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Informing and Entertaining bowlers TenPin Alley everywhere from , Nevada In This Issue The Tournament Capital of * Bill Spigner answers a question on Chicken-Winging the World! * PBA Television Schedule for 2011-2012 is set OCTOBER 2011 * Rolf Gauger examines the Curved Ceiling

“No matter what situation you are in you must have confidence; An exclusive interview with Teen even if things are not going according to plan.” Masters Champion Zack Hattori “I really enjoy bowling on really tough conditions because it challenges me to stay consistent.” “If I were to become a professional bowler my goals would be simple: capture two PBA titles and beat Chris Barnes and Norm Duke for the titles.”

PBA World Series of Bowling ESPN TV Senior Thanksgiving Classic Adds a New Finals to be Conducted Nov. 17-20 at Feature For Players That Made The Cut! South Point Arena and Events Center A shorter and more compact format is offered for Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas as Sam’s The third annual PBA World Series of Bowling will showcase the world’s great- Town hosts their final Senior Classic! The Senior Classics will be moving to Suncoast Hotel, Casino est bowlers and introduce new events and new concepts in ESPN coverage when it & Bowling Center, home of the U.S. Senior Open, for Easter of 2012. returns to South Point Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center Nov. 4-20. The new Thanksgiving brochure is up on our website www.high-roller.com. Just click Bro- The World Series will culminate with a four-day television extravaganza Nov. chures. The dates are Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25 and the event features some changes from the familiar format used for most of the Classics. 17-20 which will be conducted on lanes constructed in the South Point Arena and There is a new feature just added that didn’t make it into the brochure. For those players that Events Center. Admission to all 12 of the ESPN-taped telecasts will be make the cut, they can compete to win 2 Byes in Match Play! Those players can re-enter a qualifying FREE TO THE PUBLIC! squad, at a discounted fee, bowl another 3 games for a 6-game total, including their original qualifying The World Series of Bowling is a two-week multi-event competition including score. After the final squad on Friday, the players with the top 6-game scores in each age Division will the Viper Open, Chameleon Open, Scorpion Open, Shark Open, PBA World Cham- earn 2 Byes in the Match Play finals - a huge bonus! Senior Classic week will start with a practice session and Sweepers on Monday, featuring pionship, Carmen Salvino Classic Championship, PBA Exempt Players Champion- separate sweepers for age 50 to 59 or aged 60 & over. Then qualifying starts for the main event on ship, Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship and World Bowling Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday with a Friday Finals with $15,000 for 1st. Each age division is Tour Finals. guaranteed a minimum of $5,000 for 1st. Among the PBA stars competing in the World Series hoping to earn berths in But there are many goodies and additions before we crown the last Sam’s Town champ! the finals will be reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Hall of Famers Although just one main event, qualifying for the match play finals is still in 3 age divisions (50 to 59, 60 to 66 and 67 & over) but this time the leader of each division will appear in the Champi- Walter Ray Williams Jr., Norm Duke and Pete Weber, as well as Chris Barnes, Kelly onship Round! Kulick, Bill O’Neill and Rookie of the Year Scott Norton. The customary Early Bird Tune-Up tournament will be replaced by 3 separate purses for The strongest international presence ever will include representatives from six those same 3 age divisions, each with a $1,000 top prize instead of just 1 prize list. countries plus the : Australia (Jason Belmonte), Finland (Palermaa and Just prior to the finals on Friday, there will be one last qualifying squad and then a special event reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi), Canada (Dan MacLelland), Swe- for all of those players that did not make the cut! That event, with a list of prizes and no cost to bowl, den (Martin Larsen), Colombia (Andres Gomez), and Venezuela (Amleto Monacelli). has a special caveat as the top bowler of each of the 3 divisions advances to the finals! Different, interesting & competitive! PBA Hall of Famer Monacelli, a 19-time PBA Tour champion and two-time PBA Of course there is still bonus qualifying for our 70 year olds plus their own event during the Player of the Year, will return to full-time exempt player status for the first time in five Tune-Up tournaments. Other events include Quick Cash Sweepers and a Champs-Only event. years based upon his competition points performance as a non-exempt player last season. And PBA Senior Tour standout Kerry Painter of Henderson, at age 58, be- came the oldest player ever to earn a PBA Tour exemption when he finished eighth in the 2010 PBA Regional Players Invitational in Reno, Nev. In 2010, the PBA World Series of Bowling reaffirmed its position as the sport’s most popular and prestigious event for the international bowling community, with a sold-out field of 256 players representing 14 countries. Now you can receive TenPin Alley in your email Inbox! For additional World Series of Bowling coverage, schedule and information visit Send your email address to [email protected] pba.com. Southern Nevada USBC Association 7231 W. Charleston Blvd. Suite 130, Las Vegas, NV 89117 702-778-2220 9am-4pm Mon-Fri 2 TenPin Alley October 2011 FROM THE PUBLISHER Joyce Letourneau Reality Bites! Tournament Bowling The Bowler’s Guide to Rip-Offs Facts - Fiction - Fun and Scams It’s tournament time again, folks. Joyce Letourneau has dealt with consumer fraud, scams and commercial schemes all her life, as an auditor, Events ranging from weekend 5-gamers, handicap clubs right data processor and a savvy consumer who refuses to be ripped off. She is joint owner of TenPin Alley. on through to PBA will continue to take up a lot of lane space for the 2011-12 bowling season. With several grandkids in school, I soon learned that there are products out Frenchy FACTS: The Bowling Tournament Capital of the World will host there that help the consumer contribute supplies for schools. My daughter Christine Letourneau gazillions of low, intermediate and high level tournament action just introduced me to Box Tops For Education, little coupons that appear on many gro- about every weekend throughout Southern Nevada. And the good cery items from General Mills, Betty Crocker and Green Giant, to name a few. thing about that is there is something for everyone, and you are only limited by your wallet, In no time at all, Frenchy was buying products with the Box Tops, and even his ego and natural ability. Handicap clubs are excellent starting points for those who really love bowling and love boss at Santa Fe Lanes, Joy Francomano, sends me a tassle of these now and then. to compete, with minimal embarrassment for first timers, and plenty of room to grow for those The Box Tops help buy school supplies, and I under- who choose to take whatever efforts to get better at the game and move up the standings as stand there are a lot of families with kids in school who are time progresses. saving these as well. For those of us who are not so eager or unable to play, the spectator value is limitless. Not suprisingly, other manufacturers are becoming Watching some of the area’s greatest scratch bowlers compete in weekend scratch tourna- aware of the volume sales these little coupons are produc- ments can, and often does, present some exciting moments when the race for the top money tethers on execution and carry, and a little luck. ing, and they are jumping on the bandwagon. Right now, I have one called Labels for Even handicap tournaments have a lot of excitement and precious moments. Watching Education. I’m not sure what products are involved. You can check out a low average bowler progress to the cash round for their first time is priceless, and a first labelsforeducation.com to see where to look for these. time win at any level ranks extremely high in emotion for the bowler, their Frenchy likes Raisin Bran, and the General Mills box has the supporters, and the fans who witness the event. I am grateful for having We may not have it all little coupon. the opportunity in my younger years to experience all of these. And, I still together... but together we While at the store recently to renew his cereal, he discov- have good feelings for a first time winner on the PBA Tour, no matter who have it all. ered a Kelloggs box with a banner stating “Happy School Year! up to it is. Let the tears flow, young man. You worked hard to get there. FICTIONS: Many low average bowlers really love the game, and their participation in $100 Cash Card Inside - see back for details.” Gee, a hundred bucks! We would two or more leagues a week is a testament to that. How often have you heard someone say need a lot of those little coupons to match that. they were not good enough to bowl tournaments? Handicap clubs are not inundated with On the back of the box, “You could find up to” in small print, followed by a giant sharks who are out to steal your money. Sure, there will always be sandbaggers, but the best “$100 Cash Card Inside.” The selling point was... “You could find $5, $10, $25, $50 or promoters and directors can smell them, and they are quickly expunged. even $100.” That’s OK, even if it’s only $5. Another misdirection is that tournament bowlers are snobs. Actually, they are ordinary So, foregoing one little coupon for a chance to contribute some real folding folks like you who love to bowl. Hall of Famer was often mistaken for a snob because of his intensity while competing. While other bowlers might try to make small talk or money to the school, Frenchy empties the cereal into his vacuum container and hands idle comments, Carter would appear to ignore them, when in actuality he was focused on the me the empty box. The offer is printed on the inside of the box. job he was there to do. Granted, this was bowling at the highest level, and that intensity is “Sorry, this box not a winner. Try again.” very rare among us common folk bowling in friendly tournament action. So, being the savvy consumer I claim to be, I decided to read the fine print: “I have no chance” should be purged from your brain if you show up just for: “Odds of winning Grand Prize ($100) 1:24,800, First Prize ($50) 1:20,667, Sec- FUN: Low level tournaments are not expensive and have a ton more reward than risk. ond Prize ($25) 1:17,714, Third Prize ($10) 1:15,500 and Fourth Prize ($5) 1:12,400. If you show up with a mindset that you are not a threat to anyone, and you’re just here to enjoy some exciting competition, then fun will be the order of the day. It is extremely rare that That means I could conceviably buy more than 12 THOUSAND boxes and an individual will win the very first tournament they enter. (Don’t confuse this with winning a NEVER WIN A PRIZE! PBA title on their first try - this has been done before. But that individual probably bowled a No thanks. thousand other tournaments prior to getting there.) Your very first goal is easy: have fun, chalk it up as an experience. As you enter more events, goals should progress to * not finishing last Our new email address is * cashing * making the finals [email protected] * winning * winning again * and again PBA players are very vocal about winning. Ask any pro any question you want, but the one answer they will always have in their forethought is what it was like winning that first title. Non-winners remember their first cash, and it trickles down all the way to just not embarrassing oneself. Find a tournament somewhere that fits your love of bowl- ing. Bowl. Have fun. You will be back for more.

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New PBA Regional Players Doubles Championship Set for Las Vegas Regional “major” championship Southern Nevada USBC Association includes two berths in PBA Tournament of Champions “Elite Field” 2011 Senior LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Sept. 22, 2011) – The Professional Bowlers Association Singles has announced its 2012 PBA Regional Players Doubles Championship will move to Las Vegas where it will be hosted by The Orleans Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center Feb. 11-12. Championship The RPC-Doubles, which replaces the PBA Regional Players Invitational which was held for several years in Reno, will immediately follow the February High Roller, Tournament a “megabucks” tournament that has revised its eligibility rules to allow many PBA Regional-level players an opportunity to bowl both events. The High Roller also will be held at The Orleans. October 22 & 23, Because the RPC-Doubles also is the second PBA “major championship” for PBA Regional players, the winning partners both will earn spots in the “Elite Field” at the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions. Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., October 29 & 30, 2011 earned his berth in the TOC “Elite Field” in late May when he won the Regional Play- Santa Fe Lanes 4949 N. Rancho 658-4910 ers Championship-East at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. The RPC-Doubles will be open to all non-exempt PBA members. Entry fee is 5 Age Divisions: 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and $295 per player/$590 per team. Bowlers will compete for a $10,000 first prize (based Super Senior 75 & older on 100 teams) and for enhanced competition points toward qualifying for the Xtra Frame PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer which will be held May 30- Entry forms available at all area bowling April 1 at Woodland Bowl in . The top 16 points leaders in each of the centers and at SNUSBC Offices 778-2220 PBA’s seven regions as of Feb. 26 will qualify for the PBA Playoffs. All RPC-Doubles teams will bowl eight qualifying games on Saturday, Feb. 11, Handicap 90% of 220 with the top 25 percent of the field (maximum 32 teams) advancing to Sunday’s 12- game, Baker format round-robin match play finals. The Baker format requires each Entry Fee $35 player to alternate, bowling five frames per game. Reserved entries close October 15 The RPC-Doubles will be covered live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame as part of a season-long package of more than 250 hours of live online, video-streaming cover- Walk-in entries close 1 hour prior to squad age of PBA competition. To sign up for an Xtra Frame subscription, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo. For RPC-Doubles entry information, visit pba.com. For High Roller eligibility and entry information, visit high-roller.com. For lodging information and reservations, visit orleanscasino.com. 4 TenPin Alley October 2011

Southern Nevada USBC Association Chuck Honor Scores 300 Pezzano Matthew Becker Strike Zone Matt Bowcutt The Orleans Some modest bowling proposals * I was amazed when I read that a very ambitious firm was studying the possibility of in some Brian Cenci Gold Coast way listing the title and contents of every book ever published. One of the projects I have proposed Mike Clemence Gold Coast to the Bowling Writers Association of America is to research and attempt to collect a copy of every bowling book ever written, so all could be displayed and available for use at the International Bowling Bernard Curtis Pahrump Nugget Hall of Fame Jack Reichert library. I don’t know how many have ever been published or how many are available but it looks as though some key writers will be working on the worthy goal. * John DeBenedetta, Jr. South Point * It has been proven over and over that having your own personal equipment for a sport or any other activity enhances and increases the interest and involvement of participants. Why not a drive to Vaughn Doody Red Rock Lanes make it easier for every bowler, particularly the youngsters, to have an easier path to owning their Age 81 ball, bag, and shoes. And every time you need a gift for a bowler, or former bowler, thee is a great list James Eklund Gold Coast from the bowling list for every gift occasion. Jeff Gooding Terrible’s Town * With the merges in bowling groups, many an esteemed veteran of teaching, organizing, and most important, praising the merits of league and tournament play under sanctioned conditions, have Andrew Graff The Orleans sort of been left outside looking in. A little attention to them in the areas they love and know best in bowling would help everyone in bowling. And some thought should be given to modest fees to these Marty Hinton Santa Fe Lanes experts, many of whom would welcome a call that could utilize their experience and their lifetime love of their sport. Robert Hodge The Orleans * Too many times in too many ways rules are passed with so called penalties attached for Gary Johnson The Orleans those who break or ignore the rules, and when penalties are not applied, the rules are not only useless but a sign to encourage the rule breakers to overstep their bounds. Frank LaBruyere Gold Coast * One of the best mottos ever used in bowling was the simple, “Bring A Friend” advice to current bowlers. Yes, bring a friend, or a relative, or even an enemy, but bring someone. Nicholas Marquez The Orleans * What the high scoring trend in bowling over more than enough decades has brought is aver- age bowlers closer in average to the world’s best. When the margin between casual bowler and the Ken Porter The Orleans top pros narrows too much, respect for the game as a sport, is lessened. Kawika Rosier The Orleans Remember, the best you can do in bowling is come up with a strike, all 10 pins with one ball. At times a pre-schooler can do it as well as a seasoned pro. The best you can do in most sports is be a Tim Sam Wildfire Lanes poor imitation of the best. At times it is great that a lesser bowler can match a star that has given his life to study, practice, and wide experience, but those times should be rare and headline happenings, Chris Sharpe The Orleans not commonplace. * Why not color specific lanes. Red for the most difficult scoring, pink for the easiest lane Jeff Springer Gold Coast scoring conditions, black in the middle scoring range and any other colors you like for any reasons you like. Paul Steiner Gold Coast * Too many tournaments, in the attempt to gain as many entries as possible, are too lax in Don Sutton Red Rock Lanes letting almost everyone bowl. City and county and state championships should be just that, limited to that city, county and state bowlers that truly live or bowl there. Ken Young Nellis 300 Bowl * Be proud of bowling. It, the sport of Tenpins, is one of the few American sports born, bred and developed from versions of the activity that were practiced thousands of years ago. Idle Bowling Thoughts * A team’s lineup positions can be very important. All-time great Parker Bohn lll feels that your 299 leadoff individual should be a deadly spare shooter, one that can mark when it counts most and one that can spark the spirit of a team. The anchor, or final bowler in the lineup should be your best all- Joyce Cummings Gold Coast around bowler, but not necessarily the one with the highest average. A top anchor can hit the pocket when the pressure is on, is a good solid spare bowler, but one better known for coming up with that Rex Johnson Gold Coast strike or two when needed in a tight game. Howie Loosbroock The Orleans * There is no such thing as an easy spare, unless it’s the one you don’t have to face because you got a strike. Gary Seney The Orleans * Did you know that up until 1994, from 1958, pro bowlers had to follow strict limits on the length of hair, pony tails, braids and beards. DJ Stevenson Gold Coast * In the more than 50 years that pro bowling has been on TV, the happening causing the most comment was not a big win, not a particular match, not a perfect game, but Mark Roth’s first ever TV Kurt Trotter Red Rock Lanes conversion of the 7-10 split. * You hear about the 300 games rolled in bowling. But a real rarity in bowling is a 291 game, and the rarest of them all in the upper category is a 292 game. * Bowling does have some power to make people much more attentive to dates. The same 800 people who make medical and business matter appointments mere days in advance often enter bowling tournaments two years prior to the competition. 845 Andrew Graff The Orleans * The move to by most integers in bowling will take time, particularly such attractions as the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum, but it has to be one of the most forward thinking 821 Rodney Sutherland Gold Coast bowling ideas in the history of the sport. 814 James Eklund Age 81 Gold Coast * The more you study bowling history the more you realize that the negative of bowling has been expanded and repeated much more that the more prevalent positives of the sport---at every 813 Matt Bowcutt The Orleans level. * Many long years ago John Petraglia was asked who he saw as the future stars. His selec- 813 Rex Johnson Gold Coast tions were Parker Bohn lll, Dave Ozio, Amleto Monacelli, Pete Weber, Brian Voss and Del Ballard. That’s what you call a super crystal ball. All became top stars and all have been elected to the PBA 810 Gary Seney The Orleans Hall of Fame. 809 Kevin Couch Gold Coast * The good old days were when you were pretty sure you could bowl your weight. * When you discuss smooth bowlers the name of the late Joe Joseph comes to mind most 808 Adam Ishman Gold Coast often. For a fairly big man, he moved to the line with all the grace and balance of dancing legend Fred Astaire. One big difference, Joseph carried a heavy bowling ball, not a light hat or cane. 805 Erik Gonzalez Gold Coast * The head pin of a bowling setup probably has more strange remarks directed to it than any other inanimate object in the world. 803 James McCoy The Orleans * Any league secretary or tournament director will tell you that the people who know all the bowling rules and let you know they do are not nearly as bad as the bowlers who think they know all * Member, SNUSBCA Hall of Fame the rules. Information provided by Southern Nevada USBC Association TenPin Alley October 2011 5

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2011-12 ESPN-PBA TOUR Schedule (PST) Vast goals are never reached with half-vast

Dec. 4, 10 a.m. – World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA (men), Las Vegas. preparation Dec. 4, 11 a.m. - World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA (women), Las Vegas. Dec. 11, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA World Championship, Carter Division, Las Vegas. Dec. 18, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA World Championship, Hardwick Division, Las Vegas. Jan. 1, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA World Championship, Petraglia Division, Las Vegas. Jan. 8, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA World Championship, Aulby Division, Las Vegas. Jan. 15, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA World Championship finals, Las Vegas. From Las Vegas, Nevada Jan. 22, 12 p.m. – WSOB Bayer Viper Open, Las Vegas. TenPin The Bowling Tournament Jan. 29, 9:30 a.m. – USBC Masters, Las Vegas. Capital of the World Feb. 5, 1 p.m. – Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational, . Alley Feb. 12, 12 p.m. – WSOB Chameleon Open, Las Vegas. Our 16th Year! Since March, 1996 Feb. 19, 12 p.m. – WSOB Scorpion Open, Las Vegas. Feb. 26, 12 p.m. – 69th U.S. Open, North Brunswick, N.J. 4705 Pacer Ave., North Las Vegas, Nevada 89031 March 4, 12 p.m. – WSOB Shark Open, Las Vegas. (702) 658-8275 Phone & FAX email: [email protected] March 25, 11:30 a.m. – WSOB Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship, LV April 1, 10 a.m. – WSOB Carmen Salvino Classic, Las Vegas. Editor, Publisher, Sales Owner and Inspiration April 8, 10 a.m. – WSOB PBA Exempt Players Championship, Las Vegas. V.A. “Frenchy” Letourneau Joyce Letourneau April 15, 10 a.m. – PBA Tournament of Champions, Las Vegas. Member Bowling Writers Association of America Member Bowling Writers Association of America Member Southern Bowling Writers Association Member Southern Bowling Writers Association Southern Nevada USBC Association Hall of Fame Cancer Survivor Contributing writers: (USBC Hall of Famers underlined) John Jowdy Chuck Pezzano Jeanette Robinson Bill Spigner Rob Mautner Bob Korth Mark Miller Bobbi Hoven Rolf Gauger Lee Arnold SNUSBCA Photographer Kathy Prange TenPin Alley is published and distributed monthly to Southern Nevada bowling centers and pro shops as well as bowling centers in Southern Utah, Laughlin (NV), Reno, some areas of California and bowling centers and Pro Shops around the U.S. TenPin Alley is recognized as the official bowling publication from Las Vegas, Nevada, The Bowling Tournament Capital of the World. TenPin Alley is available by subscription for non-Nevada residents. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. TenPin Alley assumes no responsibility or liability for errors or misrepresentations from advertised products and prices,or assumes any responsibility for advertiser or contributing writers’ opinions. TenPin Alley is free and not offered for sale, with the exception of expenses relating to back issues. 6 TenPin Alley October 2011

a ball with you, where you bowled, and what you were looking for the new ball to do in rela- Bill Spigner’s tionship to the ball you have. If you were only interested in the ball you asked for and didn’t want help in selecting the ball, I’d drill what you asked for. If I have a ball to work off of and a history with the bowler, then I make sure I have a ball Bowling Clinic that fits the needs of the bowler. If I don’t have a ball in stock that is close to what needed to be done with the requested ball, I do one of two things: I recommend another model that is as Q. I don’t slide when I release the ball, and my arm good a ball, if not better, based on my knowledge of the player, or I ask if he or she can wait a flies up like a chicken wing. How do I correct these Prob- couple of days so I can order the desired ball. lems? If I feel the desired ball is totally wrong for the person, I will speak up. Then it’s up to the A. Not sliding is usually caused by taking your last step bowler to decide whether or not to take my advice. I know many professional pro shop opera- with your heel hitting the floor first, followed by your sole. The tors who work this way. It’s our job to help guide you through your purchase. problem with this type of last step is that your body weight has Your second question is about ordering over the Internet. The model of ball, weight, pin to wait for the foot to land flat so the body weight can be transferred to the left leg for a placement, and top weight are all you need to know when ordering a new bowling ball. Keep righthander or the right leg for a lefthander. You need to have your upper body over your last in mind that if the ball doesn’t come with the specs you requested or has another problem, step when you stop so you have leverage to move the ball into the release area and execute you will have to send it back to the place you bought it. a proper release. Q. I have been teaching myself how to bowl for the past 20 years, and I try to get To illustrate, I’ll use a right-handed bowler (lefthanders, reverse the information). When as much advice as I can. I average more than 200 and my game is pretty solid (l still get the last step is taken heel-to-toe,the left lazy and miss a 10-pin every now and then). Right now I am on the Amateur Bowlers leg usually straightens out, the upper tour and have started to cash on a consistent basis, but I’m still having a problem with body straightens up, and the weight is my mental game. I can put my last game behind me, but my problem is with the game trapped on the right leg for too long. This I am bowling. Last week I had seven taps, two 10s, and the 2, 4,7, 8, and 9 in one game. can cause the spine angle to be too I wasn’t happy at all. Is there anything I can do to not get so upset? I’m angry with the veftical, with the ball reaching the bot- bad breaks more than anything else. And how can I get into regional events? I can’t tom of the swing behind the ankle. seem to find them listed in the paper. In the era of soft plastic, rubber, A. Stop looking at nine counts as bad breaks. Instead, start looking at the reason you and urethane balls, there were some are leaving them-there’s always a reason the pins are left standing. The pins are telling you very successful professional bowlers that the way you are getting to the pocket is not right. who took their last step heel-to-toe, with You are bowling at the level where understanding why you don’t carry is the secret to no slide. All of these players released To avoid chicken-winging your release (left), imagine the getting better. You already have to be very consistent to keep hitthg the pocket and average the ball on the upswing with a lot of loft. tips of your fingers first pointing at the floor as you release the ball, then extending out to your target. more than 200. With today’s bowling balls and the Start to leam more about your ball rotation. Seek out a good instructor in your area, or amount of oil that is put on the lanes, you have to release the ball more parallel to the lane. In consult with your pro shop operator and have him or her watch you roll some shots. Such a order to do this, the ball has to reach the bottom of the swing at the ankle or right in front of the seasoned observer might be able to help you understand what your ball is doing on the lane ankle. This allows the ball to come off the hand when the arm and hand are traveling their that is keeping you from carrying. fastest, because they are moving downward with gravity. If the ball hits the bottom of the To get information about PBA regionals or anything else about the PBA, go to swing behind the ankle-which is www.pba.com. While you’re there, check into the PBA events on Xtra Frame video. You can very common for heel-to-toe actually watch the top eight players’ matches live each week, with commentary. The com- bowlers-there’s a danger of re- mentators discuss what’s happening on the lanes and what each bowler might need to do to leasing the ball on the upswing perform better. You can learn more about playing the game by watching these shows. Earlier by the time the ball gets in front tour events from this season are archived for viewing. of the sliding foot. Q. I have a question regarding the number of finger holes a bowling ball can Changing from a heel-to- have. I use a full fingertip grip (thumb and two fingers) and would like to have a con- toe last step to a slide is very dif- ventional hole drilled (ring finger) in my current bowling ball, which is a full fingertip. ficult if you have been bowling The ball would have four holes: thumb, middle, and two ring fingers. The fingertip ring heel-to-toe for a long time. You finger would not be used when I use the conventional hole. What is the USBC rule on not only have to try to slide, you an extra hole? Would drilling a ball in this way be in violation? I have arthritis in both have to position your upper body my middle and ring fingers, although it is most severe in my ring finger. Forcing your toe to touch the floor just as it passes your right foot over the sliding leg-and all of this A. The USBC rule book states, “The following limitations govern holes in a bowling ball: (left) and leaning forward with your upper body to facilitate a quick has to happen just before you (1) Holes or indentations, not to exceed flve for gripping purposes; (2) One hole for balance weight transfer from your right to left leg [right] sends you on release the ball. purposes, not to exceed 1and1/4 inch in diameter; (3) One vent hole for each flnger and/or your way toward a successful slide-step release. To make the change, you thumb hole; and (4) One mill hole for inspection purposes, not to exceed 5/8 inch in diameter have to forget about where the ball is going and totally focus on learning how to execute the and 1/8 inch in depth.” slide step. There are three things that you can do, and to try to do them all at the same time is The way the USBC rule reads, you could drill up to 12 holes in a bowling ball and it still not easy. It’s difficult enough to try to change one thing. But the good news is that all three are would be legal. Many times there are misunderstandings about holes in balls. The rule says related, and learning to execute them in combination will improve your Play. that you can have five holes for gripping purposes, but it does not say you have to use all five The first change comes on the last step. Force your toe to contact the floor just as it is holes at one time. For example, if you had a hole drilled for each of your fingers, including the passing your right foot. Second, lean forward with your upper body so your weight can trans- thumb, you would have five gripping holes. If you were to take all your fingers out of the ball fer quickly from your right to left leg. and just rolled the ball with your thumb, the ball would be legal. But the five holes that are The third concerns your release, which can remedy your chicken-winging. Think of the drilled for gripping purposes have to be able to be used by all four fingers and the thumb at tips of your fingers pointing to the floor when the ball comes off your hand, then extending out one time. The holes have to be clearly drilled in the ball to be used to your target with a very low follow-through. This will help keep you from grabbing the weight at the same time. of the ball and will make it easier for you to transfer your body weight to your left leg for the last You want to drill an extra hole for balance, which is prohib- step. ited because the four holes you have drilled for gripping purposes The heel-to-toe last step is often the result of muscling the ball from the top of the can’t be used at the same time. When you use the conventional swing, where your spine angle straightens up to be vertical to the floor. When that happens, hole, the fingertip grip hole is considered an extra hole for balance, your body weight is actually moving in the opposite direction of your ball. This causes the toe and vice-versa using the fingertip grip hole. So you can drill your to come up on the last step and the heel to hit the floor flrst. ball the way you plan to and your ball will be legal; just don’t have a To sum it up, go into the last step toe first, keep the same forward tilt in the spine (or balance hole drilled in the ball. increase it), and release the ball down into the lane with a very low follow-through. Practice If you don’t have a copy of the USBC rule book, ask one of this and you will be on the way to curing your slide and chicken-winging problems. your league officers for one to look at. Or you can read the rule Reprinted from April Q. My ball driller tells me my pin is four inches from my axis. On the outside of book online at wwwbowl.com. 2003 Bowling Digest the box of the ball I bought are three figures: 15 pounds, 6 ounces (weight), 3-4 inches (pin), and 2 ounces (top weight). Does he choose a ball that begins with the pin in a Bill Spigner is a 3-time National, 9-time Regional PBA Champion and is a member of 6 bowling Halls of Fame including the USBC certain location before drilling, or does he choose any ball of the brand that I want, and Hall of Fame. One of the first 20 Gold Level USBC Coaches, Bill then drill according to my specs? lf I were to order a ball over the lnternet, are these wrote “Bill Spigner’s Bowling Clinic” for Bowling Digest magazine three figures all the information I need? from 1983 until the magazine folded in 2004. Since 2008 he’s written A. If you were to come into my pro shop and say you wanted a Virtual Gravity, for “The Pro Approach” for Bowlers Journal magazine. Bill teaches example, and you had no questions for me and I didn’t know you at all, and you weren’t privately and for more information go to www.billspigner.com or interested in anything but the ball, I would have a few questions for you. I would ask if you had “Bowling Lessons by Bill Spigner” on facebook. TenPin Alley October 2011 7 An Interview With 2010 and Zack Hattori 2011 Teen Masters Champion Zack Hattori of Las Vegas

“This is life-changing for me. I’m excited and shocked. I was struggling Age: 18 thinking about college, but it’s all coming together now. My whole goal Silverado High School graduate GPA 3.7 was to bowl in college. Bowling has been my gateway to get there, and Parents:Thomas and Debra Hattori Siblings: Ben and Terri La-Haise now it’s more real than ever.” - Zack Hattori during his post-match interview after winning an Family members who bowl: Grandfather unprecedented $64,000 full scholarship, courtesy of Ebonite International, in the 2011 Teen Masters at Grand Central and Grandmother still bowl. Mother and Terminal in New York City. After qualifying for Junior Team USA at the National Junior Gold, Zack agreed to do an Father do not bowl anymore. Other hobbies, Interests: Xbox, Golf, interview with TenPin Alley for September. He then went on to win the biggest scholarship ever, and getting ready for Basketball college and letting it all soak in took an understandable toll. We selected questions that we felt would let Zack talk Career aspirations: Complete college freely as a bowler and a true champion. The last two questions were asked after his Teen Masters win. with graduate school and hopefully a Frenchy Letourneau masters degree in the medical field.

TPA: What do you think are the key factors which separate elite bowlers who rise the team since I was 12. It feels great that all the hard work I put in has finally paid off. I will above the rest and consistently occupy the top spots in major events from average- proudly bowl for my country. to-good bowlers who never seem to make it? TPA: If you won a $50 million lottery, what would you do for bowling? What would Zack: I believe the biggest factor in bowling is not only your knowledge of equipment, you do for Zack? but how strong your mental game is. The bowlers with the stronger mental game will be able Zack: If I won 50 million dollars, I would help the youth program and Special Olympics to grind through the toughness and score when the shot is open. Being able to consistently bowling because that would benefit them so much. I would be very happy that I could pay for repeat shots to get the correct read of the pattern is another crucial factor in determining what my schooling and not have to worry about student loans when I get out of college. (Ed note - part of the lane to play. This question was asked and answered following his success in Junior Gold before leaving TPA: Rank these in order from most to least importance: knowledge of equip- for NY to defend his Teen Masters title.) ment, natural talent, mental toughness, commitment to excellence, confidence. Briefly TPA: If it were up to you, would you make high level tournament conditions easier explain you reasoning. so spectators can see high scores, tougher so bowlers have to perform or go home, or Zack: 1. Confidence somewhere in between – tough for competitors, but higher scoring for spectators? 2. Mental toughness Zack: I really enjoy bowling on really tough conditions because it challenges me to stay 3. Knowledge of equipment consistent. When its easy it isnt that fun to me to just strike all day. The grinding part of 4. Commitment to excellence bowling is the best part of the sport. It shows who can stay in when it gets tough. 5. Natural Talent TPA: What does it tell you when you see a PBA TV match with Pete Weber bowl- No matter what situation you are in you must have confidence; even if things are not ing Norm Duke end with 191-189? Is this good for professional bowling? going according to plan. The mental game is one of the biggest parts of the game which is Zack: It all depends on what they are bowling on. If that was the score, I bet they were why I put it second. When it is tough, the bowlers with the best mental game are in the top a bowling on something really tough, because those two bowlers are two of the best on the majority of the time. You also must know your equipment to strive in today’s game. With all the Tour. Also, when it comes down to one game matches, who cares what the score is; the only technology out there, you must stay on top of your arsenal in order to obtain the most pins thing you have to do is stay ahead of your opponent. possible. Being committed to the sport of bowling is also a big factor, but these other factors TPA: Who do you think are the most respected National Junior Gold players? are just as important; maybe more important. Natural talent is at the bottom of the list because Why? natural talent will only get you so far. Understanding the game comes with experience along Zack: I believe Andrew Koff and Kyle King are the two people who have bowled Junior with the rest of this list. Gold that I respect. Andrew has proven over 4 times that he deserves to be on Team USA and TPA: Should you choose a professional bowling career, what would be your first that takes a lot of talent. Kyle is a bowler that I have the most respect for; we have been and foremost goals (as many as important)? Also, should you make it to a PBA TV friends for quite a while and he has always been my idol. He is also one great bowler. finals, who would you like to beat to earn your first pro title? Why? TPA: After Junior Team USA, where will you take bowling in your life? Zack: If I were to become a professional bowler my goals would be simple. My only goal Zack: After Team USA, I would love for bowling to take me to college so I can get a good would be to capture two PBA titles and beat Chris Barnes and Norm Duke for the titles. Also, education and I can plan towards my career. my other goal would just be able to compete with the professionals because those guys are TPA: Now that you have back-to-back Teen Masters titles, did you compete against good; they strike on everything. anyone you would consider World Class? I would want to beat Chris Barnes because I believe he is the best on the PBA Tour. Who and why. SCRATCH SINGLES Most versatile player ever! Zack: In the round of 4, I bowled against TOURNAMENT TPA: List three professional bowlers you admire the most, and why. Ryan Ventillo. I had recently met Ryan not to Sat., Oct. 15 Noon long before this and we became good friends Zack: Norm Duke- He is my favorite bowler of all the PBA players Sun., Oct. 16 2:00 PM over the week. Ryan had shown the most Jason Couch- He is a great guy and a great friend +++++++ Brad Angelo- No one is more professional than Brad Angelo and is also one of the class of the bowlers because he held his head nicest friends I know on the PBA Tour high and he was a very smart person. Is there any one person or persons you give credit to that helped you transition TPA: With very little opportunities for Must be a member of National 600 from an average bowler to being among the elite? Explain. professional women bowlers, what is it Club, 600 Club of Southern Nevada, Grandfather because he was the one who got me into bowling. that you think makes a girl want to bowl and USBC Don Evans which was my first coach and helped me form a physical game at the highest level? ++++++++ Parents for all the support they give me with everything I do. Zack: I believe girls should always strive Entry Fee $25.00 Gary Oatis, author of True Bowler Adjustments, helped me with understanding lane to perform at the highest level because +++++++ women have a better chance at getting more play Must wear 600 Club Uniform Mark Baker because he is the best coach in the world and he always gets me out of a scholorships for bowling in college than men do. slump Three divisions based on verified Jeff Hemer for running the local JBT tournaments because those help you stay on top (Ed note: Women’s Bowling is a recog- averages of your game and win scholorship money! nized NCAA Sport) TPA: What does making Junior Team USA really mean to you? Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Rosalie East 432-1024 Zack: Making Junior Team USA means the world to me. It has been my dream to make 8 TenPin Alley October 2011

I repeat; getting away with something isn’t the best way. True, this was considered correct in the past and many great pros did it (admittedly, a UP YOUR AVERAGE few still do). It was part of what was called “extension”, which was important back then. Even today this flying leg position can be seen on bowling book covers and bowling center en- Rolf Gauger Instruction to Help Raise Your Score trance signs all over the world. But it’s incorrect for today’s equipment and lanes. Keeping that back foot on the floor definitely helps to eliminate this problem. Again, looking at the illustration will provide a visual of the correct modern position of the back leg THE CURVED CEILING So, such an upward pumping back leg at the line allows the torso to lunge right through WHY MANY BETTER BOWLERS CAN’T GET BETTER the release. Lunging makes it impossible to keep the head still. It also breaks one critical modern bowling rule…don’t allow the chest to go forward past the front knee! Again there are The word ‘ceiling’ is used to describe the barriers people often face in their efforts to a few current champs who bend at the waist and achieve wins, but most do not. improve. When a career woman has trouble getting a promotion, that’s referred to as ‘hitting Mike Aulby, the youngest PBA pro to ever be inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame, used the glass ceiling’. True, such barriers, or ceilings, are sometimes imposed by others, but this style. But he kept his head still, so you never saw him lunge. ’s great record many are self imposed. was also achieved with a forward bend but it was said of him that a glass of water on his head In bowling for example, many better players reach a sticking point they just can’t seem would never spill…also that he could split a board into three parts and hit any one of the parts. to break through. By better bowlers I refer to those who are stuck anywhere from the 180s to Such outstanding players are difficult, if not impossible, to emulate. They are the exceptions the low 200s and nothing they’ve tried has helped. I say such a bowler has hit the curved that prove the rule. ceiling only because the bowling ball, being a sphere, is curved. HITTING UP ON THE BALL You might be surprised how many people suffer from this curved ceiling disease. Des- For years we were taught lift. I was taught it, even during the first coaching certification perate bowlers have come to me after having invested months working on their games, spend- seminar I attended. It was also mentioned in bowling books, so it was pretty prevalent. I ing fortunes on equipment, listening to other higher average bowlers, reading books, watch- mention it only because lift was considered an important part of a proper release before the ing pro tournaments on TV, sometimes even having doubled their weekly practice time, all to early 1990s.With my old Manhattan rubber ball from 1960 it worked pretty well, too. But if the no avail. While individual bowlers have different problems of course, there are a few, which in thumb remained in the hole a split second too long, lift became loft. Revs would be drastically my experience, seem to be more common than others. I see them repeated again and again. reduced and the shot ruined. Unfortunately, many still consider lift as a desirable technique. So here we’ll cover a few which I’ve seen result in the most dramatic improvements when It’s not! corrected. These are not necessarily in order of importance. THE PROBLEM THE TILT/UNTILT APPROACH Even back in 1987, in an excellent instructional tape featuring Hall of Fame coach John I’m sure you’ve seen this one among higher average bowlers, because it’s quite com- Jowdy and the great PBA Hall of Fame pro Marshall Holman, the subject of hitting up on the mon. During an otherwise reasonably correct approach, the bowler over-bends (tilts) for- ball was rejected. The reasons make even more sense today and include the following: 1) It ward from the waist on the next to last step (power step). Then, on the last step the bowler makes the ball bounce on impact with the lane, thus slowing down revs and reducing torque; suddenly straightens up in preparation for the release. Often this over-bending is deliberate, 2) with revs developing before the ball lands, it may jump ½” sideways on impact and cause to increase the height of the backswing. Even more often, I find that the bowler isn’t even high pocket hits or splits; 3) with modern equipment it often causes erratic length, making aware of doing this tilt/untilt behavior! Then, when shown a video of this waist bending, many can’t believe that’s what they’ve break point shooting much more difficult. been doing! THE SOLUTION Well, if so many better bowlers It’s relatively easy to avoid hitting up on the ball. Timing is the answer. Prior to the late do it, why isn’t it OK? The fact is 1980s, bowlers were taught that the foot and the ball had to arrive at the line simultaneously. that many bowlers seem to get away This is no longer true! Today, it’s important to get to the line slightly ahead of the ball! Why? with it. But getting away with some- Because today, it’s important to release the ball more like an airplane coming in for a landing. thing doesn’t mean it’s necessarily Once more, the illustration shows the correct modern method. the best way. Actually, when most It’s easier to create this arm/hand release point with slightly faster approach steps, to such players have learned to over- allow the finishing foot to get to the line a split second before the ball reaches the bottom of come this habit their armswing, re- the swing. lease, accuracy, power and The late, great Bob Summerville once made reference to the importance of the elimina- consistency…and scores… all im- tion of lift in modern bowling something like this, “The optimum swing pattern used to be back, prove. down and up (lift); now it is back, down and flat (project)!” Like Jowdy, Summerville had it What to do to overcome it? right, ahead of most others! Well, the first correction is mental, In the near future we’ll cover some additional reasons why some better bowlers don’t believe it or not…the realization that the biggest reason for this overbending from the waist on get better. If and when you bump up against such a curved ceiling it’s usually high time your the power step is usually an unconscious attempt to increase backswing height. Body bend- game is checked for flaws in fundamentals. Like when Tiger Woods revamped his golf game ing is an easy way to accomplish this. Another is to pull the backswing higher behind you, after winning the Masters. You’d think that, plus all his other great wins, would leave him which also often causes such tilting. Some of you can already see where I’m going. Right! satisfied with his game. But somehow he must have felt he had reached a personal ceiling of By increasing the length, height and speed of the pushaway, the backswing height is auto- his own. So guess what he reportedly worked on? Fundamentals! In doing that, he obviously matically increased by just the weight of the ball, without any ball pulling or waist bending! broke through and raised his own ceiling. This is so simple that most who try it are astounded by how easy that unassisted So can we all! backswing really can be. This can be practiced by repeated deliveries with a mental focus on keeping chest/shoulder area absolutely quiet during the last two steps of the approach. Sort of letting that arm behave like a doggie door, where the hinge stays still and merely swivels, while the doggie door swings back and forth. This obviously also helps with staying solid at the line, as we discussed last month. The illustration shows the best possible modern posi- tion at the line, everything it its correct place. EXCEPTIONS? That having been said, remember the caveat…that some successful pros also make this tilting error. When a winning pro does this and keeps winning, how can it be wrong? Obviously it’s not wrong for that individual! As I keep stressing, when a touring pro success- fully does something that causes problems for others, it’s usually due to those hundreds of practice games per month, which the amateur with a day job can’t match. But even among most pros, over-tilting is a no-no! Every experienced coach trains athletes in the most correct possible processes, knowing that certain talented individuals can sometimes get away with breaking those laws. But even most of the best still follow them. Basketball’s Michael Jordan didn’t do it wrong and get away with it…he just did it better than anyone else. The same is true of Tiger Woods. He doesn’t break the laws of golf’s physics and somehow punch through them; he uses them correctly and just does it better. So while there are always those successful athletes who break some of the laws, it’s not what bowlers striving to improve should copy. THE ‘FLYING’ BACK LEG One that is so common even among tournament bowlers that I often find myself watch- ing them in disbelief. You can’t dismiss the importance of being solid at the line for a consis- tent release. Letting the back leg lift upward at the line is one sure way to make such a release more difficult. Again, this may be something some bowlers seem to get away with, but TenPin Alley October 2011 9

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CLIPPING GOAL POST PERSONAL FOUL SUPER BOWL David Pierce - Available for coaching at the Suncoast. 702-437-7247 CONVERSION INTERFERENCE QUARTERBACK TACKLE DEFENSE KICKER ROUGHING TAILBACK Cell 702-327-3148 Fridays 4:00-5:30pm - Juniors Saturday mornings 7:30- DOWNS LINEBACKER SAFETY TOUCHDOWN 8:45 Sundays 7:30-9:00am and 9:00-10:30am FIELD GOAL LOSS OF DOWN SCRIMMAGE YARDAGE Mike Procaccino - Private instruction 702-595-2695 FLANKER OFFSIDES SPECIAL TEAMS Jeanette Robinson - Member of 7 Halls of Fame. Coached U.S. Team in Europe. Teaching Pro at The Orleans 702-791-0142 A. Here is a short method I use to play lanes. 1. Take a few shots just Joe Salvemini - 3-time National PBA champion, 9-time PBA Regional to get stretched out and warmed up. Then shoot a 7 pin to get an idea of champion, 28 years PBA member, 15 years Pro Shop experience. 702-610- how much oil is in the center of the lane. 2. Then shoot a 10 pin or two 2891 Rose Smith - USBC Senior Queens Champion, Golden Ladies Champion watch where the ball stops skidding and grabs the lane. This will give you Bowling lessons for all ages by appointment 702-655-9476 or 702-499-2169 an idea of the distance of the break point. 3. Try different arrows and ob- Kieth Thode - USBC Bronze Level Certified 702-253-0653 or 702-401-0007 serve what kind of reaction you get from each one. Don’t forget to watch Robert Walters - Bronze Certified Coach 702-642-1471 Cell: 312-718-2901 other bowlers to see where they might be playing the lanes. 4. If you have email: [email protected] time, try a couple of different balls with different surfaces to see how they Ron Winger - 5-time PBA Champion, member Southern California Hall of react. 5. Remember, you get no score for strikes in practice, so try lines Fame Available for instruction: cell 1-818-266-4676 across the lane till you find one that works the best for this session. Q. In one of the leagues I bowl in, many of the scratch bowlers Bob Korth have bowling balls with 4 and even five holes in them. How many Ask Bob holes can a bowling ball have in it? A. The answer to this question is technically 11. You may have one Q. This is my first year in a scratch league. My gripping hole for each finger (5). Plus you can have a vent hole for each average is 187 and recently my ball has been hook- gripping hole; the vent hole relieves the air pressure in the hole for a clean ing early, causing me to go high. One of my team- release. No Suction. Then, you may mates told me to aim at the break point to help stop have one weight hole. Most have the ball from rolling early. I have heard of the break point before but only the standard 3 gripping holes I really don’t know where that is. Can you help? and sometimes a weight hole. And A. That was good advice. Sometimes, looking at the break point will some like me have 4 gripping holes, get the ball down the lane further. The break point is the area down the and sometimes a weight hole. I have lane where the oil stops and the dry begins. So it will be different in every not seen the use of vent hole for a center, to some degree. It could be at 35 feet or 40 feet. You will need to long time. They have been out of watch others in your league. Watch the place where the ball makes a style for some time. However, if your definitive move toward the pocket. This is the break point. The break point thumb swells quite a bit during will be in nearly the same place for everyone at your center no matter what league or a tournament, the vent hole angle they use. Just by watching, you will quickly pick up where the break in the thumb can cut down on the point is. swelling. Q. Can you give me the basics of how to play lanes? I do well in To ask a question write my home center but struggle at other bowling centers. I know I would [email protected] this is a new be better if I just knew how to move on the lanes. email address. 10 TenPin Alley October 2011 Humor Me Seeing is believing...

Four men, well along in years, had bowled as a foursome every Sunday morn- ing, until one of them passed away. The other three asked the house pro if he could find them a compatible gentleman to fill out the foursome again. “No problem,” answered the pro. “But, you have to understand,” one of the guys, named George, explained, “that Ralph, who died, was like our eyes. We’re all getting some cataracts, and have trouble seeing the ball. Ralph’s eyesight was perfect, and he was our spot- ter.” The pro promised to see what he could do, and, when the others returned the following Sunday, he introduced them to a truly ancient looking gentleman, named Walt. “How old are you?” George asked. “I’m ninety-four,” Walt responded. “Fabulous,” said George. “But how’s your eyesight?” At this, Walt blew up. “Don’t insult my eyes,” he yelled. “I may be old, but I’ve got 20-20 vision. I have eyes like an eagle. Don’t insult me!” “Okay, okay,” the others said. “Let’s bowl.” George started on lane 10, and he hit light, leaving a washout. He turned to Walt. “Did you see where it went?” he asked the ancient one. “Did I see where it went? I told you not to insult my eyesight. Of course, I saw where it went. I’ve got eyes like an eagle!” Walt yelled. “Okay, I’m sorry,” said George. “Where did it go?” Walt dropped his head, and muttered, “Ummm...I forgot.”

A man asked his wife, “What would you most like for your birthday?” She said, “I’d love to be ten again.” On the morning of her birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to a theme park. He put her on every ride in the park, the Death Slide, The Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear. Everything there was, she had a go. She staggered out of the theme park five hours later, her head reeling and her stomach upside down. Into McDonald’s they went, where she was given a Double Big Mac with extra fries and a strawberry shake. Then off to a movie theater, more burgers, popcorn, cola and sweets. At last she staggered home with her husband and collapsed into bed. Her husband leaned over and asked, “Well, dear, what was it like being ten again?” One eye opened and she groaned, “Actually I meant dress size.” TenPin Alley October 2011 11 fli p side with Rob Mautner Steroid Bowling Balls... and the Great Wall

Wishy-washy: an individual who finds it to be so uncomfortable to state an opin- ion that he would rather be perceived to have no opinion at all. No one will ever accuse me of being wishy-washy! Serious bowlers have long had discussions about the true cause of bowling’s demise. Some, including me have said that it’s modern steroidal bowling balls that virtually hook by themselves that is causing weekly scoring fests in virtually every my garage, take out my shoes, my towel, and my ball a get down to the business of center in the country. Others say that it is the fact that the USBC allows bowling bowling. It’s sort of like Roy in Tin Cup after he broke most all of his golf clubs, “This centers to “wall” the lanes. For those of you who hear this term and really don’t under- looks like a perfect shot for my seven-iron.” Substitute urethane bowling ball! stand it, please permit me to explain. So far, a month into my experiment, I’m finding some very interesting results. Each day, and in most cases, twice each day, the “oil machine” is run down First off, for the most part, I average about the same with the urethane ball as I do each lane in the bowling center. In a complex series of events, with one pass of the when I bring four or five reactive balls. The difference is how I do it. As a lower rev machine, the lane is stripped of old oil, and new oil is added to the clean lane. Initially, player, I rarely bowl really high games with the urethane ball. On the other side of the oil was used to protect the wooden lane investment of bowling center proprietors, by coin, I rarely bowl a really low game with the urethane ball either. The differences limiting the amount of wear on the lanes caused by the bowling balls. To really sim- between individual lanes are minimized with a less reactive ball, with a big difference plify the roll of the oil on the lane as it affects modern bowlers, when your ball encoun- being around three boards rather than eight or nine. Similarly, once I find a shot with ters oil on the lane it skids, and when it encounters drier boards, friction is created the urethane ball, it rarely changes more than a board or two during a three game set. that allows the ball to hook toward the 1-3 pocket (for right-handers). Perhaps the lack of regulation of lane conditions is the problem after all. Different oil patterns are used that vary in terms of length (forty feet is about So what’s the big deal about out-of-control scoring in bowling? Doesn’t it just average in most bowling centers). The one thing that a great majority of “house shots” give bowlers a chance to bowl some high games as they are out for their weekly (the oil pattern that is put down daily for leagues and open play) have in common is entertainment? Sure. The problem is that way too many people are taking this game that there is a very heavy volume of oil put down on the center part of the lane, way too seriously thinking they are so much better than they really are. It seems that usually from the second arrow on the right, to the second arrow on the left. The unsportsmanlike behavior is on the rise. Just in the last month, I’ve seen a fistfight amount of oil is then gradually decreased to as little as the three unit minimum USBC narrowly averted over lane courtesy, heard about several bowlers who quit bowling requirement, on the first board next to each gutter. Since the USBC only requires part way through a set or even a game because they’re bowling bad, and know three units minimum of oil from gutter to gutter, bowling centers are free to add as several fickle pot game bowlers who’ve stopped participating because, for whatever much oil in the middle part of the lane as they want. The resulting “typical house shot” reason, the house shot got more difficult. I’ve seen bowlers kick ball returns because allows bowlers to miss to the left (right-handers) where they encounter more oil that they didn’t carry the ten pin on their way to a 250 game; never mind the three strikes results in more skid to keep the ball on line to the 1-3 pocket longer, or to miss right they threw that should have missed the head pin but hit the wall and came screaming where the ball encounters more friction earlier, and hooks back towards the pocket. back to the pocket. While steroidal bowling balls have definitely contributed to the incredibly high- Come to think about it, bowlers seem to love to complain. For many years I’ve scoring house shot environment by making a great release less important than ever bowled in handicap leagues, sometimes with my wife and sometimes by myself. I like before (it’s now harder to keep a ball from hooking too much, than to get it to hook at the camaraderie of handicap leagues, and usually reserve any serious bowling I do all), the lack of regulation of oil ratios has had as much, if not more of an effect on the for the weekends. For years I’ve heard accusations of people sandbagging in handi- scoring environment. cap leagues. I’m sure it goes on, but I like to think that it’s pretty rare and that most When you take steroidal bowling balls and walled lane conditions, and you com- people have more integrity than to do it. Recently I heard an incredible whine from bine them with synthetic bowling lanes on which the oil moves very quickly, and the other side of the coin. A bowler in a handicap league was complaining that it’s not bowling pins made with modern materials using designs that encourage them to fly fair that all of the bowlers on the first place team average 200. I have only one thing to around when struck by a powerful bowling ball, you have the recipe for the possible say to that: they are 200 average bowlers because they’ve worked on their bowling. demise of the sport that so many of us love. They’ve taken lessons, and they practice. Let’s try not to lose sight of the fact that This winter season, as an experiment to see just how much lane conditions and bowling is still a sport, regardless of how easy it has become in recent years. bowling balls affect scoring, I decided to bowl two leagues in two different local bowl- To end on a positive note, the Vibes Tournament that I’ve talked about in the ing centers. In my Tuesday night league, and sometimes on the weekend when I past is scheduled for October 23, at 10:00 a.m. at Red Rock Lanes. The tournament practice or bowl in senior pot games, I take one urethane bowling ball, a Storm Natu- is being contested on the PBA Shark pattern, and is being held in conjunction with a ral, and use it exclusively for strikes and spares. I must admit that it’s really fun to Storm demo. The tournament winner, along with another random tournament partici- walk into a bowling center with the single ball bag that I scrounged out of the clutter in pant will get to bowl with the Storm pros and have a chance to win a new Storm bowling ball. Sounds like fun! TAKE YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL Whether you are a beginning bowler who is ready to take the game more seriously, or a high average bowler who is ready to give the PBA a shot, call me. I can help. Affordable individual lessons at the Las COACHING Vegas Center of your choice. SILVER LEVEL

Contact Rob Mautner * 228-8959 * [email protected] 12 TenPin Alley October 2011

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