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 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 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..."