PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR -- 02-03-2018 -- "(REAL LIFE) STRIKE OR NO STRIKE"

PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR -- Episode 51 - "(REAL LIFE) STRIKE OR NO STRIKE (SUPER BOWLING WEEKEND EDITION)" -- Recorded Saturday, February 3, 2018 for release on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. Originating this week from AMF Woodstock in Woodstock, Georgia.
On the weekend of the biggest pro football game of the year, 23 youth bowlers and their parents descended on our host bowling center of AMF Woodstock for a special Road Show edition of PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR. And by popular demand (by our bowlers and their parents), we repeated the Swiss match play qualifying format. But this time, we winnowed the filed down to the final 9 players for an unusual Championship Round stepladder, with three-player matches consisting of 9 frames each, where the players would be shooting only for strikes.
In a tip of the hat to the old prime time TV show called Jackpot Bowling, only strikes count in this Championship Round, and the player who gets the most strikes in 9 frames advances to the next match. This format usually produces rapid-fire action, so strap in and hold on.
On today's episode, we also introduce a brand new camera angle, as we took delivery this week on our Intellistage camera platform that was purchased as a result of those generous PRODIGY viewers who contributed to our GoFundMe fundraiser campaign (GoFundMe.com/prodigy-bowlers-tour). So a big thanks to those nice people, as the new angle, higher than we've ever been able to position the camera before, looks great!
As always, your comments are welcome. But we must insist that you keep those comments positive. Remember, the mission of PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR is to "Celebrate Junior Bowling while we Elevate Junior Bowlers." So if your comment is merely an attempt to insult of demean one of our bowlers, it will be deleted. Criticism is welcome as long as it is helpful, not hurtful. Thanks for your understanding. We're not looking to beat anyone down; we want to lift them up.
Oh, to anyone who spots the mistake in the graphics at the beginning where the first game scores are listed and Logan F.'s score is shown as "193+30=193," that's obviously an error. He bowled 163, not 193. But he did win his first match, so he got the 30 bonus pins. So that gives him 193 (163+30=193). So the total is correct as shown. But it's a type-o on the score he shot that game. Sorry. Wish I had a dollar for every little type-o I've made on this show in the last year and a half.
As always, your play-by-play voice on PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR is USBC Silver Certified Coach and former PBA member Randy Brown, who also serves as Executive Producer of PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR. Oh yes, and we also have a special guest commentator sitting in with Coach Randy on the call during Match 3 today.
Next week, (2/10/2018), we expect to be back at our usual home center, Brunswick Zone Roswell. But if you bowl youth league in the Atlanta metro area and would be interested in having PRODIGY come film an episode at your bowling center, have your Youth Director get in touch with Coach Randy by emailing him at randy(at)prodigybowlerstour.com.
Thanks, too, to our hosts this week at AMF Woodstock. You guys were great and we really enjoyed coming over to your center. Let's do it again sometime soon.
We appreciate our viewers' support of PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR. We recently crossed the 8,000 subscribers threshold, and are very grateful to all our viewers who watch the show. If you enjoy today's show, be sure to give it a "thumbs up." And if you want to be notified each time a new video goes online, be sure to click the SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to this channel. We encourage you to share our videos with your friends on social media, and to spread the word about PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR with all the bowlers you know. Thanks again for helping us grow the show!
PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR content is copyright 2018 by Brown Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

* PLEASE, DON’T POST SPOILERS!!! *

[@jonathanmosebach7107]

I'll tell you who wins! SOMEONE!

[@ddtalk]

Great and exciting Show! The winner in this format earned it! Congrats to all the young people! You guys are all learning and becoming better bowlers!!

[@richardk.fitzgerald8354]

Wonderful tribute to Earl. Thank you!

[@htmn2001]

Plz keep Christian on commentary when he doesn't bowl I loved it

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I have something even more crazy in store. Coming soon. Don't have a date yet. But you'll love it when it happens.

[@ratmmjg]

Thank you, Coach Randy! This is a great format for play and I'd love to see it more throughout the season. And these young people are amazing. Good on all of them. Also, thank you for the Earl Anthony piece. He is my bowling heart and everything that is great about bowling.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

We do so many different formats throughout the year that I don't like to repeat any one too many times. (The one possible exception is the Single/Double Ball Eliminator, which we're liable to do 3-4 times a year.) That said, the qualifying round seems fertile ground for repeating formats again and again. The Swiss has quickly gained a lot of interest. We'll likely use it more and more.

[@jeffpelphrey3953]

Love the new camera angle Randy. Reminds me of the PBA angles from the good old ABC days. Thanks for being a mentor to all these kids. They all seem to have a good head on their shoulders.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Jeff Pelphrey - I’m really proud of all these kids. They’re all really solid people. I won’t reveal the winner here (no spoilers, don’tcha know), but this week’s winner is just one of the nicest, well-mannered, most humble and respectful young men you’d ever want to meet. I was happy to see him step up and win.

[@josephbobbitt7759]

I liked this format. It was really cool to have Christian sit in on commentary.

[@kendallwegehaupt2952]

I miss watching Logan F bowl. He's got crazy talent when it comes to bowling

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Yes he does. He would have made the show today if not for a bad third game in qualifying.

[@kendallwegehaupt2952]

BrownswickBowling well I guess everyone has bad games sometimes, hope to see him next week!

[@thedisneygeek6320]

Yay!!! A new episode! 🎳

[@robintompkins8745]

Loving the Swiss qualifying and great to see a strikefest for the title, leaving a worthy winner.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

The Swiss has rapidly become one of my favorite formats. It may become a mainstay. However, because it's three games, it does make for a long day for our league bowlers...and their parents).

[@NicCastrucci513]

2 things. #1 Garrett reminds me of Pete Webber with the rock in the beginning of his approach and his cuffed backswing. #2 Christian has so much more control with the lower backswing and he still gets the insane pin action!! I hope you read this Christian!!!!!

[@Ladyswift25]

Good job guys. 👍👍👍

[@Lozeyy]

Enjoy the view! It's really good trying new things!

[@ns_railfanner7299]

I love bowling bowling is my favorite 134 is my high score with gutters

[@minibowler]

Garret does the "Floss" at 16:06

[@Rodj12341]

I do like the pinsetters here, they cycle at the smooth Model A speed that I wish Brunswick Zone Roswell would slow theirs down to, and it has the double crown A-2 deck shield decals on them.

[@jeffpelphrey3953]

Isaiah is really smooth with all those revs

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Isaiah can really fling that ball down the lane.

[@maximusm5393]

Agree, his style is really impressive and smooth . To me it looks like his revs are equal to Nick if not more.

[@landoc3885]

Nice

[@AdamGaming28]

37:45 man looking at this video years later, I finally realize how ugly I was... lol

[@chrisjarkovsky1655]

I have an idea for the next video. I was thinking of a challenge that if you throw a Brooklyn strike it counts as a gutter. I think it would train the kids that if you cross over you could end up leaving a split or an unusual spare.

[@kratosisatreehugger8140]

Bowled on this pattern 2 times... quality shots are needed in the beginning but as the lane breaks down it’s pretty easy... still gotta make decent shots tho

[@jamesklatt]

Jackpot Bowling was hosted by Mertin Berele with the legendary Lakers announcer Chick Hearn (Who also did the local Bowling for Dollars) did the play by play

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

James Klatt - Would love to have gotten Chick Hearn to do play-by-play on this show, but he was entirely too dead.

[@donaldaroux296]

I really like that no one crossed the foul line

[@natejohnson3638]

Enjoyed this episode! Any chance of you making one where bowlers are allowed to distract their opponents in some way when they are trying to bowl?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

That'll never happen. For one thing, I'm not interested in glorifying poor sportsmanship. And I'm really not a fan of formats where we try to impede players from performing their best. It's one thing, for example, to put a plastic ball in their hands -- they would still try to do their best given the difficult match-up they'd be faced with between the ball and the lane. But to distract players is almost the same thing as blindfolding them. It's certainly a way of saying we want to turn bowling into a big joke by preventing players from being able to use their considerable skills. And I am not the least bit interested in turning bowling into a big joke. That's not at all what PRODIGY BOWLERS TOUR is about. I'm all for putting the players in difficult situations, but only if it tests their ability. I'm not interested in preventing them from being able to use their skills or in making a mockery of the sport. You can do that with your buddies at your local bowling center. I don't think it would make for very interesting viewing. It certainly would not be in keeping with the PRODIGY mission statement: to "Celebrate Junior Bowling while we Elevate Junior Bowlers." If we ever change our mission statement to "Embarrassing young bowlers by making a mockery of bowling," I'll consider it. But until then, not so much.

[@natejohnson3638]

That makes sense. I just thought it would be an alright way to teach the bowlers to block out their distractions.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Nate Johnson - That might be OK for practice session. But not for the actual competition.

[@Aydenl914]

I had bowling practice today and picked up the 2,8,10. Have you ever made that

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Long Family - I have not.

[@traxxasmonsterjam2716]

I'm a lefty and I picked up the 3-7-9 the other day

[@boylesterminalshops6841]

Is it just me, or does it seem like the original group for PBT has shown up less and less?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

It’s just you.

[@ryrytofu33]

12:49 holy mother of splits on 34

[@tutiou1168]

Just out of curiosity, how do you contact all these kids that a show will be coming up?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

The best way to keep track of all the latest insider poop is to join our Facebook group. It's called "Prodigy Bowlers Tour." As for all these kids, most are members of the group. Or their parents are. Or they heard about it through friends. Or the watch the show (we announced on last week's show that we'd be coming to AMF Woodstock this week, so they may have learned that way). Word spreads.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Oh, and we tape pretty much every Saturday. It's almost always at our home center, Brunswick Zone Roswell. We typically start at about 12:30, after our league is over. And if I know someone is coming from elsewhere (and I encourage them to let me know, either through Facebook Messenger or many of them have my phone number), we'll wait for them to arrive. On those rare occasions when we skip a week or take the show on the road, I get the word out through our Facebook group and an email list I have of most all the players who have ever bowled PRODIGY with us. And I'm very active on social media, posting in the bowling groups that I know many of our kids (and their parents) read. So word spreads.

[@MavMPlays07]

yay irl strike or ko strike

[@MavMPlays07]

no*

[@lukes4110]

Man, I'd love almost nothing more than to bowl with you guys but I can't cuz I live in VA. I'd like to say I'm one of the better youth bowlers in my area... 2 handed with 185 average (highest in my home center's youth program) but I don't get the chance to bowl in many tournaments. I did get a chance to meet Walter Ray and some other PBA50 pros in a local pro-am I bowled in several months ago, but the only tournaments I bowl in regularly are ones scheduled by the 3 local bowling centers and are limited to only the youth that are part of a program at one of those 3 centers.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Luke S - We’ve had people from farther away than Virginia come bowl with us.

[@lukes4110]

True, you had that kid from Hawaii on that short episode, but my family doesn't have the free time to go to Georgia that his family must have had

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

We also had a kid and his family come up from Tampa, FL a few months ago. He didn't make the show (just missed). But he had a good time. Virginia's not much farther than Tampa, FL. Just know that we'd welcome you and your family if you ever decide to come.

[@lukes4110]

Thanks so much :) If I ever get the chance I'll make sure to come by

[@droksbeel]

nick has a ridicoulous revrate

[@TheOnlyFlightt]

Got me with the play button again man I had a streak

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Jaccob DaGamer - LOL!

[@minibowler]

how is this an amf bowling alley, it's just brunswick A-2's with amf logos on them

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

I wasn't in Atlanta when this place first opened, but somewhere along the way, AMF bought it. So that's how it became known as AMF Woodstock Lanes. AMF bought up a lot of bowling centers back in the day, long before Bowlmor bought AMF.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

The name of the bowling center has very little to do with what brand pinsetters they use. It used to, but that hasn't been the case in many years. When AMF started buying up bowling centers, it bought up many that had Brunswick equipment. Although I don't remember ever going to a Brunswick-branded bowling center that had AMF pinspotters. Maybe they exist, but I've never heard of one.

[@minibowler]

hmmm ok, that's still wrong I'm a brunswick person

[@mikewhite735]

Mini Bowler Bowlmor bought AMF, then Bowlmor bought Brunswick. Either name, it’s the same company.

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

What year did earl Anthony made appearance on pba tour

[@dahur]

I think this video said he joined the PBA in 1963.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Yes, as dahur said, Anthony first tried his hand in '63, but with no success. So he walked away from pro bowling. But six years later, in 1969, he came back, better prepared, and a year later in 1970, he won his first title on the PBA tour. A few years later, he began a stretch of domination on tour unlike anything the bowling world had seen before when he led the money list and was named Bowler of the Year three years running in '74, '75 and '76 (before Roth won it the next three years),. Then, after his heart attack in '78 and subsequent retirement (though short-lived), he came back, leaner and meaner than before, and then rattled off three more years in which he led the money list and was named Bowler of the Year three more times in the '80s. I have close friends who bowled on tour with Earl. One of these days I'll do a Skype session and record some of their stories on camera to share with you guys. He has some great Earl stories. One of them is just one of the most phenomenal things I've ever heard and demonstrates just what an incredible player Earl was. I've often said I wish he would have lived. I'd have loved to see Earl Anthony with the modern reactive resin ball in his hands. With his incredible speed control and quarter-board accuracy (I kid you not), he would dominate bowling today if he were alive and 30 years younger. People would forget all about Jason Belmonte.

[@dahur]

I always enjoyed watching Earl's TV appearances in the 70's and 80's. Just like with Walter Ray, when you bowled Earl, you better bring your A game.

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

But many years ago Walter Ray Williams Jr. Tied earl Anthony's record for most wins

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Many years ago Walter Ray PASSED Earl Anthony's record for most wins. But as is explained in the feature, even Walter Ray admitted that Earl's record was more impressive. Earl bowled in about 400 PBA tour events. Walter Ray bowled in about 600 or 700 events. So Walter Ray's wins were spread out over a much longer period of time. Earl won his titles in a more compressed period. Pretty much everyone agrees that Earl Anthony was the greatest player who ever lived. And if he'd been 30 years younger and came along at a time when he could have used today's modern reactive resin bowling ball, he might have won 100 titles instead of 41. (Oh, and Earl had almost as many 2nds as he had 1sts.) Walter Ray Williams couldn't carry Earl Anthony's bowling shoes.

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

But in 1963 which pba open did he appear in

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Hell if I know. You won't find him in any of the PBA archives online. They only show the players who made the cut. He didn't make a penny back then. Players had to survive the cut to cash. He never cashed in his first stint on tour.

[@brockhaugland2244]

I have a feeling that you forgot the camera, and you had to record on your iPhone.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Brock Haugland -. No. But the lighting there is not ideal. The lanes aren’t well lit for video, but the approach area is pretty dark.

[@brockhaugland2244]

Oh, ok because the resolution wasn’t the best it seems like. But I guess it was because of a new center.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Brock Haugland - The lighting forces us to make other compromises. I set the focus alright. But other adjustments were necessary. It’s possible, I suppose, that after another time or two in that center, I might find a better way to compensate.

[@brockhaugland2244]

BrownswickBowling I want to say that it isn’t bad but it just looks like the old ones. But like this show so don’t take anything wrong with it.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

It's not quite as bad. Back in late December when I put together the highlight packages for "Coach Randy's Top Ten Best Things That Happened on PRODIGY in 2017" feature, there were several moments when some iPhone footage got juxtaposed with some Sony footage, side-by-side. You could REALLY tell the difference! This footage isn't quite as good, but I think it's because of the lighting. If you looked at it side-by-side with some of the old iPhone footage, you'd see that there's still a pretty big difference. Even with the lighting not being ideal.

[@JJmillz91]

Enjoy the view. The new stand is awesome. Enjoy this format also. Great bowling by all. #TeamCharlie #TeamLofo

[@jameskliewer5809]

Kong-zilla!

[@defupa]

iPhone camera?

[@rrnick00]

Nick DeCapua prob not.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

No. The lighting is not ideal in this house. Which is a shame, because the place looks great. The lanes themselves are brightly lit. But the approaches, where the players are in the foreground, is very dark. When dealing with this problem, it forces me to make some compromises. I know I set the focus on the lanes properly, so it should have looked a little clearer. I'm not sure why it didn't. But I suspect it's related to the lighting. I rather imagine that if we go back to this place (and I hope we do), I may have to go over a week or so ahead of time and try a few different things out to find the optimal solution. I'm not buying a big lighting kit.

[@omaralbertolozanomedina5854]

Score after game 1...logan f. It´s wrong

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

This is explained in the show notes. It’s a typo when I was creating the on screen graphics. He shot 163, not 193. Add 30 pins (because he won his match) and you get 193. So the total is actually correct.

[@realethanangell]

I feel bad for Anthony Smiga😕

[@andrewbell8199]

Why

[@Ben-jz3mt]

Does the camera have any resolution where it can record at 60 frames per second? If so, you (Coach Randy) should do another one of those test videos to see how it looks. While you do lose some image quality (most likely 720p vs 1080p), the video will be much smoother. Unless you prefer a more cinematic 24 or 30 fps.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

We shoot in 4K so we've got some pixels to throw away when I edit in 1080p resolution. Clearly, I zoom in much farther than a purist would want (and broadcast television would allow), but since this is for KZbin, I take some liberties. The camera does not have 60 fps option at 4K. Not sure if it even has it at 1080p. It might. And it might at 720 as well. But I don't want to record in the lower resolution, as it would actually look much worse once the camera moves are added. I used to edit in 30p. But a few months ago I switched to editing in drop frame (29.97 fps). A small adjustment, just in case I ever wanted to repurpose the shows for broadcast (like on local cable access or something). No plans to do so, but you never know.

[@Ben-jz3mt]

BrownswickBowling Well, there is software that allows you to convert a 30 fps video into 60 fps, but it just “guesses” the unseen frames, which may cause artifacts during playback.

[@michaelperreault2862]

Nearly a 7-10 pickup on lane 34 @ 19:23

[@tomregan4893]

That wasn’t the 7-10

[@michaelperreault2862]

Tom Regan not saying it was, just saying he nearly got just the 7-10 off of the 4-7-10 split

[@normjones8892]

Not a fan of this format...spare shooting is the most crucial part of the game. Especially on difficult patterns

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

- That’s why we only do it one week a year.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Besides, on Super Bowl weekend, I didn’t want to have to edit a full length show. I knew I would be watching the game. We did a very similar thing last.year on Super Bowl weekend. We will always mix up the formats, just to keep things interesting and different. But they were shooting spares in the qualifier. It’s not like we just stop shooting spares all day.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Plus, is something of his store call I will always pay homage to this games rich history. Part of that history is how it was presented on television during its glory years in the 1950s and 60s. The television show Jackpot Bowling which aired in 1960 and 61 used pretty much exactly this format. At some point in the future, I intend to shoot a series of prodigy shorts that will be a tip of the to another old 1960s TV show called make that spare. That will be naothing but spares.

[@caelpatters8861]

Da spare pickup 2 lanes left at 29:28

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Did you notice that it was a right-hander who made it? I didn't back it up to see, but how does a right-hander leave the 1-3-6-7? (Or did a lefty leave it?) That was one of our practice pairs, and Dawson was the only lefty that bowled with us on this day. Maybe Dawson left it and someone else (a righty) made it? Not sure. I've never seen a righty shoot at, let alone make, the 1-3-6-7.

[@willravenkamp]

Yeah, it definitely was a lefty, (probably Dawson), and it looked like Tyrell picked it (because of the two handed style).

[@pgaloom]

I have had kids on my HS team leave the 1368, and my son left the 13678...how about them apples?

[@pgaloom]

all righties

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

But have your ever watch jackpot bowling when you are a little boy?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Yes. I was about 8 when it was on. I have a few episodes in my collection (including the clips you see here). In one of them, "Uncle Milty" makes jokes in his monologue about the new president at his inauguration. The "new president" he's referring to is Kennedy. So that episode would have been the Monday right after January 20th, 1961 when JFK was sworn in and made his "Ask not what your country can do for you" speech. I was too young to care much about Berle's jokes, but I remember that my parents didn't much care for him. I just watched for the bowling. I didn't care about the jokes or the cigar commercials. I just loved bowling. Back in those days, bowling was on TV 3 or 4 times a week what with all the locally-produced bowling shows (we had "Bowlin' With (Sam) Molen" and "King of the Hill" in Kansas City), all the nationally syndicated bowling shows like "Championship Bowling" and "Top Star Bowling" and the weekly Saturday night show that filled time from the end of the Saturday night boxing matches to the top of the hour (late local news) called "Make That Spare." Eventually, we will do a series of PRODIGY SHORTS where we recreate those "Make That Spare" shows using the very same spares they used. I've been wanting to do that for a while, but we've gotta go to a center that has the Brunswick GSX pinsetters so we can set up whatever spares we want. It'll be fun.

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

Randy now I don’t want to give too much away here but is it similar than strike or else?

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Thomas Dinsmore - It borrows the name, but it’s not an interactive game show. The name just made too much sense not to use it.

[@nerdycubing2934]

So is christian related to you somehow? He is atleast participating in every event, and during the camera test he was the one with you

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

No relation. But he lives near me and I'm friends with him and his mom. I "babysit" him sometimes. And he's right on my way to the bowling alley. So when I went to set up the camera stand, I called ahead and asked if I could borrow him. He's always willing to go to the bowling alley, even if it's only for something like that. He doesn't have a dad in his life, and I guess in some ways, I'm the closest thing to it that he's got. I'm happy to accept that role. He's a good kid.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

He participates in every event because I pick him up on the way to the bowl on Saturdays. So he can't leave 'til I leave......unless his mom comes and picks him up. SInce she usually works on Saturdays (or is happy to have a day off so she can rest her tired, achy bones), he usually rides with me. Since he's there anyway and his life is all about bowling, why wouldn't he participate?

[@zoupruxvlogsandstuff6677]

Ok so tristin is using the hyper cell fused and thats rotogrips highest hooking ball and he cant hook it 👋

[@juanpabloaguirre0282]

Zouprux Vlogs and Stuff Not all in bowling is hooking the ball mate, just saying.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

JP Aguirre47 - Correct. Besides, straighter is greater.