Belmonte's unorthodox style, simply, is power bowling. He slips two fingers in the ball, never using his thumb. He rears back from the right side with both hands and slingshots the ball toward the pins. Only at the very last moment does he release the left hand.
Belmonte has been the amateur World Bowler of the Year twice (2004 and '07). He has bowled 34 perfect games and competed in 19 countries. His average is 230.
In the early 1980s, the tail end of the glory days for the Professional Bowlers Association, the PBA outrated the Masters, and the PBA Finals weren't even televised live.
"They talk about the power of what Tiger Woods did for TV ratings of golf," says Peter Tredwell, vice president of media for the US Bowling Congress. "Or what David Beckham has done for Major League Soccer. Could Jason Belmonte potentially do that for bowling in America? It's possible."