Counting Boards

[Keithalw]

I hear some people talk about how there ball breaks so many boards or how they have to move left three boards... Standing back off the lane how do they know they moved exactly three boards left? Also is this a major thing to learn to count boards? I know that each of the arrows is five boards andI usually play straight up the ten board but if I have to move left I just usually make a small step left im not thinking ok I need to move three boards left... I dunnoI guess I am asking how they know exactly how many and also if its that important

[JaMau24]

As soon as you are set up, and are hitting the pocket consistently, that means you have a good line to play for the night. When lanes start breaking down, and you need to move left, just look down at the boards you are standing on.

It will look like this:
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRld6r6euIlVgFLMxPA7p1lw_U4EgkrE 4E8Aas33CmarxSyANVSDg

If you start in the same place every single time (and you should be! Make sure you look down and you're standing on the same board before every shot), then all you have to do is move over a board from where you started. I usually move half a board at a time when I have to move.

The dots are on the same board as the arrows fall on:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IJpStFJV1l8/S3xp_EFBqoI/AAAAAAAAA-g/lAfBndV2Fy4/s320/bowling+target+boards.jpg

If you are starting your approach on board 20 (the center dot), and eventually the lanes start breaking down, you want to move a half a board or full board to your left (to board 21, 1 board left of the center dot) and keep moving accordingly if the lanes continue breaking down.

When you're done for the night and you've noticed you've moved from where you started the night, now that you know the boards, you can now say "I've had to move 3-4 boards since we started tonight" and it will make sense to you and others.

Does that make sense? Any questions?

[Keithalw]

Sounded good to me.. I actually get what your saying now as far as moving....Thanks a lot Dude

[Zothen]

I count boards if my ball is hooking too much I will try to adjust. Example if I stand on 22 board and throw ball over 10 board and ball goes brooklyn,i'll move either 2 boards left if dry or 2 boards right to try and get ball into oil if any on lane.

Zothen

[JaMau24]

Sounded good to me.. I actually get what your saying now as far as moving....Thanks a lot Dude

No problem Keith... Glad I could help.

[Ball99999]

What do people mean when they say "5 boards stronger than that ball" etc?

Does that mean they have to start 5 boards more left?

[Zothen]

It means the ball is suppose to hook 5 boards more the the ball being used. Brunswick neXus-neXXXus are suppose to be 5 boards more hook then it's predisessor.

In theroy yes! It depends on weather you drill the ball stronger,same or weaker then the ball your using. Also the lane conditions also play a part as well.

Zothen

[Keithalw]

Ball asksed my very next question lol

[JaMau24]

What do people mean when they say "5 boards stronger than that ball" etc?

Does that mean they have to start 5 boards more left?

To me, yes. It means it will hook 5 boards more, so you'd have to start out 5 boards further left than the previous ball.

[Ball99999]

To me, yes. It means it will hook 5 boards more, so you'd have to start out 5 boards further left than the previous ball.

So taking a Storm line for example on Medium-Heavy oil,

Vivid - board 35
Hyroad - board 28
Frantic - board 20
Tropical Breeze - board 10

Vivid would be 7 boards stronger etc?
Is there a universal oil condition that people benchmark balls like that?

[75lockwood]

So taking a Storm line for example on Medium-Heavy oil,

Vivid - board 35
Hyroad - board 28
Frantic - board 20
Tropical Breeze - board 10

Vivid would be 7 boards stronger etc?
Is there a universal oil condition that people benchmark balls like that?

The oil condition is irreverent, as long as you compare the balls on the same condition the ratio should be the same

[DanielMareina]

knowing how to count boards is incredibly important for multiple reasons. Number one, it gives you a number to gauge your equipment against eachother. So if your ball is hooking too much, you know which ball is a couple boards weaker. It also helps you create the right angle. using a piece of graphing paper, you can see what a 2 (feet) and 1 (mark at the arrows) adjustment does to your angles. I always make adjustments to my mark in full boards, but I make half board adjustments with my feet all the time. I find that if I am coming in heavy, a full board is too much. So I move a half board left to come in a little lighter. The opposite direction if the oil starts carrying down a little. There are so many adjustments that are key to being a great bowler, and knowing your boards is on the top of my list.

[Hammer]

I never use to count boards when I started league bowling for the first time. Then I really got into it watching pro bowling on TV and getting tips from bowling mags. Now I use the boards all of the time and make single board adjustments if my ball is coming in too weak or too strong into the pocket. In league practice I start with the toe of my sliding foot on the center dot and throwing over the second arrow. If the ball is coming in weak to the pocket I move one board left with my sliding foot and keep moving until I get a good shot on the pocket. Too strong and I keep moving right one board. I am a lefty by the way so righties do the opposite.

[billf]

Is there a universal oil condition that people benchmark balls like that?

No there isn't and that adds to the confusion when comparing balls. Even within the same company, like Storm, the will rate each series of balls against each other but for the condition they were intended for. So the Vivid would be a heavy pattern, the Frantic medium and the Tropical Breeze light. Then when you look at their hook charts it appears that they have almost the same reaction. Then when the Breeze doesn't hook in the heavy oil you're left to scratch your head to figure out why.
So if the same company doesn't use the same condition then you can only imagine how bad it can get going company to company. That was suppose to be the reasoning behind the perfect scale bowlingball.com uses, to use a common system to compare balls across different companies. It doesn't tell you how it will react but for what condition it reacts best in. The higher the number the higher the hook potential in heavy oil. Spare balls are a 5 with the heavy hitters are in the 220s. That doesn't mean that a 180 medium oil ball doesn't hook as much as the 220 ball. It just needs the conditions for which it was intended. It won't hook as well in heavy but may actually outhook it in medium.

[Keithalw]

Now if I am throwing over the ten board but standing on the 20 board and need to move left do I move my mark or just throw towards my mark? Hope this question makes since cause it does in my head as I pictured it lol

[Ball99999]

Now if I am throwing over the ten board but standing on the 20 board and need to move left do I move my mark or just throw towards my mark? Hope this question makes since cause it does in my head as I pictured it lol

There is a general rule that you move 2 and 1. Move 2 board with your feet and 1 board with your target.
Though in reality it has more to do with a breakpoint which is complicated stuff. Basically if you moved 20 boards but kept your target you would throw it in the gutter.
If the ball goes left a little bit, move 1 board. If the ball still goes left move another and then a board on your target.

[J Anderson]

Now if I am throwing over the ten board but standing on the 20 board and need to move left do I move my mark or just throw towards my mark? Hope this question makes since cause it does in my head as I pictured it lol

It really depends on how much of an adjustment you need to make. If you're hitting just slightly high, you might be fine just moving your feet 1/2 or 1 board and keeping the same target. If its right through the headpin you probably want to move at least 2 boards with the feet and at least one with the target. Needless to say, but I will anyway, you can not make a good adjustment on a ball that missed your target. You can get really lost really fast when you think you need to adjust because the ball didn't carry when you were actually just lucky to have hit anywhere near the pocket at all.

[Mike White]

Spare balls are a 5 with the heavy hitters are in the 220s.

I have to believe there is something wrong with that scale. I can't imagine what a ball that hooked 40 times as much as my white dot would look like. I would have to yell "fore" every time I threw the ball.

Since we decided I can't move left and loft over the gutter, maybe I should move about 8 lanes to the right and let it hook into the gutter, then up and over to the next lane, etc, etc

[billf]

Mike, after seeing what you do with a White Dot, I would clear the alley before you rolled one of the heavy hookers. The worst part (or impressive depending of point of view) is how effortless you make it look. All the young bowlers here should see that video to see how a real bowler rolls a spare ball and gets more break than most do with aggressive balls. Then they might take technique more seriously.

[75lockwood]

Mike, after seeing what you do with a White Dot, I would clear the alley before you rolled one of the heavy hookers. The worst part (or impressive depending of point of view) is how effortless you make it look. All the young bowlers here should see that video to see how a real bowler rolls a spare ball and gets more break than most do with aggressive balls. Then they might take technique more seriously.

I haven't seen this video... may i have a link?

[billf]

I haven't seen this video... may i have a link?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Mc4QRZW3M

[75lockwood]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Mc4QRZW3M

Thats a white dot? were the lanes oiled in the past month?


i was waiting for that 12th shot 9 Lol

[Keithalw]

I was watching it thinking wth lol... I dont think I could get a white dot to hook like that lol...

[Keithalw]

It really depends on how much of an adjustment you need to make. If you're hitting just slightly high, you might be fine just moving your feet 1/2 or 1 board and keeping the same target. If its right through the headpin you probably want to move at least 2 boards with the feet and at least one with the target. Needless to say, but I will anyway, you can not make a good adjustment on a ball that missed your target. You can get really lost really fast when you think you need to adjust because the ball didn't carry when you were actually just lucky to have hit anywhere near the pocket at all.

So basicly make sure that I need to adjust before missing once and adjusting on that one shot?

Btw I appreciate all the advice everyone this has been an eye opener on me far as counting and moving

[Mike White]

Thats a white dot? were the lanes oiled in the past month?


i was waiting for that 12th shot 9 Lol

That practice was taking place after a 6pm league had completed.
There was plenty of oil in the center of the lane, I just chose not to play near the oil line.
The oil line will make errant shots appear more accurate, but the angle of entry from the oil line doesn't work for my white dot. So I get the ball to start hooking back before the end of the oil, thus giving it a better angle of entry, by playing wide of the oil. I also try to place my feet so if I do tug the ball up to the oil line I will hit a little high in the pocket giving me a better chance to carry.

[75lockwood]

That practice was taking place after a 6pm league had completed.
There was plenty of oil in the center of the lane, I just chose not to play near the oil line.
The oil line will make errant shots appear more accurate, but the angle of entry from the oil line doesn't work for my white dot. So I get the ball to start hooking back before the end of the oil, thus giving it a better angle of entry, by playing wide of the oil. I also try to place my feet so if I do tug the ball up to the oil line I will hit a little high in the pocket giving me a better chance to carry.

Interesting, but what happened in the 12th? it would have been so awesome :(

what's the strongest ball you have?

[J Anderson]

So basicly make sure that I need to adjust before missing once and adjusting on that one shot?


Just to be clear, you need to watch each shot and note first if it was on target and then how it goes through the pins. If its off target you may need to adjust your timing or the set of your shoulders. The main thing is to focus on your target and very little else. If you pulled it and you start thinking "don't pull", I would almost guaranty that you will either miss twice as bad the opposite way, or pull it even more. If you were on target then watch the pins. You should be able to see the ball hit the 1,3,5,&9 for righties, the 1,2,5, & 8 for lefties. If it just barely touches the 5, its coming in too light and you need to move your feet out. Likewise, just touching the 9 ( or 8 for lefties ) means its coming in too strong and your feet move in. While on a typical house shot you probably won't have to move too often, you should be ready to adjust off every ball you throw that's on target.

[Mike White]

Interesting, but what happened in the 12th? it would have been so awesome :(

what's the strongest ball you have?

The white dot is really the only useable ball I have.
I bought a midnight blue vibe which hooks in the back end way too much
I won a DV8 Hell Raiser Revenge but I haven't had it drilled yet.

I plan on adapting to a longer arm swing (not bending the elbow) which will increase ball speed, and less hand rotation which will allow me to use more aggressive equipment.