I am constantly asked what it is like to bowl on television. This week I am going to attempt to explain what it is really like to bowl on TV and what it takes to make the top 5.
The most common format on the PWBA tour consist of 18 games of qualifying, the field is then cut to the top 24 bowlers. The top 24 bowl an additional 24 games of match play which include bonus pins for winning matches. After a total of 42 games have been completed the top 5 bowlers with the highest total pinfal including bonus pins advance to the television show. The final round of match play usually concludes on Wednesday night around 10:00 pm and at the conclusion of the final position round the top 5 TV finalist are determined.
If you are one of the finalist you must decide that evening what equipment if any that you will drill for the show. After deciding on equipment for the next day, each TV finalist does an interview with the ESPN 2 commentators and/or the media that are covering the tournament.
The TV show is usually on Thursday night at 7pm. All TV show finalist are required to arrive at the bowling center by 5pm or 2 hours before showtime for roll-call. All bowlers do head shots and usually practice on a practice pair that has been oiled with the tournament shot. About 45 minutes or an hour to showtime the bowlers are allowed to practice on the TV pair. During that practice period the lanes go through many transitions. The temperature in the bowlers area is usually about 10 degrees hotter than normal which contributes to a rapid and unpredictable breakdown of lane conditions.
When you make the show you make extra money through incentives for the equipment that you use on TV. You have to make quick decisions and sometimes winning or losing comes down to just making the right guess at the right time, because the lane conditions are changing so rapidly. You must stick with a certain manufacturer’s line of equipment and not switch to a different company on the show. If you are the top seated bowler you will bowl in the final match and sometimes have to wait as long as 3 to 4 hours before your match begins which can be very nerve racking.
Winning on television boils down to having the right combination at the right time and sometimes just going with a hunch that works. Some of my best performances on TV have been guessing right or trying something that I had not done all tournament long. My best advice is you just have to keep getting to the show until the odds go your way.
If you have any bowling-related questions or have a problem with your game and could use some advice from a professional bowler, Mrs. Daniels can be contacted one or two ways. Snail mail: Cheryl Daniels, P. O. Box 250014, West Bloomfield, MI 48325. Email address: Cheryl_Daniels@msn.com. Also, please visit Mrs. Daniels' website: www.my.freeway.net/`Shebe.
