Bob Daubney of Latham, N.Y., who has spent over 40 years in bowling as a writer, consultant, instructor, television and radio host, and pro shop operator, has proposed eight amendments to the American Bowling Congress constitution in an attempt to "return scoring to acceptable levels."

This will begin to happen, writes Daubney, if just one of his amendments is recommended by the ABC board and passed by the delegates at the 1996 ABC Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Here is a summary of Daubney's amendments:

1. Apply dressing on the entire lane surface for a distance of 35 feet from the foul line.

2. For every unit of oil applied on the first 10 boards on each side of the lane, only twice that amount of oil may be used on the center 19 boards.

3. Change the present tolerance of 40/1,000ths of an inch in depression and tilt for all synthetic lane surfaces to 20/1,000ths of an inch.

4. Eliminate all balance holes in bowling balls.

5. A pin on a bowling ball indicating the location of a heavier portion of the core is not to be more than two inches from the static center of balance.

6. A bowling pin's center of balance—currently 7.5 inches from the bottom and the top—is to be raised to 8.5 inches from the bottom and 6.5 inches from the top, regardless of the number or sizes of the voids in the pin.

7. Have at least a four-month testing period for new bowling balls, which also must be drilled in all possible drilling patterns to test for performance.

8. Have two annual inspections of bowling pins in a center—one announced and one unannounced. Each inspection is to include one pin from each lane.

Daubney also has published an accompanying nine-page article entitled "Modification of the System of Bowling," which discusses his career and explains why his amendments are needed.

Will Daubney's amendments eliminate today's out-of-control scoring environment? I don't know, but I had a long conversation with Bob at the National Bowling Stadium in March and I do know he cares deeply about the current status of bowling and that his remedies—based solely on what is best for the game itself—certainly appear to be steps in the right direction.

Daubney's ideas likely will generate publicity elsewhere in the coming months. Needless to say, the ABC rules committee also is going to get some attention, and frankly, I don't know what will be more interesting to observe in 1996: what ABC decides on these amendments or how the Republicans handle the abortion issue.

Bob Cosgrove, editor of BOWL Magazine, is a past president of the Bowling Writers Association of America.