Well, the lane maintenance crew messed up last night....

[foreverincamo]

and forgot to reset the lane conditioning machine to our THS. Instead we got the Kegel Challenge Shot " Middle of the Road " oil pattern. The pattern is listed as 39 feet long, but no one could get their ball to do much of anything the first game . I went with my Brunswick Melee Cross the first game and shot 184 with one open on a pocket 7-10. Couldn't strike for nothing. Either left a ten pin or grazed the head pin and left the 2-8 or the 2-4-5-8.
The second game I switched to my Black Widow Legend . Pounded the pocket the whole game for a 189. The last game the left lane decided to go Mr Hyde on me and start hooking several boards more than the right. I kept moving left and throwing right and leaving 7's, 10's, and 2-8 10's for a whopping 164. No one shot higher than 550 on our pair. Asking around the other teams, more than 30 pocket 7-10's were left that night, along with countless 5-7's from low rev players. I'm not sure how the last 21 feet of our lanes weren't allowing the ball to hook, but the whole league struggled.
How did this come about? The local high school team was practicing on this challenge shot for the next tournament, and when they oiled for our league they forgot to change the machine's programming back to our THS. All I can say good about my night was I never missed a spare, my first shot accuracy was good, my speed was very consistent, and I never gave up.

[jab5325]

I bowled on Kegel's Route 66 pattern in a tournament a few weeks ago--and had much the same experience. I never saw so many odd leaves, 7-10s/7-9s in my life.

I'd love to get in a sport league to try different shots.

[foreverincamo]

My coach wants me to get in a few sport shot league this summer. I love a challenge, but I want to be informed of a change in the oil pattern . I'll try at least one sport shot league this summer . I just about have my arsenal set up. It's time to learn what they'll do on tougher patterns.

[jab5325]

Agreed. I wish I would've had my Bad Intentions on the Route 66 pattern; I still scored fairly well (180s for an average), but that ball would've ate that pattern for lunch. The Xxcel just couldn't get the reaction it needed.

[RobLV1]

When you bowl on a challenging pattern that is close in length to a THS like the Middle of the Road, it simply shows you how spoiled we have become in counting on the free miss room that we take advantage of all too often. If you look at the pattern graph for Middle of the Road, you can probably see that there are three distinct parts of the lane that you can use to play the pattern: 13 board, 9 board, and 5 board. The one that will work the best for you is determined by the other bowlers on the pair and the characteristics of the center and the particular pair of lanes. Whichever line you choose, you have to be consistent in line, speed, and release. Wherever you play, there is very little room for error.

[jab5325]

RobLV1,

Have you ever bowled on the Route 66, or something similar? I'm curious to get your thoughts on it and where you'd target.

[foreverincamo]

RobLV1, the only problem we all had was we weren't informed of the pattern switch until after the night was over and maintenance came out of hiding in the back of the center and admitted what happened. By looking at the pattern and going over some websites I have determined that I was playing the part of the lanes I should have. I had six splits, and leaves of the 2-8, 2-4-5, and 2-4-5-8. The rest were 10 pins and strikes, but mostly 10 pins. First game had two strikes, and the third had none . But I never missed a spare I could make.

[foreverincamo]

Funny thing was the ball I own that would have matched up the best was sitting in my bedroom. I just decided on taking 4 balls and left it home. My Melee Cross kept leaving flat tens, and my Black Widow Legend kept leaving ringing 10's. My timing, release, and accuracy were great. Just couldn't carry.

[vdubtx]

Route 66 is a long pattern and as such should be played with a more inside line. You want your exit point from the pattern to be in the 12-13 board area vs. 7-8 of house shots. Of course will be a bit different with how you play, but should be a good starting point. As Rob mentioned, and with any "Sport" shot, you need to be consistent with your shot as there is not much room for error.

[RobLV1]

RobLV1, the only problem we all had was we weren't informed of the pattern switch until after the night was over and maintenance came out of hiding in the back of the center and admitted what happened. By looking at the pattern and going over some websites I have determined that I was playing the part of the lanes I should have. I had six splits, and leaves of the 2-8, 2-4-5, and 2-4-5-8. The rest were 10 pins and strikes, but mostly 10 pins. First game had two strikes, and the third had none . But I never missed a spare I could make.

You defined your own problem! They shouldn't have to inform you of a pattern switch. If you start your league without any preconceptions, you'll find the shot whatever the pattern is. Funny, the first article I wrote for BTM back in 2007 dealt with the dangers of preconceptions, and we keep coming back to it, over and over and over...

[RobLV1]

RobLV1,

Have you ever bowled on the Route 66, or something similar? I'm curious to get your thoughts on it and where you'd target.

Yes, I've bowled the pattern. Two shots: 14 or 10, but don't get all excited. Ten didn't work, but there was a good shot at 14.

[SRB57]

I Always take a ball for each condition I could encounter. I have four balls that cover pretty much what I would see in my area. Last night I knew the lanes would be hooking but still took all my balls. They were hooking alot using my roto grip scream standing on 35 and swinging inside the third arrow shot shot 604 with 4 splits and 2 missed spares so was happy. I guess what I am saying is be prepared at all times for any shot. I wish I could practice on these type of shots to gage where I am at with my game since coming back to bowling. Steve

[Hampe]

You defined your own problem! They shouldn't have to inform you of a pattern switch. If you start your league without any preconceptions, you'll find the shot whatever the pattern is. Funny, the first article I wrote for BTM back in 2007 dealt with the dangers of preconceptions, and we keep coming back to it, over and over and over...
I was gonna say almost the same thing. I see that pretty often here when the lanes are different at league than they normally are (due to problems with the oil machine, poor maintenance or whatever). People just stubbornly keep playing the same line that usually works and keep getting upset that it's not working.

Being stubborn on your line selection is one of the worst things you can do as a bowler. You have to see what your ball is doing and trust your instinct. If it's not working then it's time to change your line (or ball, or both....whatever the circumstances dictate).

[foreverincamo]

I disagree with not being told about changing the lane oil pattern, especially when it was done in error and the mistake known before the first practice ball was thrown. If anything, you now know the name of the pattern and what equipment you used against it and what success you had. I realized on my first practice shot that the conditions weren't normal and made my adjustments. I played the conditions as I should have and was definitely not throwing " my normal line over and over ". Had I known in advance about the oil pattern change I would have brought all of my equipment and perhaps done better and would have info on what my other ball would do on that particular pattern .
I don't know about tournaments in other areas, but any around here they list the oil pattern that will be used well in advance, even if it's just a sweeper. So my league should give up the info on a pattern change . They could change it every week if they wanted, just tell us. My opinion, and I respect all those who disagree. I grew up bowling in a travelling league where the oil was different every week and you had to find your shot in practice .

[RobLV1]

The indicator to the preconception is the word "normal." A couple of years ago at one of the centers where I bowl league, the oil machine malfunctioned, and the mechanic who was just learning his job didn't notice. The lanes were oiled all the way to the pins! I watched in amazement as more than half of the high average bowlers continually missed the headpin to the right and never moved. When their "normal" shot didn't work, it never occurred to them to try something else.

[foreverincamo]

I've seen that happen where I practice. The machine wasn't stripping, just oiling on top of oil. The All-Star League that bowls when I practice has either a 300 or an 800 on a weekly basis . That night no one broke 650. I couldn't get any of my equipment to do anything. The next week the one lane maintenance guy told me about the machine malfunction . He only caught it because the owner wanted him to make sure the machine was in top shape for a big tournament.

[foreverincamo]

Just to update : they gave us our THS tonite and I shot 650 and went three games without leaving a single 10 pin. Had 104 in the 7th frame of the first game, switched from my Marauder Mutiny to my Black Widow Legend and throw the last 5 in a row and the first 4 of the second game . Couple of 230+ games to end the night.