On The Lanes
Topography: A key ingredient in bowling I think it was back about the time Abe Lincoln was President, I had an opportunity to go to the PBA Bowling School.
It might not have been quite that long ago, but it sure seems like it. The school was a requirement then for anyone who wanted membership in the organization. Believe it or not, there were actually classes, lectures, movies, quizzes and tests about such things as the PBA rules, professional dress codes and demeanor, how to handle the press, and topography.
Topography? What, you ask, is topography?
Most of the 100 guys who were at that class were clueless as to what exactly the lecture was about. I was a bit luckier, because I had actually dealt with it in my job. So, when the instructor put a black and white slide in the projector, it appeared that what we were looking at was a picture of a series of mountains and valleys.
Everyone in the room identified it as the Andes Mountains.
But then, as he began to un-zoom the picture, it became clear that we were actually looking down a bowling lane. The picture was taken as if we were lying on our stomachs looking down the lane-only it was magnified. So, all the cracks or ruts in the wood looked like mountains and valleys.
It was pretty interesting stuff, because it clearly showed how bowling balls that were continuously dropped in the same place over and over again-for example on the second arrow-had crushed and cracked that lane. Conversely, the center of the lane was smooth as glass since hardly anyone ever played that area.
I gathered two things of interest from that class. The first one was that constant rolling of the bowling balls in the same area around the second arrow on the right-hand side eventually caused a track all the way down the lane even with the oil on it for protection. So, there was truth to the rumor that some of the old houses used to have a “wall” that you could play that almost always sent your ball to the pocket. It was nurtured by the track that was there from continuous play.
The second thing I learned was that there was no such thing on the left side. The reason being that there are not anywhere near as many lefties as there are right-handed bowlers. Consequently, that side of the lane stays in better shape.
On the new synthetic lanes of today, there are many less differences between the right and the left side of the lane. So, whenever I hear someone say that there is “always an easier shot for a lefty” that has little truth in it with regard to the lane itself. Generally, now days, the lefty might only have an advantage when it is late at night during league, and the right hand side of the lane oil is dried up from all the right-hand players. With fewer lefties, there is less oil wear.
Junior
I mentioned a few weeks ago about some fellows who had big games and big series earlier in the season, and now I have another one to add to the list. That would be Allen Chrise, Jr.
I think I overlooked him before now because of a number of reasons. First, he has been such an outstanding bowler for so long; that all of us sort of have a tendency to just assume he will always roll well. Second, he goes about his sport in such a professional manner that he is never the center of attention. And, third, he is just so darned quiet.
But, to make it known, Junior, shot 236, 258, and 300 for a 794 series on March 31 at Manor Lanes in the Manor Majors league. This last one makes his sixth perfect game. And it is my understanding that he had 18 straight strikes to finish out the night.
I was teasing him last week about the 18-in-a row and I asked him how many strikes he had to start the next week. I was curious to see if he continued the string. But, as is typical for Junior, he just sort of smiled and said he couldn’t remember.
Congratulations, Allen. That is great bowling.
New League
Many areas in the country have leagues at times other than the normal 6:30 p.m. (early) or 9 p.m. (late) league setting. I even reported once about a factory in Detroit that ran 24 hours a day, so it had workers on three 8 hour shifts – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 4 p.m. to midnight, and midnight to 8 a.m. In order to have a large and viable company bowling league, the management worked out a deal with the local bowling house to stay open all night on Thursday nights. The house offered a league rolling time of 10 a.m., 6 p.m., and 2 a.m.
I thought that was pretty neat. And, if memory serves me right, there were 24 teams in the league and nearly 100 bowlers that rolled at different times all day long.
Which brings me to the point of the New Liberty Mixed League that is starting at Manor Lanes this summer. Marlene Groover has informed me that beginning June 2, the new mixed league will bowl at 12:30 p.m. on Monday afternoons and run for 10 weeks. Marlene has had great success with her winter Liberty league for the ladies, so now she is extending it to the summer and opening it up to any men who might want to join.
She tells me that the averages of the folks who are currently signed up are between 80 and 190, so that means no matter your bowling skill level, you can enjoy this opportunity. In addition, the new league will be USBC sanctioned, which means all awards and recognition will be available to you.
There is a signup sheet at the front counter at Manor or you may call 724-438-9015 and ask to have your name added.
Bowling news
Uniontown resident Gary George writes a weekly bowling column for the Herald-Standard. If you have any bowling news, contact George, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1997, via email at probowler48@aol.com or fax at 724-438-7290. Information is welcome from all area bowling establishments. Leagues that submit their scores directly to the Herald-Standard may continue to do so.