How THS has ruined bowling, and why we should all quit and play Bocce ball instead !

[Aslan]

The problem is not defining or changing the THS. The problem is monitoring it. If the USBC sets tougher standards, they have to monitor them. If they don't monitor them, then they are meaningless.

100% agree

And the reason this is so important is the game has changed. Scoring is now SO dependent on lane conditions...and so much less dependent on bowler skill/technique...that the game is easy to manipulate by simply altering patterns.

The USBC checks to make sure lanes are flat and the same length, width etc... And once a year, they spot check whether the lanes have some minimum amount of oil. Those are important...but what's the point of it if a center can put down an easy shot and bowlers at one center have a league-wide average of 188 and at the center 20 minutes down the freeway those same bowlers have an average of 158? Obviously something is wrong.

Statistics 'can' lie...but statistics can also show a problem and a trend. In this sport there is a trend towards higher scoring and lower participation. There is also a trend towards more powerful equipment and less challenging conditions. Maybe it's time for the USBC to take a hard look at that and figure out how they can make those conditions a little harder...and that equipment a little weaker. Maybe we need USBC patterns and more spot checking...and maybe we need to look at changing USBC ball specs for future releases. Maybe the maximum differential should be lowered from 0.060 to 0.055. Maybe the lower RG limit should be set at 2.50. Maybe the durometer/hardness requirements need to be slightly altered.

I understand the USBC is terrified of doing anything that would annoy the ball manufacturers or BPAA...and equally if not more terrified of turning off some of their membership that currently enjoys high scoring...but there has to be some "line in the sand"...or what's the point?

Professional bowling used to be entertaining because it was a group of guys that were the best in the World...and they'd compete and the match would end 193-187. Now every single PBA event seems to be 267-256. Why is it that in baseball...high school players can use aluminum bats...but pros have to use wooden bats....yet in bowling...pros throw the most powerful equipment? The PBA and USBC have had to resort to making their patterns harder and harder...just to combat bowling ball technology...rather than just saying, "Enough. From now on, pros throw urethane with pancake cores." Where's it gonna end? Are we going to have balls that can read the oil volumes as the go down the lane and adjust their own roll to compensate? Balls that can change their chemistry or rotate their cores as they encounter friction? It may seem silly now...but imagine how silly the idea of the internet would seem to a person in 1960. We have cell phones that can tell what direction they are being held and computers that can type the words as we speak them...things that would have been considered "science fiction" 40-50 years ago. Yet, how different are USBC specs now than they were 30-40 years ago?

[fordman1]

Professional bowling used to be entertaining because it was a group of guys that were the best in the World...and they'd compete and the match would end 193-187. Now every single PBA event seems to be 267-256.

Don't agree with this unless you are talking about the 1950's.

[ALazySavage]

As it was stated above, the trouble is in the mentality of the typical bowler today. The expectation/desire from so many bowlers is to show up once, maybe twice, a week and average 200 with the occasional "big game". Last year at the Arizona State tournament I cannot count how many bowlers were complaining that the pattern was too hard and unfair - we were bowling USBC blue. This has also happened with some of the Arizona traveling tours, it started as a difficult pattern and changed to a carry fest because bowlers didn't want to struggle.

To become competitive on harder patterns you have to bowl on the harder patterns, but bowlers don't seem to have the desire to struggle and learn on these patterns.

[fordman1]

Why is always about the "shot" being too easy? Why isn't it about the balls being too complicated? Different weight block of different sizes and shapes. Different covers etc. Those terrible people who bowl in 1 or 2 leagues a week and don't bowl in tournaments. They should spend more time learning about layouts and the new releases. Never mind the fact the USBC is in business because they want to go to league every week and have a little fun. Take away THS and make them. Then who pays the bills.
Good paying jobs aren't as easy to come by today. Get married and have a few kids and work 6-7 days a week and you don't have time to go practice 20 games a week. You don't have money to buy an arsenal. Remember not everyone dreams of being a PBA pro. They know they will never be one. They know they can average 230 on THS but would never stand a chance against the pro bowlers.

[DMS]

The shot, the balls, relative scoring.... Meh. It can all be controlled at the individual league level. Personally, I'm fine with having easy-shot, roll-anything-you-like leisure leagues for people that have limited aspirations for their game. The problem I have is that there's no sport-shot league I can join anywhere within reasonable distance of my home. Closest thing I've been able to find is a scratch league (which I'll begin playing in June), but it's still on 'THS' (whatever that is... We still don't have a definition for it).

Fordman... I acknowledge that not everyone aspires to be PBA caliber, and that's fine. But it'd be nice if there were something available for people who'd like to at least try to reach that level. I'm astounded that our sport is populated by snowflakes afraid of a little challenge, and frankly I don't believe that's a fact. I think the number of bowlers looking for a challenging experience is grossly underestimated.

Aslan... How about a plastic ball league? That'd be humbling even on THS conditions. I recall they had a PBA plastic ball tournament, and it got the pros scrambling! They still doing that?

Hell... I'm thinking of just trying my hand at setting up a private league and seeing how many people it draws. Specify a sport shot, perhaps maximum ball specs and see who wants to give it a try. Nothing stopping any of us from setting up a league through any of our home houses for this purpose. Hmmmm.

[fordman1]

That's the way to go, start a sport league. We have one every summer and average 25 bowlers. Mostly the same ones. The ones who don't come back say it is because it hurts their game more than helping. If you want to get better practice on the pattern you will be bowling on the most.

[Buster76]

Just getting back into bowling after a long 20 year break and its my opinion that between THS and modern equipment bowling has just plain gotten easier since I stopped league bowling in my early 20's (circa 1998) Between these crazy reactive resin balls and the advent of the Christmas tree house shot oil pattern it seems like the ball has a homing beacon to the general pocket area. I am just getting back into this game and my accuracy and mechanics still need a lot of tweaking to get even close to my old form yet I am averaging in the high 190's in open bowling practice by my own account. In my competitive junior bowling days (12 to 17) and then my men's league days (18 to 21) I had to bust my *** to average in the high 190's. And only in one short summer league did I average above 200 (203), and that was back when you got unlimited free summer bowling if you were in a summer league and I was practicing 3 to 4 days per week, 10 to 12 games per practice session.

Conditions back then were harder in my opinion and it didn't seem to hurt bowling leagues one bit. By all accounts bowling was doing much better with higher participation 20 years ago with those harder conditions and weaker balls. I think the bigger issue here is that in today's society no one wants to work for anything. It's another by product of the everyone gets a trophy generation.

[ALazySavage]

Can't ever get the quoting to work on this computer...

@Fordman1 - I should of phrased my comment a little better, because after reading it again I came across the wrong way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the bowler who just wants to go once/twice a week and have a good time, but my concern is that we are seeing a situation where expectations are shifting in a dangerous way. Bowlers have been built up through equipment, conditions, and other factors to an unrealistic expectation of where they should be so that when they experience a significant challenge, either from a tough sport shot (such as Bear) or a difficult tournament environment, many do not want to struggle through it and I can completely understand that.

If we take a step back and think of it like golf it may be a good comparison. If someone is a 18 handicap (which is respectable for the recreational golfer) and they go to a specific golf course and can't shoot better than +32 they are probably not going to go back; such a struggle compared to what they are used to is not enjoyable. The difference is that equipment hasn't significantly reduced the challenge for the average golfer and the conditions haven't really changed because the golf course relatively has stayed the same, thus we are not experiencing this shift. In Bowling though what has essentially occurred is that we have taken that "18 handicap" and shifted it to an "8 handicap" through equipment and conditions. This is unfair to the bowler because now they have an expectation of where their scoring should be, but when the tournament condition/challenging house condition arrives they are not ready for it and struggle. They may give it a fair effort a few times, but it just isn't enjoyable; not necessarily because of the challenge, but the unrealistic expectation created by the typical house shot and equipment. This hurts tournaments because if they want to survive they are going to have to cater to this and the only way to do it is by easing up on the condition (ball companies are not going to stop creating the biggest baddest balls they can).

The thing is that we have already gotten to this point and turning it back is going to be extremely difficult, if possible at all. We on this board typically talk about how we want the harder conditions, but if we go too hard line with this we will lose bowlers and in turn lose bowling centers/leagues. If we don't go hard enough on this we will lose the higher level bowler and in turn lose tournaments.

[Aslan]

I agree (with all of the comments actually).

The problem is the sport let things get out of hand once the reactive resin era began. As bowling became less popular (mostly due to people having far more entertainment options and companies/churches tightening their belts and no longer sponsoring teams)...the USBC became even more terrified of losing additional members...so they sat on their hands.

At the same time, as the sport got less popular...the big $$$ PBA tournaments became low $$$ tournaments. Viewership fell...big name bowlers had to get other "day jobs", etc...

The solution isn't intended to make everyone have to try and be a pro. Fordman is correct...most bowlers just bowl to have fun. And right now, it's "fun" to strike almost every time you throw the ball. Thus, we have easier THS patterns. It's "fun" not to shoot at spares...so we have "no-tap" leagues/tournaments. It's "fun" to only commit to a 6-week season...or to only pay $10...so we non-sanctioned leagues and "short-season" leagues.

What you have to consider is the same thing we talked about with 2-handed bowling. You have to consider that while you may attract a bowler to the sport with these type of gimics...you lose people as well. Kinda like when a center stops doing leagues because they see more and more casual glo bowlers. At first, it's a bump in revenue. Then, over time, they realize casual bowlers are just that: "casual". They don't show up every week. They don't every Tuesday night rain or shine. And once they find something else to do...they may not show up again for years.

Addressing equipment would be difficult and take time. The ball manufacturers are the real "power" in the industry and they'd fight tooth and nail. Even if they ended up agreeing, you'd need a 1-4 year phase in period of some kind. That means the best shot to fix things is the pattern.

The GOOD news...is that fixing the pattern affects everyone equally. You still will have great bowlers, good bowlers, and bad bowlers. But, instead of the great bowlers averging 230, the good bowlers averaging 205, and the bad bowlers averaging 185...the great bowlers would average 205, the good bowlers would average 175, and the bad bowlers would average 140. That would be disappointing at first...but people would readjust. Bowlers like me...would no longer be disappointed by a < 600 series....because a 600 series would be more like a current 700 series.

Expectations now are just absurd. Like one of the threads mentioned about youth bowlers/tournaments. Now, if you go to a different house or the USBC Open or play in a sport shot league...people gripe terribly claiming "the lanes are flooded", "their oil machine must be broken", that center "sucks", etc... To bowlers these days...it's an "expectation" that they can roll a 180+ game every game. By making the patterns harder...we simply lower that expectation. Instead of me expecting to roll a 550-650 series each night...and being disappointed if I don't...I would expect to roll a 500-600 series and be disappointed if I didn't.

300 scores/perfect games are the best example of this. They used to "mean" something. They are still an amazing accomplishment...but decades ago...a 300-game was a once in a lifetime type of thing for most bowlers. Many good bowlers never attained even one in their entire lifetime. It was such an accomplishment, they gave you a valuable gold ring with gemstones, your name would go up on the wall or ceiling of the center, and there'd be an entire article about you in the paper...kind've like a hole-in-one in golf. Now...there are leagues where 8-15 people will throw 300-games each season...most of them have multiple 300-games...something that used to be reserved for the PBA pros.

Another analogy, for our "gamers" (video game players for us older folk). Online gameplay has allowed people to compete against live competition...something unheard of 20 years ago. It's let to a masive interest in gaming. Yet, there are still players out there that NEVER play online...they only play the game in it's story mode. The reason they never play online...is it's harder. The computer can be set to the easiest setting...and you simply play long enough...eventually you'll beat the game. Playing live competitors is harder...because they are less predictable and it's harder to "rig it" so that you're playing against only weak opponents. It's like bowlers that never their leave their center. Those bowlers KNOW that condition. They know exactly what ball to throw and when...and what line to play. Then, they leave their center, and now they have to "adjust"....and they don't like that. It's harder.

Like I said before...we can't keep making the game easier and easier hoping that it'll make it more and more popular. At some point, it'll just be a joke. And for every new bowler that thinks the new, easy version of the game is more fun...you lose 1-5 "old timers" that think the game has become silly.

[fordman1]

Can anyone remember when the ABC told centers to go to short oil? Maybe mid to late 70's? That in my opinion is when scores started shooting up. Then the urethane balls were the beginning of the end.
I agree with much of Aslan's post. Some of his average data might be a little off on Great, Good, and Fair. I have a few years on him and have never played a video game on line in my life.