How to Knock ‘Em Dead in Baton Rouge

This article is dedicated to the hundreds of bowlers who have emailed me regarding the 2012 USBC Open Championships. In this article I will be providing you with some information about what to expect here at the tournament along with some tips that may help you while you are competing. Let’s get right into it starting with the question I receive the most. That question is about bowling balls.

The first thing to understand is that the suggestions I am making to you about bowling ball selections are what the ball drillers at the tournament are recommending for the tournament at “this time”. As the tournament goes on, there is little question or doubt there will be some adjustments to their recommendations. To be clear, I asked the same question of the personnel in each manufacturer’s booth. “What one bowling ball would you select at this time that would best suit the various styles of bowlers for the tournament?” Here are their recommendations:

• Track 716 T
• Ebonite Pursuit
• Columbia Omen
• Brunswick Nexxus f/p+r
• DV8 Hell Raiser Revenge
• Storm Modern Marvel
• Roto Grip Defiant
• 900 Global Train
• Hammer Taboo Black
• Visionary Mixed Breed Solid
• AMF Black Mamba

When I asked about layouts, the response by the ball drillers was very reasonable. Without exception, each driller felt that to offer the best layout for each player and bowling ball, it would be best if they were able to see the ball track and get to know a little more about the bowler’s personal specifications such as axis point, rev rate, and most comfortable ball speed. In addition, all of the drillers offered the same advice in regard to surface changes. They all felt it would be better to wait until the player is at the tournament so that a more timely recommendation could be made with regard to how the lanes are playing at the time the bowler is here. I would like to add in my suggestion for the players who are lefthanded. If you want to bring in ...