Vintage Bowling Talk

[The KingPin]

Through out bowling history we have seen some great bowlers.

Earl Anthony

Mark Roth

and

Your favorite???

What about the time? Could bowlers of yesterday compete with bowlers of today?

Do you think things were better then or now?


Let's talk Vintage bowling

[Stormed1]

For style you have to go with David Qzio
competetive fire PDW & Marshal Holman

[Strike Domination]

I have to say, David Ozio has my vote for most likely to be able to compete with today's bowlers. Earl Anthony was from here and I think he often bowled at the center where I bowl league now.

[JAnderson]

Some of my all-time favorites include guys who are still bowling today.

Earl Anthony was my childhood hero. Anyone who grew up as a bowler in the 70's would be hard-pressed not to like the guy. He was a class-act off the lanes as well. One of my favorite bowling quotes comes from Earl Anthony who said "Nobody ever beat me. I just ran out of frames."

Mark Roth was always fun to watch and a friendly guy. I never wanted to bowl like him, but his game - or maybe more appropriately the TV exposure to his game - changed the sport forever, giving birth to a generation of power players.

In my opinion, from everything I've read, from all of the people in the bowling world who have spoken with me, from all the research I've done, Norm Duke is the greatest bowler of all time. He can do anything with a bowling ball and the concept of a "comfort zone" doesn't seem to apply to him. Somehow, I've never met him or had the opportunity to speak with him. Can anyone hook me up?

Some of my other favorites include Tommy Baker, quite possible the best or at least most successful spin-roller to date; Tommy Delutz Jr. who quietly goes about his business having good year after good year (when he can stay healthy) love his game; Dick Weber, the classiest act and bowling's biggest ambassador.

As far as some of the older old-timers, Carmen Salvino was always fun to watch and you've got to like a guy who loves bowling as much as he does. I think Ray Bluth was a phenomenal bowler who was overshadowed by Dick Weber and others with whom he bowled.

I wish I knew more about international bowlers. Looking at my list, I feel very ethnocentric. I apologize to readers from outside the US and Canada.

As to the question about today's top bowlers versus yesterday's top bowlers, even considering the arguments of modern equipment and lane conditions, I believe today's bowlers are more talented than those of 20+ years ago primarily because:
1. Better understanding and use of the core physics and mechanics of the game and how to manipulate them. Widespread availability of video has vastly improved this.
2. Versatility of releases and scalability of power of releases. Bowlers today can generate huge amounts of revs or take it off to throw "old school" releases with equal talent.
3. Overcoming the challenge of adjusting to both vertical (front to back) as well as horizontal adjustments to lane conditions. Even just 30 years ago, the bulk of adjustments were made horizontally in relation to the established "track area".