This is just a general question but in a tournament ( Not Nationals or anything like that ) which would you prefer.... A easy shot that everybody is a familiar with or PBA shot which only they are familiar with (PBA)...  Keep in mind the scores will but going though the roof if extremely easy or you could shut down the field and the give the PBA's and maybe a few others the advantage....

Think really hard before you answer.....

( I might get only 1 person to answer this question )

To me it depends on who you are trying to attract to the tournament.

Most higher average bowlers and scratch events will want a more challenging shot. This will appeal more to the serious tournament bowlers but you are limiting your field to a pretty percentage of the bowling population.

If you are needing to attract larger fields and in handicap events you are probably going to need a softer shot for the event to succeed in the long run.

If you put out tougher shots many of the mid range averages (say 180 to 200) will shy away and if they do bowl in the event and shoot badly they probably will not be back to bowl another year.

This will not bode well for annual events as the number of entries will drop.

I would rather see the tougher patterns. As long as you tell folks ahead of time what the pattern will be they can do their research and prepare for it. Everyone has already said it. To easy and the serious scatch bowler will stay away.Too hard and the borderline 180-200 guy won't show up.  Regardless they're will be whining from one camp or another 

You could put out a medium pattern, like the White pattern of the Red/White/Blue pattern leagues.  I believe it is a 5:1 pattern.  Not the easy 10:1 house shot or the tough 3:1 sport shot.  Still very scorable.

+1

I like this idea as well. Our local USBC normally flattens out the house shot a little bit, so there is some out-of-bounds, but is still very possible to score high on the pattern. They also put out more oil for this as well because they don't re-oil except for team events. It makes for a fun tournament. More challenging than league, but not frustratingly hard like Nationals or Animal patterns.

Tougher tournament will fill up if the prize money is good.  Look at the Fusion Realtors Open in Waterloo, IA. Usually sport compliant, or very close, and that tournament fills up every time, twice per year. It's gotten 180+ entries every time so far, with pretty good star power it seems.  I'd rather bowl tougher shots, knowing full well I likely won't cash.

Beyond the question of pattern, one must also consider how many games are going to be involved.  Back when I was still bowling, I got to the point where I simply quit entering anything that was a sprint (less than four games). 

At the regional level, I was in scorefests where it took averaging 225 across the 12 games just to make the cut and I also had an event where a -2 LED qualifying.  Score paces were often lower in the PWBA SE compared to the PWBA SW which was one of the reasons I was willing to drive further to compete in the SE.  Patterns were more challenging and required more than 'stand left, throw right, hope to carry' in order to do well...

Has any one been to a tournament that uses both a sport shot and THS? Similar idea to using a long pattern and short pattern. For example three games on a THS and three games on a sport shot, or sport shot on one lane and THS on the other.

In my opinion this doesn't favor one style over another as much. The guys who kill a house shot have a chance, as well as the guys who can grind it out.  Obviously the cream still rises to the top, but more people have a chance to win.  This should increase the number of entries, and therefore the prize fund. 

Or it just makes everyone unhappy...

i personally like the idea of a challenging shot for everyone.  create it so no one has a real advantage, or as it seems the Michigan State Tournament, they put a tough shot out, and i think the house gets new pins to help make carry rough.  make it tough for everyone to score, that's what i say.