New league designation to bridge gap between standard, sport.

[bowl1820]

As the United States Bowling Congress continues to seek ways to ensure reported averages are a true reflection of a bowler’s abilities, USBC has established a new designation for leagues competing on lane conditions that fall between Standard and Sport conditions. A new Challenge lane condition designation and conversion chart was determined based on research of leagues conducted under a Sport/Challenge designation, as well as leagues competing on Blue lane conditions........

Read more here:
http://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails...id=23622329086

[fordman1]

Seems like having everyone bowl on the same conditions would be better.

[DMS]

"Seems like having everyone bowl on the same conditions would be better. "

Yeah, as much as possible. Seems that Kegel could come up with oil patterns for each different lane surface / age combination that would yield a very similar shot from house to house. They need to be matched up, though.

I took their survey they sent a few days ago. I told them I'd like certified houses to have their lane surface specifications (including date of install) and conditioner pattern publicly posted for all to see. Then I'd at least know what conditions I'd be playing and establishing an average on. My average can vary by 40 pins depending on which house I play, and my hardest one is also my closest one. As such, my average for tournaments gets set at the house I average lowest at. I wish that weren't so... My life would be much easier if conditions were more consistent out there. It's almost embarrassing to throw a good game at some places... Get accused of sand bagging once in a while. I tell 'em they should ask their house to put out a tougher shot.... And come on over and play a tourney at my home house.

I've never been re-rated, so I dunno'. I'd accept it if it happened. My real goal is to just get up to a scratch average, then I don't have to worry about it anymore.

[Timmyb]

I didn't know I was rated in the first place. All of this is a bit confusing. How do I know what the hell I'm bowling on in the first place?

[1VegasBowler]

One of the things I did when I got to Vegas was to ask somebody at the front desk what the pattern is. Naturally only one of them could tell me.

BUT, they have directed me to the mechanics who oil the lanes and they have either told me or printed out the pattern.

IMO, if a center has been certified by the USBC, they should be compelled to have that information available at the front desk. I am also of the opinion, that, they should have the information on the oil that is being used as well. This way here if they change the brand and/or texture, it will provide us with info that we can look up and see what it does.

There have been too many times where we can't do anything wrong out there and then all of a sudden we start having a multitude of problems, such as everything being so bad we couldn't hit the ocean with an aircraft carrier.

More times than not, that's on us as the bowler losing our way. But when it's happening for weeks at a time, it's my belief that something in the conditions have changed.

[Stormed1]

The center I bowl at has the pattern posted on the front counter

[Amyers]

Your still going to have house to house differences even if everyone used a similar pattern. At one of the houses I bowl at they could post whatever pattern they want unfortunately a mop and a bucket could put out a more accurate pattern then their lane machine

[DMS]

"Your still going to have house to house differences even if everyone used a similar pattern."

Oh yeah, I understand that. What I'm saying is maybe they shouldn't have such extreme differences. That's why I'm saying... They'd have to develop different patterns for each different type of lane surface, and take the age of the lane surface into consideration. Where I find adequate friction is what dictates my shot, and it varies a lot from house to house. See what I mean? I'll bet it's possible to achieve, but acknowledge it'd take a damn lot of research and testing.

[bowl1820]

Yeah, as much as possible. Seems that Kegel could come up with oil patterns for each different lane surface / age combination that would yield a very similar shot from house to house. They need to be matched up, though.

"Your still going to have house to house differences even if everyone used a similar pattern."

Oh yeah, I understand that. What I'm saying is maybe they shouldn't have such extreme differences. That's why I'm saying... They'd have to develop different patterns for each different type of lane surface, and take the age of the lane surface into consideration. Where I find adequate friction is what dictates my shot, and it varies a lot from house to house. See what I mean? I'll bet it's possible to achieve, but acknowledge it'd take a damn lot of research and testing.

What your suggesting would be a herculean task and would be expensive in the extreme.

Your talking about thousands of bowling alley's, so you would have to have thousands of custom patterns made and of those of custom patterns, you would have to have versions made for every type of lane machine or require houses to all use the same type machine.

(those machines are not cheap $30K-$40k houses would be thinking long and hard about being forced into shelling out those bucks, to replace the machines they have).

Most likely you would also have to have multiple oil types, because some oils work better in different locals than others, because they are affected by the local weather etc. and of course the different lane types involved, Then that would then require patterns developed to use the different oils.

and someone at some point would point out, that all the lanes in each house don't wear in the same way. So to have the lanes just in the house be "similar" each individual lane would require it's own custom pattern.

So say you had 1000 bowling alleys of 32 lanes each, that's 32,000 custom patterns minimum.

Then also you'd have to have the lanes checked not only at the start, but on some regular basis and those patterns updated to compensate for lane wear. Numerous lane mapping crews running kegels lanemapping system all over the country.

That would cost$$$

There would probably be issues with all the houses environmental control systems that would have to addressed.

etc.

[Aslan]

My proposal may seem "too much"...but it can actually be implemented in a very inexpensive way...especially the last part (oil patterns and inspection):

1) USBC Divisions
Sanctioned USBC leagues are now "Beginner", "Intermediate", and "Advanced".

Those who are new or low-level bowlers with no average or an established average 0-135 are eligible to join a "Beginner League".

Those with a > 135 average and < 180 average may join an "Intermediate" league. "Beginners" are also able to join this division.

Those with a > 179 average may join an "Advanced" league. "Intermediates" and "Beginners" are also able to join this division.

2) USBC Red, White, Blue Patterns

"Beginner" Leagues bowl on the USBC Red Pattern.

"Intermediate" Leagues bowl on the USBC White Pattern.

"Advanced" Leagues bowl on the USBC Blue Pattern.

3) Inspection Lottery System

The USBC is required to inspect at least one pair of lanes per 100 USBC sanctioned centers. The cost of inspection is paid by the center. Centers are chosen using a lottery system with the following parameters used to reward centers for certain USBC encouraged activities/initiatives.

Example:
Each sanctioned center receives 10 entries into the "Lottery". Average inspection cost (if your center is chosen) is approximately $3,000.

- A center receives one exemption for each sport/challenge league it hosts per year.
- A center receives one exemption for every two youth leagues it hosts per year.
- A center receives one exemption for every five senior leagues it hosts, per year.
- A center receives one exemption for participating in "Kids Bowl Free" program the previous season.
- A center receives two exemptions if their center was inspected the prior year and passed the inspection.

At the end of each year, centers use that sample formula: 10 entries - 6 exemptions = 4 entries. Every center, and their corresponding # of entries are entered into a random system...and the computer randomly selects 1 center for each 100 centers...and those are the centers to be inspected. The USBC looks at the centers and sets up an inspection schedule to limit the costs as much as possible.

If a center passes, they get a certificate and two exemptions in the next year's inspection lottery. If they fail, they receive four extra lottery entries the following year. Two consecutive failures guarantee an inspection the following year. Three consecutive inspection failures costs the center it's certification for one year.

The above "plan" would give the USBC complete control over all sanctioned patterns that leagues bowl on, at ever sanctioned center. Oil machines would only "have" to be able to apply these three patterns...not an unimaginable number of different patterns. Inspections would add cost to the USBC, but if the inspection costs are charged to the center...the cost to the USBC would be minimal. And centers would be able to share the burden for inspections, since inspections would still be rare. And, using the carrot/stick of inspections being the financial burden of the center, the USBC can use lottery entries to reward (and penalize) centers into doing what they want the centers to do or participate in.

I'd like to see the Divisions as "Scratch" divisions...and participants would HAVE to bowl in their respective division...but given that bowling teams often have couples and friends and relatives participating...at all different averages...that would probably hurt bowling participation too much. So, by allowing handicap at all levels...it allows some of the lesser average and new bowlers to bowl in "USBC Advanced Handicap League"...the only "restrictions" would be the intermediate bowlers bowling in beginner leagues and the advanced bowlers bowling in beginner or intermediate leagues.