RealTalk#4 HOUSE SHOT pt. II

[Theo McNair]

Ok, so I am not totally sold on "the shot being easy gets more people to bowl". The recreational bowlers don't care what is on the lane. The league bowlers when they first started bowling was not expecting for it to be super easy. I believe the thing that attracts anyone to anything is the challenge (especially men, can't speak for the ladies :).
If the challenge of bowling was based on a little more difficulty, I don't think those of us that bowl would have changed our minds when we first started. I always compare bowling with golf. In golf you have to make shots. It is never easy because each shot takes the same kind of focus and execution to be successful, and no two shots are the same. I don't see where bowling has to be different, or I cant see where a lot of people will stop bowling because it has more of a challenge.
When I first started playing golf I was not expecting after a year (or even 5) that I should be shooting in the 70s like the pros, the same with bowling, bowlers shouldnt expect to average 200 or 220 like the pros after two to three years.
There is no reason in the world why part-time bowlers should avg close to the same as a pro who makes a living doing this. That is part reason why there is no money in bowling because everyday people can't see the difference in Joe the bowler at home vs. Pete Weber on TV, because they are shooting the same scores.

So, I don't agree with the concept that easy shots makes masses of people start or continue to bowl. I believe people are attracted to sports for the challenge, not the ease.
If it does than those are the same people that are helping us to kill the sport, we need to change the mindset of our sport to keep it alive.

This is RealTalk! What do you think?

[Theo McNair]

Yes, I do! Why you ask?

[Jason Mauldin]

I agree with you Theo.  But I also understand many proprietors don't want the once a week bowler to get upset about not being able to shoot high scores and go to another house.  The simple solution is for the USBC to require houses to use the red, white, or blue pattern.  Then pick a pattern for each league.  Novice leagues would bowl on the red, intermediate leagues on white, and advanced on blue.  This is not perfect because the same pattern plays different from one house to the next, but it would be an improvement on the current system.  Just my 2cents.