Can different lanes in same alley react different?

[Blomer]

Can lanes int he same alley act differently? On one day I bowl towards the middle of the alley and another day I bowl towards the end. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that my ball reacts differently when I bowl the two nights. At the end there doors to go outside, so maybe the weather has something to do with it? Maybe when they oil the lanes the machine is running out of oil to lay down? Maybe I'm just being delusional?lol

[vdubtx]

Absolutely can be different! Lane topography will be different pair to pair. The way the pins get set from pair to pair. Etc...

[Amyers]

Don't forget the weather I've seen nights where the differences are very noticeable even between each lane on the pair

[Mudpuppy]

I third the motion - sometimes I use two different balls or two different lines on each lane in a pair.

[J Anderson]

Just last night we were on a pair where the left lane had much less reaction than the right.

Of course just because it can happen doesn't mean that you're not delusional;)

[RobLV1]

If you really want to understand all of the factors that can influence how individual lanes play, you might want to subscribe to Bowling This Month. I have an article coming out later this month entitled "Become a Lane Whisperer," which explains all of the factors in detail.

[epiepenburg]

Just last night we were on a pair where the left lane had much less reaction than the right.

Of course just because it can happen doesn't mean that you're not delusional;)

I had the same situation in league last night, left lane was playing tighter than the right lane. Therefore I did shoot different balls and lines depending on which lane I was on. Thankfully I noticed it in practice and could start different lines right off the bat.

[RobLV1]

While there are many different reasons for diffrences between individual lanes, lane topography does not change. It's probably a good idea to keep notes on how different pairs play for future reference.

[bowl1820]

While there are many different reasons for diffrences between individual lanes, lane topography does not change. It's probably a good idea to keep notes on how different pairs play for future reference.

I don't think I'd say lane topography never changes. It might not change fast , but over time it does change.

Especially in places that experience large temperature and humidity changes from season to season. Both wood and synthetic are made of wood and absorb moisture from the air and can dry out when the air is dry.

Here's some articles on topography for everyone:

Click for Biggest source of inequity in bowling is relatively unknown factor: lane topography (https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/6743)

Click for Topography fix worth every penny to Waterloo, Iowa center (https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/6742)

Click for Topography: What does it all mean (http://www.kegel.net/V3/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=51)

Click for Weather, Topography, and Ball Motion (http://www.kegel.net/V3/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=75)


The Basics of the Topography of a Bowling Lane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyC8dCup_i8

[Mudpuppy]

If you really want to understand all of the factors that can influence how individual lanes play, you might want to subscribe to Bowling This Month. I have an article coming out later this month entitled "Become a Lane Whisperer," which explains all of the factors in detail.

Where do I subscribe?


While there are many different reasons for diffrences between individual lanes, lane topography does not change. It's probably a good idea to keep notes on how different pairs play for future reference.

I disagree - every lane in the world has different topography. Even if they laser leveled it perfect identical to all lanes in a house when it was installed there is an inherent settling, like any house or building, that will occur at different rates. All kinds of long haired explanations - tectonic plates, etc. etc.

[Amyers]

Where do I subscribe?



I disagree - every lane in the world has different topography. Even if they laser leveled it perfect identical to all lanes in a house when it was installed there is an inherent settling, like any house or building, that will occur at different rates. All kinds of long haired explanations - tectonic plates, etc. etc.

www.bowlingthismonth.com

I think what Rob was getting at was the topography doesn't really change from night to night not that all lanes are identical. I will say topography does most likely change but at a very slow rate unless something happens.

[RobLV1]

Believe what you will. Today I bowled league on lanes 45 and 46. The first time I bowled that pair was in the Las Vegas City Tournament in 2007. My partner and I bowled doubles on the pair, and I shot a whopping 550. For singles we moved to 47 and 48 where I bowled 696. Needless to say, my partner was not real happy with me. A few months later, I was bowling in a tournament, and when I go to that pair, I remembered that 46 was much tighter than 45. I adjusted accordingly, and shot 238 to win the sidepot that game. Today, more than seven years later, lane 45 was hooking five boards more than 46. If that doesn't confirm that, as a general rule, topography doesn't change, then I don't what would.

[bowl1820]

In "general", Yes the topography of a pair of lanes isn't going to change over night or over the course of the season.

I'm sure in "general" the topography of the Grand Canyon today is the same as it was 50 years ago. But if you got down and did a detailed comparison they would be different.

The same could be said of a pair of lanes in the average house, while the general topography might be the same after several years. I sure if a detailed inspection had been done in the past (Like with Kegels lane mapping system) and compared with one today. There would be some change in the lanes, if just from the wear of the balls being rolled on them for years.

Now would this change grossly affect ball motion and lane play, that would be impossible say. There are too many variables in how stable the environment is at any given location.

Now keeping track of how lanes have played is a good idea, that's been done for years by many bowlers and can give a bowler a idea of where to play on a set of lanes if they have to play on them again.

But because just because lane 45 was hooking five boards more than 46 today, Doesn't guarantee it will tomorrow.

[RobLV1]

Of course it doesn't "guarantee" that it will hook five more boards tomorrow, but unless something significant is done to "fix" the inequities of the lanes, it does guarantee that it will hook more tomorrow, and next week, and next, month, and next year. While a detailed inspection would undoubtedly reveal slight differences over time, the overall difference in ball reaction would remain pretty much constant.

In another instance, several years ago, I was bowling at a house in California at the time when the center was closed for a month as the wood lanes were replaced with synthetic lanes. Lanes 13 and 14 were notoriously different, with 14 hooking significantly more than 13 when the lanes were wood. When the center re-opened with synthetic surfaces, lane 14 still hooked significantly more than 13. There was obviously some difference in the bed of the lanes below the surface, that accounted for the difference.

While scientific testing is great in providing detailed information, in a great majority of cases, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is most probably a duck.

[dnhoffman]

You guys are all over this... Every single thing I came in here to post has already been linked or explained

And to the OP: anytime you bowl on the first or last pair....you'll know :)

[fortheloveofbowling]

I'm not sure anyone addressed blomer's initial question which was about sections of a bowling center playing different. This is one of those times i have mentioned before about maybe talking to your lane guy. There are many reasons a center can play like multiple centers and talking to your head mechanic and some observations may shed some light as well.

1) Certain sections of your center may have more lineage than others because most of the league play occurs there.
2) In larger centers things like multiple cooling/heating systems can have an affect.
3) There may have been an expansion at some point and when new lane beds are installed that could be a slight difference.
4) Maybe the night before there was a sport league that bowled in your section as opposed to the other league that just gets a house shot all the time. Any time a sport shot is put out there is some memory of that the next time your regular shot is put out.
5) Some larger houses have multiple lane machines and even if it is the same model maintenance to those machines can make a difference.
6) There are many other reasons including one league may allow open bowling before, the teammates you bowl with, etc etc etc.

This is one of those times you ask your head mechanic questions about the center and you will more than likely get the answers.

[Doghouse Reilly]

I'm not sure anyone addressed blomer's initial question which was about sections of a bowling center playing different.
After reading all the posts, it looks like everyone addressed the question and the answer was YES! they can play different.


This is one of those times you ask your head mechanic questions about the center and you will more than likely get the answers.

Unless it's one of those houses that think everything is a state secret and won't tell you.

I asked once here what the pattern was and the guy said it was number 1 (or whatever) on the machine. But he didn't know what it was because they lost the book that told what number one on the machine was! (like anyone would believe that).

A lot of houses don't want to tell you anything because they are afraid your going to complain about something.

[rv driver]

every lane in the world has different topography. Even if they laser leveled it perfect identical to all lanes in a house when it was installed there is an inherent settling, like any house or building, that will occur at different rates. All kinds of long haired explanations - tectonic plates, etc. etc.
Don't forget alien lasers and the Illuminati experiments...

[rv driver]

I remember in my old house, there were a couple of lanes to always be avoided, because they just didn't "roll right." (I don't remember the lane numbers, but I seem to get the impression that "8" was involved). And the lanes weren't next door to each other. But every time we got them, they always played real quirky. We learned to request a different lane, and if the house was full, it was worth the wait to not use those particular lanes. They were different, but they didn't seem to change over time.