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The Bracket format provides the most intense competition between
the players.
There are different versions of the bracket format.
The USBC uses a total pins over three games format.
Regionals use a best out of 5, best out of 3 and single game
versions of the bracket format.
The National tour uses the 4 out of 7 version.
Variety of all kinds is good for the sport of bowling because it
helps to separate the skill levels. The better bowlers have the
ability to adapt to anything and through variety are able to
prove it. Our sport is full of conditional super-stars and the
only way around this challenge is through variety.
In the bracket version of match-play lane it is necessary to
establish enough games to not favor one style over another.
The shorter number of games tend to favor the bowler who likes
the fresh while the longer formats with more lineage tends to
favor the bowler who can stay left of the field and still get
the ball to hit.
Historically the best out of three format favors the bowler who
likes the fresh in an often "unfair" manner. The same is true of
the best out of 5 because the player who likes the fresh usually
has a two game advantage. Which often has him up 2-0 with only
one more game victory to win the match.
Setting the number at best out of 7 is a very good balance and
requires the competitors to go through lane transitions. The
first couple games set the stage. After a couple games the
players have established if and who the favorite is.
Almost on cue the players begin to see things change by game
three and the fans get to see how the greatest bowlers in the
world deal with lane transition. The better bowlers recognize
and adapt quicker. You won't see a match in this type of format
that you can not learn something about the sport of bowling.
You begin to recognize that great bowlers not only know how to
repeat shots but they are much better at controlling the way the
lanes change and recognize and adapt in very impressive
fashions.
Bowling is and always have been a battle with an invisible
course and in the best 4 out of 7 format that requires a bowler
to use all their skills is a true test of bowling skills.
The competitors are both on the same lane at the same time and
nobody else is bowling on their pair they are competing in the
same environment and have complete control of recognizing and
adapting to what is going on.
They can see everything going on with the lane, they can't blame
or use anybody else. They are have to bowl on the lanes that
they transition. In other formats many bowlers alter an
environment in a very challenging way and then change pairs,
never having to deal with the pair that they screwed up.
Not so in the best 4 out of 7. The bowler who knows how to
control, recognize, and adapt to transition has a big advantage.
The only thing that I think that would improve on this
environment would be a double elimination version.
If you bowled a best out of 7 match with double elimination it
would be very difficult to say you were not give a fair chance.
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The Round Robin format has been the
historical format used by the PBA through most of it existence.
The Round Robin format has bowlers competing against each other
for one game and earning bonus pins for the results of that one
game match. One game matches are not real good indicators of who
is the better bowler but this format allows the fans to watch a
greater number of bowlers crossing the house.
The most exciting thing about the Round Robin format is the
possibility of an exciting position round.
The games leading up to the position rounds are not much
different than the qualifying rounds because the bowlers are
more focused on total pins and not the single game matches.
This format is less mentally taxing than the best 4 out of 7
match-play environment.
The intensity level in the matches is quite low key unless the
position round becomes a factor.
The opportunity to include this format is welcomed by several
because of its historical meaning to the PBA.
I welcome it simply because it is another form of variety.
The PBA is using a newer version of the Round Robin format that
does not have the players bowling everybody one time.
It is a weighted version depending on the bowlers position in
the standings. Each round has a cut and then the bowlers are
reweighted for the next round.
This is an opportunity for more position rounds and cuts at the
end of each session. This can be exciting if everything falls in
place. It can be pretty cool to watch a group of bowlers jockey
around the cut number.
I am not a big fan of the bowlers being subjected to how the
field transitions the lanes. They can not take credit or blame
for how the lane broke down because they were only responsible
of one game on that pair. It is more of a crap shoot than the
best 4 out of 7.
There are bowlers who prefer to compete against the entire field
and the numbers they put up instead of only competing against
one bowler where total pins are not important.
Total pins is a version of competition that has been around a
long time and has its place. Adding bonus pins has the players
being rewarded for individual games and adds another element and
strategy to tournament game plans. |
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