We need to bring it back....Atlanta bowling can do much better.

[Randy Russell]

This weekend was the scratchfest at AMF Snellville lanes. It was a lot of fun and a well run tournament. For an $80 entry fee you could bowl on a very challenging condition, and have a shot at a guaranteed $2,000 for first place prize. This was not based on entries...the folks running the tournament were GUARANTEEING it.

I think between the two days there were somewhere around 50 entries.....and probably 15-20 of those were reentries. So that means that only about 35 people came out to bowl what was a great opportunity for competition...and a chance to make a little $$.

In a town as deep as Atlanta talent wise that number of entries is pathetic. I understand the economy is bad.....gas prices are high....and people have other obligations. I for one usually have family things going on and rarely make it out to tournaments. I just find it hard to believe that EVERYONE in the city had something else going on this weekend. There are probably over 200 people in this city averaging 210+ on their league conditions. I just can't believe that for that small of an entry fee that more than 35 couldn't get away from their schedules to take a shot.

What's the problem?

What are we doing wrong as a bowling community?

We need to find ways to get more people to play in these events. I know we all have busy schedules, but we need to get the word out. These tournaments will die out if we don't pump some life into them. I know Wanda and the crew were sweating about squeaking a prize fund out of the entries they had, and that shouldn't happen for an entry fee of only $80.

Sorry to go on a rant....but I know there are tons of good bowlers out there....and the fact that in this city we can't get any quality scratch tournaments really disappoints me.

[F.O.X]

the problem is no one wants to find out what they are "REALLY " capable of bowling. bowling requires precise timing and execution. matching up the right ball with the condition. who wants to "really" do that, look bad at doing it and lose money ? when you can go shoot 230 + and STILL lose to someone who "takes their game serious" on a "house shot". then when reality hits that they've been bowling on "forgiving" lane conditions and it's easier to bowl on that, than to actually learn how to bowl. they won't be returning..........i plan to figure out what's need to fix my game. i don't throw the ball bad, but i'm not perfect. yet, i'm willing to take a lesson or find out what's missing from my game to get it to the next level. the house shot is just that, a house shot. anybody can bowl on that. hell, these days, you have people throwing house balls blowing up the pocket while others arre throwing hi-tech this or hi- tech that...............

[Martin "BLUFLAME" Seay]

Exactly. A lot of these 210+ are afraid to get exposed. I am avg. 187 right now, but I can be real with my self and say I am not that good. But when all I have to do is throw it right of the head pin and get 9+ every time, its just a matter of carrying and some skill not a lot.

It reminds me of this guy that I bowled with in college. He first joined the team and was a 215 league bowler and all these 300 games. First college tournament he cracks because he couldn't figure out how to play the lanes. 140's and 150's made him so mad. That's the reason some people don't bowl tough shots. The path of least resistence.

[F.O.X]

WELL, SAID MARTIN. "THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE". STROKE THE BALL, NOT YOUR EGO.......

[Chase]

Randy... Well said!!!

This tournament was run very well, and to me it’s distressing that I hear all of these scratch bowlers I know who spend a ton of money bowling on house shots in pot games and night-to-night brackets, etc not show up. Yes, the economy is crazy, and money is not that great for many – including my own business. But an $80 entry, to guarantee $2,000? …Sheeesh, It aint gettin’ much better than that people.

Randy…man, you're right, it's pathetic that in a city as big as Atlanta, so few would come out to support this.

[Randy Russell]

I'll add that I'm as guilty of being a part of the problem as anyone. Since I left the prop shop business and regionals a few years ago I have really not participated much at all in tournaments. That part won't change at all, however making sure that my friends who DO bowl tournaments know about them and show up to play. Passing out flyers during my league on Wednesday night....things like that can help these things be successful.

[Wayne Gibson]

I hope there is another one. Really did want to bowl in it. That being said I feel kind of ashamed for not making it. Instead of dropping $100 in pots Friday night and not getting a dime back could have saved it and bowled this tourney.

[Randy Russell]

No reason to be ashamed for not making it. We all have ones we can't make it too....I am just referring to the slow death of bowling overall in the city. Good leagues....almost extinct....action...almost dead....now scratch tournaments can't get enough entries to cover the guaranteed money.

I just mean the problem as a community that we don't pass out flyers or spread the word around enough now. This site is going to be a great place for people to find out things, but we need more. Our sport is slowly dying......we have to do what we can before it's nothing but birthday parties and cosmic bowling on Saturdays :)

[Lanesharks Bowler's Tour]

Once again the laneshark has the answer. Here is your problem, league conditions are just too easy and until there is a condition that is mandated and enforced for league play which shows the true talent of a player then you will continue to have these bowlers who are really 180 bowlers at best averaging 200+. So instead of trying to run these tournaments where you separate the talent from the talentless by running PBA or Kegel patterns why not run a modiifed version of your house pattern? These can be done by changing the distance or volume of oil or both. I'm running a tour in N.C. called Lanesharks Bowlers Tour and that is what we are doing. My first event the leader averaged 235 and the cut was 211. Everyone averaged 190 except 2 bowlers. Everyone felt the shot was challenging enough which is all you really want to do . Everyone seemed happy with the condition. You have to have the marginal players or you have what you got this past weekend. What do you guys think the pba and kegel's goal is? Yes they say the patterns they provide are to help bowlers become better. Did anyone ever realize that these are business people and are trying to sell a product to you the consumer. Think about it! Randy you are right there are alot of good bowlers that aren't coming out to bowl because of high gas prices, bad economy, etc. Maybe its that they have the money but don't feel confident enough to match up with the better bowlers on these patterns. You use a modified house pattern with house being your key word and watch'em show up. One of the Real bowlers best turn out was a house shot last season. Scoring is irrelavant, but making everyone feel as they have a chance is the key to a successful tournament. Another reason alot of guys aren't showing up from out of town is that if you have hotel and gas expense not counting bowling fees is it really worth the money that you have to spend to bowl when the turn outs are so inconsisent. I personally have scaled back quite abit and only go to bigger paying tourneys with a good history. Its funny I call alot of tournament directors to get info and as soon as they say we're running a pba pattern I just figure that they aren't going to have a good turn out so I stay home, which sucks out loud because there isn't squat to do in my town on the weekends. But who knows maybe things will change soon. Honestly, to all tourney directors, Enough with the pba ok, If we as amateur bowlers wanted to bowl on the crap we would join there organization. I can honestly say the patterns that you put down aren't the same as what the pros bowl on. I should know I bowled on the tour some time ago and I have seen how they take patterns and change them for different reasons lol. They have a pro laneman that knows more about conditions and have more access to the knowledge than your local laneman. Start using your tournaments as a stepping stone for guys to be challenged but on something that they are familiar with. Once they get a handle of this level then they can move on to bigger and better things. You have to realize the bowling ability of your customer or there will be no tourneys. Well i've said my piece . Hey check out the laneshark at myspace.com/laneshark. This is our page that we are using to promote the tour until we get our website finished. Gotta go, got some pins to eat! Later.
The Laneshark

[F.O.X]

the laneshark might have hit the nail on the head........hell, what could be worse. at least when the entourage hears "house shot" their ears will perk up.........

[Sammy Justice]

I bowled this weekend in the scratch tournament and I will admit that I have bowled in numerous scratch tournaments but none with the shot that they had out there. I was totally out of my league. I avg. 181 and missed the top ten cut by 7 pins, the problem is the top 5 bowled stepladder and I'm pretty sure that if I had made the cut there was no way I could have made the top 5. The top 3 of Greg, Randy and Isom are way better bowlers, have access to more equipment and can read and figure out the lanes quicker and better than 95% of the bowlers in Atlanta. (possibly the whole USA). So as far as them placing where they did should come as no surprise to anyone. I look at tournaments like this in 2 ways, in order to be the best you have to beat the best and where else can you learn to beat the best than on conditions like they had this past weekend. Bowling 1 -3 leagues a week does not make you a great bowler it makes you a good bowler. If the league shot was what they had this weekend the avg. bowler would be mad and probably quit the league but just like every other condition after weeks of bowling on it and practicing on it, what would be done, you'd come in the house mentally ready for it, you'd come go out and buy the equipment and have it drilled right for the conditions and presto you'd avg 200+ again, maybe not the 230 -240 like you'd want but then again no is is that good of a bowler inless they are in a different center somewhere 7 days a week doing some kind of bowling. As for getting people to come and bowl I agree with landshark make the shot easier but harder than a house shot, lower the entry fee to (example only) $60.00, guarantee 1st. place of $1500.00, do away with Sunday morning qualifying and instead have the finals Sunday morning say 10:00. This would allow say the person who can only afford to spend $80 - $100 on a weekend the extra money to spend on side pots and brackets. The number one goal is to please the bowler and he or she will put out the word that hey so and so runs a good tournament and from there your entries from tournament to tournament will increase.

[Barbara Turner]

Man, I wish I would have know about it while I was in Marietta this weekend. I would have tried my luck

[Wanda Cotton]

Randy, thank you for starting this discussion. Any and all feedback is welcomed so it is great to hear the responses from our customers...good or bad.