BallReviews
General Category => PBA => Topic started by: Dave81644 on December 27, 2015, 11:13:49 AM
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I hear that a more lefty's than normal made shows and cuts this go around
with Belmo, TJ, Ronnie Russel shut out
I'm sure there was plenty of whining if this is actually the case
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More than normal is an understatement. Over half of the TV show positions were left handed.
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Here's my take on the lefty debate.I am right handed let me play ten out 90% of time and only have to worry about balls.Most lefties hardly ever change lines just balls.Scroggins is a good example.Thats what he says he does.Its really hard to beat lefties playing there A game all the time.Most time when a lefty is on a show they play straighter lines.Whens the last time you seen a lefty play 4th arrow.Only one I really remember was the great Mike Aulby.The rightys sometimes have to loft the dang gutters.Most patterns gets toasted much quicker plus all the lane friction from right side.If leftys dont get shut out on some patterns they would always dominate.Nothing against Lefties just my observations.Faulkner vs Tackett showed that.When you can pipe it down 678 20mph you will be hard to deal with.Bet after wsob lefties will slow down.
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Here's my take on the lefty debate.I am right handed let me play ten out 90% of time and only have to worry about balls.Most lefties hardly ever change lines just balls.Scroggins is a good example.Thats what he says he does.Its really hard to beat lefties playing there A game all the time.Most time when a lefty is on a show they play straighter lines.Whens the last time you seen a lefty play 4th arrow.Only one I really remember was the great Mike Aulby.The rightys sometimes have to loft the dang gutters.Most patterns gets toasted much quicker plus all the lane friction from right side.If leftys dont get shut out on some patterns they would always dominate.Nothing against Lefties just my observations.Faulkner vs Tackett showed that.When you can pipe it down 678 20mph you will be hard to deal with.Bet after wsob lefties will slow down.
Jason Couch, Ricky Ward and the old buzzsaw John Gant would usually move in and play by the 4th arrow. Gary Faulkner is capable of doing that also and Parker Bohn III will do it if needed.
I think the big thing to notice is that with the change of venue this year to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, it has seemed to even out the playing field. By that, I mean that it's allowing different players to really shine instead of the usual people we've seen the past few years (Belmo, Rash). The other thing I've noticed is that the Bowling Stadium seems to be more friendly to lefties in many cases based on how the lanes have played there historically.
Even in 1998, that question came up during the Masters and Marshall Holman said something about the synthetics just favors them. It favored Bohn so much that he shot 300 on the show.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkZoqHK9OXM
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Force lefties to move as much as righties and lefties are garbage.
Now I'm not saying pros are bad at it, just in general. Lol I witness some temper tantrums when the lefties don't get to play the same 3 boards all night.
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Sounds like leagues I've bowled in before.
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MANY league bowlers, lefty or righty: are garbage if they have to move more than 2 boards
when the leftys typically struggle is when the right side is into 6-7th arrow and remove the head oil from that side of the lane
It is also an advantage alot of the time on sport patterns when one side can open up the pattern and create some friction in the right part of the lane
I don't get that same look until at least game 3-whereas the right side has it end of game 1 or start of game 2
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Scroggins said in an interview and confirmed by other lefties that on today's tour patterns, for the past few years if you wanted to cash or make shows as a lefty that you had to become a master of playing outside 5 because that is the only place a lefty is guaranteed to find head oil on the burn squads on tour.
As someone posted above, when the righties are forced to loft the gutter, the lefty head oil is gone from about the 6-7 board in on the late squads.
That's why when the lefties make a show, they play the gutter because that's where they have played all week.
The only way this will ever change in this discussion, if for someone to either develop a lane conditioner that a bowling ball cannot remove from the lane and thus you are forced to play the pattern or someone tries to develop patterns that have so much head oil, that it will hold up thru 8 game blocks and again you are forced to play the pattern.
I don't think either of those will happen any time soon. But that would be the perfect solution. For example: if the bowlers could not modify the pattern with their equipment, a tournament director could create a pattern that forced the righties to play up 5 and it would never dry out. When is the last time, that ever happened? Both sides would have the same shot and it would never change. That is the ideal solution that will never happen anytime soon.
But I think that is the goal. The new Ice oil by Kegel is a step in that direction and bowlers have noticed that when their lanes change to that oil, the patterns last longer before transitioning.
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One more thing I wanted to mention. I have started to see at least in my area, some tournament directors that will pay attention to how they assign lanes in tournaments so that lefties follow lefties when they move pairs so that lefties experience the transition issue more quickly.
The SASBA senior scratch tournaments in Texas I believe tries to do that.
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I believe they used an Authority 22 with Brunswick Defy at the WSOB and there were new panels installed last summer. Defy can be a very interesting lane conditioner with it's self heal. If you watched the WSOB majority of righties were baffled by the 2 pin combo's they left during the transition and burn. That has more to do with lefty dominance than anything.
I see some of that same characteristics with the same machine and oil at my main house but the lane topography at that house is much worse.
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Here's my take on the lefty debate.I am right handed let me play ten out 90% of time and only have to worry about balls.Most lefties hardly ever change lines just balls.Scroggins is a good example.Thats what he says he does.Its really hard to beat lefties playing there A game all the time.Most time when a lefty is on a show they play straighter lines.Whens the last time you seen a lefty play 4th arrow.Only one I really remember was the great Mike Aulby.The rightys sometimes have to loft the dang gutters.Most patterns gets toasted much quicker plus all the lane friction from right side.If leftys dont get shut out on some patterns they would always dominate.Nothing against Lefties just my observations.Faulkner vs Tackett showed that.When you can pipe it down 678 20mph you will be hard to deal with.Bet after wsob lefties will slow down.
Jason Couch, Ricky Ward and the old buzzsaw John Gant would usually move in and play by the 4th arrow. Gary Faulkner is capable of doing that also and Parker Bohn III will do it if needed.
John Mazza and Jess Stayrook easily have, and did. Even Petraglia has.
BL.
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All of these lefties were before the named tour patterns were created.
And back when on a certain weekly stop, you might have hook on the left and dead flood on the right or vise versa and that's when Gant or Steve Cook would make a show because they could overcome the flood with their hand.
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It's environmental...players are a product of that...topography is also a factor...you compete in the same building on the same surface and except a differing result?
When continual play happens on a plastic surface...residual friction will dictate play area more than a 'pattern'
Named pattern mean absolutely nothing....too many variables dictate outcome get past it
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I thought two handed bowlers were the problem not lefties.
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I thought two handed bowlers were the problem not lefties.
I say we should ban the lefties since the way they bowl provides an unfair advantage.
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What about the 2 handed leftys?
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It's environmental...players are a product of that...topography is also a factor...you compete in the same building on the same surface and except a differing result?
When continual play happens on a plastic surface...residual friction will dictate play area more than a 'pattern'
Named pattern mean absolutely nothing....too many variables dictate outcome get past it
Rico - Great comment. Can you expand further. How come on the tour, at least from a TV view point, you may have one righty playing up 5, one playing 10, Pete Weber is playing 15 and Belmonte is doing his thing all around the same break point. While a show full of lefties are all playing the same line? Is that the pattern, the lanes, or just where the lefties play?
Thanks for the thoughts in advance.
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It's environmental...players are a product of that...topography is also a factor...you compete in the same building on the same surface and except a differing result?
When continual play happens on a plastic surface...residual friction will dictate play area more than a 'pattern'
Named pattern mean absolutely nothing....too many variables dictate outcome get past it
Rico - Great comment. Can you expand further. How come on the tour, at least from a TV view point, you may have one righty playing up 5, one playing 10, Pete Weber is playing 15 and Belmonte is doing his thing all around the same break point. While a show full of lefties are all playing the same line? Is that the pattern, the lanes, or just where the lefties play?
Thanks for the thoughts in advance.
I think this shows that even the pros - as great as they are in the sport - still have their comfort zone, and I'm not talking about the lefties here.
It actually would have been interesting if Fagan bowled this one, as while we know he can wheel it better than anyone, he can square up and throw straight up the boards. I'm trying to remember the last time when Weber (modern day Weber) went down and in. Belmonte could do it, but at the cost of jacking up the pattern so badly that everyone else's line would be screwed.
With that type of pattern and play, you could see a bit of teamwork in what the lefties we re doing, which was not just powering through or slogging through the pattern, but helping to break it down for each other as well. Righties, just by nature of how many there are, would be all over the place. The World Championship finals are proof of that, as well as having that "B" game available to you should the pattern call for it.
Again, if a Stayrook, Couch, Mazza, or Ward rolled on this, the results could be different.
BL.
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First Bradl you canNOT make a blatantly ignorant statement such as 'Again if.Stayrook, Couch, Mazza or Ward rolled on this, the results would be different'...FIRST OF ALL DO NOT DISCREDIT THE INDIVIDUALS THERE...
The 4 you mentioned were also products of their environment...the conditions ALLOWED IT...and they were not the highest rev rate lefties...you FORGET Aulby and Richie Wolfe...remember the arena showed they competed in and BOTH were sliding in the right gutters?
You think you know what's going on and 9 outa 10 times you couldn't be farther off base...guys don't shoe up and automatically have a condition or reaction...its ENVIRONMENTAL...
The topography of the stadium is different anywhere else other than maybe any of the casino centers...
You see right handers playing the conditions differently in the fronts but if you watch down lane they're not far off at their break points...
Conditions (patterns) dictate perceived play...and the players influence this....you have the highest combination of rev rates anywhere plus continual play for a longer period...
Quit making blanket statements of how a certain player or would not do...its ignorant
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A couple of lefties that have made the show wouldn't be in the top 5 of my Wednesday scratch league
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That's comical at the least....send your league bowlers out to see how'd they do...idiotic
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Dam what's all this hate for Lefty's. Can't we just congratulate the player for bowling good instead of congratulating his left arm.
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Here we go again, a certain someone in making his point has to slam the poster and his statement to the mat. I always thought using capitals was a no no? Apparently not on BR.
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I think most of us here respect each other opinions, but we also have learned over time who has credibility. So I can understand the frustration when someone posts something that you disagree with completely and feel they do not have the experience to make that statement.
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Plenty of league bowlers think they can beat pros. Television tells us otherwise.
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First Bradl you canNOT make a blatantly ignorant statement such as 'Again if.Stayrook, Couch, Mazza or Ward rolled on this, the results would be different'...FIRST OF ALL DO NOT DISCREDIT THE INDIVIDUALS THERE...
I am not discrediting them by any means. For what those lefties did compared to the rest of the field is nothing short of amazing, and that is saying a lot compared to the other tournaments they've had on the tour over the past few years. We almost had an entire lefty final for the first time in nearly 20 years. That is saying a hell of a lot.
But it didn't get that way from everyone playing multiple angles, did it? That's my point. In fact, you said it yourself: The four that competed in the World Championship (I haven't seen the other finals yet) were not only in their element, but in the right conditions that played to the strengths of their element.
The 4 you mentioned were also products of their environment...the conditions ALLOWED IT...and they were not the highest rev rate lefties...you FORGET Aulby and Richie Wolfe...remember the arena showed they competed in and BOTH were sliding in the right gutters?
Mentioning Aulby and Wolfe are actually lending credence to my question. Seeing how much they liked to wheel the ball, would playing that type of line actually hurt Ciminelli, Norton, or Faulkner? I'm not saying that they couldn't adjust or handle the breakdown, but from that set of finalists throwing the same line, they could easily read off each other and make the adjustments needed.
You think you know what's going on and 9 outa 10 times you couldn't be farther off base...guys don't shoe up and automatically have a condition or reaction...its ENVIRONMENTAL...
Wow. I only ask a question and get blasted. How about taking a breath and chilling out. No need to get worked up over a question.
The topography of the stadium is different anywhere else other than maybe any of the casino centers...
You're not telling us something we do not already know.
You see right handers playing the conditions differently in the fronts but if you watch down lane they're not far off at their break points...
Conditions (patterns) dictate perceived play...and the players influence this....you have the highest combination of rev rates anywhere plus continual play for a longer period...
Quit making blanket statements of how a certain player or would not do...its ignorant
I never said they couldn't. What I am wondering is if playing the same line helped those 4 lefties while most right handers playing those multiple angles hurt their game in that tournament, and what if someone who would play a deeper angle on the left side, like a Ward, Mazza, Aulby, Stayrook, etc., would get the same result.
So please, take whatever tangent you're wanting to roll on against me, keep it to yourself, or take it to a PM. You're a knowledgeable person; no need to be condescending.
BL.
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ababob has been a valued poster on this site since it's inception.
Short of bowling on tour he has bowled at the highest levels successfully and has done well at the National tournament and the masters.
I have tried to stay out of this fray as I know I am biased.
The bowling stadium obviously favors the left handed bowlers. I can not find all the statistics but I would say over 50% of TV finals have been left handed over the years and probably 80% of the major winners there (mostly masters) have been left handed.
Aulby and Bohn winning 3 in a row.
When you make up only 20% of the field this is a statistically improbable.
They have changed lane surfaces several times but this continues to occur regardless of which pattern is used.
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Bowling stadium leans obviously..... :P :-X
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My comments are in no way bashing lefties.I am left handed but bowl right handed.As rico stated its environment.Your not going to see lefties playing 4th arrow when the the shots outside.But on the other hand you will see right handers from 1st to 4th on some patterns..They just dont have to deal with so much friction.Things will be back to normal when they get away from the stadium.I actually like seeing the new faces making the shows.To me Parker Bohn really impresses me when no other lefties are near making shows he is still winning at 52 and still winning Regionals,PBA50 an National PBA events.Never get tired of watching him.
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Your comments abt Bob are not much different than my accomplishments and anyone as Bob should know making a comment abt a league bowler being as good as a touring player or making show is asinine...
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A product of the environment references having the ability to adapt to the environment...there were other lefties that didn't bowl well...and you can't simply apply one player to a time or place and simply assume they will play well...no matter their perceived abilities...there are no guarantees or givens...still gotta throw the ball
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A product of the environment references having the ability to adapt to the environment...there were other lefties that didn't bowl well...and you can't simply apply one player to a time or place and simply assume they will play well...no matter their perceived abilities...there are no guarantees or givens...still gotta throw the ball
Perfectly stated. Thank you.
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A couple of lefties that have made the show wouldn't be in the top 5 of my Wednesday scratch league
This could be the most ignorant comment I've seen on this site in a long time, and that's saying something.
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^^^B I N G O^^^
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They should change the game.
Make every player use both hands. :)
You start the tournament with your left arm, and switch over to the right arm halfway.
That could be fun to watch, and then it would be fair.
In the one game finale on tv you play the left line with your left and the right lane with your right arm ;D
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A couple of lefties that have made the show wouldn't be in the top 5 of my Wednesday scratch league
Ive been thinking that avabob has lost his mind, that comment confirmed it. Sad, because he usually brings good thoughts to the table.
This could be the most ignorant comment I've seen on this site in a long time, and that's saying something.
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You guys have no idea how good some of the so called amateur bowlers in the Spokane area are.
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There's a lot of very good amateur bowlers all over the country but to say they're better than guys that make a show is asinine...it's easy to say sitting at home...
Ya I'm good for 3 games a week too
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I watched Jacob Butruff strike for what seemed like 100 times in a row in the team event. That kid is going to win very soon. I don't see many people that can match that carry percentage when he's lined up.
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Apparently in league...in the Spokane Wa area there is
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Rico, seems to me that Bob is in a better position to make the call than you, unless you have actual knowledge about how well the bowlers he is referring to bowl.
Otherwise, you are just making a bunch of assumptions about how good the guys Bob is referring to bowl. There are some on this site that would call making such uninformed assumptions "asinine."
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Butturff's composite averages last year were 235 for 387 games and 212 for 108 games sport. He joined the PBA and made a show within 6 months. Please send me the league sheet of the league he isn't in the top 5.
Cane is a former Team USA'er, Moor is the leader in all-time EBT titles, so that leaves one, Bolleby. There may be a few leagues with 5 guys better than him, but probably only if you bowl league in Wichita or Dallas.
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Butturff not only made a TV show, he also helped lead his team to a top 3 finish in the PBA team event. On a team with Cain and Haugen, he was picked to be the anchor.
It's an odd shot to watch, but he sure knows how to use it.
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I'm fairly aware of the bowlers on the west coast as well as the NW...and if there were that good of league bowlers, with the way the schedule is I'm sure at some point they'd shoe up...and not in league...
You guys think what you want but GIVE SOME RESPECT to the guys that SHOW UP and bowl...and it's a bit harder than bowling 3 games a week in league to make a show now matter the hand or the PERCEPTION of those on a social media site
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In 1992 I bowled the Brunswick World Championships. I just came off of winning the Amateur Championship and the FIQ Youth Masters so I was bowling well. Crossed with Pete Weber and Eugene McCune. I bowled pretty well that week and PDW beat me by 300 and Eugune by 200 in qualifying. Pete was able to play a part of the lane that no one else could. The fronts dead hooked and the backs were tight. So he just floated through that hook and soft hooked it around the hang. It was impressive to watch and gave me an appreciation of just how tough it is to even make top 24.
What you see in league is nothing compared to what they see. The dry hooks more and the wet less.
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It's dangerous to jump into a feeding frenzy. And Bob is more than capable of speaking for himself. He generally marches to the beat of his own drummer, and I'm not going to try to get into his head. BUT…. Read again what he posted:
"A couple of lefties that have made the show wouldn't be in the top 5 of my Wednesday scratch league"
He didn't say his local bowlers were more skilled than the referenced WSOB guys. He may have been differentiating between the skills necessary to be successful on tour conditions vs. the THS. If so, what he said might be valid.
There are a lot of guys who have become experts at exploiting THS conditions. They've developed a science in their narrow world of bouncing off the dry and exploiting area with maximum results. Most of these guys run from Sport/PBA conditions because they know their limitations in playing flatter patterns. But put them in their own playpen, they can be very difficult to beat. By anyone.
Before anyone jumps down my throat, I know the difference between the two worlds. I bowl two high level scratch leagues. One a THS, and the other PBA/Sport. I bowl several PBA events a year. Nobody appreciates the true skill level of the accomplished PBA guys more than I do.
I'm just trying to provide a sane rationale for Bob's statement. Please feel free to continue...
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The jump from a regional to the big tour is greater than the jump from league to a regional.
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The jump from a regional to the big tour is greater than the jump from league to a regional.
OK…. I get that.
But what does that have to do with the jump from the big tour to league?
Again, I'm not arguing that most league guys can complete with legitimate tour guys on tour conditions. That's not going to happen.
But Bob was talking about how specific WSOB lefties he watched would perform against players on his turf in his specific THS Scratch league. Are you saying that couldn't happen?
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Yes, that's what I'm saying. If you believe otherwise you haven't been around enough good bowlers.
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It definitely looked like a very favorable shot for lefties!
As to lefties playing inside...a fascinating question. There are lefties that can play inside under certain/many conditions(I am one), there are lefties that almost never can play inside, and there are lefties that can play inside often and generate their own carry! They are few and special!
My observations.
1. Soft speed high axis rotation lefties are often forced to play inside. This can surprisingly work out where there is significant dry at the back of pattern like on some of the longer sport patterns or on higher friction lanes, like wood or AMF textured synthetics. Not too good on Brunswick old original low texture synthetics usually.
2. Many lefties with less axis rotation like Mike Scroggins play almost all the time near 5 to 12 in the heads. It works a lot!
3. I bowl with a few SUPER lefty throwers that are near 18 to 20 mph and good 45 degree axis rotation and 400 revs+ and they carry when they go inside nearly every surface including our low texture left side Anvilanes. Why not on tour? I don't know!
Lastly, I bowl in a true righty paradise center by choice. We have righties at 12 mph and 220 revs who carry inside as well as the 440 rev lefties on Brunswick non textured Anvilane. There is an explanation. These old lanes have so much lane bed friction at the break point only on the right that the drive is tremendous to the pocket. This friction is missing in the lane bed on the left. The high power lefties I talk about generate a lot of their own drive to the pocket.
There are conditions that favor righties. Clearly there are conditions that favor lefties as stated in many of the above posts related to this years WSOB. The answer on when lefties can play well on inside lines is frankly, "It depends".
Regards,
Luckylefty
PS I believe most many lefties tend to have less axis rotation than righties as that is where the lanes more often favor it, as a result they often are not so great inside.
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Yes, that's what I'm saying. If you believe otherwise you haven't been around enough good bowlers.
If bowling on either the same pairs or right next to WRW, Duke and Bohn in multiple US Open and Masters events doesn't qualify, as well as some of the best talent in the Western Region, then guilty as charged.
All I'm saying is don't under estimate really good bowlers who have learned to ultimately exploit the walled conditions in their own respective houses. That's not a knock on anyone.
I'll give you just one example. Robert Smith, who still has most of his exemplary skills (which are still awe inspiring), does not dominate our local county THS environments. I know of few locals who would take him on for money on legitimate tour conditions -- they'd lose their lunch money. But that doesn't translate to THS league. Take it for what it's worth.
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Robert of today is along way from what he used to be and how long has it been since he made a show?
His motivation was sub par when he was in his earning prime, how motivated can he be to bowl league now?
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Robert of today is along way from what he used to be and how long has it been since he made a show?
His motivation was sub par when he was in his earning prime, how motivated can he be to bowl league now?
Robert can still do more to a bowling ball than 99.9% of the people in the bowling world. His physical issues, as he's gotten older, have more to do with longer formats than his capabilities in bowling just a handful of games. Maybe you'd like to address him personally on your perceptions of his 'sub par' motivations.
Back to avabob's statement. I have no way of knowing the capabilities of the league bowlers he was referencing, or the specific WSOB bowlers he was referring to. Just read what he wrote in context. Then you can choose to believe whatever you want.
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Trying to catch up-
Bob saying that guys that make a show on TOUR couldn't compete or more so make the top 5 in a Wednesday night league...where they bowl 3 games on the SAME pair...in the same environment EVERY week...wouldn't figure it out? Saying that guys that compete on tour, crossing lanes and bowling against the best wouldn't figure it out? And as has been mentioned...a HUGE difference between a house condition where there tends to be built in area...interesting he has made his controversial remarks and then vanished from the conversation...obviously realizing the ignorance of his remark
Anyone that has a clue about competing understands that the smart guys tend to figure out the conditions and try to take advantage of what is GIVEN not what they want...so especially on the left where the environment dictates more than the condition, ie certain angles shouldn't be surprised the successful ones played similar angles
Conditions or the environment ALWAYS dictate success or failure...take the past WSoB venues...certain styles or players tended to dominate...so they compete at the stadium where the left side tends to be favorable...
I'll say it AGAIN comparing ANY league bowlers that are MERELY league bowlers to touring pros is asinine...and thinking what you see in league in YOUR center is vindictive of real world conditions is humourous at best
Robert Smith is injured...he has fought injuries for the past few years to say the least...he had an ADVANTAGE for a lotta years but the environment caught up to him and diminished his physical advantage...the only guys that could, today, compete with a healthy Robert Smith are the guys that do not use their thumbs....very few can generate close to the power RS did
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It's nice to see a discussion with different viewpoints. Too many posters like to just come out and make personal attacks against those with different viewpoints because they know they are right and anyone who disagrees or sees a different situation is wrong and needs to be insulted.
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Wow, haven't checked this forum for a couple of days. That's the most response I think I have ever gotten. Two points. First my comment was to some extent tongue in check. Second, my comparison wasn't in support of my league mates but rather a comment on the quality I saw from a couple of guys on the show.
I guess one other point I would make. Going way back to the 80's no lefty on this series is as bad as at least 3 right handers who won titles in the crank to the bank 80's. I am not a lefty basher per se. I just saw guys who I didn't think were quality players and happened to be lefty. Maybe I should have made a different comparison. Anybody think those guys are in the same class as Barnes, O' Neil, Rash, Belmo.
Ciminelli and Faulkner are tremendous players. Parker is one of the greatest players ever from either side. Prior to this season it is been pretty tough on lefties for a couple of years. There are a couple of right handers who have made the show during that period who I don't consider superior talents either. There have been a lot of one hit wonders over the years, and there always will be. If the guys I was referring to are regularly cashing and making shows over the next 3 years I will gladly eat my words.
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Funny how I've seen posts from you on other threads...
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I'm curious tho...where do I go to get to the point where one can criticize another's ability because I struck once?
Yes I'm being a smart a** but it really gets olde when, because someone doesn't bowl in a way others believe they should or falls into some preconceived stature that they shouldn't be able to struck ever
Too many do not comprehend that it takes more than looking a certain way...there are too many legends that were no where close to textbook...
Everybody is a dan of a certain style or look or believes what one should do to score...but don't discount another's success and call them crank to the bank or whatever...they have skills others don't obviously or...everyone would tie for first
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I bowled the Pro-Am here in Milwaukee a few summers ago when the PBA was here
we had 6 "pros" rotate through for 3 games total, every 6 frames
it was a THS and a "9" pin tap for us mortals
the pros shot a natural 900
regardless of style, they hit virtually the same mark every time (each of the 6)
we had Barnes, Mika, Missy, Patrick Geradi, Eugene and Jason Sterner(Sterner won me a free ball when he shot 300 in match play)
these aren't exactly slackers by any means, but if you think these guys & gals can't measure up in a house shot, your delusional
Standing left and pitching right with 3-4 boards of miss room either way on the THS is far different than repeating shots on a sport pattern where the release, ball speed and margin of error down the lane is minimal.
no matter if it "looks" goofy or not
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Natural 900s!!! Why even go pro wen making money on house shot is where it's at.
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Nothing about the modern pro game, from the paltry prize funds, and relatively few tournaments to the formats is designed to bring the cream to the top. I think bowling is a great game, and I have total respect for anyone who is willing to put it all on the line and try to make a career out of the game. At the same time I am saddened by the fact that so few bowlers with the ability to play at the top levels can find enough incentive to take the risk.