Who else has problems with lanes that break down?

[Hammer]

When lanes break down it can be a frustrating time on league night. Not long ago I had that problem on league night. I started out okay for the first two games of 225 and a 194. After that it was all down hill. I benched my Raw Hammer Anger ball after the second game and used my urethane Blue Hammer ball for the last game. Could not get a strike and had three opens caused by bad splits. Just couldn't find the right adjustment for at least close to pocket hits for easy spare leaves. Sometimes this game can bring you to your knees. What a humbling experience. I have had times where all three games were good probably because conditions worked with the balls I was using that night. Next! By the way,
my last game was a 150. YIKES!

[e-tank]

usually when im tired of playing games with the lanes, i switch to urethane but i guess in your case, that didnt do you much good lol

[MICHAEL]

When lanes break down it can be a frustrating time on league night. Not long ago I had that problem on league night. I started out okay for the first two games of 225 and a 194. After that it was all down hill. I benched my Raw Hammer Anger ball after the second game and used my urethane Blue Hammer ball for the last game. Could not get a strike and had three opens caused by bad splits. Just couldn't find the right adjustment for at least close to pocket hits for easy spare leaves. Sometimes this game can bring you to your knees. What a humbling experience. I have had times where all three games were good probably because conditions worked with the balls I was using that night. Next! By the way,
my last game was a 150. YIKES!

Wow we feel your pain, and all of us have been there!! I have discovered that every time out bowling is an adventure?
I never know what to expect? Lanes are NEVER the same, nor are conditions! Some times I can bowl the whole night with one ball, like the last 300! Didn't have to even move much, just a few boards! Other nights 5 different balls, and wind up so far left that I am in the next town East of the bowling lanes, Dry Gulch Missouri! lol

[dnhoffman]

You know, I've recently found it easier to just throw the ball harder instead if moving left/right all freaking night...

[Hammer]

You know, I've recently found it easier to just throw the ball harder instead if moving left/right all freaking night...

I'll have to give that a try. :cool:

[MICHAEL]

You know, I've recently found it easier to just throw the ball harder instead if moving left/right all freaking night...

to a point I agree,,, but when throw the ball harder, Like Warp 6, you sometimes sacrifice accuracy!

[sprocket]

I can't speak for other house but where I bowl the guys that struggle the third game are usually over adjusting. It looks like because they think the lanes suddenly hook much more they subconsciously make their ball hook much more. In reality it just takes moving more into the oil or throwing harder. Really though, a move left to catch more oil is all that is usually needed. Sometimes in the attempt to throw harder, they also hit the ball more and it therefore hooks more.

Over thinking the adjustment can lead to a total breakdown in a person's game when they try to switch balls and lines and speed, etc.

My advice would be to try staying with the same ball, keeping the same breakpoint and adjusting feet left. Draw a line from the breakpoint to where you are now standing to find your new target.

[Stormed1]

It also depends on who you're bowling with and what they're throwig.If you're bowling with high rev people or those throwing sanded hook monsters you will need to adjust more as they will be "tearing" the oil off the lane

[dnhoffman]

It also depends on who you're bowling with and what they're throwig.If you're bowling with high rev people or those throwing sanded hook monsters you will need to adjust more as they will be "tearing" the oil off the lane

Aye. I play with a guy who has about 956k revs and if i move left.. .well, I better move 15 boards.

[vdubtx]

In my Tuesday league the lanes have lower concentration of oil on them than I was used to. What I do half way through 2nd game or beginning of 3rd depending on how long my ball will react the way I want, is I go to a more aggressive ball and move my target left about 3-4 boards. I am typically over 15, but when I switch and go to 18-19 at arrows. I also pick speed up a bit.

When I switched this past week in 6th frame of game 3, I punched out with the more aggressive ball.

[Vince805]

You know, I've recently found it easier to just throw the ball harder instead if moving left/right all freaking night...

I used to do the same thing!!! then found if you throw it harder it seems to fix everything :-) but now that i got a new ball, the storm byte, i can keep my same ball speed and it will go longer and still hit the pocket .

[Hammer]

I am left handed so when I bowl on league night I am usually on the left side of the lanes myself. The only ball absorbing oil on the two lanes is my Raw Hammer Anger ball with a 2000 Abralon surface unpolished. Maybe on league night this Saturday I should start the night with my Blue Hammer urethane 2000 Abralon surface unpolished. Then after the lanes seem to go away with the Blue then swithch
to the Anger ball and play deeper into both lanes. Usually when I am using the Anger ball I am playing with the arch of my slide foot on board 24 to 28 and targeting anywhere between board 12 to 18.

[Hampe]

What I do half way through 2nd game or beginning of 3rd depending on how long my ball will react the way I want, is I go to a more aggressive ball and move my target left about 3-4 boards. I've started doing that this year and it's been working pretty well. I'll start off with my medium oil pearl ball just playing straight down the outside (board 10-8) until that line burns up and even after correcting I can't get a good angle into the pocket. That's when I'll switch to a more aggressive ball and move my line a few boards inside.

Until this season I always used to just start with my most aggressive ball first and when it got too strong, I'd ball down.....but I think the way I've been doing it this year works much better.

[MICHAEL]

I've started doing that this year and it's been working pretty well. I'll start off with my medium oil pearl ball just playing straight down the outside (board 10-8) until that line burns up and even after correcting I can't get a good angle into the pocket. That's when I'll switch to a more aggressive ball and move my line a few boards inside.

Until this season I always used to just start with my most aggressive ball first and when it got too strong, I'd ball down.....but I think the way I've been doing it this year works much better.

You know every time I try the 3 boards to the left, and one board on the target, I seem to go from too high on the head pin to shallow entry into the pocket...! So I usually just change balls,,, Iceman man has lots of ball!! (You don't put up Iron hundreds of feet in the air without lots of balls... lol)

I need to work on this, 3 and 1 movement, and not change balls! Maybe its going in shallow because I need to slow it down after aiming into fresher oil, or move back a foot in my start position... Something to try out in the near future.

[sprocket]

3 and 1? Unless your heels are hanging off the back of the approach I think that is too much of an adjustment with your feet. I think 2 and 1 sounds more like it.

Actually the math doesn't lie. If you wish to keep your same break point and you know your trigonometry you can do the math and figure out how much to move your feet if you move your target a board left. It isn't quite as clear cut as it seems. It depends on your initial angle to the break point, how far down the lane the break point is, how far down the lane your target is and how far back on the approach you stand at set-up.