New-York tribune., 1913-11-23
Believes Good Bowler Can
Get as Many Strikes with
Fair as Unfair Sphere.
PRACTISED AND SAW
ERROR OF HIS WAYS
Fought Long Against Ruling of
Association That Stripped
His Team of Honors.

ana hereafter VIII use exclusively a pdi'
which as near as possible, will be bal
anced on the centre. In view Of the fact
that II was Helms and his "dodo' ball ana
the defence Of his instrument by himself
and members of his club that causeu
the disqualification of the Corinthians IN
the Metropolitan championship two sea
sons ago, Heins's announcement Is noth-
ing less than startling.
1t will be recalled that in the Metro
politan championship of 1911 Helms rolled
as a member Of the Corinthian team, and
while at the time the use of the ball was
not questioned protest was lodged
against the sphere when Helms and Fred
Pump We're about TO roll their two-inah
matches shortly afterward. The Corin-
thians had rolled high team score, which
stood in first position until the finish OF
the tournament, and on the strength OF
the protest Helms and Pump were dis
qualified and the Corinthan team
stripped of its championship honors as
we'll
In the meeting Of the New York Bowl
ing Association at which the decision OF
the tournament committee was submitted
Helms admitted that his ball "as unfair
but he did not sufficiently explain his at
titude that all bowling balls were, in the
strictest sense OF the word, unfair. The
boring Of finger holes has always MADE IL
impossible TO get ball exactly balanced
on the centre. and the wiseacres are now
trying 10 formulate rule which VIII
define exactly a fair bowling ball.
Even up 10 the beginning OF this season
Helms persisted In the use Of this instru-
ment, and as a consequence was not per-
mitted to represent his own academy, the
Harlem Palace, in the Greater New York
individual tourney Meanwhile, knowing
he might have adhered TO a strictly tech
nical Interpretation OF the rule and used
this instrument Helms preferred to see
what ne could do with a ball about which
there could be no doubt. What he had
TO say for himself last week is not only
interesting, but furnished perhaps one OF
the greatest arguments ever promulgated
against the use of the unevenly balanced
ball.
"I am convinced" said Helms. that the
arguments l have made in favor Of the
unbalanced ball are futile ! took occa-
sion the other day to look up some OF
the bowling I had done with and without
this sphere. 1t caused me 10 think long
and hard. l can see no reason now why
] should ever have used this particular
kind of ball when my own legitimate
sphere has stood me in such good stead.
'I recall the time, some five or six years
ago, when the Harlem Circles rolled 1.lt2
at the Harlem Circle Alleys and equalled
what was at that time the worlds five
men record for single game. l was only
a substitute on the team. and remember
at that tie the bars in the East had not
been let down for the admission Of the
unbalanced ball. Harry Meyer rolled 20
in this game. and in the course of dis
cussion afterward ! ioked with him about
his low score. He offered 10 bet me that
! could not go in and roll five games for
a total of 1.l52. II was only a s. bet. /
went in and totalled l.175 for an average
of 255.
THAT same year l won the average in
the Telegram three-men. using a wood
en- ball. with figures of 2l4 for twenty
games, and the year following captured
the first prize with 2lO average for TWEEN
" games. a year later once more stood
at the top of the list. with 209 for twenty
games. using the rubber ball, and al
though ] was first in the 1910 averages. l
figured only 1873. ! used a loaded ball
then. have not won first average since
with the instrument of which l used TO be
so fond.
In the season OF 1901 and 1908 / aver
aged 226 for twenty games in the Harlem
League, using a rubber ball. In the
Greater New York and Intercity in 1907,
of which record | am proud l averaged
203 for nearly three hundred games on
various alleys and with the regular ball.
In 1908 l averaged 1913 for nearly three
hundred games with the regular ball. In
1909. with the 'dodo my average was 20S
for three hundred and ffty-hve games,
and in 1910 il was 2l0 for a hundred and
sixty games with the ball OF four finger
holes. ! was terror on my home alleys,
you will recall.
ball gave me q distinct advantage in that
I could obtain a greater number of
strikes with IT. That was true on certain
alleys. where / knew every splinter and
joint in them. but when II came to alleys
1 had never seen before found that the
more evenly balanced the ball was the
better | could do. have lost number
OF matches through missing spares.
THE series had come down to the last
frame OF the last game and everything
depended upon the wood l could get on
the first ball in that frame. If did not
get a strike on my first ball / could de-
pend upon 1t the game and the match
We're lost.
with the evenly balanced ball find
that. while | may not bunch strikes, and
fly to giddy heights as l used to, 1t is a
more dependable arrangement
Il thereore have the opportunity OF
making a spare and something more on
the extra ball it brings me- / believe the
good bowler can get as many strikes with
the fair ball and / know II will do far
better spare work. which, after all, is the
science in bowling.
I'm rolling the game of my life right
now end I'm using as perfect a ball as
can be obtained. Some people seem 10
mink that I'm lost without II, but II they
do I'm open TO proposition for any kind
of match. provided half the games are
rolled on my own alleys.
IF man can do as well with a proper
ball as he can with 'dodo.' then why
not be on the clean side and give up the
'dodo'? They kept me out of the greater
New York this year because OF my ball.
! hope TO get In next season, and, believe
me, if it's in me I'll win IL. / expect to
20 10 Atlantic City for the national tour