Tip of the Month: Getting Lined Up

Getting lined up and staying lined up are two different tasks. Getting lined up refers to finding the initial combination of starting position, target, release and ball selection to maximize your scoring potential. Staying lined up refers to adjustments you can make as lane conditions change during a session. These adjustments are covered by different tips on bowl.com.

To locate a USBC certified coach in your area, visit the USBC Coaching section of bowl.com and click on the "Find A Coach" feature or call (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3169.

The Difference

USBC Women’s Challenge: Round 1

The Sept. 11 ESPN2 premiere of the USBC Women's Challenge was tabbed as Sports Illustrated's television “Pick of the Week,” and those who tuned in saw women's bowling in a whole new light as it made its return to national television.

Former Professional Women's Bowling Association star Leanne Barrette of Elk Grove, Calif., was right at home in front of the TV cameras. She seemed unaffected by the unique atmosphere and constantly moving crowd on her way to becoming the event's first finalist.

Barrette, the 26-time PWBA champion who made 104 television appearances during her 17-year professional career, advanced to the Oct. 9 final round with a 215-146 victory over international standout Sara Vargas of Colombia. In her first match of the day, Barrette topped fellow PWBA alumna Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 246-199.

The made-for-TV event was filmed at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas on Aug. 30 and 31 and will be shown on ESPN2 over five consecutive Monday nights. The series features 16 of the most talented and marketable women bowlers in the world competing for $25,000. The single-lane arena was specially installed by Kegel on the catwalk that is usually bustling with models showcasing the latest fashions.

Barrette will be joined on the final show by the winners from the Sept. 18, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 telecasts.

The show on Sept. 18 features reigning U.S. Amateur champion Diandra Asbaty of Chicago against her USBC Team USA teammate Shannon O'Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., and Australian star and eight-time PWBA champion Cara Honeychurch against Asbaty's sister and former Team USA member Kassy Golden, setting up a potential sister-showdown final match.
Look for future e-mail updates about the USBC Women’s Challenge.

The USBC Masters Takes Place this October

The excitement of the USBC Masters is returning to Milwaukee! This premier bowling event is a major on the Denny’s PBA Tour and features the best bowlers in the world competing for $350,000, including $100,000 for first place. An expected field of nearly 500 of the world’s top PBA professionals and amateur bowlers are expected to compete for the chance to be crowned the 2006 USBC Masters champion.

This season’s Masters finals are scheduled for noon CST on Oct. 29 at State Fair Park's Wisconsin Exposition Center. All tickets for the Masters finals are $20 general admission and may be purchased by calling (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3283. Can’t make it to Milwaukee? Watch the 57th Masters live on ESPN!

In addition to the exciting bowling action on Oct. 29, every ticket purchased for the Masters finals will include a FREE ticket to USBC Bowlfest ($10 value) held the night before the TV finals at State Fair Park’s Wisconsin Exposition Center. All fans will have the opportunity to bowl on the TV finals championship lanes for a charitable donation. Among the attractions planned for Bowlfest are a trick-shot exhibition, live music, a legends match and Team USA.

Facing USBC Sport Bowling Lane Conditions

USBC members have certain strategies when they take to the lanes to try and conquer USBC Sport Bowling lane conditions.

But how do Walter Ray Williams Jr., Norm Duke, Chris Barnes and Tommy Jones attack them?

The stars of the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association Tour must go head-to-head against Sport Bowling lane conditions four times a year in the PBA "major" tournaments: the USBC Masters, U.S. Open, Dexter Tournament of Champions and the Denny's World Championships.

Learn their secrets to success in this two-part series: Part 1 | Part 2

Experience it!

High Score Awards Rule Adjusted

USBC no longer will issue awards for high scores rolled during unopposed bowling sessions before or after regularly scheduled league times.

The USBC Board of Directors has adopted the interim rule change that takes effect immediately and will be enforced for the 2006-07 season.

"Issuing USBC High Score awards for scores bowled unopposed has become a growing concern," said USBC President Michael Carroll. "USBC member delegates voted about a decade ago to allow awards for honor scores bowled without a league officer or appointed representative present. The objective of this rule change is to protect the credibility of the sport and the USBC awards program."

Blocked Lane Conditions

The most common blocked lane conditions are referred to as the “basic blocks” or “intentional blocks.” Basic blocks are lane conditions intentionally created by a bowling center to make scoring easier. A reverse block is not usually an intentional lane condition. Scoring is much more difficult with a reverse block. It normally occurs after much bowling when many balls deplete or dry out the oil from the middle of the lane. Adjusting to a reverse block condition requires a high level of skill.  Blended block: A blended block condition is a moderate amount of oil in the center of the lane and a gradual decrease toward the boards on the outside edge. If a blended block condition exists, play your normal target line. You may have to move a board or two to the outside to compensate for the additional oil in the middle of the lane, but you’ll figure this out as soon as you roll a couple of good shots. Wall: This condition, which is similar to a blended block, is characterized by a high volume of oil on the middle boards abruptly going to dry on the outside boards. Adjust to the wall by playing just to the outside of the edge of the heavy oil. If you roll a large hook, you may start the ball just inside the heavy oil and angle the shot toward the drier boards on the outside. As play increases on the lane, this edge moves in toward the middle of the lane. As this happens, move your target inside a board or two to compensate.

2006 Storm National Mixed Championships presented by USBC

The Storm National Mixed Tournament and Festival of Bowling will be held for six consecutive weekends between Oct. 5 and Nov. 12. The first squad of the weekend is Thursdays at 3 p.m. Download the entry form.

In the past three years, the Mixed National Tournament and the Festival of Bowling have awarded nearly $400,000 in prizes -- $10,000 of which was in the form of scholarship money to youth bowlers.

And don’t come to Reno just for the bowling! Entrants into the tournament have a wide variety of entertainment choices. With seven different events in the two tournaments and loads of activities in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area, the selection is almost endless.

For further information, contact the National Bowling Stadium at (800) 305-2695, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT.

National Bowling Week Award Winners and Events

Bowling enthusiasts from across the country expressed their passion for the sport by participating in the National Bowling Week art, photography and essay contests. See the winning entries.

The National Bowling Art and National Bowling Photography Contests featured divisions for youth, amateur adults and professionals.

The National Bowling Essay Contest encouraged writers to share their best bowling moments or describe how bowling has positively impacted their lives. Two divisions divided entrants into youth (ages 17 or younger) and adult USBC members.

National Bowling Week, held Aug. 26 - Sept. 1, also was a huge success. The week started with a bang as some of the sport's most recognizable faces got together at a series of events in the Kansas City, Mo., area.

Sponsored by USBC and hosted by AMF at four different centers, the "USBC Bowl Like the Pros" events featured Professional Bowlers Association stars Brian Voss, Norm Duke and Mike Machuga, former PBA standout Bob Learn Jr. and USBC spokespersons Diandra Asbaty, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Kim Terrell.

National Bowling Week was sponsored by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, USBC, International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, Professional Bowlers Association and Strike Ten Entertainment.

Bowl Your Way to Las Vegas – Win with the New $250,000 Bowling Shootout

	The $250,000 Bowling Shootout is open to all USBC members 18 and over. The world's largest amateur three-stage bowling tournament is taking place in bowling centers across the country.
Stage 1 – Local Shootout Pre-Qualifiers (during league play) Beat your average in Game 2 of league play and you're on “the board” to qualify for the Local Shootout. The top two-thirds on the board qualify. Enter up to five times during league play at $10 each. The Local Shootout, with the date to be determined by your center, is based on the skins game. It costs only $20 per person and you bowl only in your division: "A" (0 to 180 Average), "B" (181-190 Average), "C"(191-200 Average) and "D" (201+). All division winners have a chance to go to Las Vegas. Stage 2 – Top 500 Bowl-Off (Las Vegas, February) The Top 500 Shootout winners are selected from participating centers to go to Las Vegas for three nights and two days(including round trip air and hotel) to compete with other division winners for a share of $100,000. The top two bowlers advance to compete in the ESPN $250,000 Bowling Shootout Special. Stage 3 - $250,000 Bowling Shootout – ESPN The two best amateurs will challenge pros Chris Barnes and Pete Weber. Each competes frame-by-frame for $150,000 plus other prizes worth up to $50,000.
ESPN Airdate: May 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. EDT Sign up at your local center. Visit bowlingshootout.com for more information. If your center is not signed up to host a local tournament, please call the Bowling Shootout at (310) 476-1924. Void in Vermont, Arizona and Louisiana due to restrictions.

USBC Award Recognition Nominations Due Nov. 1

Nominations for USBC awards recognizing people who have made important contributions to bowling at different levels will be accepted until Nov. 1.

Recipients of the USBC Joyce Deitch Trailblazer Award, USBC Helen Baker Outstanding Association Service Award and USBC Proprietor of the Year Award will be announced in November. They will be honored during the 2007 USBC Convention on March 28-31 in Nashville, Tenn.

The Joyce Deitch Trailblazer Award, named for the seventh Women’s International Bowling Congress' president, honors organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to bowling by being motivators, visionaries, leaders and inventors. The Helen Baker Outstanding Association Service Award is given in honor of WIBC’s fifth president and recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor. The Proprietor of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding bowling center proprietor for his or her enthusiastic support of local and state bowling associations and of national programs.

Nomination forms are available on bowl.com. Individuals may nominate others or themselves. For more information, call (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3159.