Understanding adjustments

[jetson]

I recently got back into the game. I always threw a conventional straight ball before I bought a Hammer Arson drilled fingertip a couple months ago. When I started bowling this ball I used a feet/target combination of 25/10 then moved to 29/10. My consistency has been improving and last night I bowled mostly between 160s and 190s with a high game of 225. I found I was breaking in front and needed to go to feet at board 32 and target at 8 and throw a little hard to get to the pocket though. I'm guessing that my RPMs are starting to pick up a bit and that's what's giving me more turn in - that or it was just really dry last night, which is a possibility as we bowl late night and it's usually quite dry. I also found that picking up single pin spares on the 10 pin a lot harder, breaking inside the pin.

My questions are:
How do I tell if this has more to do with lane conditions or with me? What do I do with this information and "apparent" change in my ball movement?

Should I try a different foot/target combination that puts the ball straighter down the middle and in the oil a bit more, or just make smaller adjustments as I have been.

Next week would you start where you left off, or where you were before the last time out?

Thanks

[J Anderson]

I recently got back into the game. I always threw a conventional straight ball before I bought a Hammer Arson drilled fingertip a couple months ago. When I started bowling this ball I used a feet/target combination of 25/10 then moved to 29/10. My consistency has been improving and last night I bowled mostly between 160s and 190s with a high game of 225. I found I was breaking in front and needed to go to feet at board 32 and target at 8 and throw a little hard to get to the pocket though. I'm guessing that my RPMs are starting to pick up a bit and that's what's giving me more turn in - that or it was just really dry last night, which is a possibility as we bowl late night and it's usually quite dry. I also found that picking up single pin spares on the 10 pin a lot harder, breaking inside the pin.

My questions are:
How do I tell if this has more to do with lane conditions or with me? What do I do with this information and "apparent" change in my ball movement?

Should I try a different foot/target combination that puts the ball straighter down the middle and in the oil a bit more, or just make smaller adjustments as I have been.

Next week would you start where you left off, or where you were before the last time out?

Thanks

To tell if its the lane conditions you need to see what other bowlers are doing. If most people are having a hard time keeping the ball from going Brooklyn or through the nose, its probably dry lane conditions.

Generally if its dryer than normal on your intended ball path you need to move further in. Moving just your feet isn't usually enough because the ball will be right back in the dry halfway to the arrows. Many of us use either a 2/1 or a 3/2 adjustment, the firs number being the move for the feet, the second the move for the target. After a while you may get a feel for how big a move to make, but for now I'd stay with small adjustments till you find the line.

Next week is a new start. It might be dry again, it might not. Try going back to what used to work and adjust from there.

[MICHAEL]

what about moving Forward, or back from the arrows? If its dry can you get any help using this approach,,, how does moving up say 0ne foot, or back a foot effect the ball, using the same target.

[jetson]

Thanks guys.

Michael, I did not try moving forward or back. To be honest, it actually never occurred to me. I will think about that next time and also try to remember the 2/1 or 3/2 adjustment in mind.

John, is "in" the same as forward here?
....Generally if its dryer than normal on your intended ball path you need to move further in. .....

[Greenday]

To be honest, if I have to move my feet that far, I'd rather just change targets. If you are throwing all the way down the dry, the ball will burn up all its energy before it hits the target.

[billf]

Thanks guys.

Michael, I did not try moving forward or back. To be honest, it actually never occurred to me. I will think about that next time and also try to remember the 2/1 or 3/2 adjustment in mind.

John, is "in" the same as forward here?

No. Moving further in means inside or non-ball side (left for right handers). The further left you start the "deeper" of "further in" you're starting. Ball side is considered outside. Not really sure how or why these terms got started but it is probably in reference to the oil in the middle.

[Mike White]

Most lane conditions are prepared in a way to help the bowler get the ball into the 1-3 or 1-2 pocket.

If you miss your target to the outside, your ball will hit drier boards sooner causing the ball to hook more to compensate.

The problem is, the oil pattern doesn't know you are trying to make a spare, so it "helps" you get back to the 1-3, missing the 10 pin.

This is the reason why it is a good idea to have a non/low hooking ball specifically for spares.

[Tampabaybob]

I recently got back into the game. I always threw a conventional straight ball before I bought a Hammer Arson drilled fingertip a couple months ago. When I started bowling this ball I used a feet/target combination of 25/10 then moved to 29/10. My consistency has been improving and last night I bowled mostly between 160s and 190s with a high game of 225. I found I was breaking in front and needed to go to feet at board 32 and target at 8 and throw a little hard to get to the pocket though. I'm guessing that my RPMs are starting to pick up a bit and that's what's giving me more turn in - that or it was just really dry last night, which is a possibility as we bowl late night and it's usually quite dry. I also found that picking up single pin spares on the 10 pin a lot harder, breaking inside the pin.

My questions are:
How do I tell if this has more to do with lane conditions or with me? What do I do with this information and "apparent" change in my ball movement?

Should I try a different foot/target combination that puts the ball straighter down the middle and in the oil a bit more, or just make smaller adjustments as I have been.

Next week would you start where you left off, or where you were before the last time out?

Thanks

The arson is a 'matte finish' ball that's designed for medium to oily lanes. If you're bowling on dry conditions, you are probably using the wrong ball. I would say, invest in a pearl ball designed as a skid flip ball and have the pro shop drill it with a mild drilling. That way, if the heads and mid lanes are dry the ball will be able to get through it without taking off on you.

If you want a quick fix, ask the pro shop to polish up your ball ( the Arson) on his ball spinner first and get rid of that dull/matte finish. See how that works, and if it works, then you can go and get another ball that'll work for the condition you bowl on. Good luck, let us know how you're doing.

[GeoLes]

what about moving Forward, or back from the arrows? If its dry can you get any help using this approach,,, how does moving up say 0ne foot, or back a foot effect the ball, using the same target.

I think of it this way. My ball has a fixed hook. It goes down a certain distance than breaks towards the pins. By starting my approch further forward, the ball will break later, relative to the pins and drive deeper into the triangle. By starting further back the opposite. the ball will break sooner realative to the pins cutting further accross the triange.

The same dynamic works for delivery speed. A faster ball moves further down lane before breaking into the pins. a slower ball is more prone to friction and breaks sooner.

Same for cupped wrist, flat wrist, and broken wrist.

Not to mention lofting the ball gets it further downlane before starting to break.