Frustrated, I want to play a different pattern!

[Ball99999]

Okay I think a good chunk of my problems lately have stemmed from trying to not be trendy and not playing over second arrow on a THS. I've been wanting to try bowling over 4th arrow and hooking it as well as playing an outside shot like Norm Duke over the 1st arrow. Turns out the typical house shot has a sweet spot between third and 2nd arrow so the decision is basically made for me.

But I want to be versatile. Why don't they do more sports patterns, animal patterns etc in local alleys? I think that would really get people more interested. No one would play a golf course with the same hole 18 times.

[Zothen]

No it would'nt! First off you need someone who knows how to properly oil a lane with Keigel or PBA patterns. 2nd problem is it's frustrating to most people who are not bowlers,meaning people who bowl for fun will walk out. League bowlers will drop because their average will suffer greatly. I know,i'm in a sport league and i'm constantly changing my line and am averaging 146 while on THS i'm averaging 170. I would suggest joining a sport league if your alley has 1 and you will have 3-4 patterns over an 8 week period. Usually it will be a 45',38' and 34' + a National or USBC pattern. They are not as easy as you may think.

Zothen

[Basisud]

No it would'nt! First off you need someone who knows how to properly oil a lane with Keigel or PBA patterns. 2nd problem is it's frustrating to most people who are not bowlers,meaning people who bowl for fun will walk out. League bowlers will drop because their average will suffer greatly. I know,i'm in a sport league and i'm constantly changing my line and am averaging 146 while on THS i'm averaging 170. I would suggest joining a sport league if your alley has 1 and you will have 3-4 patterns over an 8 week period. Usually it will be a 45',38' and 34' + a National or USBC pattern. They are not as easy as you may think.

Zothen

Unless you're left handed. Than they're easy. Straight down 5. :D No I'm JK. I agree. I average 215 on THS and my tournament average (collegiate sport) is around 180 this year. Get in a PBA experience league. Like stated, they aren't as easy as people may think.

[bowl1820]

Try finding a sport league for different shots might help.

[J Anderson]

You can still practice different lines on the house shot. Just make sure that when your teammates are counting on you you're playing the most effective line, not screwing around trying to be Norm Duke or Robert Smith.

[panbanger]

No it would'nt! First off you need someone who knows how to properly oil a lane with Keigel or PBA patterns. Zothen


Isn't that just pushing a button on the machine that oils the lanes? I'm not being cute, I really don't know. I thought the oil machine thingy did that automatically, and you programmed in what pattern you wanted it to lay down.

[J Anderson]

Isn't that just pushing a button on the machine that oils the lanes? I'm not being cute, I really don't know. I thought the oil machine thingy did that automatically, and you programmed in what pattern you wanted it to lay down.

Its probably a little more complicated than pushing one button, given the number and complexity of all the different sport patterns to choose from. I suspect that in many centers the mechanics know only how to fill the reservoir, plug the machine in and turn it on and off. The manager might know how to reprogram it, or they may use a service rep to recalibrate and program the machine. Either way the center incurs a cost every time a different pattern is run. They aren't going to change it without a good reason.

What gets me is my local alley charges the sport league less per game than the two 9:00p.m. leagues on Wednesday. They are getting a special pattern on 14 lanes for 28 bowlers for a four game set. The two late Wednesday leagues, bowling on not so fresh oil, standard house pattern, with 4 or 5 times as many bowlers and doing about 5 or 6 times the business with the snack bar and lounge, has to pay a premium?

[panbanger]

That's interesting. I thought the machine had a basic press button 1 for house shot, 2 for Cheetah, 3 for Viper etc. type of thing.

Granted I've never seen one of the machines up close, but I figured it would be fairly user-friendly like that.

[EboniteKid299]

Yes, I feel your pain greatly.. it sucks bowling on only house shots.. I just turned adult this year, and I had been bowling on sport patterns for a solid 3-4 months straight. House shots are soo boring after a while I struggle to just stay interested during league night because there is no thinking or strategy involved it's just fire it 15-10 and watch the carry fest. Sport shots bring the fun side out of the sport it really does and most league bowlers don't see that when their average drops 40-50 or more pins sometimes. I respect anyone that wants to challenge themselves on a tougher pattern automatically than anyone who just bowls on house shots forever and ever. I'm probably just rambling but I'm averaging 203 right now on house and I averaged 192 at Junior gold which is the most fun tournament I've ever bowled (Youth) and 180 in my PBA experience league both which I had a blast with from the challenge aspect. House shot leagues bore me to death even with the pots and all the money. I almost feel like I have more fun watching TV at home..

[J Anderson]

One of the bowlers who is a fixture in most of the big money leagues at the local center subbed in the sport league over the summer. Afterward he said to a friend of mine "why would I want to pay money to bowl bad". Evidently he had a major reality check and went back to his comfort zone.

[billf]

AAAhhhhh, the reality the Typical House Bowler faces when given a real pattern. I'm the odd duck. I average higher on sport shots than house shots. Until this year anyway. I finally learned to ball down early and often on house patterns. Turns out my style and equipment fit the tougher patterns better than house shots. All these years I spent trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I can and would loft the left gutter cap and break at the 5 to only hit the pocket like a feather. Now I just use a ball matched better to the conditions and very seldom play further over than 25. I also learned to play the twig so I can have a line all to myself when I want.
Sport shots make you think more and be more accurate and highly recommend then to all bowlers.

[Zothen]

The new machines are capable of doing most Keigel and PBA patterns,the problem is the machines have to be programmed by the guy using the machine to lay a specific pattern down. I have been told it also cots more to lay a sport pattern down as oppose to a THS. Most high average bowlers will drop out of a sport league as they see their 200+ avg drop,that is way you dont see many sport or PBA leagues. It is a good challenge,I went from 130 avg last yr to a 146 avg so far this yr. I had to play 2 board(I hate the gutter) or 13 board to see where my ball hooks. On top of that the line changes from week-week.

Zothen

[AZBowla]

Aw hell, I hardly break 200 on a typical house shot as it is, now you want me to bowl on PBA Animal patterns? :P

The bottom line is that whatever is fun for you, that's what you should do. I think the USBC website has a listing of centers in your area that have sport leagues if shooting on various oil patterns is your thing. For me, just being able to bowl well on a THS will be good enough to keep me entertained for a while. :)

[Basisud]

The new machines are capable of doing most Keigel and PBA patterns,the problem is the machines have to be programmed by the guy using the machine to lay a specific pattern down. I have been told it also cots more to lay a sport pattern down as oppose to a THS. Most high average bowlers will drop out of a sport league as they see their 200+ avg drop,that is way you dont see many sport or PBA leagues. It is a good challenge,I went from 130 avg last yr to a 146 avg so far this yr. I had to play 2 board(I hate the gutter) or 13 board to see where my ball hooks. On top of that the line changes from week-week.

Zothen

I don't understand this. If a bowler that averages 200+ on a house pattern bowls once a week on a THS and averages 200+ and bowls once a week on a sport league averaging 150, his average for the year will still be 200+. I have never understood why people don't want to be challenged! Is their ego really that hurt that they can't average 200+ on a harder shot?

[Zothen]

They don't want to be challeged because they don't want to be forced to play the gutter or have to adjust their game for a harder shot.

Zothen

[Ball99999]

If you had excellent accuracy, and researched the pattern on the internet, wouldn't you have a good score?

[billf]

Accuracy definitely helps as does research. But they don't teach you how many revs you will need, what axis rotation is best for you on that pattern or different releases to maximize your chance at success. That stuff only comes from ability and tons of practice. Most bowlers don't want to or won't practice that much.
I can't tell you how many people tell me they want to bowl better but won't come practice. They all know I'm at the lanes every Saturday, all day if they want some free coaching. These are family and friends so they get the occasional freebie. I have also been known to help anybody there although not in a formal lesson, without charge. Quick pointers and gone lol. You pay, you then get the undivided attention and the videotaping. Anyways, all the bowlers I know laugh at the fact I bowl at least 100 games a week (use to be 300 a week).

[Ball99999]

Accuracy definitely helps as does research. But they don't teach you how many revs you will need, what axis rotation is best for you on that pattern or different releases to maximize your chance at success. That stuff only comes from ability and tons of practice. Most bowlers don't want to or won't practice that much.
I can't tell you how many people tell me they want to bowl better but won't come practice. They all know I'm at the lanes every Saturday, all day if they want some free coaching. These are family and friends so they get the occasional freebie. I have also been known to help anybody there although not in a formal lesson, without charge. Quick pointers and gone lol. You pay, you then get the undivided attention and the videotaping. Anyways, all the bowlers I know laugh at the fact I bowl at least 100 games a week (use to be 300 a week).

I think once a week we should have a virtual "I'm going to bowl on a _____ pattern, how should I do it" just like a mental homework kind of project.

[Zothen]

If you bowl on a long pattern(44')the rule of thumb is to move up on approach and slow your armswing down to about 10-12mph. This will give ball time to build up friction as it cuts thru oil,then turn as it hits dry. A lot of bowlers including myself find this awkward and difficult to get timing right. I have learned to do it,but,it takes time and patients.

Zothen

[Greenday]

If you bowl on a long pattern(44')the rule of thumb is to move up on approach and slow your armswing down to about 10-12mph. This will give ball time to build up friction as it cuts thru oil,then turn as it hits dry. A lot of bowlers including myself find this awkward and difficult to get timing right. I have learned to do it,but,it takes time and patients.

Zothen

Hah! Suckas! I already bowl near 12mph. No problem for me to get slow enough. Maybe I'd do better on sports patterns than THS.

[billf]

I play deeper on the long patterns and towards the middle to outside on the short patterns. I vary revs and rotation more often than speed, especially to go that slow.