Question about lane conditions.

[TotallyDefiant]

Last night I went to the other alley in my area to bowl due to mine being closed. I ran in to something that I haven't experienced before. Which ended up being a ton of oil carried down lane from all the brand new balls they alley had. Through 3 games I scratched my head as I watched my ball skate right past my break points hitting on the far right side of the pins. I tried moving left and throw straighter but it would grab and snap over to the 7 pin. Tried moving all the way left and play to the same break point only to watch the ball skate all the way across in to the 6-10 pins. How do you guys adjust when there's been a ton of oil carried down lane by all the straight ball throwers? I asked the guys at the counter what was going on. He told me the only people who don't have issues with it are the ones that throw under 15mph. Well I've been throwing it about 20.5mph here lately. There's no way I could take 5mph off my throw lol

[mc_runner]

if the oil's been pushed out to the sides and past the usual breakpoint, I'll switch to a more aggressive ball that will grab the lanes. I do usually end up slowing my shot down a little bit too, I just start a little bit lower which limits my backswing a bit.

Open bowling is interesting, you never know what kind of conditions you're gonna get. I went a month or 2 back and could have sworn I was on a sport pattern, but the manager said it was the house shot... the oil gets moved so much from people throwing house balls all over the place that it totally changes it up.

[TotallyDefiant]

if the oil's been pushed out to the sides and past the usual breakpoint, I'll switch to a more aggressive ball that will grab the lanes. I do usually end up slowing my shot down a little bit too, I just start a little bit lower which limits my backswing a bit.

Open bowling is interesting, you never know what kind of conditions you're gonna get. I went a month or 2 back and could have sworn I was on a sport pattern, but the manager said it was the house shot... the oil gets moved so much from people throwing house balls all over the place that it totally changes it up.

I think I should have changed my release and moved to the far right side, play a straighter shot like I would for picking up an 8 pin spare. Hard to think about different scenarios when you are frustrated. Then throw 9 teenagers on the lane next to you with zero respect and the frustration goes through the roof.

[bdtrob300]

One of the houses in my area is notorious for carry down. It has to be the lane surface, because like clock work, midway through the first game I have to move right because my ball just wants to washout. I can see some carry down everywhere, but its really bad at this one place. My standard adjustment is to move right and try focusing on rolling my hand up the back of the ball more. In reality its abandoning what I'm most comfortable with, but its an easier adjustment than adjusting speed for me...

[Mudpuppy]

Before you even mentioned speed I was thinking speed. 20 is way too fast for most conditions. I throw 20 at my 7 pin or some single pin spares because under 97% conditions it will get no hook and I don't want to dredge up plastic spare ball vs. not using one or anything (simple fact is I really don't want to carry a ball just for spares) but I find that it works for me quite well. Last night if I threw the Melee 16mph+ it would hit light ending up in an 8 or 9 count. 15.64mph down to 15mph it was perfect no matter where I threw it - 1st arrow, 2nd arrow, left of the first arrow. 14.99mph and below it would take off and hit the head pin dead on. The lanes were VERY speed sensitive last night. Usually first game I am in the 15mph range but by 3rd game I am 17mph+. I threw the first ball in the 10th frame of the 3rd game 16.94mph and it went straight - and that was going back to my First Blood which is far more aggressive than the Melee.

You could take 10mph off your speed if you wanted to. It's all in how you throw it. Try throwing it like a pendulum - let the ball do the work. You should end up being in the 15-16mph range. When you get to the top of the back swing just let the weight of the ball move your arm through your normal shot. This is something new I picked up on this year (based on info I read on here) and I have gotten very good at it.

[Blacksox1]

Mudpuppy has it right. Speed should be 16mph. If you are not using a 16# ball, increase the weight. If you are right handed and skidding/missing to the right, move right on the approach. Moving your lane target to the left is the next adjustment to go with the approach. Good bowling !

[Mudpuppy]

Speed is one of the things I pay alot of attention to. IMO it is the foundation of everything else. I watch closely, especially the better bowlers, and typical range is 15-16mph range. And in my experience the way I throw the ball that speed works well for me as well. My team mate, the ice cream man who drives the carne van, is the exception - he throws 17-18 and does quite well but he has a totally different shot / approach than everyone else. I have never once run across a 200+ average bowler who throws 20mph.

[TotallyDefiant]

Speed is one of the things I pay alot of attention to. IMO it is the foundation of everything else. I watch closely, especially the better bowlers, and typical range is 15-16mph range. And in my experience the way I throw the ball that speed works well for me as well. My team mate, the ice cream man who drives the carne van, is the exception - he throws 17-18 and does quite well but he has a totally different shot / approach than everyone else. I have never once run across a 200+ average bowler who throws 20mph.

Just to give an example. I have only had those issues that one particular night. However, Everytime I have busted 200 I have tripped the speed sensor in my house which is set at 20.5. Even without the sensor on I have been able to start knowing what my speed is just simply with how the pins are flying. Over a 33 game span my average is 187. Last night I tripped the sensor on my second throw of the night. I bowled a 201, 160, 227 last night. the 227 was a clean game. My leaves all night was single 7 pin leaves and the majority were single 10 pin leaves. I understand what you guys are talking about on the carry down. Sounds like the next time I run in to that problem I just need to slow it down a touch and play a straighter shot. As far as letting the bowling ball swing freely and on its own. That is the main thing that I have worked on in the past month. The arm swing feels very relaxed and non muscled now unlike it use to.

[vdubtx]

Speed is one of the things I pay alot of attention to. IMO it is the foundation of everything else. I watch closely, especially the better bowlers, and typical range is 15-16mph range. I have never once run across a 200+ average bowler who throws 20mph.
True in my area as aswell. My team mate gets up to 18-19 on occasion but only when the lanes transition, he is typically right at 18. I am in the mid 16 to low 17 range for my best shot making. I know when I drop my speed it is going to go high.