Erin, you can't cite the exception to justify the rule. On a rare occasion, someone who shouldn't bowl 300, just may. But, there are 52 of the 88 in the entire Association at just 2 Centers. I don't think all of the better bowlers only bowl there.

If there is so much better training of bowlers today, then I guess all the people in 2 centers have that training, and the others don't. I don't accept that. I know bowlers who bowl in those centers. And, they all say their average is 10-15 pins higher at those centers. It is the center that gives the higher scores, not the bowlers.

And, I really am not comparing scores of today to those of yesteryear. One center just re-opened after a fire and the other is a new center of an older one that closed. All of those 300's are new and after just 2 years. And, mostly by bowlers who bowled on other houses before.

One of the Female Coaches on my Wed team bowls at one of those houses, and she comes right out and says her average is 15 pins higher, and she does have one of those 300's. Another female Coach on my team started last year with a 715 and 765. And, averaged over 215 for the year. She became very frustrated that she couldn't better her 192 at our lanes. Those Centers put out the easy shot.

I bowled there once, in an Association tournament, and I won't bowl there again. All of my equipment was too strong. I went to the Pro Shop and talked with someone there. He said he can't sell a Virtual Gravity, which I had, because the lanes were just not oiled for it. Even for the tournament. He does sell a lot of pearl balls though.

If you know a house shot bowler, you should know why having an easier shot is a bad thing. Easy shot let worse bowlers do better. They have more of an edge then they would on a worse shot. Spares are much easier. There is much less importance on spares than normal. I can hook at a 7 pin on a house shot and be confident with that strategy even when the lanes break down. Any one who can do this. Try doing this on a sport shot. Better spare shooters will dominate much easier on a sport shot than when bowling some one on a house shot. Honestly, on a house shot, I have a better advantage than I should versus better bowlers. On the UCF team, I'm only afraid of one person on a house shot. Only 1 out of 11 could beat me on a house shot in the long term. On a sport shot, it's the other way around. I'm at the bottom in the real conditions. These guys are straight up better than me. There are no sport conditions that give me this edge. Not long or shot, it just doesn't happen.

Anyway, one of UCF's past coaches made a comment today on Facebook:

Bowling is a life time sport. When is U.S.B.C. going to wake up and make the shot tough? Change the oil patterns and make bowlers work hard to score 200! Or make the pin heavier 4lbs. Why 36 weeks? Why not two times a year at 20 weeks. Why can't bowler use either hand to bowl with any time they want? The NBA, MLB, PGA and so on, you can use both hands. Any way work on spares, they are needed to win tournaments.

I can't disagree to any of this. The USBC should at least make all sanctioned leagues bowl on regulated shots. Ones that are equivalent to modified house shots.

I bowl out of three centers, 2 of the three I average close to 220 on the house shot, at the 3rd center I barely average 200. Both houses where I average 216 to 218 the house shot is a cake walk! Matter of fact I subed last night in a parent child league and shot 733, I can't even break 600 in my PBA X League! I played anywhere from the 7th to 13th board and got the same result, Strike. Every league in this house stays packed all season because everyone within 50 miles know's they'll get atleast 2 honor scores a season, the 205 + bowlers might possible get 5 or 6 in one season.

At the 3rd center you'd be lucky if your fall league has 10 teams. Most people use it as there practice center. They don't even open on Sunday's due to the poor turn-out. Most people are concerned with scoring, myself included.

Much ado about NOTHING.

We continually fight this. 230 average bowler, been rerated officially. Now using his off hand to establish a lower average (around 140) and then hits every handicap tournament within 120 miles with his 140 average and using his good hand. They delibertly go out of the associatiion boundaries. We have about a dozen bowlers we have to watch continuously for this. The membership application does not require a hand choice. So there's no way to know from tournament to tournament which hand is a bowlers "good" hand or "off" hand. I have bowlers that supplement their household income to tune of aboout $1000 a monnth doing this. Could you use $1000 a month tax free?

Erin

That doesn't really fix the problem, though. People can sandbag bowling with their dominant hand or not. Either way, tournaments take your highest average so I don't see a lot of 230 bowlers bowling one league a year and then bowling it left handed.

We do see this. If you do not know the bowler entering the tournament (he's not from your association) and you look up their book average and it says 140 (bowl.com doesn't indicate L or R) then the bowler bowls 700+ and just sweeps the competition. You do that, with brackets, a couple times a month and you have your tax free income. One such bowler had bowled in over 7 leagues but only reached 21 games in one averaging 140 with the off hand (which by the way, never has to be disclosed since its not demanded on the bowlers application card). The other leagues he was over 220, but since he didn't achieve 21 games, they did not count.

Erin

In re-reading the posts I have come to the following synopsis.

1. Advances in technology HAVE increased scores. Balls, lanes, and oil patterns govern how a bowler can improve. As Erin pointed out, this happens in other Sports as well. Her example of pole vaulting is a classic. With the improvement in the poles, vaulters have exceeded 15' to over 17' and the skies the limit.
But, all competitors use the same dimensions and composition of the field of play.
2. All bowlers will gravitate to the 'new and improved' equipment to improve their game. And, the equipment has made a difference. Bowling balls age with use, and their reaction will lessen over time. So, they are continually being replaced.
But, you still have to know the proper technique to bowl successfully.
3. Scores are always going up, either in average or number of honor scores. Is this a bad thing? Probably not. As Okorimbo says, no one has shot 1500 in a game. That's true. But, there is a cap on the maximum you can score. And, that is a governing calculation in score keeping. Gymnastics always had a maximum of 10 being perfect, until every contestant was scored at the perfection of 10. So, they changed the scoring procedures of the judges to lower the scores. Bowling can't do that since it is an exact calculation, and not the judgement of an official.
4. The playing surface of bowling can be changed, modified, and made easier or harder at the discretion of the House, League, tournament rules and other reasons. This makes for a less than standard measurement of comparison. Many equate golf to bowling, and you really can't do that. Golf, governed by the USGA, has gone through an elaborate effort to rate each hole and course to their degree of difficulty and PAR value. And, every course is rated prior to its opening. The USBC has not attempted to do this. Can a golf course be changed after rating? Yes. Traps can be added or removed. The hole placement can be moved on the green. And, a whole host of other things can be done to make it harder. As in bowling, oil patterns can be changed too. It's an acceptable thing to do.

The only discussion that leads to the originator's comment of Integrity, is the talk of whether bowling is a Sport or recreation. And, it is both. People just don't go out and do gymnastics or pole vault for fun. But, they can bowl. People DO train for gymnastics competition, as bowlers practice too. So, they are dissimilar in that respect.

The difference is that bowlers tend to score high in differing venues, THS or Animal patterns, and the 2 are not the same to the original writer. I think we all recognize that.

We had a discussion in the recent past, that lane conditions, or even houses should be rated as a red, white or blue condition. And, that makes sense to me. Red would be the tougher shot, white medium and blue the easy house shot.

I think this discussion has arisen because of the way the USBC, in deference to the USGA, has traditionally recognized honor scores. All 300's have been published and as a result, have been compared to each other. That's not what Golf does. In golf, there is a plaque on the wall of the clubhouse that recognizes a hole in one, and by whom. Where I golf, there is also a plaque of those golfers who have shot under 70. But, that is specific to that course, and only that course, and never compared to another. Bowling lists all scores of 300 as if they are equal. Golf recognizes they are not equal, so why does the USBC put themself in this position?

A 300 game is different on a house shot vs the Shark. As, a hole in one is different on a 120 yard well manicured hole vs a 250 yd hole over water. They are NOT the same, and never compared.

The USBC should make the House recognize the honor score, and not open it up to be scrutinized by listing it along with others. This just opens the argument as to which is more worthy than another. And, as a result the question arises on the integrity of scores.

Eliminate the comparison, and you eliminate the argument.

The ABC Hall of Fame in St. Louis, (don't even know if it is still there) used to post all 300 games on the wall in the 1950-60's. Well, they ran out of wall space, and resorted to a data base. So, why does the USBC put themself in this controversial position?

Instead of a pin, patch, plaque to the bowler, the USBC should issue a name plate that the House adds to their plaque on the wall of that house, and that house only. If the House chooses, they can have a red, white or blue House plaque.

That's what I've been saying for years, Sanctioned competition should actually be bowling on the USBC National Tournament shot, it is their tournament, it is their governing body, why not demand centers put down their pattern when they (USBC) sanction an event.

As far as free lessons are concerned, I only give free lessons to family (they don't bowl anymore), teammates (I don't have any because I don't bowl) and children who are bowling's future, any help you give them helps the entire sport. Past that my wife will not let me leave the house unless I'm getting paid lol.

Posting vids here and getting free advice on line is akin to reading a book and will not replace having a coach there with you. Again helping someone on line helps the sport and helps proprietors and proshops and coaches by keeping someone interested where they otherwise would have quit the game due to frustration.

It seems as if we are all pretty much in agreement. Some differences exist as in any discussion. I think that Dennis' and Jim's suggestion about having sanctioned tournaments all use the USBC National pattern is excellent. As is the suggestion that the houses and local associations post the "honor"scores instead of the USBC. The USBC should restrict itself to recognition of only those scores shot in the Nationals or other USBC National tournaments. How do we accomplish this? First we ALL should interact with our local associations and let the delegates know our feelings. Then, when the delegates go to the convention they should bring this matter to the floor for debate instead of wasting time on things like a miniscule increase in fees or such. Dennis; idea about grading houses red,white or blue is worth implementing, but it's going to be hard to get the BPAA to go along with something that could be seen as a possible denigration of one center over another.,
I also agree that you can't really compare golf difficulty with bowling... most of my comments were about the costs and changes in equipment. So many bowlers are also golfers that the analogies are easy to follow. Bowlers, for some reason, complain about an increase in lineage from $2 to $3 but don't think twice about shelling out $50 for green fees. Many also whine about paying $200 for a high grade ball but think nothing of paying much more for a super duper Ping driver. Bowlers also seem to relish in tackling a tough golf course and then complain because they can't get a 300 with their eyes closed at home. There's lots of room for improvement of the sport. In fact, there are so many things that could or should be done that it's hard to know where to start. The best way, perhaps, is to follow Erin's suggestion and get involved with the local association and make your voices heard. Change sometimes takes time along with effort.