lanes were "so dry". Or, they could have had the best game of the season...because they are lower rev players playing 2nd arrow and suddenly their equipment was hooking. But it shouldn't be that way. It shouldn't be the luck of lane assignment. It is SO hard to figure out my line at that center in practice...that I'm usually still trying out lines/balls in Game 1. There's just not enough time in 15 minutes with 10 bowlers warming up to figure out how the lanes are playing.

And many people think the owner did it to save money on lane oil. Well, while I think that factored in...he actually did it primarily because he has SO MUCH business at that center...that he was losing money turning people away that wanted to bowl the hour before leagues started. That center is very popular with the younger college crowd...but has large leagues...and loves to book parties/events...so it's one of the few centers in the area where there's usually a waiting list to get a lane if you just walk in at night.

So, long story long, I plan to let them know that it factored in to my decision to leave...and hopefully it gets to the owner. I doubt he'll care...with business being so good...but I agree he needs to know. I also wanted to start a sport shot trios league there on Sunday mornings...and when I talked to the pro shop guy about it...he said not to waste my time because it's been proposed before and the center won't tie up lanes on the weekend because they feel they make far more money on birthday parties and corporate/holiday events than on a sport shot league.

And, that center really gets no respect locally. When I tell tournament players it is my home center...they kinda just roll their eyes. It used to have a bad reputation because the lanes were wood and beat up. And even now with the new synthetic lanes...it's just not viewed as a center for competitive bowlers. In all the tournaments I've bowled in...I never saw one person I recognized from my center.

[Mgower]

I was just talking to the PSO at my bowling center about this very topic. Seems like the St. Louis area is known for setting up the lanes a bit easier than the rest of the U.S.

[ellisr63]

Good information... I never knew that the lane conditions were so much different for the pros, nor did i know of the 2 handed bowling style. I have some friends that bowl without their thumb in the hole, and they got me to try it once...it was a failure on my behalf as i dropped the ball. I admire that people are strong enough and coordinated enough to do it, but I will not try it again.