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Author Topic: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open  (Read 3724 times)

Mighty Fish

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Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« on: August 19, 2014, 05:58:11 PM »
Year after year, bowlers get a "reality check" during competition in the USBC Open Tournament ...

http://www.examiner.com/article/area-bowlers-get-annual-reality-check-while-competing-usbc-open-tourney?cid=db_articles

 

avabob

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2014, 03:21:29 PM »
At the risk of being accused of taking your "bait" again, let me give you another opinion. 

Bowling is an environmental game.  We all adapt to our environment, and the predominant environment for most league bowlers is a wet dry pattern typically referred to as the THS.  It is possible to develop a game that allows a person to average 200+ on such conditions without having the versatility to adjust to different patterns.   

Sport patterns with their flatter characteristic edge to edge have been around for almost 15 years now.  They are still not the predominant environment.  As an old geezer who still likes to bowl for money, I go out of my way to bowl on tournament patterns as much as possible.  As a result I find a lot of tournament patterns play as easy to the pocket as a THS.  I have probably given up a bit of carry on THS to maximize my game on tournament patterns.  Again, that is my environment, and it rewards me for the adaptions I have made. 

People bowl the best on what they are most accustomed to.  Most people would average higher in nationals if they got a steady diet of sport patterns in league.  Would some people quit the game.  Maybe, but not nearly as many as people think.  Would top league averages go down.  Sure, but again, not as much as people think.

Bottom line most people average a lot higher on house shots than sport patterns.  The best bowlers, a difference but not nearly as much.  USBC is designed to reward those bowlers. 

Just as an aside, the conditions today in nationals play like a house shot compared to what they were like from the mid 70's to the late 80's.  AMF HPL surface ushered in the high scoring era in nationals.  This forced them to soften up the shot a bit on Brunswick lanes.  Then the resin ball came in, and it opened up the shot to everyone who could find a way to the pocket.  I averaged about 195 for 6 trips to the ABC prior to 1988.  Over 210 for 20 trips since 1995.     

Jorge300

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2014, 03:53:31 PM »
avabob,
    I have to disagree with you on the quote below. Even you seem to disagree with your own quote in the next sentence, quoted below as well. I have seen people average 230 on THS that struggle to average 200 on sports patterns. That is a major drop. The 210-220 average THS bowlers will average 180-190 on a sports pattern. Now with lots of practice can they shrink that gap, yes. But it will still be a significant difference. The only way that gap shrinks, I think, is if the best bowlers adapt their game specifically for Sports shots, in which case I think their THS average comes down a little shrinking that gap. But I still think there will be a significant gap and that shows up every year at the USBC open.

Would top league averages go down.  Sure, but again, not as much as people think.

Bottom line most people average a lot higher on house shots than sport patterns.
Jorge300

Pinbuster

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2014, 04:24:42 PM »
I believe what Bob is saying that if the current THS 230 bowled on sport conditions on a regular basis they would learn how to average higher than they currently do and eventually might average 215 or 220 on sport conditions.

Which might be true if everyone in the league learned how to break down lanes but since that probably isn't going to happen you are going to run into situations where conditions can become near impossible.

Tex

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2014, 10:02:50 PM »
One of my top items on my bowling wish list is a competitive league that bowls on the USBC Nationals pattern every week.  Previous year until new pattern is announced, then current pattern until end of season. I want to believe in most areas this could be a successful league and as the year progressed averages would go up. This would create a mental and maybe physical comfort level so that most bowlers would see and increase in their average at the Nationals. I know that just practicing on the patterns has improved my teams success in the past 3 years, so have some proof that it does help.

avabob

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2014, 10:10:15 AM »
I think it is more fun bowling on flatter patterns of varying length.  However, I will admit that it is self serving.  I am more competitive on these patterns than on those that reward high revs and lots of hook. 

Here is a question I always ask.  If I can beat a guy on a flat short pattern, but he can beat me on a THS, who is better.  Unlike a lot of people I don't think there is anything wrong with a THS.  In fact I think it should be a tournament pattern right along with the sport patterns.  It just shouldn't be the only pattern people get to see if they want to get really good at the game.  When I learned to bowl in the stone age, there were lots of easy houses, and lots of tough houses.  However, even the easy ones played different.  On some I had to square up off the corner.  Others the track was so good at 15 board that it was hard to pull one high.  On these diverse conditions we had to learn how to throw a strong ball, but not at the expense of being able to line up and read the lanes 

The true test of bowling greatness has never been about style, but about versatility. 

itsallaboutme

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2014, 12:52:18 PM »
Bob, it's been my experience that the really good bowlers beat everybody on both.

Dave81644

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2014, 09:03:36 PM »
I am in a league that uses the Nats patterns
however, we have 4 quarters to the league and 4 patterns
medium, short, long and then Nats
all 8 weeks
the thinking behind this is that you learn how to play different parts of the lane which in turn creates thinking about surface, lane play, ball choices, etc..
all good things that will make you better overall
im not sure i would want to be on the nats shot for a whole league season
i wouldn't want to use the same ball(s) every week

avabob

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Re: Bowlers get annual 'reality check' in USBC Open
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2014, 09:52:26 PM »
Its all about carry.  My carry often isn't as good on house shots if I have to go around the oil and hook the lane too much.  Young guns should beat me on that shot.  There is still a lot about matchups in bowling.  Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, even the pros.  Back when I still had more game, I loved to bowl the Masters.  The tour guys weren't use to seeing the particular type of strip pattern that the ABC liked to put out, and their ball reps often couldn't help them much either.  Straighter guys like me often had a bit of an edge, even over some pretty good tour players, especially if we caught them on fresh oil in the morning.