As many as 50 percent of spares are missed in tournament action! Don’t be part of the statistic – learn how to pick up your spares with this intermediate-level tip from USBC Coaching.

See the USBC Coaching tips page for help with areas of your game.

USBC's National Championships: a bowling experience like no other

Don’t miss the chance to bowl in the national championships! Only USBC members are eligible to bowl in two of the world’s largest sporting events: the USBC Open Championships and the USBC Women’s Championships.

Both tournaments are open to members regardless of average and without the need to qualify. Join bowling’s history by participating in one or both of these venerable events - and who knows, you could walk away with a piece of the multi-million-dollar prize fund up for grabs at each tournament.

The 2007 USBC Open Championships will be conducted in the one-of-a-kind 78-lane National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., while the 2007 USBC Women’s Championships will make its first visit to Charlotte, N.C.

The Open Championships has two average divisions — one for bowlers who average 181 and higher and another for bowlers who average 180 and below. Male and female members are welcome to bowl in the Open. The Women’s Championships has five average divisions (130 and under, 131-149, 150-169, 170-189 and 190 and over).

Similar to your local and state tournaments, each event features team, doubles, singles and all-events competition.

Visit USBCopen.com or USBCwomenschampionships.com for tournament news and entry information.

In November USBC Masters action, Doug Kent of Newark, N.Y., defeated Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, N.Y., 277-230 in the title match to earn $100,000, the Frank K. Baker trophy and a two-year exemption on the Denny's PBA Tour. Kent defeated Tommy Jones of Greenville, S.C., in the opening match and then picked off amateur George Lambert IV of Wellandport, Ontario. The win netted Kent a repeat title, adding to his 1991 victory. Kent became the first bowler in Masters history to win the event from the No. 3 seed.The 2006 USBC Masters featured 498 of the best professional and amateur bowlers in the world. A major on the Denny's PBA Tour, bowlers competed for a prize fund of more than $350,000.

USBC Bowlfest returned Masters weekend with the best in bowling entertainment and exhibition matches. Current and former Team USA members squared off and PBA standouts wowed the crowds with trick shots. In a special Legends and Ladies doubles match, Kim Terrell and partner Marshall Holman posted games of 207 and 197 for a 404 total, but Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and her partner Carmen Salvino came away with the win, shooting 209 and 215 for a 424 effort.

USBC and the PBA partner up to bring the pro bowling experience to leagues. Starting in January, bowlers in PBA Experience-designated leagues will compete on oil patterns that correspond to each week’s Tour conditions. 

Four talented teens competed under the bright lights of the ESPN cameras in the Teen Masters Finals at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The action played out in a modern arena setting remarkable for the absence of pin-setting machines and modern ball returns.Jake Peters, 17, of Decatur, Ill., and Brittni Hamilton, 16, of Webster, N.Y., each took titles in the finals, along with a trophy and $7,500 scholarship.

In a special winner-take-all match to determine the overall champion, Peters defeated Hamilton, 223-179, and earned an additional $2,500 scholarship, bringing his total to $10,000.

The broadcast aired Oct. 15 on ESPN2.

Last June, Kelly Kulick became the first woman to earn a full-season exemption on the Denny's PBA Tour, sparking a media deluge of articles, Webcasts and live chats in the national media. Major coverage included a video segment on ABC News: This Week with George Stephanopoulos, interviews on ESPN.com and ESPN News, an Associated Press story that was picked up nationally, ink in the Sports Illustrated “Scorecard” section, a bowling demo on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer and an article in USA Today.

ESPN again this season is featuring live Denny’s PBA Tour telecasts every Sunday afternoon, but with a few notable changes.

First, the network decided to move to three announcers in 2006-07. Dave Ryan and Randy Pedersen continue to provide the play-by-play and color commentary, but they are now joined in the booth by PBA legend Norm Duke when he does not qualify for the finals. The addition of Duke to the booth gives fans a chance to hear even more in-depth analysis from one of the greatest bowlers of all time, and hear his first-person insights specifically related to the week of competition. When Duke does qualify for the TV finals, another legend in the form of Brian Voss will join Ryan and Pedersen.

In addition, five telecasts of standard events this season will feature stepladder finals, which will provide more variety, showcase more bowling and give fans a chance to see an additional PBA star on the show each week.

Another notable change this season is occurring on ESPN Classic. Along with its normal broadcasting of classic PBA bowling action, ESPN Classic will now televise a one-hour condensed replay of a previous 2006-07 Denny’s PBA Tour event one hour prior to the live telecast on ESPN. Each replay will air one week after its original airing and will lead into ESPN's live Sunday telecast.

However, don't just watch the Denny’s PBA Tour -- experience it live. The PBA’s “Young Guns vs. Legends” Sweepstakes is your chance to win a trip to the most prestigious event in bowling, the PBA Tournament of Champions.

Find out more!