I've been back in bowling for nine months after being away from it for 18 years -- I did not visit any bowling alley nor did I bowl a single shot. Before I stopped bowling in the spring of 1996, I was still a newspaper reporter. I remember writing an article about the sharp increase in 300 games bowled (circa 1993-1994) each year -- I think there were, like, more than 18,000 at the time -- and those of us with any knowledge of the game/sport had already began attributing the rise to the new reactive resin bowling balls. But 300 game scores began rising with the introduction of urethane balls in the early 1980s and even more so when bowling on short oil -- when the former ABC mandated in the mid-1980s a maximum distance of 26 feet. I think imposing that short-oil decision alone was the vanguard of bowling's decline. (Example: Bowlers like Earl Anthony sharply curtailed his competitive bowling because he refused to bowl on those conditions.)
I mean, I've seen several video clips this year of people who have shot 300 games, and I have to tell myself most times that I simply need to keep my focus on my game. I'll say this much: Back in the day, all you needed was to watch someone bowl a couple of frames to discern whether that person has game or not. A 300 game meant something back then because it was definitely a combination of skill and some bowling luck to take a perfect game into the 10th frame and finish the deal. There is no question, at least to me, that many of the people I've seen bowl 300 games have very little skill or use what would be generally recognized as proper bowling mechanics, and they couldn't average 125 on a sport compliant/flat shot that's used these days.
I've said this before, the introduction of urethane bowling balls helped bowlers who were struggling 170-average bowlers now bowl close to scratch bowlers, averaging then in the mid-180s. Then with the introduction or reactive resin pieces, those same hacks now became 210-average monsters. Their skills didn't improve, but now they had three boards to an arrow to work with on the lanes and their ball that could barely take out the 5-pin using urethane -- and left the 5-pin for sure using polyester -- was leaving solid 9-pins.
In my return to bowling, I didn't realize just how much the entire scope of the sport/game has declined. But places like this message board and talking to one of the guys, a former touring pro, who has drilled my equipment this year has definitely caught me up on things.
It's really disappointing. It's disappointing to know that the PBA's hanging on by threads even though there is a confirmed 2015 schedule; there's no guarantee of anything beyond next year. It's disappointing to have learned that league membership has dropped by nearly 75 percent from the last time I bowled in a league, which was in 1990. Bowling alleys closed left and right back when I stopped bowling; they were mostly casualties of economic downturns/recessions. The latter remains true, but one must add declining interest(s) as a contributing factor.
It makes me wonder why in the world did I decide on returning? I know why. But that's neither here nor there in this conversation.
