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--5/11/10

~ PBA West Leaders Through May 11, 2010

~ PBA Northwest Leaders Through May 11, 2010

~ Mike J. Laneside: A Gulf of Mexico Oil Pattern -- "Lane oil is a frequent topic of conversation in bowling; its application determines the way the sport of bowling is played. Butch Cooper is a subscriber of PBA.com’s Xtra Frame – the official streaming video service of the Professional Bowlers Association. Cooper keeps track of oil conditions in more ways than one; he also works on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico..."

~ Patient Gengelbach Ends 28-Year Quest for His Second PBA Southwest Region Title -- "No one can accuse Kurt Gengelbach of being impatient. On Sunday, May 9, the 51-year-old Gengelbach ended a 180-tournament, 28-year quest for his second PBA Regional title by winning the PBA Del Rio Southwest Open at Jett Bowl. Gengelbach, who won his only previous PBA Regional title in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1982, defeated Bobby Stives of El Paso, Texas, 235-165, in position round, protecting a 34-pin edge over Stives heading into the final game. He also held off Chris Hibbitts II of Fort Worth, Texas, who rolled a 300 game to advance from third to second place. Gengelbach, with a 6-2 match play record and 16-game total of 3,591 pins (including match play bonus pins) finished 48 pins ahead of Hibbitts for the win and a $2,500 prize..."

~ Stuart Williams gets off to a great start in the 7th Istanbul Bowling Open -- "Fresh off his victory in the Bahrain Open last week, Stuart Williams (pictured left), England, got off to a great start on the first day of qualifying in the 7th Istanbul Bowling Open Monday at Timeout Bowling Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Williams, who bowled full time on the 2009-10 PBA Tour, had games of 258, 215, 211, 257, 279 and 236 to set the pace with 1456 six-game total and an average of 242.56..."

~ Breaking News WTBA Presidium has withdrawn the award of WWC 2011 to Malaysia -- "The World Tenpin Bowling Association Presidium has announced that it has withdrawn the award of the Women's World Championships 2011 to Malaysia. According to Christer Jonsson, WTBA Secretary General, the reason is that it has not been possible to agree on a written contract about the championship and the Congresses..."

~ How to Join the PBA Tour -- "Many amateurs have bowled good games and thought, “I just bowled a better score than the pros did on TV this week—I should become a pro bowler.”It’s not nearly that simple, but it is possible..."

~ The 11th Frame: Doyle, 12, is youngest ever to cash in a PBA tournament -- "Last June, when he was 11 years old, Kamron Doyle came within 54 pins of cashing in a PBA Regional in Smyrna, Tenn. As I blogged then, Doyle totaled 1,543 for eight games on the Shark pattern. Now that he's reached the ripe "old" age of 12, Doyle has taken the next step by cashing in the Canton (Ga.) Open Regional tournament, becoming the youngest ever to cash in a PBA tournament. The tourney the first weekend of May was won by Walter Ray Williams Jr. The Brentwood, Tenn., right-hander earned $400 for his SMART scholarship fund by finishing 30th in the 94-man field with a 2,797 total for 13 games. Full results are here..."

~ Questions about ball weight, bowler's tape and adjustments -- "Q: I’m planning to purchase a bowling ball for my 11-year old granddaughter. She has a passion for the game. She started with a 9-lb. plastic ball and has raised her average from 90 to 120 in less than a year. The center where we bowl has fairly dry heads, she throws the ball in the 11-mph range, and her style is similar to a stroker. Can you help me in picking between the T-Road Solid and the Street Rod Pearl balls in the 10 or 11-lb. range?...Q: When putting tape into the thumb hole, I know that most of it should go in the fingernail (back) side of the hole. Which is better to use, the white or the black tape? Also, how do you determine the proper size (3/4-inch or 1-inch)?...Q: I am a left-handed bowler and need some help for tournament competition. First, how do I determine the correct line to play on the lanes? Second, I have a problem with chicken-winging the arm-swing. And third, how do you choose the correct ball for the lane condition?..."

Bowling Bytes--5/7/10

If you want to know more about Walter Ray Williams Jr's great season; upcoming live streaming on Bowl.com; who won this year's PBA Steve Nagy award; how Bo Goergen fared this year at the USBC Open after shooting a record high 863 last year;, the new bowling center in New York City's Times Square; release, carrydown, and adjustments; the viscosities of different lane conditioners; and how one participant in this year's USBC Masters prepared for and fared in this hallowed tournament and what he learned and you can learn from it all, check out today's bowling bytes below.

~ PBA Spare Shots: Walter Ray Williams Jr. Concludes Remarkable 2009-10 Season with Statistical Sweep -- "At the ripe old age of 50, Walter Ray Williams Jr. has already used up every superlative you can attach to his record-setting career, and that makes his sweep of every major statistical category during the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season even more stunning. With the completion of the DyDo Japan Cup, the PBA’s statistical season officially ended in the earnings and average categories. Guess who won both?..."

~ The 11th Frame: A first step to simultaneous Player of the Year crowns? -- "If ever an individual sports victory could be expected, it's the Senior Tour debut of a great athlete. It becomes even more expected when the athlete still is at the top of the "regular" sport --something rarely seen in golf or bowling, the two sports with the most active Senior circuits. So it's far from a surprise that Walter Ray Williams Jr. -- the reigning Player of the Year on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour -- on Wednesday won his PBA Senior Tour debut. But that doesn't make it any less noteworthy: No bowler of golfer has ever been Player of the Year simultaneously on the "regular" and senior tours..."

~ Upcoming live stream events -- "A busy schedule of live streaming events are on tap for bowling fans over the course of the next week on BOWL.com. We will have complete wire-to-wire coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open starting Friday morning, while also streaming live coverage of the USBC Open Championships. Here’s the upcoming schedule..."

~ Canada's George Lambert IV wins Steve Nagy Award -- "After finishing second in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Trials in Allen Park, Mich., last May, native Canadian George Lambert IV expressed his desire to become the first bowler from his home country to win a PBA Tour title. He is now the owner of one of the PBA’s most prestigious honors, but it isn’t the one he had in mind.Click the link below to download the file. Lambert, a 10-time member of Team Canada and a former collegiate star with Wichita State University, has been selected by his fellow exempt tour players as winner of the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award. He is the first international player to win the award in its 44-year history..."

~ Defending champion helps team into top spot at USBC Open Championships -- "Last year, Bo Goergen (pictured left) of Midland, Mich., rolled the highest series in 107 years of United States Bowling Congress Open Championships history and took home the 2009 Regular Singles title, but something was missing. The 49-year-old right-hander finally accomplished a lifelong goal by winning an eagle, the coveted trophy given to tournament champions, but he knows the accomplishment would be five times more satisfying if he could share it with his teammates. Now, Goergen may have that chance after helping Northern Lanes Pro Shop (right) of Sanford, Mich., into the top spot in Team All-Events with a 10,284 total at the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday night. It was the eighth-highest total in tournament history and topped Linds Lakers 1 of Minneapolis, which previously held the lead with 10,187..."

~ QubicaAMF selected to equip new Bowlmor Entertainment Center in Times Square -- "QubicaAMF Worldwide, a leading manufacturer of bowling and amusement products, has announced that it has been selected as the bowling equipment supplier for the new 50 lane Bowlmor Times Square bowling center, which will be housed on the third and fourth floors of the landmark, 15-story New York Times Building on West 43rd Street in the heart of New York's world famous Times Square..."

~ Questions about release, carrydown, and adjustments -- "Q: How do you get the ball to skid farther down the lane without moving your line or changing bowling balls?...Q: What is carrydown and how do I move when this occurs?...Q: I bowl in travel leagues and tournaments. What is a good system for making moves on the lanes when they transition during competition?...Q: I am a new PBA member and recently bowled in one of the new PBA Experience leagues. For the most part, my ball rolled perfectly straight. I played all different lines – with the same results. Can you give me some ideas about bowling on these types of bowling conditions?...Q: I watch the PBA television show on a regular basis and I have one question that constantly comes up in tight matches. Sometimes it seems that the bowler throws a perfect shot and they leave a 10-pin. Is there a reason for this or is it just bad luck?

~ Viscosity of common lane conditioners -- "I prepared a chart of the viscosity (cps) values for the most common lane oils. This is not exhaustive but will give you a sense of the variation. And, as you can imagine, this will impact your ball reaction. Lower viscosity oils will cause more skill while high viscosity lane conditiones are more durable. But, most importantly, with higher viscocity oils there is more resistance. Consequently, the ball will slow down faster and hook sooner than a lower viscosity oil. Our sport is complex and most be considered a sport. Click the link below to download the file. Viscosity of Common Lane Oils (1 page - small file < 8kb)"

~ 2010 USBC Masters: A day-by-day account of how I prepared for and bowled a "major" (Erik Vermilyea: Sport Bowling: Bowling This Month, April 2010, pgs. 9-14)

-- "Well, the 2010 Masters has come and gone. As you already know, Walter Ray -- "Well, the 2010 Masters has come and gone. As you already know, Walter Ray Williams claimed his second Masters title. I was in Reno with the other 267 competitors who, like me, were trying to win the beautiful trophy. Here is a look at how I prepared for this major tournament as well as a day-by-day look at the competition--what I did right, what I did wrong, and what I learned for the next time. By incorporating some of these strategies into your practice plan, you will be better prepared for the next big tournament..."