ROCKING ROLL SIMI VALLEY'S SMITH IS KNOWN ON PBA TOUR FOR HARD-THROWING STYLE.

Byline: Nathan Brown  Staff Writer

Robert Smith doesn't fit the bowling image, the gaudy shirts, the public shoes, even the watered-down beer.

Smith is Randy Johnson with a 16-pound ball, rolling shot after shot like a Wiffle Ball slider.

Smith, a graduate of Royal High of Simi Valley, is the hardest-throwing member of the Professional Bowlers' Association Tour. Fans know when Smith rolls a ball, the crisp sound of pins scattering is unmatched in the sport.

``His ability to unleash shots with a tremendous rev rate and blazing ball speed often leaves spectators gasping,'' Lyle Zikes of Bowling Digest said.

In the Oregon regionals two years ago, pro bowler Tony Reyes recalled, ``He throws the ball so hard and so sharp, he knocked 14 pins down on a shot. Pins flew over to the other lane and knocked down four. People were impressed by that.''

ESPN took notice, recently running commercials with Smith bowling against a bodybuilder, who follows a Smith shot by hurling the ball into the back of the bowling alley wall.

It was a funny moment, but Smith's power doesn't amuse opponents on the tour. His throws have been tracked at 34 mph with 27 revolutions per shot. The average tour bowler throws the ball 18 mph and gets 16 revolutions.

Smith also has a finesse game to defeat some of the tour's craftier players.

``I used to just go out there and throw the ball hard,'' said Smith, 31. ``But now I've adjusted my game. Because of the RPMs, I can do a lot of things. I can adjust to their game, but they can't adjust to mine.''

Smith, who has four career victories, finished the 2004-05 season with 18 match-play appearances in 21 tournaments. Smith's scoring average of 224.26 (third best on the tour) demonstrated his ability to control his game despite the velocity. He also was 15th on the overall points list.

According to Smith, former Dodgers knuckleballer and avid bowler Tom Candiotti told major-league pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux to tune into a bowling match on TV during a break in the season to watch Smith throw.

``Tom called them up and said, `I know you guys aren't into bowling, but you've gotta see this guy throw,' '' Smith said.

When most kids at Royal High were worrying about proms or SAT scores, Smith was developing his game at Hollywood Star Lanes in Santa Monica. Sometimes, he earned a few bucks on the side.

Smith's skill took him to 12 countries before he turned 20, and there were times when his aggressive approach made him unpopular.

On one occasion, Smith's ball came back through the return with all three holes smashed. It was a message from someone betting against him who paid off a mechanic behind the lane.

``At 14, I knew I was going to be good at bowling,'' Smith said. ``When I was 17 and 18, something just clicked. At 19 ... I was untouchable.''

At 19, Smith became the youngest player to win the U.S. Amateur Championship. He was a walk-on at San Diego State, but became a first-team All-American and was a member of Team USA.

More than a decade later, he throws just as hard as ever and remains a fan favorite.

``Cold, hard statistics aren't what make him one of pro bowling's marquee figures,'' Zikes said. ``Whether he's in contention for a title or not, Smith is a whole lot of fun to watch.''

Nathan Brown, [phone]

nate.brown(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Royal grad Robert Smith's ability to throw a ball ``leaves spectators gasping,'' says Lyle Zikes of Bowling Digest.

Photo provided by Professional Bowlers' Association

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ROBERT SMITH