Night and day

[75lockwood]

So, i just got back from league and the lane conditions were.... interesting: the left lane was great, it broke down gradually but i was able to compensate. now the right lane was a completely different story, if i missed my target 1 board right, the ball would skid and hit the 6 dead, 1 board left and it would go right through the nose. I watched the lanes being oiled before we started so there shouldn't have been any difference. what would cause such horrid conditions on the one lane but not the other?

Btw scores were 152 147 158 (if both played like the left lane i could have easily hit the 600 series) :(


Thanks,

Ben

[Zothen]

Sounds like you had people playing on 1 of the lanes or the oil machine didn't properly oil the lane.

Zothen

[billf]

Or if one lane was next to a wall or door.

[Davec13]

You also shoot on wood lanes right lockwood? Every lane at my local alley shoots different from each other, so you have to just remember where your mark is on each lane and play them.

Your story sounds like our lane 1 and 2. On lane 1 you have to be constant on hitting your mark or bad things happen. On lane 2 you have a 3 board "buffer" zone. It's all these little nuances that make the sport fun.

[billf]

Dave, that was my thought when I read his post. We also have real wood. Lanes 1 & 12 are next to walls and play completely different (like off the charts different) than the other lanes. Each lane play different from each other but those two are stupid different. Also, in my center, lanes 1-4 are 40 years older than the others.

[Davec13]

Yeah real wood and outside/entrance way lanes can be a pain to read. Like I said lane 1 you are doomed if you miss by a half a board, unless you get some decent carry or a crazy messenger. On lane 2 you just need to be kind of close to your mark. If this game was easy and everyone rolled 300's consistently though it wouldn't be fun.

[75lockwood]

If this game was easy and everyone rolled 300's consistently though it wouldn't be fun.

Haha yea lol,

i do bowl on wood lanes, and yea the lanes do all play slightly differently but for some reason today that one lane was causing a ton of trouble, part of what i think happened was that during practice while i was helping a few of the younger children one of the bowlers who full rolls the ball was practicing only on the right lane, so i think he pushed a lot of oil up the lane (just speculation but hopefully i both lanes will be kinder to me on Tuesday when I'm back in.

[billf]

So they oiled the lanes and then let someone bowl on them?
This isn't the first time I've heard of this but not sure how 'legal' it is because the lanes are then not in uniformity oil wise.

[75lockwood]

So they oiled the lanes and then let someone bowl on them?
This isn't the first time I've heard of this but not sure how 'legal' it is because the lanes are then not in uniformity oil wise.

yea, apparently one of the bowler's showed up about an hour early and used a free game coupon.

[billf]

That's one thing our center is real good about. Once they oil there is no bowling until warm ups start. Last night when a team had to be moved they oiled the pair before play resumed.

[75lockwood]

sounds like a great standard, i have come in early in the past and was always put on a lane that's not in use for league, but with us using all lanes this year (10 new bowlers under 10 years old) this wasn't an option.

[J Anderson]

So they oiled the lanes and then let someone bowl on them?
This isn't the first time I've heard of this but not sure how 'legal' it is because the lanes are then not in uniformity oil wise.

I don't think there is a rule concerning oiling of the lanes for regular league play. I imagine there is some sort of rule on how often the center must oil to remain USBC certified, and the are rules about oiling the lanes for sport leagues. Some bowling centers are still busy enough to run an early league and a late league on the same day. Unless the late league is willing to pay a premium, the center is not going to re-oil between leagues. Most centers do realize that leagues are their bread and butter, and try to keep open bowlers off the freshly oiled league lanes as a courtesy to the leagues, not because of any rule.

[75lockwood]

I don't think there is a rule concerning oiling of the lanes for regular league play. I imagine there is some sort of rule on how often the center must oil to remain USBC certified, and the are rules about oiling the lanes for sport leagues. Some bowling centers are still busy enough to run an early league and a late league on the same day. Unless the late league is willing to pay a premium, the center is not going to re-oil between leagues. Most centers do realize that leagues are their bread and butter, and try to keep open bowlers off the freshly oiled league lanes as a courtesy to the leagues, not because of any rule.

well, since I'm in Canada i don't think usbc rules apply lol


but yea, the center is very good about keeping the lanes oiled.

[bowl1820]

As for oiling the lanes, there is no rule that say's they have to be oiled at all. Only that if they are oiled, they must have a minimum of 3 units of dressing in the oiled area.

[AngeloPD]

That's one thing our center is real good about. Once they oil there is no bowling until warm ups start. Last night when a team had to be moved they oiled the pair before play resumed.

Same here, our lanes would not let anyone bowl on the league lanes until warm up. so every monday and friday from 5-9, all lanes are closed for league.