This argument predates resin balls by a long way.
There have been several paradigm shifts in bowling over the decades, and each time there were people bemoaning the loss of the 'good old days'. Whether it be the transition from the 'real mans' balls to wimps who added a couple of grip holes, wood to rubber to plastic to urethane, shellac to lacquer to urethane to synthetic. Every single change made careers of those who were suited to the new fangled gear or destroyed those who couldn't adapt.
I am no great fan of the power of modern balls. However, I also believe that the modern trend towards easy conditions is having far greater effect on scores than the equipment. There is no easy or practical solution to that 'problem', unfortunately, and winding the clock back on the balls without removing the ditches will simply polarise the game to the power players. I honestly believe that the single biggest problem the sport faces is the lack of knowledge in the general bowling community that gives rise to the assumption that a 220 average on a house pattern is the same as a 220 average on a PBA shot.
One thing I would like to see - and something I think would be very good for the SPORT - would be a nationwide 'Sport Pattern Week', where ideally ever centre in Australia would lay a sport pattern for one week. Done properly this could spin off to fundraising opportunities for the National or State teams, coaching opportunities, and raise the awareness of how difficult the game is at the top level, and how much difference the oil pattern does make.
We cannot go back. It is as simple as that, and everyone pining for the 'good old days' needs to remember that those 'good old days' were for a lot of even older bowlers those 'easy new conditions'.
