Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-22
STANDARD GUTTER
WILL DETERMINE
Marks Made on Drives With
Shallow Sides Slated
for Erasure.
BY r. ID. THOMAS.

- ONE of the sensational bowl
ing records made this sea-
~ son likely will be erased
from the book, a painful
task facing the Washington City
Duckpin Association.
The situation is result of the
indiscriminate raising of cutters
which has made it impossible to
set true values on scores.
At the end of the season the WASH
ington City Duckpin Association lead
ers will get together with the alley
operators en- the question of cutters
and, according to present plans, def
mite standard will be fixed. If the
drives on which record was made this
season had cutters of depth less than
the new standard the mark will be
ruled out.
COMPLETE data on records estab-
~ lished since raised cutters appeared
is being gathered by Arville Eber-
sole, secretary of the city association,
with the assistance Of the celebrated
duckpin statistician, Leonard w. Col
Inns, and will be presented at joint
gathering of the men who boss the
sport and the men who supply the para
phernalia. An important member of
this conference will be the secretary of
the National Duckpin Bowling Congress,
George L. Isenann, who for 2o-odd
has crusaded for Standardization.
1t is Isemann's hope to establish
national standard for cutters. For sew
eral years the N. D. B. c. records have
been classified according to territory,
due to differences in gutter measure
ments.
Little attention is paid to duckpin
records nowadays, SO often are they
broken. Even a 428 set by girl rolled
the other night in Norfolk, caused only
a furry of excitement, though it topped
by 20 pins the previous best.
EOR long while duckpin critics held
L that luck played too large a part in
the game. with the odds against the
bowler. Now it is commended the game
has been made too easy, that the pre-
MUM has been taken of accuracy
Due to high cutters too many sloppy"
strikes and spares are being made.
There are two schools Of thought
among duckpin solons. One contends it
would be ideal if the bowler were re-
cur3cy The other holds that a dash
therefore is desirable.
One of the goals in sport that prob
ably never will be attained is a perfect
score in hardwood duckpins. BY far the
closest approach was Sam Del Vecchio's
famous 24O. achieved with seven
straight strikes, and this lacked cham
ptonship conditions to make it official.
THE triumph of duckpins over ten
l. pins in the East tends to bear out
the argument of those who favor
the element of uncertainty in the little
ball game The margin OF error in ten
pins is far less, and countless per-
feet scores have been recorded. Having
attained the highest goal is no great
distinction In this game, whereas in
duckpins the bowler always has chance
for Improvement to spur him on.
It Is a difficult problem faced by those
who have In their keeping the welfare
of duckpins. Just how deep to make
the gutter is matter that commands
the the most earnest consideration, Tor
danger lies in either direction. Too deep
too difficult game.
In all the history Of duckpins there
Is no instance of change that caused
a reduction of pinfall which proved
popular. Too shallow game too easy
to hold its appeal For the first time
in duckpin history there is a serious
complaint against high scores.