Easy Tiger
Active Member
This was mentioned in another post and got me thinking.
The art of riding lanes seems to have largely disappeared from bowling these days. Going back only a few years ago (eg 2005) riding lanes seemed quite common and accepted as part of the game. It was the bowler's way of showing some emotion, and sometimes also a bit of a ribbing of the opponent ("see if you can match me" or "take that").
These days it seems to have all but disappeared. Most of the leagues or tournaments I bowl in or see these days are mechanical, going through the motions. Hardly anyone seems to get outwardly excited or amped up. Anyone that does seems to be frowned upon. Many would have seen the antics of the likes of Steve Lovell and others over the years, the hip thrusting comes to mind..
I've noticed since returning to the sport that tournaments in particular are a lot less fun for me personally, the atmosphere is almost sterile, whereas I used to feel there was a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air. Now it's get up, chuck the ball, high five, sit down and maybe crack a smile after 8 in a row (exaggeration, but almost).
It's more just an observation, but has bowling got boring in the last few years? Would it really hurt to show some emotion on the lanes and not fear people frowning at you, or worse, even threatening/telling you off over it?
The art of riding lanes seems to have largely disappeared from bowling these days. Going back only a few years ago (eg 2005) riding lanes seemed quite common and accepted as part of the game. It was the bowler's way of showing some emotion, and sometimes also a bit of a ribbing of the opponent ("see if you can match me" or "take that").
These days it seems to have all but disappeared. Most of the leagues or tournaments I bowl in or see these days are mechanical, going through the motions. Hardly anyone seems to get outwardly excited or amped up. Anyone that does seems to be frowned upon. Many would have seen the antics of the likes of Steve Lovell and others over the years, the hip thrusting comes to mind..
I've noticed since returning to the sport that tournaments in particular are a lot less fun for me personally, the atmosphere is almost sterile, whereas I used to feel there was a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air. Now it's get up, chuck the ball, high five, sit down and maybe crack a smile after 8 in a row (exaggeration, but almost).
It's more just an observation, but has bowling got boring in the last few years? Would it really hurt to show some emotion on the lanes and not fear people frowning at you, or worse, even threatening/telling you off over it?