What if the Pro's Could Bowl on Your Average House Shot..?

[jason_doust]

The PBA is holding the Ultimate Scoring Challenge this week. This means that the best players in the world are playing on a league style bounce shot like you see every week.

• To make the Round of 32, all you need is a 225.5 average.
• To make the Round of 16, it's only a 239.3 average for the winners (best of 7 matchplay) and 226.7 for the losers.
• To make the Round of 8, it's 237.3, with the losers averaging a lowly 227.3.

By the way, to top qualify for the Round of 32, you'll need to beat Patrick Allen's +847. That's averaging 260.5 / 14 while moving every game. Parker Bohn III was 24 pins behind with the next group averaging just under the 240 mark.

As they never play on this stuff normally, there's bound to be a (un)learning curve for a lot of them. I bet they've drilled some really strong and really weak gear for this one...

Qualifying scores at http://www.pba.com/livescoring/qual_results.aspx?RoundID=1168

Cheers,
Jason

p.s. In game 9, there were 5 300's.

 

[xballs]

Interesting to see a lot of big names only average around to 220 mark.

So does this mean if can average 220 - 230 I am good enough for the pros

260 average for 14 games - ouch:surrender:

Dave

 

[Brenton_Davy]

I hear tell from the states that this house is renowned for real tough carry. I think that might explain some of the problem. In addition, as Jason said they would have had to unlearn a lot of things. Equipment set ups would have been a bit hit and miss too for the reps as they dont have something this open usually.

 

[androooo]

I watched the round of 8 live on Xtraframe this morning.

Chris Barnes during commentary was saying this still wasn't an easy house shot. He said there were many house shots easier than this. It was funny watching Robert Smith playing a little swing shot around 10 in his match against Sean Rash. However with their rev rates, they quickly had to play leapfrog inside.

The other match they showed was Parker Bohn III against Bill O'Neill. Parker struggled with carry all morning, because the lanes got tighter with their 3rd strip of the day. He had tyre marks over his back where O'Neill ran over him.

So far, 18 300's have been bowled in the tournament.

Still nowhere near the record, but due to the reduced number of games these days, it's probably on par.

 

[AdrianS]

Maybe they should have done this with(and the plastic tourney!!) the old 42 game format, the night blocks would have been fun!!!

 

[jason_doust]

I hear tell from the states that this house is renowned for real tough carry. I think that might explain some of the problem. In addition, as Jason said they would have had to unlearn a lot of things. Equipment set ups would have been a bit hit and miss too for the reps as they dont have something this open usually.

Oh yeah! I've bowled this house! Taylor Lanes was a wood house then, with the best surface I've ever played on, but the carry was pretty tricky in 1992. The ball travels fast there, like you're bowling ever so slightly downhill. Might've been the weather too. Snow on the ground outside makes houses play a bit different to what we're used to. (Plays havoc with your thumb too!)

Average required to win in the Round of 8 - 243.4, with the losers languishing on 224.3 (or 229.3 if you take out poor old PB III, who was buried on 209.3)

 

[luke]

when are the finals going to be played

 

[Blinded]

It's going to be played on Sunday morning.

But I don't think it's going to air until Sunday of next week.

 

[jason_doust]

An addendum. I just started watching the Ro8 on Xtra Frame (http://pba.com/xtraframe). Parker was averaging 255 up until that round. Guest commentator Chris Barnes noted that his ball reaction was nowhere near as crisp as it had been.

 

[exPatBowler]

Well the TV round was interesting to say the least, while Mike Wolfe bowled well, the much anticipated exceptionally high scores didn't quite materialize. Robert Smith and Bill O'Neil both struggled in their semis and then Mike Scroggins had the same experience in the final (despite being the only lefty). Randy Pederson explained it as being due to the TV environment (lights, added heat from the audience etc.) having a dramatic effect on the lane condition versus the earlier rounds. It also seemed to me that the guys may have been a little tighter than usual with the added pressure to really put up big scores based on all the hype for the event.

 

[AdrianS]

Actually this question was answered a few yrs back. Remember the Flagship Open back in 1996? Looks like the guys tore Scorpion(or SCOREpion as some people call it!!) pattern up even more this week

 

[da_cowman]

I bowled weekly on a USA House shot over here. Let me tell you. I get more over under from this pattern then anything else I've ever bowled on. I find some patterns that have more of a blend, such as the Scorpion, easier for this exact reason. If you can find the spot on the house pattern then your in for a great night. But missing right only to go high, and missing left, only to bucket... It's a crazy world.
Some nights I haven't been able to miss. Others, make me walk away in wonder.

Cow

 

[jason_doust]

The blended patterns also allow you to have a breakpoint outside, increasing pin carry. Average house shots are designed for average house bowlers with low rotation. Hence the lateral pattern taper (where the most breakpoint area is likely to be) is set closer to the headpin so they get the greatest advantage from it. Anything thrown outside this spot with any hand looks like it's been kicked left.

Check out the ball layouts used by the Mike Wolfe at http://www.stormbowling.com/bowling-news/story.asp?enewsid=2749&intl= and see how weak the winner's gear is drilled. He's right-handed, btw. Long and rolly layouts in use here. Wolfe (who throws it really well - plenty of hand and forward roll) clearly wanted the ball to have an elongated breakpoint and come off the pattern very predictably. (Smooth surfaces as well.)

BTW, Chris Barnes commented (in the R08 coverage on PBA Xtra Frame) that he had bowled on a lot of house shots easier than this one.