If You Could Change 3 Things About Bowling In Australia. What Would It Be?

[Toon]

There are a few centres that used to offer 40 game or something a week for a set price per year. Illawarra Strikezone was one if I recall correctly.

The rule was something like, you can only bowl if there are no bookings and nmo more than 8 games at a time.

$500 a year I think it was.

I wish all centres would introduce this or similar.

You would have people practicing nonstop, buying more gear cos they are saving a ton on games and the averages and scores would improve drastically.

 

[dockers]

1. Reduce the costs of ALL bowling Tournaments, League, Practice.
2. Cut drastically the Nationals Tournament Expense Fee ($7)
3. Spread the Prize Money to ALL sections of the Nationals including Rachuig, Seniors, Restricted (I HATE that NAME) All bowlers deserve sharing AMF $100,000 money
they all probably bowl a league in their centres which keeps them operating. Dockers

 

[Roysa]

A lot of interesting replies.

I think the main focus should be on recruiting people into the sport rather than cutting prices for tournaments, league and social. Sure everyone would like to save a buck but i think the reality is that the sport needs larger change to get more participants and keep them than just reducing price.

Free games when you join a league, free coaching and while we are on it do new bolwers still get a 'pin' or somethign to recognise 150,175 200 etc? As a junior i always went to league in the hope id get a new 'pin' today.

 

[Phluff]

1. Increase TBA membership fees and make it 100% compulsory Nation wide. Increased revenue can then be used to improve juniors, coaching and help offset state and national team costs.

2. Define Oil patterns. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Sports. Oh, and awards become dependant on the pattern bowled on. I'm sorry but a 300 or 900/3 series bowled on a pattern my neighbours asthmatic 3 legged blind old dog can strike on isn't the same as at the AO/Vic 150.

3. Centres should have at least 1 Sports league and each state should have a sports series to allow clear steps for a bowler to move from house shot to national ranked event gradually. The sport has no clear pathways to show a new bowler how they can reach the top of the game.

 

[jason_doust]

Maybe after midnight Nude league.

Well, you'd wear shoes and socks still, wouldn't you, John..? Otherwise, it'd be a bit weird...

 

[nev25]

Well, you'd wear shoes and socks still, wouldn't you, John..? Otherwise, it'd be a bit weird...

Like This
.

 

[John_Velo]

Hey Jason,

If not shoes and sock, talcom powder on you feet so you can slide a little.

 

[jason_doust]

Like This
.

BWWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAaaaa....!!!! Solid gold!

Hey Jason,

If not shoes and sock, talcom powder on you feet so you can slide a little.

Nah John, That's defacing / tampering with the approaches and not allowed. Gotta have standards, mate!

Good thread though. I'll submit a sensible response shortly!

 

[John_Velo]

Good point Jason,

At least the shoe size will not be what gives away the truth.

 

[~Mrs STORM~]

Like This
.

That had me in hysterics.
Oh my God.

 

[Roysa]

Gives new meaning to a ringing tenpin I suppose.

 

[lordofthepins]

Ok 3 things, I can think of 100, some from a centre's perspective, others solely from a bowlers..
Anyway heres my take:

1. Better promotion of (league and tournament) bowling across all forms of media, local newspapers,Tv,internet. League bowling is such a great product..I wonder how much a third page add might cost in your weekly local community Leader newspaper? Anyone know? Have some league scores, league tables and a couple of pictures thrown in? I'm dreaming but, each week I see a dozen pages given to local footy,soccer or cricket!! Why can't this done with bowling? My local newspaper has a circulation (I've been told) of over 120,000 people..

2. Annual practise card, pay $500-$1000 a year for serious bowlers or bowlers wishing to improve their game, bowl up to 4 games any day of the week? Like many golf clubs
do with their memberships .

3. Better customer service staff AMF centres, basically having knowledgable staff and coaching available for new bowlers in each centre.(4 Free lessons to begin with).
Have the right staff in the right positions.

 

[Roysa]

AMF dont want coaches to offer their services to assist newbies... well atleast thats the impression i got when i asked.

 

[lordofthepins]

It's pathetic!!

I just began playing golf, have grabbed a couple of lessons over the last couple of months, played a few rounds and like the feeling of self improvement... You would think that if this is the case with AMF Roysa, then they have missed the boat with this one, and simply don't value bowlers who are aiming to improve and most importantly will be long term customers.. There is nothing less disheartening than to pay your money and feel like you are still struggling after a season or two..Not much fun, little surprise why people don't come back..

If AMF could see how golf clubs are run, and get a feel of why people keep coming back to golf, year after year..Grrr. Sorry for AMF rage!!

 

[Toon]

Centres don't make money out of serious bowlers. They make money out of schools, kids parties, social players, drunken work functions.

This is why they don't give a stuff about coaching or looking after the regular bowler. Sad but true and unfortunately is half the reason bowling is like it is.

Golf is the complete opposite they thrive on membership, coaching, tournaments, pro shop sales. They look after the regulars so they keep being members and bring in more members.

 

[Roysa]

Not all centres.

 

[nev25]

Centres don't make money out of serious bowlers. They make money out of schools, kids parties, social players, drunken work functions.

This is why they don't give a stuff about coaching or looking after the regular bowler. Sad but true and unfortunately is half the reason bowling is like it is.

Golf is the complete opposite they thrive on membership, coaching, tournaments, pro shop sales. They look after the regulars so they keep being members and bring in more members.

I guess thats why they are closing ProShops everywhere

 

[Michael Little]

Centres don't make money out of serious bowlers. They make money out of schools, kids parties, social players, drunken work functions.

This is why they don't give a stuff about coaching or looking after the regular bowler. Sad but true and unfortunately is half the reason bowling is like it is.

Golf is the complete opposite they thrive on membership, coaching, tournaments, pro shop sales. They look after the regulars so they keep being members and bring in more members.

I wonder what would happen if centres tried to turn the 65% of their social side lineage to increase the approx 35% of the regular league play.

I know I would rather keep trying to convert the average social player into a regular league bowler. Imagine the regular income if you could convert to increase league revenue from around 40% to 50-60%!!!!!

This has long been a gripe within some centres, predominantly generic AMF ones (as some are run or staffed by actual bowlers, so their customer service tends to be better to recruitment and retention), that more centres do not have 'bowling' trained staff to provide tips and pointers to new bowlers in social play, change the dynamic of a Friday lights out session, get the staff buzzing around with the normal drinks service, but also mentioning 'here is a pointer to pick this spare up' or 'do you know that if you stand this way and target this spot, you will be more accurate' etc etc. If I owned a bowling centre I would be drumming customer service up my staffs backsides till it was spewing out their mouths by the bucketload. Sadly genuine customer service is very rare these days, not just in bowling, but in society itself.

I made a post in another topic about the rough cost it would take for a centre to put their staff through a level 1 coaching course compared to possible benefits in luring and converting social bowlers to league players, from memory it was a considerable amount of profit for the year compared to the outlay and just baffles me why it isn't more common place.

 

[John_Velo]

Hi Michael,

I made that very comment to the new manager at AMF Illawarra. The names on staff are excellent and led by an Australian bowling champion. I see a real difference in how the place runs since the changes. Not saying it was bad before, but the focus appears different and you can see the changes that are being tried. The buzz with the staff is visible.

So yes, bowlers running a centre can be good, it is probably why independent centre’s have a different feel about them. Unless you were a bowler I doubt you would ever buy a centre off the bat as a business.

 

[CHIN]

3 words come to mind:- AMF, peanuts, monkeys.