Approach etiquette

I enjoy reading your great magazine for all the information it contains, but I feel I have to speak out on Kim Adler's advice in the Spring 2004 issue. On page 24, Adler states, "You must wear bowling shoes in order to bowl. You cannot wear your street shoes. Bowling shoes are made to slide properly on the surface of the lanes, not scuff up the surface like your street shoes would."

That's good advice, but in the photo on page 25 Adler is pictured with two young bowlers at the foul line. The young bowlers have the proper bowling shoes on, but Kim is standing on the approach wearing "street shoes." I have coached youth bowling for more than 20 years and I have an old pair of bowling shoes that I use when coaching. I remember one of the first rules of the lanes is to never wear street shoes on the approaches, for the reasons stated by Adler in her piece. From my experience, if you don't follow the rules yourself, why should you expect those you are instructing to follow them?

Bill Elliott

Bonner Springs, Kan.

A friend complains about young kids having no manners on the approach, and blames the parents for not teaching them to look at both sides to see if any bowlers are already in the approach before he rolls his ball.

But this friend exercises too much politeness during the 10-minute practice time in our league. He picks up his ball and looks at the neighboring player--who is not on the approach but chatting with her teammates while holding her ball. This guy waits until she finishes her chat, and as she goes up to the approach, she notices that he is waiting for her. She almost feels sorry and makes a gesture to him to go ahead. This guy returns his gesture to her to go ahead first.

During the short practice time, everyone wants to throw as many balls as possible, and he is wasting everyone's time. I was standing right in back of him and couldn't resist pushing him into the approach.

Kenneth Sheen

Cherry Hill, N.J.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning