I recently wrote a letter to USBC concerning my opinions on the current state of bowling that I thought I'd share with everyone.  I actually got a response, and just about word for word what I expected, but at least an actual human read my letter and replied.  Here is the letter, their response, and then I'll finish up:

This is an open letter to whom it may concern reflecting my opinions and comments regarding the state of bowling as a whole as well as a widely perceived view on how the USBC is only serving to further destroy the sport so many of us love and have already begun to mourn.  I will however begin by saying that the USBC Open Championships represents everything that is right with the sport of bowling.  The challenge, the venues, the organization, the execution, the resources, etc., every part of "Nationals" is so expertly crafted that even some of the best bowlers in the world make a point to come compete.  That, unfortunately, is where it ends, and could one day be lost as bowling as a whole continues to decline.  It is incredibly irresponsible of USBC to be so out of touch with league bowling, the very foundation of the sport.  I read a published article regarding fresh oil for every squad at the 2013 Open Championships, finally correcting the only problem I believe the event had.  It referenced a quote from someone regarding having one pattern for the team event and a different pattern for singles and doubles, effectively saying that USBC wanted to challenge their bowlers' versatility.  I found it to be one of the most hypocritical statements or comments I have ever come across.  USBC's specifications and limits regarding legal lane conditions are so wide open that thousands of league bowlers who never practice can show up to league once a week, shoot 750 with the only ball they own, and go home without so much as a thought.  These are the same people that post 230+ averages during the league season, only to show up to the Open Championships to shoot 1500 for all events, and go home with their tails between their legs.  The idea that making tighter restrictions on lane conditions would only serve to further drive away bowlers and hurt revenue for center owners is ludicrous, as USBC membership has fallen from approximately 9 million to 1.7 million in a little over a decade, corresponding with ever increasing numbers of "honor scores" and member averages.  When scoring was harder, people spent money practicing, centers were full for early AND late leagues every night of the week.  This has made the future for our youth bowlers dismal, and has driven away the majority of the truly skilled bowlers.  The quality of coaches has declined, combined with the fact that it's impossible to convince a kid they made a bad shot even though they struck.  If youth bowlers are putting up numbers on easy shots, they believe they are good, and become hard to coach.  Then when they start competing in Junior Gold or PBA Experience leagues, they become discouraged fast, and when they are ready to be coached, more often than not, their game has to be completely torn down and rebuilt.  There was a youth in my city recently who shot his "first" 800.  He is not skilled, and not accurate.  He is a no thumb bowler who simply throws a lot of revs and a lot of speed, and on a legal USBC pattern, all he really has to do is keep the ball right of the headpin to strike.  This past summer, he, like a lot of the city high school bowlers, joined our summer PBA Experience league.  He proceeded to shoot 354 for the entire 3 game set the first night of league on the Cheetah pattern, following which he packed up his equipment and never came back.  This is the kind of bowler the USBC is creating.  I used to believe my "accomplishments" were earned and worth something, now I realize they aren't worth any more than the metal the rings are made out of, which is in fact so cheap that they are impossible to resize.  All my work, my effort, what I've learned, it's all meaningless.  I have been a pro shop operator for 7 years now, and I would consider my knowledge, experience, and skill to be very high, yet the process of selecting a ball, watching the bowler, and crafting a layout and surface prep for most USBC sanctioned lane conditions is needless.  I can pick any ball off the wall, "label" drill it, never touch the surface, put holes in it, and whoever I drill it for will be "successful."  People in their 60's and 70's are reaching scores they have never seen before.  It's more surprising to hear that someone has NOT achieved "perfection" now than to hear that they have.  USBC is supposed to be the governing body for sanctioned competition, but all it serves to do is drive people elsewhere for real competition or real challenge.  Bowling is no longer a sport, or even a game, it is a recreation, where people gather in attempts to record obscene numbers or merely occupy them while they drink and socialize.  Any activity that requires zero practice and little effort to achieve "perfection" will eventually cease to exist.  I have put my life into bowling, and in turn it nearly became my life, but no longer.  I am ashamed to be a USBC member, and to be associated with the laughingstock that this recreation of sanctioned bowling has become.  The amount of money and time that has to be put into obtaining "available" coaching certifications, or to attend "available" tournaments or events is staggering, and the opportunity to prepare for these things doesn't exist for most of us.  The USBC is turning a blind, uncaring, ignorant eye to the most important things in bowling, while raising sanction fees at the same time.  Charging me admission to view the destruction of a sport I have put my life into is unacceptable.  For the first time in several years, I will not attend the Open Championships, simply because I have zero opportunities to practice on tougher conditions to prepare in the months leading up to the tournament.  The attitude the USBC has towards the sport is wholly irresponsible.  I can serve my kids cake for supper, but make vegetables available, which do you think they will choose?  Bowling is not on the rise, it continues to fall, and the focus and effort is completely in the wrong direction.  Making coaching and affordable equipment available and teaching a golfer how to putt makes little difference if the greens they play on funnel down towards the hole.  The USBC is singularly to blame for the current state of bowling, and it disgusts me.  Thank you for your time.

The response:
I appreciate your feedback and your membership. Your email illustrates a challenging issue the industry faces. USBC’s role in controlling lane conditions are a controversial subject and one that draws out many strong opinions. While you make a good argument for a mandating lower scoring lane conditions, there are enforcement and compliance challenges on the other side. USBC’s Sport Bowling program attempts to provide an option for those bowlers/centers who want the challenge you seek. I realize this is not a perfect solution as many communities do not have a center that offers Sport Bowling leagues.

 

I respect your passion for the sport and have no doubt your opinions come from a desire to improve bowling. I do want to clarify your implication that USBC has been raising dues. USBC national dues are $10 and have not increased since 2006.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write.

 

Best regards,

Jason Overstreet

USBC Communications


First of all regarding the league dues, a few years ago our dues rose from $15 to $17, apparently our local association raised their fee and blamed it on USBC, so I wasn't very happy about that, I definitely would not have stuck that in my letter if I'd have known.  The point of the letter wasn't to throw USBC under the bus, but this is honestly the way I believe it is.  I knew I would get something back about the challenges of enforcement, but here's the deal.  The USBC let it get out of control years ago when they were more concerned about an ounce of sideweight in a ball than about the ball itself, or about regulating the oil patterns.  The PBA figured this out 15 or more years ago, why didn't the USBC?  So maybe the current people in power at the USBC didn't have anything to do with it, but the organization itself is completely responsible.  Regarding the challenges though, as I said in the letter, I've worked in the bowling industry for 7 years now, I very well understand all the challenges and issues, I'm not just writing the letter crying about things without having a very knowledgeable and objective viewpoint.  Honestly though, they're going to have to do something, and here's the real point of contention.  Center owners will fight tougher conditions because they think they'll lose business.  Well, they have already lost business for years.  A real simple solution here, make conditions tougher for the sanctioned leagues.  If you don't want a tougher shot, don't bowl a sanctioned league.  What does sanctioning really do for you?  Gives you some trinkets, and allows you to use your average in tournaments for potential handicap.  People wouldn't quit bowling if they were told their league wouldn't be sanctioned, they would see it as a way to save fees every year.  Most people don't bowl tournaments anymore.  But of course, this would really hurt the USBC.  So instead of really governing the sport and enforcing the rules, they're content to just let things slip away while they say, "oh, well we offer a bunch of stuff."  Rant off. 

So here's what I personally struggle with: I feel like I see both sides of this and it doesn't look good from either side of it.  In some ways I feel like I have a unique perspective, so indulge me here for a few minutes.

I consider myself to be a good bowler.  Certainly better than average, but nowhere near elite.  Honestly I don't have the desire (or time) to be elite even if I have the ability somewhere inside me.  I know just enough to be dangerous, but I don't know a lot about bowling that I should know - especially regarding drillings, coverstocks, and reactions.  I understand the basics well, but I clearly lack knowledge on tweaking releases and other fine-tunings along those lines.  I'm your basic above average house hack (maybe top 10%ish to put a number on it).

I go to nationals every year and I do horribly every year (though I usually bowl well enough in one of the events to get some sort of a check back).  I go because I get to bowl with all the people I used to bowl with and I go because I do enjoy the challenge.  I realize that I will never get better at nationals unless I bowl more than once a year on a sport shot.  I can't get anyone near me to put out a shot.  One place tried it a few years back (before I moved there) and 1/2 the league quit after 2 weeks.  Another promoted a summer league 2 years ago and 2 other people besides me showed up.  I think we need to understand that those of us that really do want the challenge are in the vast minority of bowlers.

I also help out the local youth league.  They don't bother sanctioning, but if they did, mandated sport shot for the kids would end sanctioning in a heartbeat.  Most of the parents of the kids bowl in at least one league and that's why they are getting their kids involved, but most of the kids couldn't care less that they were bowling and many of them are off doing something else in between shots.  This is a different generation than when we grew up.  If we try to make the game/sport what we want it to be, bowling is dead for sure.  We need to find a way to keep as much of what the game/sport is while making it something that the kids will want to participate in.  Maybe that xbowler (or whatever it's called) thing they are doing is a step in that direction, but kids today are all about technology and AD/HD (which I think we all had as kids but nobody knew what it was at the time, but whatever...).

We have 2 new teams in one of my leagues - almost all 20 somethings that have never bowled in a league before.  They are now starting to get the hang of things and are killing everybody with their high handicaps.  I continue to help them learn and had someone ask me a couple weeks ago if I wanted them to beat us by 200 instead of 100.  My response was that if they were interested in learning, I was going to teach them everything I know because we wouldn't even have a league had they not joined (only 7 teams in the league) and they are the ones we need to have enjoying the league and having some success so we can keep having a league going forward.

I guess what I'm saying is that I see the desire to make bowling into more of a "sport" than it is, but I also see that for many/most it is just another recreational activity.  Honestly if it weren't for beer, bowling as we know it might be dead already.  We can fight that all we want, but I think you have to embrace it and find a balance between what it is and what it can be.  We'll never get back to the days where a 200 average was elite.  There are too many cooks in the kitchen for that to happen even if the majority wanted it.  So instead of fighting that, let's embrace it.  Maybe small tweaks/limitations on pattern requirements and ball requirements/limitations can get us to a point where that 235 ave is now 220.  Maybe after another 10 years it will be time for another tweak where that 220 becomes 210; maybe everything settles down to where there's just enough balance where skill still wins, but less skill and a little luck still has a chance.

There's also the very real possibility that none of this matters and bowling like everything else is just subject to the diversity that exists in the entertainment world.  Here's what I do know: most of us are here at this site because we enjoy bowling, and we can't even come to a clear conclusion on why things are the way they are and what to do about it.

Its all a joke.  Better bowlers want the tougher conditions.  Beginners have no idea what is hard or easy.  Give 'em hard.  If somebody is learning to throw darts, bullseyes are no gimmes and beginners don't expect to be grouping bullseyes without learning how to toss a dart correctly.  The problem is the bowlers who can't check their ego at the door.  What does it matter if their average goes down if everybody else's is going down on a tough shot.  If the proprietors banded together and said this is the shot all around town, they'd adapt.  If they quit, they weren't real bowlers to begin with.

Quote from: Long Gone Daddy on March 06, 2013, 06:36:02 PM

Its all a joke.  Better bowlers want the tougher conditions.  Beginners have no idea what is hard or easy.  Give 'em hard.  If somebody is learning to throw darts, bullseyes are no gimmes and beginners don't expect to be grouping bullseyes without learning how to toss a dart correctly.  The problem is the bowlers who can't check their ego at the door.  What does it matter if their average goes down if everybody else's is going down on a tough shot.  If the proprietors banded together and said this is the shot all around town, they'd adapt.  If they quit, they weren't real bowlers to begin with.

Easy to say when you don't own the business that your "integrity" will possibly kill.

Don't be a coward.  Be a leader.  Human nature says people will piss and moan first, adapt second.  Perhaps you missed the part where I said all centers in a geographical area put their foot down and offer the same shot.  They'll adapt if you give them the chance.

I think you guys are thinking too much like the 20% that really enjoy bowling and not enough like the 80% that do it for something to do.

Simple fix. USBC mandates the changes in oil pattern ratios to be implemented over 5 years. Announce at BowlExpo that beginning in fall of 2013 the USBC has decided to address the lane conditions in todays game in relation to the out of control scoring pace.

Beginning this fall, ratios will be capped at 15:1. In following years we will be droppin the legal ratio to 13:1, 11:1, 10:1, and finally 9:1. This change and implementation over time is to ensure that bowlers dont suffer huge drop offs in scoring pace from one year to the next.

I am averaging 237 in one of my leagues right now. I am extremely upset when the shot is effected and the pace goes down because you cant shoot 237 by making spares. That said, i would be fine if things were changed gradually to allow everyone to adjust to what they are seeing.

This rule will only apply to ratios. Proprietors will be allowed to change the volume, length, buff, taper or whatever else they deem necessary to put out a quality shot on the surface their center bowls on. Any center found to be in non-compliance will have all award scores and averages thrown out. Therefore, it would be in the sanctioned bowler's best interest to police the center as far as legal shot is concerned.

I would make a big deal of the announcement. I would make signage and posters to be placed in high volume areas in every center and pro shop. (Above the urinals is always a good idea) Let people know, we are addressing this concern and it is going to take more practice and dedication if you want to stay at the level you currently are.

As a pro shop operator I would be talking to everyone about it. I would be explaining how it works, why it is necessary, what equipment will help them continue to improve, and pushing videos and lessons as THE NUMBER ONE WAY TO GET BETTER.

But I honestly dont think the USBC really cares. Maybe this would be best handled by a small local association trying it first. If successful maybe USBC would open their eyes.

The are some very good opinions, idea, and points within these posts.

However, we are all probably "real bowlers" as one poster called it and supporters of reigning in the house shots out there today.

We are preaching to our own choir.  We are not having to debate and listen to counter arguments (no matter how stupid) that the USBC does.

Keep that in mind.

I will sometimes come on here and play devils advocate just to get some debate going back and forth.  Sometimes others will think I "feel" one way or the other based on that devils advocate reply.  I support reigning in the THS out there today.  I just acknowledge, that there is way more than "the integrity" of the sport at work here.

I agree. But as "real bowlers" if that is how you want to term it, we are the ones who should be looked to in addressing the issues of our game. A guy bowling once a week, throwing the top end ball, drinking beer and averaging 205 is probably only going to see a 10 pin drop. Granted....some will drop more, but my idea wont create an unplayable shot. And....some will get better. (Rev dominated players) I know lots of old guys that used to be good that just cant throw it as hard anymore and so the game has passed them by. Too much free hook out there on the lanes.

I also have long been an advocate of longer patterns and going back to the heavy pins the PBA tried out. Now if you do all that at once then you will see a huge drop off and frustrated bowlers. You have to do it incrementally. After all....the evolution of balls and the ease of oil patterns didnt happen over night. Honestly....most bowlers think they got better...not that it is the lanes and balls that have created an easiet scoring pace.

I don't think people realize that the USBC does not have the manpower or the balls (no pun intended) to enforce an oil pattern, a ratio of the oil pattern or anything related to the lanes.  I know firsthand they struggle to enforce the current oil and lane requirements.  And yes they do exist.  I have bowled in a sanctioned house where two lanes were missing arrows (wood lanes).  I bowl in a house where one lane is so warped or tilted that the oil machine brushes don't touch parts of the lane.  And trust me you know where those spots are.  Yet, every year there is a new USBC Approved sticker on the front door.  The BPAA has the upper hand now, not the USBC.  It's about saving a business, not a sport or game.