In the last edition of this column, I discussed the importance of putting words into action as part of contributing to positive changes in the sport of bowling. Naturally, the question that follows is, “There are so many problems out there to fix, which one should I focus on?” Obviously, that is a personal decision that each individual must figure out for himself, but the important factor is that you pick a cause that you feel strongly about and one that you are willing to put in the hard work required to influence change.
One topic that I feel very strongly about is the unchecked advancement in bowling equipment technology and its affect on the way in which the sport of bowling is now played. First off, I think it is very important for me to state that, as a player who has enjoyed some pretty decent success on Tour against the very best bowlers in the world for the past 25 years (has it really been that long?), and as someone who has won a recent Tour event (last January), that I’m very much a strong advocate of the idea that adapting your game to changing conditions and long-term trends is of the utmost importance in retaining your competitive edge. As much as anyone, I understand the importance of flexibility and versatility in playing this game at the highest possible level (and I’m not just talking about the Tour here, I’m talking about playing to your own maximum potential - whatever your skill level).
That being said, I have very real concerns about the influence that I believe the current state of bowling equipment technology is having on the declines in participation for the competitive element of the sport. While I will leave a more detailed discussion of that particular connection to another column, what I would like to focus on here is the impact that the way in which the game is currently played is having on the morale of the competitive bowler and the perception of bowling as a sport.
First of all, there is no question that lane conditions change much more quickly and much more dramatically than they have at any time since I began my bowling career. While this is frustrating for many - and undoubtedly has had its own effect on driving competitive bowlers away from the sport (albeit the less driven ones) - it is not the major cause for concern that I believe will have a more damaging long-term influence on the sport. In bowling, there are two basic factors that determine an individual’s ability to compete and maximize scoring potential, namely: mistake area and carry percentage.
The effect that the latest equipment technology has caused for these two fundamental criteria is that it increases mistake area and it improves carry percentage. The ways in which bowling balls of today increase mistake area are well-documented, but a simple explanation is that, over time, the equipment can quickly “blow a hole” in the oil pattern, which creates more hook outside of target, thereby increasing mistake area on the lane. The amount of hook that the balls generate also enhances entry angle to the pocket, which leads to much higher carry percentages for everyone. The net effect of these changes are higher scores, which are well documented by the dramatic increase in PBA Tour averages over the past 15 years, despite a strong emphasis by the PBA Lane Maintenance crew on placing a premium on shot-making.
There are a few logical conclusions we can draw from these facts, but the most important are that bowlers have begun to understand that since there is more margin for error in both mistake area and carry percentage, that shot-making, while still important, is not as important as it was, say 15 years ago. The effect of that is less reliance on athletic talent and discipline and more on equipment knowledge, experimentation and simple, dumb luck. In my experience, when people feel like circumstances are beyond their control in any competitive endeavor, that is when they begin to lose interest and think about taking up something that allows them to gain that control through hard work, dedication and improvement through feedback.
What is the answer to this problem? All in good time. Until then, keep those letters coming and let us know what you think on this and other topics.