What's the scoring limit for a kid like this?

[AlwaysWrite]

Undoubtedly, there are a number of young bowlers with similar -- or even better -- scoring "credentials" around the country ... but what does this say about today's scoring environment?

Keep in mind that when I came to this area (of west central Florida) in 1966 -- even though there were twice as many centers and more than three times as many bowlers -- there wasn't a single perfect game rolled in this area until 1973.

http://www.examiner.com/bowling-in-s...-perfect-games

[justtryin]

I think that the scoring for ages 14 to 17 in the youth has been extremely good since I was a junior back in 1998. The only difference is now you have all kinds of media to let you know.

I also believe that the equipment of today has allowed more people to bowl better due to the "area of mistakes" you can get away with. The average league shot is designed to get bowling into bowling and enjoy the game. just this friday a 170 average bowler shot his first 300 and it was an amazing moment for that person. its an amazing moment for anyone. the only differenc in todays game is that the average bowlers chance of doing that has increased incredibly due to the advancements of the bowling ball

I don't believe its made bowling any easier because when you bowl some of these tournaments that put out an actual shot that demands accuracy and focus a lot of people still struggle. you also get more entries due to a false level that some people think they have.

in the end while league scoring has skyrocketed in the present day of bowling, once you put bowlers on a oil pattern that demands perfection, the true talent always rises to the top.

[Mr. P]

Undoubtedly, there are a number of young bowlers with similar -- or even better -- scoring "credentials" around the country ... but what does this say about today's scoring environment?

Keep in mind that when I came to this area (of west central Florida) in 1966 -- even though there were twice as many centers and more than three times as many bowlers -- there wasn't a single perfect game rolled in this area until 1973.

http://www.examiner.com/bowling-in-s...-perfect-games

Back in 1973 Driver's, 3 woods and 5 woods were actually made of wood back then, not metal as they are today. Technology has increase a golfer's ability to hit the ball farther and straighter over equipment made 40 to 50 years ago. There are more golfers averaging closer to scratch than there were 40 years ago. But unlike bowling, golf is more popular than ever and bowling is as it's least popular as ever. So to say that bowling ball equipment is contributing or contributed to the down fall of bowling is just a complete false hood. So is saying easier lane conditions. There are just fewer people bowling these days and there is a great variety of reasons why.

[csb5677]

It says the obvious - it's easier.

Figjam alert - In 1963 I had the highest series (reported) in the nation for a junior bolwer (13-15yr olds) - 739, and a 101 game average of 201 (first person in city to average 200, an adult did it the next year).

Today's kids can't practice any more than I did back then; I bowled 100-125 games a week. So something is different.

[tward]

i saw the other day where Wes's 8 year old son is avg 175 in league and has shot 267 with the fornt 8 from what i hear. Kids are just better than we were ability wise because the game is played different today.

Jack Nicklaus has said the way you teach a kid to play golf has changed. In the past you would slow him down and try to teach him the perfect swing. Now you hand him a driver on the range and say swing hard as you can and we will modify what you do naturally. You can teach swings but you cant teach club head speed or revs on a bowling ball

[AlwaysWrite]

The bowler mentioned in the column (Daniel Gassera) isn't the only youngster in the area who is posting boxcar numbers. In the Al Davis Memorial League at Bowland Port Charlotte, Gassera is being pressed for high average by 20-year-old Mike Janosik, who is carrying a 235 average and in that league alone this season has rolled three perfect games, including two of them in an 847 series.

[ph4red]

How kids are being taught may be one thing, but the evolved ball technology is still the overriding influence.

[tward]

you can use what ever ball all you want but at the US OPEN the scores are close to 205 -210 for the leader. People can blame the balls all they want but the real reason for high scores is oil patterns. The lane machine can control scoring more than anything.

[finfish]

you can use what ever ball all you want but at the US OPEN the scores are close to 205 -210 for the leader. People can blame the balls all they want but the real reason for high scores is oil patterns. The lane machine can control scoring more than anything.

Very true statement

[A Lazy Savage]

you can use what ever ball all you want but at the US OPEN the scores are close to 205 -210 for the leader. People can blame the balls all they want but the real reason for high scores is oil patterns. The lane machine can control scoring more than anything.

Exactly. We can put all the blame we want in the bowling equipment, but when it comes right down to it all you need to do is have the oil machine put down a pattern that decreases the amount of area and makes the bowler execute. It is just too bad that so many bowlers want to blindly go out there and average 210 that the dictate the oil patterns typically being set out.

[ph4red]

Very true statement

Fin, I agree that it's a true statement, but at the same time, this thread is regarding a child scoring insane numbers. You can put out any pattern you want and there's probably some ball to adjust for it ... and if you're a newly minted 2-hander, then you will basically burn your own shot in with the same high-tech equipment. Lower the tech, tighten the shot and it becomes less about which ball of the month you have and more about if you can execute.

[tward]

Fin, I agree that it's a true statement, but at the same time, this thread is regarding a child scoring insane numbers. You can put out any pattern you want and there's probably some ball to adjust for it ... and if you're a newly minted 2-hander, then you will basically burn your own shot in with the same high-tech equipment. Lower the tech, tighten the shot and it becomes less about which ball of the month you have and more about if you can execute.

you are living in the good ole' days syndrome. You can not compare the two era's. When we started bowling nobody would ever consider playing 4th 5th, 6th and 7th arrow over the cap. Now it is taught because they are teaching more revs. We can bring out the old stuff and the guys that get lots of revs will still have an advantage.

What you need to realize is that the young people are just plain dumb for the most part and encourage them to keep bowling and eventually they will get it. Until then it is a free entry when tournaments need all they can get.

[csb5677]

[QUOTE=tward;584931]you are living in the good ole' days syndrome. You can not compare the two era's. When we started bowling nobody would ever consider playing 4th 5th, 6th and 7th arrow over the cap. Now it is taught because they are teaching more revs. We can bring out the old stuff and the guys that get lots of revs will still have an advantage. QUOTE]

I kinda agree with "living in the good ole' days syndrome" as I do at times, but you're somewhat off base; I don't recall going as deep as 7th over the cap, but in the "good ole days" it wasn't uncommon at all to be in around the 25 - 30 boards late in the evening on C or whatever squad. In the good ole days they didn't re-run the lanes between squads or before the second round, etc. So even outside players like me had to know how to go real deep.

Lane conditions rule, the ball, regardless of how much it does or doesn't react, only compliments the condition put out. That's why you bring a dozen balls to a tournment. Back to the orignal premise, conditions are no doubt softer than in the past; half the number of bowlers, but quadruple+ the number of high scores. Sure some tournaments put what is now considered a difficult shot, big deal.

[TheIronMan]

The "good ole days" when I started, nobody played inside 12 and lefties had no chance because there was no track. When they resurfaced, the lefties would dominate because the righties weren't used to no track. But, the house man could still take you out of your shot with lane oil. That has always been true and is still true. I've probably thrown more different kinds of bowling balls than anyone and they all work on some patterns and they all won't work on others.

[QUOTE=csb5677;585055]

you are living in the good ole' days syndrome. You can not compare the two era's. When we started bowling nobody would ever consider playing 4th 5th, 6th and 7th arrow over the cap. Now it is taught because they are teaching more revs. We can bring out the old stuff and the guys that get lots of revs will still have an advantage. QUOTE]

I kinda agree with "living in the good ole' days syndrome" as I do at times, but you're somewhat off base; I don't recall going as deep as 7th over the cap, but in the "good ole days" it wasn't uncommon at all to be in around the 25 - 30 boards late in the evening on C or whatever squad. In the good ole days they didn't re-run the lanes between squads or before the second round, etc. So even outside players like me had to know how to go real deep.

Lane conditions rule, the ball, regardless of how much it does or doesn't react, only compliments the condition put out. That's why you bring a dozen balls to a tournment. Back to the orignal premise, conditions are no doubt softer than in the past; half the number of bowlers, but quadruple+ the number of high scores. Sure some tournaments put what is now considered a difficult shot, big deal.

[VoiceOfReason]

you can use what ever ball all you want but at the US OPEN the scores are close to 205 -210 for the leader. People can blame the balls all they want but the real reason for high scores is oil patterns. The lane machine can control scoring more than anything.

Here we go. If i was using 2012 equipment in 1980 i guarantee i would have been a multiple PBA champion. The equipment today gives you more area on 99 percent of the patterns. Just like golf the equipment is superior and now the courses are longer and trickier. Golf compensated for equipment with length and design. Bowling on the other hand can't make the lane longer or put obstacles on the lanes. Having said that they definitely could have made standard patterns that require more skill.