Difference between House Pattern and Sport?

[sara2117]

So a center has offered to put a sport shot pattern out for me and a few friends to practice on for nationals, I've personally have never bowled on a sport pattern and was wondering what the difference was between the two and how I should approach the sports patterns?

[tccstudent]

Sports shots you have a a area of 1-3 boards while on a house shot you may have 10 boards. You must be much more accurate on sports shot. You wont get away with shots that you are generally close. If your not right on then it can be a very noticeable over/under reaction. Spare shooting is more critical and is much harder too. If they have the USBC pattern try and get them to lay that down for you since that is what you will be playing on (problem with that is they change it every year.)

[bowl1820]

how I should approach the sports patterns?

With Accuracy, Speed control and spare shooting.

Keep your shot simple, try to cover the fewest boards you need too.

As for downloading the USBC pattern and using it, IMO it's a waste of time.

It won't play the same on your lanes as it will at the tournament, they adjust the pattern all through the tournament, the lanes are different, the oil is different etc.

[Aslan]

I'm anxious to try it myself.

I have a feeling, how "different" it is…is a matter of how you throw. For example, why do people use a "spare ball" (besides to annoy me)? Because a ball that reacts less (or not at all) to the varying oil conditions is ideal if you want a straight shot. So, reasoning would also state that if you "throw" a straight ball…the oil condition differences would affect you less.

It is my theory as to why bowlers could bowl so consistently back in the old days of much worse conditions (oil, lanes, etc…)….besides being better spare shooters. They threw a ball that was less reliant on and affected by lane conditions.

These days, everyone is a cranker, throwing a reactive resin ball made to hook dramatically to give them an optimum angle into the pocket. The more that ball relies on it's interaction with the lane, the more the lane conditions affect it…and visa vie…the more challenging advanced/sport/pro patterns can be.

When I started rolling on wood lanes…then went to heavy oil synthetics…it was like going to a "sport" pattern….because on wood lanes I could miss 2-3 boards right…1-2 boards left…still not only hit the headpin…but even hit the pocket and strike. On heavy oil synthetics…I had to throw a much straighter ball..and I couldn't miss a couple boards left or right. If I missed left…it hit the headpin and split. If I missed right…missed the headpin. I "imagine", for the crankers thats what going from THS to SPORT is like…you lose that slight margin of error.

[Geneo2u]

I have bowled on a few sport shots over the years, get ready for your average to drop 30 pins, for those of us that rely on the outside board being dry, good luck..

[GeoLes]

In my group lesson we are introduced to some sport patterns. We have to option of playing ThS or sport patterns. I usually warm up on the house shot and then work the sport pattern. I found that they play pretty much the same as THS if you play the inside line (with a few small adjusments). But you are looking often at lanes oiled from about board 3 to board 37. If you miss outside, there is no friction to bring the ball back to center as on THS. Varying pattern length also detemines when and how sharply the ball turns down lane as well, so subtle adjustments must be mastered with sports patterns as well.

[sara2117]

So according to all the great advice you guys have given me I'm going to have to be extremely accurate. I've got a lot of work ahead of me and only 6 months to do it.

[vdubtx]

So according to all the great advice you guys have given me I'm going to have to be extremely accurate. I've got a lot of work ahead of me and only 6 months to do it.

Absolutely need to be accurate. If you have 6 months before you bowl Nationals, you should get the center to actually put down the Nationals shot when you get closer to going. I fully intend on doing so this year. Last year we bowled so early the center never got a chance to put it on a pair for me. This year we bowl Memorial day week and will certainly be getting them to put on at least a pair for us. If not the center, we have the ITRC locally, I am sure would put it down if we paid them enough to do it for a session.

[Bunny]

So a center has offered to put a sport shot pattern out for me and a few friends to practice on for nationals, I've personally have never bowled on a sport pattern and was wondering what the difference was between the two and how I should approach the sports patterns?

How exciting and challenging! You will definitely improve your game in the long run!

There's a ton of videos on youtube on how to play sport patterns. The USBC has a series that's pretty good. Here's just one but you get the idea...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIg3LFjoPNQ

[bowl1820]

Might take a look at this video.
Jason Doust explains the difference between the house shot and the US Open shot.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JmJS0xikBVo

[MICHAEL]

I bowled 4 or 5 weeks with Jason in a small town outside of Kansas city! They had a different sports pattern each week! I remember the us open, its a TRIP!!
If you have never bowled a sports pattern you are in for a thrill, IMHA! Can you miss left, or right and still get to the pocket with the US open..... simple answer NO!! LOL Sports patterns WILL MAKE a better bowler out of YOU!! Very little room for error!!!

[sara2117]

Thanks for all the answers guys. I bowled on Beijing and Tokyo and when I went it I thought I would bowl better on Tokyo, turns out it was the other way around. My ball seemed to react well on Beijing but on Tokyo no matter what ball I switched too I still went right, I kept making adjustments but nothing worked. I managed to pick up my spares with no problems on both patterns. Tokyo was tough. What do you guys think, do I need to attack that pattern with a more aggressive ball or is it all in hand motion? I bowl on Mexico City next.

[RobLV1]

The difference between a house shot and a sport shot is the ratio of oil from the wet areas to the dry areas. Sport shots use ratios of 3:1 or less, while house shots use ratios of 10:1 or more. What this means is that the difference between the areas with oil and the areas of friction are much closer together. This is what makes sport shots require much more accuracy because you don't have the built in miss area that you do on a house shot. If you are right handed and miss right on a house shot, the ball finds friction and hooks back. Miss left and the ball finds more oil and skids more to hold pocket. On a sport shot you don't have this luxury. Think of it this way; on a house shot you are looking for oil to hold your shot, and on a sport shot you are looking for friction to allow your ball to hook. Conceptually, this is an important difference. However you approach it, bowling on a sport shot will make you a better bowler.

Rob Mautner

[sara2117]

I've bowled on 3 different sport shot patterns now, Beijing, Tokyo and Mexico City. Beijing was the one I had the most success on while Tokyo and Mexico City my balls hooked little to none. I do think this experience will help me become a better bowler though. I have gotten a little discouraged with how little my ball actually goes where I want it too. I'm struggling with picking up spares now that were no big deal before. I've got a lot of work ahead of me.