The first group of bowlers had filled the dozens of lanes Tuesday, and fans faced the action. Walter Ray Williams Jr., a few hours ahead of his start time, slipped in behind them. He wore jeans, tennis shoes and a hooded jacket, and peered over everyone’s head.

Amid the cacophony of crashing pins, Williams stood tall, quiet and alone.

He is 51, perhaps near the end of bowling’s most remarkable career. He won his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour player of the year award in 1986 and his seventh in 2010. Five of those awards came after his 1995 induction into the P.B.A. Hall of Fame.

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SEATTLE (Feb. 21, 2012) – Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., on the basis of a record-setting performance during the PBA World Series of Bowling, has raced into a commanding lead in the 2011-12 PBA Tour competition points race, a statistical category with significant implications as the season progresses.

In two other key PBA statistical races, Mike Fagan of Dallas is the Tour’s average and earnings leader, thanks in part to his triumphant performance in the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters.

Rash, who finished among the top four in all four World Series events completed thus far (PBA World Championship, Bayer Viper Open, Chameleon Open and Scorpion Open), has compiled 101,485 points in the six events he has entered,  taking a lead of 12,545 points over his closest challenger, Australia’s Jason Belmonte (88,940 points). Finland’s Osku Palermaa is third with 82,180 points followed by Englishmen Dom Barrett (81,837) and Stu Williams (80,401).

While the PBA has eliminated its “exempt tour” as of this season, points status remains important because the top six as of March 12 earn two “bye” rounds in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs, March 30-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, and players who rank seventh through 12th will earn first-round byes in the PBA Playoffs. The top 66 players in PBA Tour points will be eligible for the Playoffs.

In addition, the top 16 players in competition points at the conclusion of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season will receive invitations to compete in the renewal of the Japan Cup, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, in Tokyo. The 2012 Japan Cup will offer just over $285,000 in prize money, including $78,000 and a PBA Tour title to the winner.

After seven PBA Tour events, Fagan is scoring at a 236.90 per-game pace after 82 games, more than nine pins ahead of runner-up Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa. (227.83) in the high average race. Close behind O’Neill are Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y. (227.75), Rash (227.38) and P.J. Haggerty of Roseville, Calif. (227.29).

Fagan tops the earnings list with $61,250. He is followed by Palermaa, the PBA World Championship titlist ($58,850); Belmonte, the Chameleon Open winner ($53,675); Rash ($44,300) and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. ($33,205).

2011-12 PBA TOUR STATISTICAL LEADERS (as of February 19, 2012)

PBA COMPETITION POINTS
1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 101,485. 2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 88,940. 3, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 82,180. 4, Dom Barrett, England, 81,837. 5, Stuart Williams, England, 80,401. 6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 77,675. 7, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 77,012. 8, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 69,316. 9, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 65,517. 10, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 59,963.

11, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 58,548. 12, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 54,051. 13, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 53,028. 14, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 52,463. 15, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 49,695. 16, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 48,872. 17, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 47,603. 18, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 46,582. 19, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 46,463. 20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 46,458.

21, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 46,263. 22, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 44,635. 23, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 42, 58. 24, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 39,759. 25, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 39,262. 26, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 38,811. 27, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 38,597. 28, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 38,078. 29, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 36,620. 30, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 34,460.

31, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 34,412. 32, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 32,555. 33, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 32,219. 34, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 31,519. 35, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 30,769. 36, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 29,944. 37, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 29,201. 38, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 29,026. 39, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 29,022. 40, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 28,985.

PBA TOUR AVERAGES (min. 72 games)
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 82 games, 236.90 average. 2, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 96, 227.83. 3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 95, 227.75. 4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 95, 227.38. 5, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 76, 227.29. 6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 97, 226.96. 7, Stuart Williams, England, 110, 226.43. 8, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 112, 226.33. 9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 104, 226.29. 10, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 82, 225.98.

11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 101, 225.85.12, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 100, 225.70, 13, Dom Barrett, England, 92, 225.30. 14, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 78, 224.45. 15, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 72, 224.21. 16, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 80, 224.01. 17, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 81, 222.94. 18, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 106, 222.88. 19, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 74, 222.26. 20, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 88, 222.02.

2011-12 PBA TOUR EARNINGS (after 7 events)
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, $61,250. 2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, $58,850. 3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $53,675. 4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $44,300. 5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., $33,205. 6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $30,275. 7, Dom Barrett, England, $27,540. 8, Stuart Williams, England, $27,235. 9, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, $17,050. 10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., $16,760.

11, Dan MacLelland, Canada, $15,290. 12, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., $15,000. 13, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., $13,525. 14, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., $12,970. 15, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., $12,725. 16, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., $12,600. 17, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, $11,550. 18, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., $11,500. 19, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., $11,285. 20, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $10,200.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Lumber Liquidators, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Pepsi-Cola and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com

Press Release from WTBA

Depending on the split, most can be picked up by either striking the fore pin at enough of an angle that it slides into the pin or pins behind it, or by rolling the ball in such a manner to strike pins with both sides of the ball as it nears the end of the lane. Splits are known both by the number of the pins involved (such as the 2-7 split) or nicknames (such as the “Sour Apple” — the 5-7-10 split).

“Bed Posts”
“Bed Posts.” “Goal Posts.” “Fence Posts.” “Mule Ears.” “Snake Eyes.” This split — the 7-10 split — has many names. This is due in part because it is the most difficult shot in bowling. The pins on the far ends of the back row remain standing while all other pins have been knocked away. Surprisingly, this split usually occurs on a shot that is in the pocket (the space between the 1 and 3 pins for a right-handed bowler and the 1 and 2 pins for a left-handed bowler) — just not enough. The shot is so difficult that, as of publication, only four have ever been converted by Professional Bowlers Association tour professionals on live television.

“Big Four” and the 6-7-10 and 4-7-10 Splits
The “Big Four” split (4, 6, 7 and 10 pins) happens more to straight bowlers than hook bowlers. A hooked throw crosses the head pin at an angle and drives it into the pins along the side. A straight ball, on the other hand, can roll into the head pin with no angle at all, causing the pins on either side in the back to go untouched.

The 6-7-10 and the 4-7-10 splits which, surprisingly, have no name, occur much in the same way that the “Big Four” split does, except that the ball doesn’t catch the head pin flush but, instead, slightly to one side or the other, taking out either the 4 or 7 pin. The “Big Four,” 6-7-10 and 4-7-10 splits are the most difficult spares to convert, next to the “Bed Posts.”

 ”Baby” Splits and “Side-by-Side” Splits
“Baby” Splits are splits that involve pins that are separated by only one pin or less. Examples of “Baby” Splits include the 2-7 split, 1-4 split, 1-6 split, and 3-10 split, all of which are fairly common.

Not-so-common “Baby” splits (because they involve interior rather than exterior pins) include the 2-9 split and the 3-7 split. Pins that are left standing next to each other are called “Side-by-Side” splits. They are considered splits because they have to be knocked down at the same time in order to convert. Examples of these splits include the 2-3 split, 4-5 split, 5-6 split, 7-8 split, 8-9 split and the 9-10 split.

Colourfully Named Splits
Some other splits have more colourful nicknames and most involve at least three pins that have to be knocked down. For example, there is the “Greek Church,” which is either a 4-6-7-8-10 split or a 4-6-7-9-10 split (so named because of the similarity in looks to an old cathedral-type church).

There is also the “Big Five” (the 3-4-6-7-10 or 2-4-6-7-10 split), which is a fairly simple split to convert as long as you hit the 2 pin (for left-handed bowlers) or the 3 pin (for right-handed bowlers) at an angle to drive the first pin into the others. Other splits like this include the “Big Six” (a 2-4-6-7-8-10 or 3-4-6-7-9-10 split), the “Lily” or “Sour Apple” (a 5-7-10 split) and the Cocked Hat (a 2-7-10 or 3-7-10 split).

THERE CANNOT be too many people who choose to spend their 80th birthday on a tenpin bowling lane but that is exactly what the Aer Lings Ten Pin Bowling Club elder statesmen, Brendan Beakey chose to do.

Unknown to Brendan, the club had plans in place to make the first bowling night of his 80th year a memorable one for the veteran bowler. When he turned up to the ALSAA Bowl, the club had laid on a presentation of an inscribed bowling pin and had the obligatory birthday cake laid on as well as a celebratory meal upstairs in ALSAA.

Speaking to the Fingal Independent, Brendan said he began his interest in the sport while working for Aer Lingus in Seattle, Washington in 1970. The bug bit immediately and when he returned to Ireland he played in Stillorgan and then began bowling at ALSAA from the very first day the facility was built opposite Dublin Airport where he continued to work for Aer Lingus. “I’m still enjoying it.” says Brendan.

“There can’t be too many people around bowling in their eighties,” he told the Fingal Independent. His scores haven’t suffered much with age either, and he can still turn in a 200 plus game on the lanes at ALSAA

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Bowling balls can be decorative accents in your garden or on your patio if you transform them into mosaics with tiles, broken ceramics and mirrors. You can find used bowling balls at local yard sales and thrift stores and mosaic supplies at your local craft store.

This inexpensive project is simple to complete and may become a striking feature in your landscape.

Things You’ll Need:
Bowling ball
Thin-set mortar
Latex gloves
Ceramics
Plastic bag
Towel
Hammer
Prop
Exterior grout
Sponge
Grout sealer

Instructions:
Fill the holes in the bowling ball with thin-set mortar and let dry. This will give you a solid surface over the entire bowling ball so you can make your mosaic.

Break your ceramics into small pieces. You can use plates, bowls, cups or any type of ceramic figurine for this project rather than purchasing mosaic tiles. While searching for bowling balls at yard sales, look for inexpensive ceramics that you can break. Place the ceramics in a sealed plastic bag and wrap them in a towel. Place them on the ground and hit the towel with a hammer. The pieces should be less than 2 inches in both width and height to fit the curves of your bowling ball.

Prop your bowling ball between two heavy objects to keep it from rolling. Apply a thin layer of thin-set mortar to one small section of your bowling ball. Make sure that you wear gloves for this craft project as thin-set is harmful to your skin. You could use a spatula to spread the thin-set, but the curves on the ball adapt best to your hands.

Randomly press the bits of ceramic into the thin-set. Leave 1/8 to 1/4 inch between the pieces. Don’t worry about being perfect–the variations in the design help make this craft project interesting. Cover as much of the bowling ball as you can and let the adhesive dry according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Roll the ball into a new position so you can cover another area with thin-set and ceramics. Let the adhesive dry and then roll it again until the bowling ball is covered.

Apply grout to the surface of the ball in stages–the same way you created the mosaic. Make sure to clean the grout from the surface of the ceramics before it dries. Seal the grout within three days.

Read about how to paint a LADY BUG BOWLING BALL for your garden here

The Chameleon Open finals, the second of four PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling, which aired last Sunday on ESPN.

Belmonte, who came into the Chameleon elimination-format finals as the leading qualifier, barely survived the first two games before finding his groove in the title match.

In the opening game, Belmonte’s two-handed rival, Osku Palermaa of Finland, led the four-man field with a 213. Rash was second with a 201, and Belmonte nipped Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, 189-187, to avoid elimination as low man in the round.

More here courtesy of Bowl.com

And while their stories are similar in many aspects, they remain worlds apart as competitors and bowling stylists.

For starters, Belmonte grew up in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Born on July 29, 1983, he’s the older of the two by 112 days. “Belmo” is 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds. Palermaa, who also is 28, was born on Nov. 18, 1983 and grew up in Espoo, Finland. He is 6-foot and weighs 200 pounds.

“It’s pretty weird how our stories are the same, and we’re the same age,” said Palermaa. “We just happened to live, one here and the other on the other side of the globe. The only difference is (Belmo’s) father owned a bowling center and mine worked at one.”

Both naturally migrated to the two-handed technique as tots, far too young to be able to pick up a bowling ball and throw it with one hand. So they independently learned to roll the ball using two hands. Neither had mentors teaching them the technique because it just wasn’t the way you were supposed to bowl. But for them, it worked.

Read more here courtesy of Lanetalk.com

Throughout the year, Go Bowling Australia member centres offer fantastic bowling parties for groups of 8 or more.

A Go Bowling Australia centre is the perfect place for great fun, tasty food and a complete party atmosphere for you, your family and friends and your workmates.

Bowling Parties and Fun Functions include tenpin bowling, the food and beverages, great music and more!

Find your local Go Bowling Australia Centre

Check out our ‘Fun Functions’ video online here