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..."