Couldn't tell you how many people I have heard say the same thing. Including myself.

I had a problem with a league competition in PBAX. The challenge, to me was between me and the lanes. Since, everyone was in the same or similar boat, we all compared results and tactics. We all worked together, rather than competitively against each other. But, we were the wrong people to help each other.

It probably would have been better for me as a learning experience rather than a league competition. I would have appreciated paying to bowl on these lane conditions with a Coach right on our lanes, watching and telling us what to do.

We won the league, but it was anti-climactic. For the untrained, and limited skilled, a Coach would have been very helpful. Talking with the majority who bowled, the concensus was that we ended up fighting the conditions rather than learning to bowl on them.

Dennis, even when fighting you're still learning about different characteristics =P.

I have my next PBAX league night on Monday and I have no idea what pattern we're bowling on.

Dennis,

I had fun trying to figure the Shark out. And like your PBA league we were all offering suggestions, asking for advice from each other since were all in the same boat. I agree, maybe having a roving coach offering advice would have made it more enjoyable.
We spend three weeks on a pattern, and by the end of the third week, at least for me, I was just starting to get a clue how to play it. Then they change the pattern, and its off to a new challenge. Perhaps having a coach walk around we could have sped up the adjustment period. But I guess part of the intrigue of a PBA league is the trial and error of trying to "figure" it out.

I guess I have taken advantage of what is available here. We have one house where the first 6 lanes always have a PBA pattern on them, and they are for restricted use. Not open bowling.

you have to reserve the lanes in advance. And, quite often, bowlers book a Coach to work with them on the various pattern. They are pretty booked.

The House pro also holds group lessons on these lanes.

I find this practice very helpful.

Another house that does have a PBAX league (20 lanes), has local pros behind the bowlers, ready to help any one of them on request.

To me, it is about training, reading different conditions, and how to bowl on them.

It is sad that these places aren't the norm, we have nothing like this in the whole DC area.

Follow up: I know a woman who had a 180 average take the PBAX very seriously, including lessons a couple of times a week on these lanes. She improved radically, and now is over 210 routinely since last Summer.

She also bowled a PBAX 300 in that league.

Coach, you would know that these were Spigner's lanes. How Brunswick, the new owner, will screw this up, remains to be seen. They will probably add PBA Cosmic.

And, Dave Traber runs the other league.

We have nothing like that my neck of the woods either. You are pretty much on your own,..they pass out a flier and you go from there.
Although we did ask the mechanic at our house if he would lay out the Chameleon for a few of us to practice on this upcomming Monday and he said he would, so maybe we started something. At least for our little group.

I love to see that in my area. My Center there just lay normal house pattern for open play and like Eraser they pass out the filers and you from there. There no way to practice on PBA patterns. Would be nice if they had practice time that they would lay down the patterns.

Shot 843 for 4 on the Scorpion. I was also entering my frames into CGeorg's score keeper. I didn't do a good job of keeping Track of all of the notes and targets hit, but I got all of the pins.