What I Don't Understand about the USBC

[1VegasBowler]

For league play, every center in the USA should have a THS graph available at the front desk for anybody who asks for one. I would actually like to see that mandated so when a player asks for one, they get it.

As I said earlier, the USBC should tweak the THS patterns and have a range from 36-42'. And while they would be encouraged to change the frequently, I would wait a couple of years before it's mandated so that people can get use to the changes, because if one thinks a 36ft pattern is going to play the exact same way as a 42ft pattern, then, you're in for a rude awakening.

Anything other than what the USBC specifies as a house is considered a Sport shot, and those Sport shots need to be left for those who wish to participate in one of those leagues.

[1VegasBowler]

And while I'm on a roll here (lol), for those of us who know league bowlers who think they are as good as any pro that is out there and they happen to carry a 200 average for at least 36 games, next time they start popping off about their precious THS pattern or how good they think they are, why not strongly suggest they join the PBA and go on tour since they are so darned good!

One thing is for sure, they will have one of the rudest awakenings if they do! Bowling 3-5 times a week and bowling 12 games plus every day will more than likely set them back a few steps, not to mention playing on those tough Sport patterns that bring the best of them to their knees.

The 200+ braggart won't do it because he/she loves to be the King or Queen of the hill they're on so that they can have that feeling of such superiority to everybody else. God forbid they bowl against the pros every week and be at the bottom of the barrel.

[bowl1820]

Every place that I have gone to here has managed to get me a sheet of their THS.

Well your lucky then, while that's how it should be. That's not a common practice everywhere.

And actually, the point is far from moot. If the lanes are conditioned in a way that is other than what is considered a standard or house shot, then you're using a sport shot and the league has to be certified and marked as Sport/Challenge.

Okay, that has nothing to do with the part I said was moot, which was:

Now, if you also recall, the USBC is also going to not post their oiling patterns (graphs, etc.) for some of their events until after the entire event has been completed so that nobody has a distinct advantage.

So lets apply this to the leagues as well.

In this statement you tell how the USBC is not going to post the Open pattern till after the tournament is completed and that this idea should be applied to leagues as well.

So that means you want to pass a rule that the league bowlers shouldn't know what the pattern is they are bowling on till after the league is complete.

And I said that was basically a moot point because most places don't tell you what it is in the first place.

For league play, every center in the USA should have a THS graph available at the front desk for anybody who asks for one. I would actually like to see that mandated so when a player asks for one, they get it.

Now this statement contradicts that earlier statement.

On one hand your saying don't give the league bowlers the pattern and on the other hand your say to give it to them.

As I said earlier, the USBC should tweak the THS patterns and have a range from 36-42'.

Those exist already.

Anything other than what the USBC specifies as a house is considered a Sport shot, and those Sport shots need to be left for those who wish to participate in one of those leagues.

For the most part that's the way it basically is now or how it's supposed to be.

[bowl1820]

And while I'm on a roll here (lol), for those of us who know league bowlers who think they are as good as any pro that is out there and they happen to carry a 200 average for at least 36 games, next time they start popping off about their precious THS pattern or how good they think they are, why not strongly suggest they join the PBA and go on tour since they are so darned good!

People have been telling the house hacks that for years.

One thing is for sure, they will have one of the rudest awakenings if they do! Bowling 3-5 times a week and bowling 12 games plus every day will more than likely set them back a few steps, not to mention playing on those tough Sport patterns that bring the best of them to their knees.

Yes they would and I've known guys that had that awakening and long before sport patterns existed!

[fordman1]

One of the biggers myths in bowling is that house bowlers think they are as good as Pro bowlers. That is totally not true.
The house bowlers have jobs that they have to go to that don't have anything to do with bowling. Pro bowlers have jobs in pro shops or in bowling in one form or another. They practice every day. They eat, sleep and breath bowling. House bowlers don't.
They have no illusions that they are as good as pro's. So quit the BS. It isn't true.

Go ahead and change the shot every week and when the leagues are all gone, whats left of them maybe you will be happy. The huge majority of bowlers have never bowled in a tournament and even less have bowled in the Open. If you are not extraordinarily good bowler you are wasting your money. Donate it to the vets or cancer people they can use it.

[1VegasBowler]

Well your lucky then, while that's how it should be. That's not a common practice everywhere.



Okay, that has nothing to do with the part I said was moot, which was:



In this statement you tell how the USBC is not going to post the Open pattern till after the tournament is completed and that this idea should be applied to leagues as well.

So that means you want to pass a rule that the league bowlers shouldn't know what the pattern is they are bowling on till after the league is complete.

And I said that was basically a moot point because most places don't tell you what it is in the first place.



Now this statement contradicts that earlier statement.

On one hand your saying don't give the league bowlers the pattern and on the other hand your say to give it to them.



Those exist already.



For the most part that's the way it basically is now or how it's supposed to be.

What I'm saying here, is, they can wait until after the 3 game set is over. Waiting until after the season is over is unreasonable.

This is should be available to anybody. However, if you have 7 different THS patterns, they can always be available during open play. Just put them in a sheet protector in a 3 ring binder and have it at the front desk. This way here, all anybody has to do is ask and it's readily available. Then again, the USBC can post them on their website like all of their other patterns.

Just as the USBC will wait until the entire US Open is complete before telling them what they bowled on, you can do it to league bowlers on a weekly basis.

Will the bowlers eventually figure it out? Yes, the good ones certainly will. Those that are not good will take a little longer. The straight down the lane bowler won't care one bit.

[1VegasBowler]

One of the biggers myths in bowling is that house bowlers think they are as good as Pro bowlers. That is totally not true.
The house bowlers have jobs that they have to go to that don't have anything to do with bowling. Pro bowlers have jobs in pro shops or in bowling in one form or another. They practice every day. They eat, sleep and breath bowling. House bowlers don't.
They have no illusions that they are as good as pro's. So quit the BS. It isn't true.

Go ahead and change the shot every week and when the leagues are all gone, whats left of them maybe you will be happy. The huge majority of bowlers have never bowled in a tournament and even less have bowled in the Open. If you are not extraordinarily good bowler you are wasting your money. Donate it to the vets or cancer people they can use it.

Just from the small sample on this website, you see bowlers who want to become pro bowlers. I'm not saying they are full of themselves, but the perception I get, is, they feel that they have the skills to go pro without understanding what it's really like. Any darn good bowler on the current THS can get disillusioned into thinking this.

And, again, what I would suggest for the changes to the THS is not radical. A little more volume to the outsides more than anything else.

Having 7 different oil patterns from 36-42ft isn't a bad thing unless you make them play like a Cheetah, or a Shark, or a Chameleon, or even a US Open pattern. Then it would get ugly. People will drop out.

By keeping the changes very simple, it's not going to kill anybody. They will adjust faster than you think.

[bowl1820]

What I'm saying here, is, they can wait until after the 3 game set is over. Waiting until after the season is over is unreasonable.

Okay, after a 3 game set. You needed to specify that earlier, which is something you have to watch out for if you get with the USBC.

The USBC has a habit of making statements that are not specific about what they mean or how they (the rules) are applied and are left open to interpretation by the bowlers/local officials and then when someone interprets it in away different than someone else or what they (USBC) intended is when the problems arise.


As for giving the pattern after a set in league I don't really see any need. The reasons why the USBC did it for the Open don't really apply at the league level.

[ep1977]

One of the biggers myths in bowling is that house bowlers think they are as good as Pro bowlers.

I agree 100%!!! House bowlers also don't have ball reps telling them how to attack each lane condition and drilling them new balls to match each tournament. There are many factors that go into being good enough to be a pro and anyone with a brain realizes this and does not think that they are good enough.

[1VegasBowler]

Okay, after a 3 game set. You needed to specify that earlier, which is something you have to watch out for if you get with the USBC.

The USBC has a habit of making statements that are not specific about what they mean or how they (the rules) are applied and are left open to interpretation by the bowlers/local officials and then when someone interprets it in away different than someone else or what they (USBC) intended is when the problems arise.


As for giving the pattern after a set in league I don't really see any need. The reasons why the USBC did it for the Open don't really apply at the league level.

Point well taken. And with any type of proposal, the first draft is always the roughest and can certainly be changed, modified, etc., before the final product. It's also ideas that come to the local board where they could get their traction and the committee would certainly have to work hard for all of the little things that need to be fixed from the first draft.

I definitely agree with this. But this isn't just limited to the USBC. There are so any organizations out here that have rules without interpretations and the USBC just happens to be in the current cross hairs. (lol) However, the USBC could/should have a specific specific section with the interpretations of the vague rules we see. This way here everybody should be on the same page.

In contrast, I have seen some organizations who have interpreted their rules, but because somebody didn't like the interpretation they get and then they interpret it the way they want to. But that's a whole other can of worms for another day.

Maybe you don't have to, but it certainly won't hurt. While I understand why they're doing it for the US Open, part of that same reasoning can apply to leagues.

I certainly don't profess to know everything and never will. But at least we're having an open dialouge here and we all have our own thoughts coming out where we can certainly agree to disagree on an issue or 2.

I certainly wish that things like this would happen at the local USBC meetings so that people can air their thoughts and concerns, or even propose something. But as I said earlier, It ain't happenin'! lol

While all that I have said here may get absolutely no traction on the local level, being involved in our local associations needs to get better. I'm not saying there aren't some out here who do get involved, I think it's pretty safe to say that most local USBC meetings are only filled with board members, and it will only be what they want and agree to until the memberships come out and have their say and to vote up or down on any changes.

Same thing applied to the league meetings at the beginning and end of the season. The numbers in the meeting room (from my own accounts) are far different from who is out there throwing these rocks.

And the only ones we can blame for that is ourselves. We take far too much for granted, and our complacency ends up seeing changes we don't necessarily like.