Dr. Curtis Hooper began his coaching journey in 2014 while competing as a bowler for Team England. He became a certified EBF Level 3 coach in 2024 and currently coaches both privately and with England's national team. He holds a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and has authored several research papers on various aspects of tenpin bowling.
In the last article, we looked at the 1970s through the lens of individual innovation. Don McCune found an equipment strategy that gave him more hook until the rules caught up, and Mark Roth showed that rev rate could be... [Read More]
In this article, we leave the 1960s behind and enter the 1970s, when the foundations of the sport we know today were laid. We will see how bowlers and bowling organizations looked for strategies to gain an advantage, and how... [Read More]
During a recent visit to the university library, I was somewhat surprised to find some instructional books on tenpin bowling hidden amongst the 600,000 other books on the shelves. I am the proud owner of several books on tenpin bowling,... [Read More]
I recently returned from the 2026 European Youth Championships, hosted by the Deutsche Bowling Union in Berlin, Germany, where I was a coach for Team England. This event is always exciting for bowlers, coaches, parents, and supporters alike. The atmosphere... [Read More]
So far in this series, we have looked at the unit of oil and the operation of Brunswick lane machines. In this final article, we will put all of that information together and discuss in detail what Brunswick presents on... [Read More]
In the first part of this series, we discussed what a "unit of oil" is and how it is used. This will now allow us to better understand how Brunswick lane machines operate, which is the feature of this article.... [Read More]
This series of articles is all about Brunswick lane machines and Brunswick oil patterns. We will examine how they work, compare them with Kegel lane machines, and then take a detailed look at the oil pattern sheets that Brunswick produces to... [Read More]
Welcome to the final installment in this series that visualizes Kegel oil patterns in three dimensions. In the previous two articles, we have looked at some standard oil patterns of varying levels of difficulty and discussed the effect that modifying... [Read More]
Welcome to the second article of three in this series, where Kegel oil patterns are visualised in three dimensions. I would recommend reading the first article if you have not already done so, to get a flavor for the series... [Read More]
The oil pattern undoubtedly is one of the most important aspects in bowling. Along with features such as lane topography and lane friction, it contributes to the makeup of the playing surface. Due to the transparent nature of the lane... [Read More]