The last time I wrote, I promised an answer to the question of what can be done to reverse the declining trends in competitive bowling due to the current state of bowling equipment. I received some very interesting feedback on the issue, and a good bit of criticism, mostly centering around the idea that I’ve become a “bitter purist” - kind of like the frazzled golf course superintendent character (played by John Cleese) in the Titleist NXT golf ball commercials. (Oh, the horror!)
That response was interesting, considering that the focus of the column was to establish the connection between declining participation at the competitive level and the state of the bowling ball marketplace. To me, many of the responses I read foreshadow the self-interest and status quo mentality that we must move past in order to help the sport grow once again.
Another interesting thing to note from the responses I read is that I did not see a single counterargument suggesting that the current state of bowling ball technology has actually done anything to help grow the sport. I did read where some folks argued that other factors have likely contributed to the declines more so than bowling equipment, with which I do not deny or disagree. The fact of the matter remains - and I’m sure all of the equipment manufacturers would agree - that if you are in the business of manufacturing, marketing and selling bowling equipment, it is in your long-term best interest (purely from an economic standpoint) to conduct business in a way that contributes to the growth of the sport.
My personal view is that, in the long run, this idea will be served. As the popular TV show Lost recently suggested, “the universe has a way of course-correcting.” I whole-heartedly believe that and I do believe that the sport of bowling will eventually be OK - with or without my input on the matter. What I cannot predict and what concerns me most is, “When?” Like most of you, I’d rather it be sooner than later.
My goal with this column and with all of the other things that I am currently working on is to help grow the sport. I believe that everyone involved in the industry has some connection and some ability to do things that can contribute to that common goal - in a way that is compatible with furthering that individual, group or business’ own interests. With respect to equipment manufacturers, I cannot personally deign to know exactly what each of their specific business goals might be, but I think it’s safe to say that they all aspire to grow their respective businesses. There are two fundamental ways to do that: you can either gain a larger share of the existing market or you can retain your market share and hope that the market grows.
Right now, only the first scenario is occurring and I believe that much of the razor-thin profit margins, retailer attrition (namely, Pro Shops) and corporate buyouts and consolidation that we see in the industry today are a result of that scenario. There are a number of things that equipment manufacturers can do in the short term to shed this cycle and begin contributing to the growth of the sport, including lengthening product life cycles, cutting back on “retread” line extensions and “new” product releases, and focusing more resources on true innovations (like, say, bowling balls that hook as much as the current models but without destroying the lane oil so quickly) that will make the game more enjoyable and more rewarding for bowlers of all skill levels. Based on my assessment of where we’ve been, where we are and where it appears we are going, I believe that this is where the equipment market is headed - however we choose to act in the short term. I believe everyone wants to get to that place. The questions remaining to be answered then are: “When?” and “At what cost?” I’d like to do everything I can to make the answers: “Now” and “As small as possible.”