Bowling Video of the Day--Brett Wolfe Wins ABC Masters

Amateur Brett Wolfe, who is currently in second place in all-events in the USBC Open, beat pro Dennis Horan Jr. in the final match of the 2002 ABC Masters. You can watch it below.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Pete Weber as Lost's Sawyer

"Lost's lovable bad bay was Sawyer, a rogue career con man who constantly vacillated between self-interest and genuine self-sacrificing heroism. PDW embodies the bad boy persona on the PBA Tour, with his take-no-prisoners mentality and numerous emotional outbursts out on the lanes. Sit down with Pete off the lanes, however, and you will find that he is one of the most down-to-earth, giving people you'll ever hope to meet."
--Jason Thomas

Bowling Bytes--5/25/10

~ Dreams for Some Future PBA Stars Begins This Weekend at PBA Regional Players Championships -- "Just a year ago, Joe Ciccone of Buffalo, N.Y., had lost his exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, and with his exemption gone, his dream of one day winning a PBA Tour title was severely limited. Winning the 2009 PBA Regional Players Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit, however, became a life-changing experience. Along with the RPC title, Ciccone earned his first trip to the PBA Tournament of Champions, an $8,000 prize and a boost in confidence that helped him also regain his Tour exemption the following week in the PBA Tour Trials. The PBA Regional Players Championship returns to Thunderbowl May 28-31 at Thunderbowl as a stand-alone event. There won’t be a PBA Tour Trials as a companion event this time around, but the ultimate prize at the end of the RPC rainbow is brighter than ever..."

~ South Point in Las Vegas to Host 14-Day 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling -- "South Point Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center on the south side of Las Vegas will host the 2010 edition of the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling, a 14-day extravaganza that will award six PBA Tour titles and pay $625,000 in prize money by the time it’s over. The event, which will be open to PBA members from across America and around the world, begins Sunday, Oct. 24, and culminates with the taping of six television programs over two days Nov. 5-6. The shows will air on ESPN starting Sunday, Nov. 28.

~ Jason Thomas: A PBA.com Tribute to Lost -- "If you've followed my work here on PBA.com and Xtra Frame long enough, you'll know that I'm one of the world's biggest fans of the TV show "Lost", which ended last night. (That sound you hear is me, weeping...and trying to figure out what to do with the extra 3-5 hours a week I normally spend on watching/studying/talking about Lost). Lost references have slipped into many of my TV Recaps, blogs, episodes of "The Bowling Show" and, most recently, onto this week's tip with The Most Important Chair in Bowling. As far as I'm concerned, "Lost" was the best non-cable TV show in history, and last night's finale not only means that I now have a free slot on my calendar every Tuesday night at 9pm, but also stimulates a great deal of thought on the themes of the show...namely, survival, redemption, and being a part of a community of people you care about. Which, of course, leads me back to bowling, where nearly all of these things reside in my own personal/professional life. So, as a tribute to both my favorite TV show and my favorite sport/life pursuit, I thought it'd be cool to make a list of what people/places on the PBA Tour are the equivalent characters/places on Lost. Here goes nothing."

~ PBA midwest Region Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA East Region Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA South Region Senior Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ Former USBC Masters winner moves into second place at USBC Open Championships -- "In 2002, Brett Wolfe of Tempe, Ariz., won the prestigious United States Bowling Congress Masters at the National Bowling Stadium, and he found success at the one-of-a-kind venue again at the 2010 USBC Open Championships. The 33-year-old left-hander was back in his comfort zone and averaged 249.4 on his way into second place in Regular All-Events with a 2,245 total Monday. Fellow southpaw Matt McNiel of Chanhassen, Minn., leads with a record 2,326..."

~ Brunswick signs professional bowler, Chris Loschetter, to pro staff -- "Brunswick Bowling announced today that Chris Loschetter, is the newest professional bowler to join its Pro Staff. Loschetter, who joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in 2003, has 12 career 300 PBA games under his belt. Loschetter has appeared in 114 PBA Tour events, making nine championship round appearances and finishing second four times..."

~ Kamilla Kjeldsen takes the early lead in Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 -- "59 Danes and American Ken Bland Jr. took to the 30 lanes at Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark, on Monday evening to kick off the Bowltech Aalborg International 2010. Two-time European Bowling Tour women's ranking champion and two-time EBT Masters winner Kamilla Kjeldsen (pictured left) rolled games of 223, 215, 279, 224, 243 and 213 for the field-best scratch series of 1397, a 232.83 average, and added 48 pins handicap to take the early lead with 1445..."

~ The Cost of Practicing Bowling -- "During the summer, serious or mildly serious bowlers want to practice. But, as with most things in life, bowling costs money. I'm curious to find out how other people practice throughout the offseason and what it costs. At any randomly chosen bowling alley, a game could cost as much as $3-$5. So on the high end, a three-game series would cost $15. Even if you only bowl once a week, that's $60 a month. To me, that seems high for a bowler loyal to his home center who is obviously practicing in preparation for that very center's league..."

An Indecisive Time for my Bowling

I bowled in a tournament Saturday on the Cheetah pattern. I really struggled and shot abysmally low scores. I think my biggest problem was that I couldn't get my ball to hook enough no matter what line I tried to play unless I slowed it down so much that it hit the heavier gold pins like a proverbial wet noodle.

Only when, very late in the tournament, I started throwing my strike ball thumbless did I experience any success whatsoever, and it was far, far too late by then.

I'm in kind of a bowling twilight zone at the moment. I made some changes in my game a few weeks ago that seemed to be on the right track. But I didn't trust myself and got some coaching that had me trying something quite different from what I was working on by myself. But I don't feel comfortable working on the suggested changes in leagues and tournaments. I need to develop them in practice. I also need to work on seamlessly going to the thumbless release when the thumbed release just ain't cuttin' the mustard.

With a big tournament coming up in less than three weeks, I'm not in the most comfortable spot with my game. Not only that, but I plan to attend a coaching clinic in a couple of weeks that may teach me some wonderful things for the long term but mess me up even more in the short term.

So I find myself wondering what I should do. Should I skip the clinic and go to the tournament? Should I skip the tournament and go to the clinic? Should I go to the clinic and to the tournament and perhaps be so screwed up that I bowl even worse in the tournament than I did two days ago?

Decisions...decisions...decisions.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Andrew Koff

"It takes a lot for a bowler to really impress me when it comes to their talent and level of skill, having grown up in an area that at one point in time supposedly had the highest concentration of PBA members residing in it. A state where several PBA champions reside, such as Randy Pederson, Norm Duke, Jason Couch, Steve Wilson, Steve Hoskins, and Walter Ray Williams, Jr. But the first time I saw Andrew throw it live and in person I was completely amazed! An effortless swing, great footwork getting to the line, and an ultra-powerful hand release all combine to what amounts to poetry in motion in the bowling world. All I could say was WOW! This kid has the potential of becoming one of the all time greats in our game if he continues to pursue it."
--Donnie Layman, writing about bowling prodigy Andrew Koff

Bowling Video of the Day--Bowling Prodigy Andrew Koff

12-year-old Kamron Doyle has gotten a lot of attention recently, and rightfully so, after cashing in a PBA regional tournament. But there's another young bowling phenom who seems poised for great success at the collegiate and professional level. His name is Andrew Koff. He just won a PBA Regional title at age 18, just graduated from high school in Florida with a 4.0 GPA, and is widely considered to be the best junior bowler in America.

You can read Donnie Layman's PBA.com article about Koff here, and you can click on here to see a video profile of Koff.

Bowling Bytes--5/24/10

I'm back from something of a blogging hiatus, and today's entry is chock full of recent bowling news.

~ Pennsylvania bowler rolls 47 consecutive strikes -- "Tommy Gollick of Oberlin, Pa., set a United States Bowling Congress national record by rolling 47 consecutive strikes during league play at the Red Crown Bowling Center in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 11, pending the submission of certification paperwork. Gollick didn't exactly get off to a great start during his Tuesday night scratch league with a 4-10 split and open first frame. But the split did not foretell what would turn out to be a record-setting evening. After knocking down the 4 pin for a 9-count in the opening frame, Gollick struck out for a 279 game and then proceeded to throw three consecutive 300 games to finish the four-game set with a total pinfall of 1,179..."

~ Ohio bowler shoots 300 and 811 at USBC Open Championships -- "Earon Vollmar (pictured left) of Toledo, Ohio, got off to a rough start in singles at the 2010 USBC Open Championships, failing to mark in two of his first three frames. The 21-year-old right-hander decided to make a ball change, and everything fell into place. He rattled off a near-record 28 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 247, 300 and 264 for an 811 series, which is tied for second place in Regular Singles. Terrence Syring (right) of Bay City, Mich., leads with 833..."

~ Former champions challenge lead at USBC Open Championships -- "Five years ago, KR Strikeforce of Decatur, Ill., conquered a very demanding lane condition and outdistanced its nearest competitor by 119 pins to take home the Regular Team title at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships. With success comes added pressure, and one of the team's main goals since winning has been to prove that the victory wasn't just a fluke. The group has only cracked the top 100 one time since winning, but nearly reclaimed the top spot at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday night..."

~ PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Mike Scroggins -- "The player who impressed me the most out on Tour this past season was Mike Scroggins. Although he doesn't throw the big power ball like Jason Belmonte or Tommy Jones, have the ability to throw the ball a gazillion different ways like Chris Barnes or possess an uncanny nose for the winner's circle like Walter Ray Williams Jr., the things Mike Scroggins does with the talent he has is a testament to what you can achieve by setting goals, believing in yourself and working hard..."

~ PBA Senior Tour Starts Western Swing May 30-June 2 With Northern California Classic -- "The Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour resumes action May 30 with a stop in Northern California followed by two Senior majors—the Senior U.S. Open presented by the Suncoast and the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters—both to be conducted in Las Vegas. Reigning PBA Player of the Year and Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. and defending champion Dale Traber head a list of more than 100 players scheduled to compete in the Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood May 30-June 2...PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb will try for an unprecedented third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title when the event returns to the Suncoast Bowling Center June 6-11. Webb, who recently moved to Columbus, Ohio, won the Senior Columbus Open in his new hometown April 27 for his third Senior Tour title...The Senior Tour will move to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas for the Senior Masters June 13-18 where Traber will try to defend his Senior Masters title...PBA.com’s Xtra Frame video service will provide coverage of the Senior U.S. Open and Senior Masters. Click on http://xtraframe.pba.com/Info.aspx to subscribe to Xtra Frame to catch all the action..."

~ The 11th Frame: Jaros wins 43rd PBA Regional Title -- "Steve Jaros won his 43rd PBA Regional title over the weekend, pulling him within one of the all-time PBA record. Jaros, who earned $2,500, beat Anthony LaCaze in the title match of the Illinois Valley Classic in Peru, Ill. LaCaze won $1,300. The event, which was contested on the Shark pattern, was "old school" with qualifying, 16 games of round robin match play and a stepladder finals..."

~ PBA West Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA Southwest Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Central Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich Dies at 74 -- "PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich of Torrance, Calif., died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 74. Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1990, Marzich was a six-time PBA Tour titlist who won all six of his titles between 1962 and ’64 with three titles coming in 1963 and two in 1964..."

~ Andy Marzich--R.I.P.

~ Donnie Layman: Andrew Koff's Rising Star -- "As many of you have already read, 18 year-old Andrew Koff of Miami won the Southern Region Jupiter Open this weekend. If you haven't seen this young man bowl yet, you're truly missing out on a potential legend in the making (yet another reason to subscribe to Xtra Frame). Being a South Floridian myself, I had heard his name making the circles as the "next big thing" in bowling in our area. At that time I had never seen him bowl in person, but had been told that there were a few videos from a couple of JBT stops in which he had made the finals. After doing some Google searches I came across the videos, and though at the time he was all of 13 his game sure didn't reflect it. He was playing angles on the lane that most kids that age haven't dared to attempt or been coached to "see", and he was doing it with accuracy and consistency. To say I was impressed by the video would be an understatement to say the least...This kid has the potential of becoming one of the all time greats in our game if he continues to pursue it..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi regains lead in European Bowling Tour rankings -- "With the victory in the 7th Istanbul Open, his second win on the European Bowling Tour this season and the fourth of his career, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, regained the lead in the men's ranking..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi shoots big games to win the 7th Instanbul Open -- "8-time PBA champion and PBA Player of the Year 2003-04, Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left), Finland, posted some big games en route to win his second European Bowling Tour title of the 2010 season in the 7th Istanbul Open Sunday at Timeout Bowling Center in Istanbul, Turkey. In the title match, Koivuniemi fired games of 258 and 290 to fly past Mykhaylo Kalika, Ukraine, 548-424, and to pocket the 10.000 Euro top prize..."

~ Team USA's Edwards, Janawicz blog from Guatamala -- "Today, three-time Team USA members Brenda Edwards and John Janawicz wrap up their blog from Guatemala City after concluding their experience at the 2010 Pan American Championship of the Champions tournament with a Gold medal in Mixed Doubles. The event was the first competition on the schedule for Team USA 2010, which recently visited Arlington, Texas, for the first Team USA training camp to be held at the International Training and Research Center..."