They have performed many studies surrounding equipment and equipment specifications. They set limits on RG, differential, CoR, coverstock absorption rates, pre and post drilling static weights. They may have not banned 2-handed bowling, but I am convinced the recent changes regarding weight/balance holes and finger hole use during ball delivery are a direct result of them working to keep 2-handed deliveries and no-thumb deliveries from having a dynamic advantage. As technology advances, so does the equipment. The USBC makes sure that the new equipment does not exceed a certain level to maintain some level of required skill. A bowler still has to find a line, hit their mark, and get the ball in to the pocket at the correct entry angle to carry.
Would we be better off still using Manhattan Rubber balls, with lane oil applied by hand on real wood lanes, and still manually scoring using transparencies on overhead projectors? If that is how bowling still was today, it would have died a long time ago.
The results of their studies, according to them, indicated that ball surface played a greater role in changing lane conditions than the actual lane condition itself. This is what prompted them to update the coverstock absorption rate standards and go to the dry towel only rule. This is also what prompted them to relax the lane condition standards at centers.
Much of what they do is behind the scenes. The only time we see the results of what they do is when they make a rule or policy change.
There are so many variances in lane surface going on these days around the country (synthetic, wood, half synthetic/half wood, new lanes, beat up lanes, not to mention different topography of lanes even in the same center) that it would be impossible to have any consistent standardization of lane conditions nationwide.
The USBC Website still offers the ability to find a coach:
https://webapps.bowl.com/USBCFindA/Home/Coach
Personally, USBC Trained means more to me than having the word certifed in the designation. USBC Trained says to me that the coach was trained by the actual organization using a prescribed methodology. "Certified" is kind of a diluted title these days. People learn skills from numerous sources, and then go to a certification organization and get an official acknowledgement. At least the USBC is making an effort to control the concepts and training of their coaches and not just certifying anyone who happens to be able to pass the tests of the various levels (without at least reviewing USBC's materials first.)
Many of the bowling proprietors in this area do not necessarily agree with what the USBC does or the rules and policies they implement. However, they realize that the USBC is the governing body for the sport and they are kind of stuck with them.
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