Top Ten Best Men’s Physical Games ( 1 – 5 ) BowlersMart.com

By Michael Cousins

In our last article, we took a look at five of the greatest physical games our professional tour has ever seen.

Today, we are going to continue that discussion, counting down from five-to-one. But, before we get started, lets take a look at some honorable mentions that just missed the cut:

Danny Wiseman: In his prime, Wiseman was as smooth as they came. With effortless footwork, a tremendous flat spot, and a beautiful finishing position, Wiseman had a stunning physical game.

Randy Pederson: The thirteen-time PBA titlist had a free swing, smooth footwork, and an incredibly soft hand. His posture at the line rivaled any and all of his peers.

Patrick Healy Jr: As steady as they came, Healy’s physical game was fundamentally sound. A smooth “tweener,” Healy could get in and circle it with the big guns, or he could square up and go up the boards with the straighter players. Fantastic rhythm and one of the steadiest heads I have ever seen. Tremendous physical game.

Now, onto the rest of the top ten:

5) Brian Voss: As simple as they came, Voss’s physical game allowed him to do anything with a bowling ball. One of the most versatile bowlers of all-time, Voss earned his way into the top five of this list by combining a beautiful, versatile physical game with a terrific pro career.

4) Parker Bohn III: With one of the prettiest physical games this sport has ever seen, this sweet swingin’ lefty has become second greatest left-hander of all-time. Bohn uses his legs as well as anyone. That, coupled with a tremendously free swing, has placed Bohn fourth on our all-time physical game list.

3) Chris Barnes: In my opinion, the most versatile bowler of all-time. And a large part of that has to do with just how fundamentally textbook his physical game is. When Barnes was just a college student, he was already way ahead of his time. If you go to any of the best training facilities in the country or work with any of the top coaches around, they will almost certainly use Chris Barnes’ physical game as a comparison/teaching tool. In many ways, Barnes is the father of the modern bowling game.

2) Pete Weber: The greatest bowler of all-time. Period. No one, and I mean no one, can compare to Weber’s physical game. It truly is poetry in motion. Some of the greatest footwork in the history of the sport, as it almost looks as though he’s gliding to the foul line at times. The separation between each step is ideal. And the pace at which his feet move is rhythmically perfect. On top of having some of the best footwork of all-time, he also has, in my estimation, the greatest swing of all-time. Loose as can be, Weber’s swing mirrors the perfect pendulum.

1) David Ozio: The greatest physical game of all-time. Period. Not close, in my opinion. Smooth, effortless, efficient, steady, sound, compact, versatile. So many adjectives one could use to describe David Ozio’s physical game. Physically, he had no weaknesses. His footwork was excellent, his timing was flawless, his swing was compact and efficient, his balance was a thing of beauty, and his head remained steady the entire way through his approach. If you’re trying to build a bowler from scratch, that bowler would encompass many of the physical traits that Ozio, himself, innately had.