NEWS FLASH--There WILL be a Women's U.S. Open Next Year

Here's a great news flash hot off the presses or, rather, off redoubtable Jeff Richgels' The 11th Frame bowling blog: There WILL be a U.S. Women's Open in 2011. Since the USBC won't be sponsoring it, it will be sponsored by Ebonite and held in the Dallas area in June. For more details, click here to read Richgels' article.

Bowling Bytes--6/30/10

It's an all-PBA day of links as I return from a brief blogging hiatus.

~ Six Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Stars to represent United States in WTBA World Championships -- "Six Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour stars will compose the 2010 version of bowling's Dream Team, carrying the United States’ hopes for a third consecutive team gold medal in the 2010 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men's Championships. Selected to compete for Team USA are Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Bill O'Neill, Tommy Jones, Rhino Page and Patrick Allen. The World Men's Championships will take place Aug. 12-21 at Dream Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany...In 2008, Team USA won four gold: team, doubles (Page and Allen), singles and Masters, won by Walter Ray Williams Jr. Williams withdrew his name for consideration for the 2010 World Championships..."

~ PBA Spare Shots: Mitchell Spoils a Chris Vs. Lynda Barnes Title Match in Wichita Regional Event -- "Lynda Barnes needed one more win to set up the first husband vs. wife title match in PBA history Sunday, June 20, at Thunderbird Lanes in Wichita, Kan., but top qualifier Kevin Mitchell (left) of Tulsa, Okla., spoiled the fun when he eliminated Mrs. Barnes in the semifinal round, 224-180...Lynda Barnes made it interesting when she swept Wichita’s Sean Rash in their best-of-five-game Round of 16 match, 229-207, 202-193 and 235-227 in their first “re-match” since Lynda Barnes defeated Rash in the title match of USBC’s nationally-televised 2008 Clash of Champions in Kansas City, Mo., 258-237. Lynda Barnes then defeated 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitor George Lambert IV in their best-of-three, Round of 8 match, 217-178 and 220-124, to advance to the semifinal round..."

~ Another Bohn in Contention? -- "Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., finished third in the PBA East Region’s Howell (N.J.) Lanes Open – won by Brian LeClair – on Sunday, June 20, but it was another player named “Andrew Bohn” who attracted special attention. The answer is, yes, the Bohns are related. Andrew, a 19-year-old right-hander, is the son of Parker’s uncle, Eddie Bohn of Freehold, N.J. Andrew, bowling as a guest, finished 38th and cashed for $400..."

~ PBA's Social Networking Reach Continues Fast Growth Pace -- "The Professional Bowlers Association is riding the wave of online digital media in expanding the way sports information is disseminated to an information-hungry society. In addition to its documented growth of pba.com visitors and Xtra Frame subscribers, the PBA is rapidly expanding its social networking exposure...Speaking of YouTube, PBA video highlights have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times led this year by Osku Palermaa's incredible two-handed over-the-bar-stool trick shot (over 147,000 views) during the 2009 World Series of Bowling and Brian Voss' amazing 7-10 conversion in the position round of the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles (over 94,000 views).

~ Williams to Take a Horseshoe Break Before Senior Tour Wrap-Up -- "Walter Ray Williams Jr. is taking a mid-summer break from bowling to pursue his other passion, horseshoe pitching. The six-time World Horseshoe Pitching Champion and member of the National Horseshoe Pitching Hall of Fame will compete in a tournament in Danville, Ill., July 10-11, before heading to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where – uncharacteristically – he questions whether or not he can win..."

~ Brunswick Takes Early Lead in GEICO PBA Team Shootout -- "With help from the unique “endless 10th frame” and the only woman in the competition, Brunswick took the lead in the Manufacturers’ Cup standings after the first two rounds of competition in the GEICO PBA Team Shootout hosted by Six Flags. The first four of 12 Baker scoring system round-robin team matches aired Sunday on ESPN. In Baker team bowling, each member of a five-player team bowls two frames to complete a full game. In the GEICO Team Shootout, the “endless 10th frame” allows a team to extend its 10th frame as long as it can continue to throw strikes. The entire series, consisting of six head-to-head matches between each team plus a three-match stepladder final, was conducted outdoors on specially-constructed lanes on the grounds of one of the Atlantic Coast region’s most popular theme parks...After the opening series of telecasts, Brunswick held a 2-0 edge in the Manufacturers’ Cup. Storm and 900 Global had 1-1 records while Ebonite was 0-2. The won-lost records at the conclusion of the round-robin matches will determine the seeding positions for the championship round. Ties will be broken by actual pinfall totals, not including “endless 10th frame” bonus pins.GEICO Team Shootout telecasts will continue on ESPN on Saturday, July 3, at 2 p.m.; Sunday, July 4, at 1 p.m., and Sunday, July 11, at 1:30 p.m. All times are Eastern..."

~ The 11th Frame: Is it wrong to love the GEICO Team Shootout? -- "I know people who refuse to watch the GEICO PBA Team Shootout because they deem it not worthy of the attention of true bowling fans. It's outdoors, it's got a gimmicky format, the players aren't serious enough, blah, blah, blah. It's a nauseating cliché, but, hey, it is what it is. And I enjoy it..."

~ Kulick, O'Neil, Williams Nominated for "Best Bowler" ESPY; Fan Voting is Now Underway -- "PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J.; U.S. Open champion Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., and 2009-10 PBA Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., have been nominated for ESPN’s “Best Bowler ESPY” for 2010...Kulick, who also won the 2009 PBA Women’s World Championship and 2010 USBC Queens and U.S. Women’s Open, has been nominated for the first time. O’Neill, who also won the PBA Chameleon Championship and finished second to Williams in the PBA points race, also is a first-time nominee. Williams, who raised his all-time PBA Tour title total to a record 47 with two more victories last season – including the 2010 USBC Masters – is a six-time “Best Bowler” ESPY winner..."

~ MIKE J. LANESIDE: Summer Means No Rest for Xtra Frame -- "The new, improved presentation of PBA.com’s Xtra Frame was introduced at the 2009 PBA World Series of Bowling – more cameras, better camera angles, camera operators, bonus qualifying coverage, live social interaction via PBA’s Facebook fan page during match play and much more. Fans of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour responded during the 2009-10 season by increasing subscriptions to Xtra Frame by a whopping 120%. Following the end of the PBA Tour season, fans asked: is my subscription to Xtra Frame worth having in the Spring and Summer months before the national Tour starts up again?As Marv Albert would say, the answer is a resounding, YES!...June 30 & July 1 – 2010 International Bowl Expo from Las Vegas, Nev....July 27-30 - 2010 Teen Masters from Reno, Nev....“The Bowling Doctor” Jeff Mark returns to the road starting on Aug. 1 covering PBA Senior Tour and PBA Regional Tour events. Each event will be presented live where local Internet connections allow. In the event live coverage is not available, the content will be archived as soon as possible for on demand viewing...Xtra Frame, the Official Streaming Video Service of the PBA is available 24/7 for just $7.99 a month or $64.99 for a one-year subscription. Subscribe now at http://xtraframe.pba.com/..."

~ The 11th Frame: Kenosha's Yanel wins first PBA title on day grandmother dies -- "No one ever forgets their first time. That old saying applies to PBA titles as much as anything else. But you can be sure that Ryan Yanel of Kenosha will never forget his first PBA title, as it came against a PBA Tour champion in a one ball roll-off, and -- in a bittersweet twist -- on the day his grandmother died.As if all that wasn't enough, Yanel swept Kenosha legend Lennie Boresch Jr. in the Round of 8 with a 300 in the final game. It all may sound like the screenplay for a Hollywood movie, but it happened in real life Sunday..."

Bowling Video--Dr. Dean Hinitz Working With Women's Team USA

Yesterday, I blogged about the highlights of bowling psychologist extraordinare Dr. Dean Hinitz's presentation to us attendees of the recent Fireside Lanes bowling clinic. Although it's too large to embed, you can click here to see a YouTube video that features Dr. Dean recently conducting a team-unity building exercise with the women's Team USA in Texas.

Fireside Lanes Bowling Clinic Report, Part 2

I recently posted Part 1 of a planned 3 part series on my experience at a bowling clinic held at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA on June 6. The instructors were Dr. Dean Hinitz, Bill O'Neill, P.J. Haggerty, Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg, and Gary Hulsenberg. That first entry dealt mainly with the coaching we received on our physical games. Today, in Part 2, I'd like to provide an overview of the coaching we received, primarily from the bowling psychologist Dr. Hinitz, on our mental or psychological games. For, as Dr. Hinitz explained, the mental game is every bit as important if not more so to bowling success. And in the most elite bowlers, mind and body work harmoniously together as a masterful whole.

One thing I regret is that I didn't follow Dr. Dean's advice and take notes as he spoke to us about bowling psychology. If you ever attend a bowling clinic, or, for that matter, any event that presents information that you want to learn and remember, take good notes. You may think you'll remember everything or, at least, all the important stuff afterwards, but the fact is, you'll probably end up forgetting much of it if you don't take notes. Fortunately, I did jot down some key points of what I remembered after I got home. But by then I'd probably already forgotten entirely too much of the valuable information presented. So, please, don't you make that mistake. I certainly won't ever make it again.

Here are are some of the key points I managed to remember from Dr. Dean Hinitz's presentation on bowling psychology:

Don't tase me, bro!

Many people beat themselves up when they make mistakes on the lanes. They scold and disparage themselves unmercifully, and this is like taking the electrical shock device called a taser that police use to subdue uncooperative criminals and applying it to one's subconscious with predictably bad results. Figuratively tasing yourself in this way just makes you hate bowling and tense up in fear and anticipation of failure, and this is no foundation for bowling success.

Try to do it right, not avoid doing it wrong.

Many bowlers mistakenly try to prevent making mistakes by telling themselves not to make them instead of telling themselves what they want to do. For instance, they'll tell themselves "Don't miss that 10 pin" instead of "Make that 10 pin" or "Don't miss the pocket" instead of "Hit the pocket." When you tell yourself not to do something, your subconscious mind ignores the DON'T and focuses on the rest. So, you're more likely to do what you tell yourself not to do than if you don't tell yourself anything at all. So, don't tell yourself what not to do. Tell yourself what to do.

Stormy weather

If someone offered you $10,000 to walk a quarter mile in a heavy rain to collect the money, would you do it? Unless you're richer than I am, you darn sure would. You might not enjoy the walk. You might feel cold, wet, and miserable doing it, but by golly you'd do it anyway, because the prize would be worth the stormy discomfort. Well, suppose your goal is to get a strike or spare or win a match or tournament. Even if the lanes are tough, your opponent acts like a jerk, there are spectators talking or cheering too loudly, or you feel as angry or nervous as hell, the best thing you can do is keep trying your best to get what you came for. You may not be able to control or tune out the external distractions or stop feeling the unpleasant emotions, but you can see them all as being like stormy weather and you are in the middle of the storm pressing forward to collect your reward.

Character reigns supreme.

Dr. Dean once bowled in a tournament and had no chance of winning by the time he got to the final frame. Still, he tried his best on his remaining shots. Afterwards, as he was packing up to leave, an older gentleman walked up to him and said, "I was watching you bowl, and I saw that even though you were out of the running, you didn't stop trying. Most people would have given up at that point and just thrown the ball mindlessly, but you kept trying to make good shots. That shows character." The moral of the story is that nobody can score well and win every time, but we can ALL bowl with character, putting our best effort or full commitment into every shot.

Am I here?

Dr. Dean once sat with Chris Barnes and another great bowler as they watched Patrick Allen leave a 5 pin and then miss it on his spare attempt. He asked the bowlers why Allen missed the spare and they tersely answered that it was because "He wasn't there" on the shot. In other words, his mind had wandered away from executing well on that spare. So, when you step up on the approach to make an important shot, ask yourself, "Am I here"? That will help you to focus and make a good shot.

Sit in front.

Dr. Dean once encountered a touring pro of considerable talent who never allowed himself to sit in the front rows of an airliner, because they were the choice seats typically occupied by the most successful bowlers on Tour such as Chris Barnes, Walter Ray, Norm Duke, and Tommy Jones. This particular bowler didn't believe that he deserved to sit in front with these guys, so he always sat further in the back where he thought he belonged. But Dr. Dean told him to start sitting in the front, and when he did, he began to bowl better on Tour. Don't allow yourself to think that you don't deserve to be and bowl with the best.

Paris in the the spring.

Dr. Dean had two volunteers close their eyes while he wrote "Paris in the the spring on a board at the front of the room. He then asked the volunteers to open their eyes very briefly, close them again, and say what he had written on the board. They both said, "Paris in the spring." He told them to open their eyes a little longer and then close them again and say what was on the board. Again, they said, "Paris in the spring." This went on for some time with the volunteers allowed a longer and longer time to keep their eyes open and read the message before closing their eyes again and reporting what was written on the board. Each time, they said, "Paris in the spring." When he asked them if they were certain that's what the message said, they replied that they were. Finally, he allowed them to keep their eyes open and read the message as long as they wanted. They suddenly realized that they had misread the message. It didn't say "Paris in the spring." It said "Paris in the the spring." The lesson of the exercise is that we often see what we expect to see out on the lanes instead of what's actually there, and then we mistakenly adjust or play to what we falsely think we see instead of to the actual conditions we're facing. So, we need to keep our eyes and minds open to what's really there and, whenever possible, seek feedback from others as to whether we're really seeing what we think we are.

Pick one thing.

Dr. Dean asked Bill O'Neill what he focuses on when he's about to make a crucial shot under tremendous pressure. O'Neil replied that he focuses on one aspect of his physical game, perhaps a nice, smooth pushaway, and then executes his approach and delivery with that focus, trusting that it will bring everything else into line. This helps get his mind to feel less pressure and uncertainty by anchoring it on something he can directly control. This is something we can all do in pressure situations.

In Part 3, I'll offer some concluding remarks on the clinic and try to tie it all in to my recent bowling experiences, including my participation earlier this month in a tournament in Southern California.

Bowling Video--Backup Ball 300 Game, More or Less

I've mentioned several times that I bowl at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA because of its wonderful leagues, practice rates, personnel, and junior program. I've also mentioned that I participate in a league there where we bowl 6 games a week--3 of doubles and 3 of singles competition--for an affordable sum of $15 against a great bunch of guys and one gal.

One of the guys is a real character. His name is Charles. Watching him bowl is always entertaining because you never know what he's going to do. Will he throw his strike or spare ball with a regular or reverse hook? Will he throw it slow or fast enough to almost shatter the pins and wreck the lane and perhaps injure himself from his frightfully fierce exertion? You just never know.

You also never know how well he's going to bowl on a given night. He can shoot the lights out one game or series and struggle like crazy the next. Or is he REALLY struggling? It's interesting how when he's bowling a position round or sweepers or tournament where there's some money on the line, he seems to shoot the lights out a good deal more often than he struggles. Funny how some people are that way.

Speaking of this guy's reverse hook, I'd like to put him in the backup ball championship I proposed awhile back. He just might give Maximum Bob, Belmo, and Osku a run for their proverbial money. To prove it, below is a two part video of him bowling a 300 game in practice. The video was taken many years ago. I assure you he throws his backup ball even better now.

Bowling Bytes--6/21/10

~ PBA West Leaders Through June 20, 2010

~ PBA Northwest Leaders Through June 20, 2010

~ PBA Central Region Senior Leaders Through June 20, 2010

~ PBA Central Region Leaders Through June 20, 2010

~ The 11th Frame: 'Green Machine" cements status as top senior player in the world -- "Ron Mohr might be the reigning PBA Senior Player of the Year but there's no doubt who the best senior bowler in the world is right now. In a battle of Hall of Famers and living legends, Wayne Webb defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr., 705-628, in the title match to win the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, USBC and PBA reported.Webb, who was known as the "Green Machine" during his touring days and now is a bowling proprietor in the Columbus, Ohio, area, went undefeated in seven matches to win the $16,000 top prize of the Senior Masters at the South Point Hotel and Casino Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

~ Marcus Berndt wins 19th Malta Open Championships from top seed -- "Marcus Berndt (pictured), Sweden, led the 19th Malta Open Championships at Eden SuperBowl in St. Julian's in qualifying and earned the No. 1 seed for the stepladder final after going 9-2 in match play averaging 221. In the championship match in best-of-three games format, Berndt swept No. 2 seed Matt Chamberlain (right), England, two-games-to-none, to win the title and the 2.500 Euro top prize..."

~ Seniors bowlers invade Vienna for the 2010 European Senior Bowling Championships -- "Almost 1000 senior bowlers invaded Austria's capital city of Vienna for the 2010 European Senior Bowling Championships, which got underway on Saturday evening, June 19th, with the Opening Ceremonies at Eventhotel Pyramide. The ESBC will kick off on Sunday morning 9 a.m. CET at three of Vienna's biggest bowling centers, Plus Bowling, Brunswick Bowling Hernals and Brunswick Bowling Prater. From June 20-24 almost 300 women and more than 600 men from 22 countries will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in Singles, Doubles and Trios. The participating countries are Belgium, Catalonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the host country of Austria..."

~ BPAA got out of business for elite bowlers as PBA Tour flourished by Dick Evans -- "Since covering the first of more than 200 PBA tournaments starting in 1964, I firmly have believed the Professional Bowlers Association is the best thing ever to happen to the Bowling Proprietors Association of America...It is my opinion that if the BPAA doesn't become a stronger support group to the PBA in the near future,, there is a definite possibility that one year soon there will be no more PBA and no more bowling on TV...I put my theory to Fred Schreyer (pictured right)!, who has proved an admirable leader since taking over as Commissioner and CEO of the PBA in 2005 -- five years after the old PBA went broke and was purchased by former Microsoft executives Chris Peters, Mike Slade and Rob Glaser...Below you will find his answer to my questions about BPAA's support of the PBA and other timely and interesting issues including the $1 million Tournament of Champions with the telecast scheduled live on the ABC Network at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday Jan 22..."

~ Young Wisconsin bowlers challenge lead at USBC Open Championships -- "Wisconsin always is well-represented at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and the next generation of Badger-State bowlers made their presence known on the sport's biggest stage Saturday. Propelled by a 1,258 game, the fourth-highest team effort in tournament history, Warhawks (pictured left) of Milton, Wis., made a run at the top spot in Regular Team before settling into third place with a 3,387 total. Bowlers Edge Pro Shop (right) of Neenah, Wis., the 2003 team champion, leads with 3,408. Warhawks entered the National Bowling Stadium with a carefully-devised strategy, and although some opening-game nerves and a few errant shots led to a 974 start, the teammates got comfortable and started striking..."

~ Jimmy Smith (1932)

Bowling Quote--The Amazing Walter Ray

"Anybody who has been on tour for any length of time has his own Walter Ray story of seeing something miraculous. I mean I watched him shoot 860 with a plastic ball on a stripped lane. I defy anybody to do THAT. This man is an absolutely amazing individual!"
--Jeff Mark

Wayne Webb Wins Senior Masters

Hearty congratulations to Wayne Webb for going 7-0 in match play in the 2010 USBC Senior Masters this week and defeating Walter Ray Williams Jr. in the final 3-game series match 705-628 to win the coveted title.

And kudos to Walter Ray for rebounding from his first round loss to Hugh Miller in match play to win ten matches in a row before losing to Webb in the final match and finishing a very respectable second in the tournament.

Bowling Bytes--6/18/10

~ The 11th Frame: History Channel show to feature bowling on Saturday -- "The History Channel show "Sliced" will feature bowling Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Central time, PBA announced. The show, which is hosted by John MacCalmont and slices things in half to reveal how they actually work, will explain the sport of bowling in a segment that features veteran PBA star Parker Bohn III. "Humans have been bowling for over 5000 years. But the popular indoor version we all know didn't appear until 1840," "Sliced" Executive Producer Brendan Latrell said in a PBA news release. "Today, nearly 100 million people worldwide bowl every year. To discover the secrets at the end of this dark alley, John will slice up bowling balls, a bowling alley, a ball return, and the mysterious pinsetter. He'll discover this ancient game's secrets... if he can stay out of the gutter..."

~ Four players remain unbeaten at USBC Senior Masters -- "Wayne Webb (pictured left) of Grove City, Ohio, was ready to withdraw with a left knee injury even before the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters started. Now he's one of four undefeated players in match play heading into the final day. Webb is joined in the winners bracket by Henry Gonzalez (below left) of Colorado Springs, Colo., Pete McCordic of Katy, Texas, and Peter Knopp (right) of Germany. The four players will hit the lanes again Friday at 9:15 a.m. PDT, just three wins away from the $16,000 top prize at the South Point Hotel and Casino Bowling Center..."

~ Dutch girls average almost 230 to lead WEC Team event at halftime -- "The five-player team from the Netherlands got off to a blistering start as Wendy Kok, Lisanne Breeschoten, Ghislane van der Tol, Bianca Wiekeraad and Priscilla Maaswinkel tallied a 3436 series on short oil to lead the Team event at the Women's European Championships after 3 of 6 games with a 229.07 average. The Dutch girls had games of 1182, 1046 and 1208, the highest game of all 16 countries. Kok led the team with a huge 789 series (268, 287, 234), Breeschoten contributed 697 including a 299 game, Van der Tol added 658, Wiekeraad 656 and Maaswinkel 636..."

~ Team USA women's camp features special day of bonding -- "When the training camp for Team USA women was held in Arlington, Texas, in early June, not all training activities were bowling related. Team USA head coach Rod Ross and assistant coach Kim Terrell-Kearney took the team to Main Event Entertainment in Frisco, Texas, where sports psychologist Dr. Dean Hinitz put the team to the test both in the classroom and on a unique ropes course called "Gravity." The elevated course has rope bridges, ladders and beams; participants have safety harnesses, but no nets. The purpose of the activity was to take a group of skilled individual athletes and help them come together as a team...Team USA women will compete in several events this year including the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships on Sept. 25-Oct. 2 in Las Vegas. They also will compete in the QubicaAMF World Cup in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Orlando, Fla..."

~ PBA Spare Shots: PBA.COM's Xtra Frame Set for Busy Summer of Senior, Regional Event Coverage -- "In case you think there’s not much going on in the world of bowling during the summer months, pba.com’s Xtra Frame online video streaming service will demonstrate otherwise. While the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour begins gearing up for fall, the summer months belong to the PBA Senior Tour and the PBA’s seven regional programs, and that’s where Xtra Frame will turn its attention. Xtra Frame will be on location to cover the championship rounds of the final three PBA Senior Tour events of 2010, along with select PBA Regional events where some of the stars of the PBA Tour will work on keeping their games sharp while the future stars of the PBA test their skills against them. In addition, International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas will provide a who’s who gathering of the biggest names in bowling. On June 30 and July 1, Xtra Frame will be on location on the trade show floor at International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas to provide subscribers with a unique “Bowlers Journal on Xtra Frame” inside look at what’s happening on the business side of bowling. Manufacturers’ representatives, industry leaders and bowling superstars will provide insights on the newest products, services and programs in bowling from the Las Vegas Hilton Convention Center..."

~ Jimmy Smith (1908)

~ Leaving Corner Pins? -- "Ten-pin leaves (7-pins for lefties) are commonly caused by seemingly perfect pocket shots that deflect from the headpin too much, hitting the 3-pin too square, which hits the 6-pin too thin, driving it around, rather than into the 10-pin (for lefties, the 2-pin and 4-pin are the guilty ones). Most of you know this. The question is why it happens; the problem is how to keep it from happening..."

~ Junior bowler wins Jupiter regional -- "Andrew Koff of Miami, Florida recently won the PBA South Region Jupiter Open. Koff is one the youngest bowlers ever to win a PBA event at the age of 18. Pete Weber is said to be the youngest, although his exact age at the time of his win is not recorded...Koff has a long and already decorated bowling resume. He is a two-time member of Junior Team USA and missed making the match-play round of the US Open when he was only 16 years old..."

~ Ball selection tips for entry-level bowlers -- "As an entry-level bowler, your bowling ball selection process will hinge on one or two factors: comfort and controllability. Purchasing a bowling ball of your own will put you at an advantage because the pro shop professional should be able to get you set up properly in both regards. He or she will determine the proper ball weight, grip and ball type for you and your game, which will make your job much, much easier...In regard to weight, use this little trick: stand with your feet together and swing the ball like you're going to throw it. Keep going up in weight until you find the heaviest ball that doesn't pull you off balance; that's the proper ball weight for you..."

~ Building a life based on bowling (Bowlers Journal International: Inside Line, June 2010, p. 20) -- "It's said that behind every good man there's a good woman. But Char Hammel would be quick to point out that the opposite also could apply. In her case, that good man would be her husband of nearly 16 years, Mark..."

Bowling Video--Another Two-Handed Wunderkind

Chaz Dennis is the youngest person ever to bowl a sanctioned 300 game. He did it at Hillcrest Lanes in Columbus, Ohio on December, 2006 at the tender age of 10 years, 2 months, and 27 days. He did it with the two-handed or twin-grip style popularized by Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa, and his three game series that day was 772.

Below is a profile that a Columbus TV news program did of Chaz shortly after his accomplishment.

Bowling Bytes--6/17/10

~ Germany's Peter Knopp high qualifier in USBC Senior Masters -- "Peter Knopp of Bremen, Germany, earned high qualifier honors Wednesday at the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters. Knopp (pictured left), who was in fifth place after the second round, has a 15-game total of 3,296, an average of 219.7, at the South Point Hotel and Casino Bowling Center. He shot 1,095 in Round 3 and leads Roger Kossert (right) of Lithia, Fla., by six pins...Knopp became Germany's first PBA professional in the early 1990s when played on the PBA National Tour from 1992 to '94. His best finish was a 13th place at the 1992 PBA Wichita Open...Ross Packard of San Jose, Calif., sits in third position at 3,286, while Kent Wagner of Palmetto, Fla., is fourth at 3,269. Bob Handley (pictured left) of Winter Park, Fla., who led after the first and second rounds, dropped to fifth with 3,254 after shooting 963 on Wednesday..."

~ Mike J. Laneside: A Great Adventure -- "...The GEICO PBA Team Shootout is an amazing production. Sandy Hummel and his Strike Market Inc. crew of six spent the last three days building a two-lane championship bowling venue from scratch on a piece of concrete in a great theme park. The event team of the Professional Bowlers Association has insured that all the details are ready to go and the ESPN production team inside and outside of the TV truck have assembled all the equipment necessary to produce seven and half hours of national television. Waiting for that first 3..2..1 and go Mike J. – in my mind is the history of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour on national television. I ran home after bowling junior leagues to watch the Pro Bowlers Tour and now I glance down to notice that my hand with my 300 ring is holding a microphone with the iconic ESPN flag, I get to set the stage for this competition for the great fans of professional bowling..."

~ Xtra Frame to Provide Two Days of Exclusive Coverage From International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas -- "PBA.com’s Xtra Frame will deliver two days of exclusive, on-demand coverage of the latest news in bowling from International Bowl Expo 2010 in Las Vegas, Nev. “Bowlers Journal on Xtra Frame,” pba.com’s online video streaming service, will originate from the trade show floor at the Las Vegas Hilton Convention Center on Wednesday, June 30, and Thursday, July 1. As an added bonus, Xtra Frame will present reports from the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame’s Salute to Bowling on June 30. The Salute to Bowling is the IBM/HF’s largest annual fund-raising event...Xtra Frame’s Bowl Expo coverage will originate from the PBA booth where Mike Jakubowski (also known to Xtra Frame viewers as “Mike J. Laneside”) and producer Jason Thomas will talk with industry leaders, Hall of Famers and other personalities about what’s happening in the world of bowling in advance of the 2010-11 season. As a special bonus for Xtra Frame subscribers, Bowlers Journal International will offer special 25 percent subscription discounts to viewers during the video streaming sessions..."

~ Phil Hulst wins 2010 Bowling Promotion Cup -- "Dutchman Phil Hulst (pictured left) defeated PBA professional Michael Haugen Jr., United States, 219-172, to win the inaugural 2010 Bowling Promotion Cup. The made-for-TV invitational was held June 6 at Bowling Center Châteaubriant, France..."

~ English girls come from behind to win Trios gold in European Championships -- "England's Lisa John, Nicki Ainge and Hayley White (front row, l-r, with head coach Chris Buck, right, and assistant coach Jon Zadel) came from behind to win the Trio title in the 3rd Women's European Championships Wednesday at Zelta Boulinga Center in Riga, Latvia. Starting the second day of the preliminaries in 9th place, the English trio fired the highest 3-game series on long oil (2046, 227.33 average) to grab the fourth and final spot for the playoffs and went on to defeat the No. 1 and No. 2 seed to claim the gold medal..."

~ Sports of bowling, golf share both similar and different traits by Mark Miller -- "Professional golfer Jeff Sluman, an avid bowler since age 5 in his native Rochester, N.Y., who put two bowling lanes in the Hinsdale, Ill., home he's now selling, knows well the basic similarities between two of his favorite sports..."You have to have tremendous concentration for those three, four or five seconds when in bowling you are rolling it down the lane or in golf hitting a shot," he once said. "You have to be able to relax in between shots. And in the pros, both are individual sports. Observing the recent HP Bryon Nelson Championships in Irving, Texas, however, one can see the major differences between these sports many people play. Here are some examples..."

~ Yes, There is Oil on the Lanes -- "I see this every time I bowl during open bowling, but particularly during the summer, when families take to the lanes to have fun: people falling all over themselves because they don't realize there is oil on the lanes..."

~ A Jimmy Smith Bibliography -- "Jimmy Smith (1885-1948) was the first great professional bowler. He toured the country staging exhibitions and giving instruction. Between 1906 and 1921, he was considered the consensus match-game champion. He is a charter member of the bowling Hall of Fame. A list of articles about Smith appears below..."

~ Grand entrance sets the tone for for Arlington's International Bowling Musuem and Hall of Fame -- "From long-time bowlers to those just learning about the sport, visitors to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame will feel the thrill of the new shrine in Arlington, Texas, from the moment they step into the Grand Entrance. Designed to give visitors an eye-catching preview of what they will see once inside, the Grand Entrance features a combination of historic and modern bowling people and events..."

~ Practice...How?? -- "1. Don't keep score...2. Focus on the process, not the results...3. Don't overtrain...4. Practice during warm-up..."