High Scoring House turned into Low Scoring House- Your thoughts?

[Cdolcejr]

The reason I ask is the house I bowl at recently underwent a 6 month renovation where they redid the lanes and lane equipment (except for the re-rack machines). Last season, there were a bunch of 220/230+ avg bowlers.

Here's the problem. Its about 11 weeks into this season (league was delayed) and averages across the board in all leagues are down 10-20 points (in some extreme cases 30-40 pts). My average last season was 217, and I'm bowling 207 (after a 740 series last week) as of today. My teammates were 215 averages, and now they are both in upper 180's. This is often the case when you look at the better bowlers across leagues. It seems that most people are complaining about their carry or lack thereof.

What could be the cause? Brand new lanes? Different patterns? What are your thoughts?

On a related note, there are three pairs that I cannot score well on. I just cant get lined up on them as there is a lot of back end and I've tried multiple lines but come up short shooting mid 500 series. These are the last three pairs in the house and are closest to the door. I wonder if the cold air from the front door is compensated by extra heat from the heating system. Btw I'm not the only one with this problem.

[Amyers]

From what you are telling us it's hard to say. It could be new pins. It often takes a while for new pins to break in. If the lanes are new it could be that they haven't developed a track yet and won't for a while. Different types of lane surfaces take to oil and types of oil differently so this could be a factor there are too many possibilities from the information you provided. Is there something specific that you see that is different in your ball motion?

It's not uncommon for the end sets to play differently although the last three sets is kind of extreme. It very well could be from the cold air coming in from the door. You may need to experiment with different equipment and not just different lines on those sets.

[scottymoney]

I agree that it may be new pins if everyone is effected. We got new pins this year in our house and it took a good 8 weeks to get them broke in. I struggled with it myself until I talked with the owner and he told me that it was the pins and that I should just hit a bit heavier on the head pin to carry better. It helped and after a few weeks of that the pins were back to being what they should be.

I will say those pairs that may be tougher, you mentioned the heating and cooling being different. It is definitely a good possibility. Many houses that have pairs near a outside wall will get that way. It is just how it is, I have nights where I score well on those pairs and also nights where I want to punch a hole through the wall.

[Cdolcejr]

At this point, new pins isn't the issue- new pins have been ordered but the old pins are still being used. Sorry, I should have mentioned that.

The lane conditions seem to have changed from last season. From what I've heard, it's a shorter pattern with a heavier volume of oil in the heads. The pattern doesn't seem to be the problem to me because I've had some very strong nights. It seems that each pair reacts differently (drastically) on any given night. I've also heard rumors that different patterns have been used although I cannot confirm other than some nights the ball won't move at all and other nights the backends will hook. It seems the last 4-5 weeks have been consistent though.

[vdubtx]

We are dealing with some of the same in our Thursday league. Brand new lane surfaces and not so consistent oil pattern. I also have trouble with an end pair. The others pairs that I have shot on since they have replaced I have shot pretty well. That end pair though, I haven't even shot 600 on it yet.

With new lane surfaces, there isn't the worn in track that most house bowlers are used to. Lane topography is likely a part of the issues that you are seeing.

You have proven that you can overcome the newness of the lanes and shoot well. Think back to when you shot well and what you did that was different to other nights.

[bowl1820]

Sorry but I have to laugh here.

Across the boards theres always post after post about how the scores and averages are too high, the conditions too easy. Usually from high average bowlers.

Now here you have a house that fixes everything up and the shot gets a little harder and what happens?

Everyone starts complainng about losing all the easy carry they had and their scores and averages went down.

Now you see why the houses and the usbc are reluctant to make changes.

[Amyers]

Sorry but I have to laugh here.

Across the boards theres always post after post about how the scores and averages are too high, the conditions too easy. Usually from high average bowlers.

Now here you have a house that fixes everything up and the shot gets a little harder and what happens?

Everyone starts complainng about losing all the easy carry they had and their scores and averages went down.

Now you see why the houses and the usbc are reluctant to make changes.

This is true and as long as it's across the board does it really matter? I will say that the search for an explanation is a good course of action as it can help you get a leg up but the bowlers you mentioned that are complaining need to stop. I would imagine part of the issue here is the house was experimenting with the shot for the first few weeks with the new equipment which happens. The shot is consistent now you remarked and you shot 740 last week maybe the issues is already resolved.

[Ishkabibble]

I would imagine part of the issue here is the house was experimenting with the shot for the first few weeks with the new equipment which happens. The shot is consistent now you remarked and you shot 740 last week maybe the issues is already resolved. I would agree to this.

[Tony]

We had similar issues a few years ago when they replaced the lane surface, according to the GM it was primarily two things, getting the lanes "broken in" and getting the oil pattern adjusted to the new surface. I'm not sure what break-in was needed on synthetic lanes but after a couple months everything was more or less back to normal. The lanes don't play like exactly like the old lanes but the bowlers got adjusted and scores went back up.

The reasoning on the lanes by the door having trouble doesn't seem logical, was the door moved or have these lanes always been near the door, did they always play a little harder than the rest of the house ? Did they revamp the heating system in some way ? Maybe they have a problem with the installation of those lanes.

[fordman1]

We also got new lanes. Brunswick Anvel I think they are called. New oil macnine. We get new Pins every year. 80% of the league 95 bowlers were down in avg. 40% over 10 pins. They had to work on the pattern. Too much oil on the outside. It was different oil also. Not much finish and not much belly. It has been 30 years since I saw that many 8-10's. They finally got a handle on it.

[Aslan]

I started bowling on wood lanes and there were probably 16 guys with 200+ averages in the league. 6-7 boards of miss room to the right...3-4 inside. Then they tore those out and put in new synthetics. For the first 1-3 seasons afterwards...only like 6-7 guys averaged over 190...only 2 over 200 and one was a sub.

Bowlers get used to a certain shot. Then they switch houses, they bowl in a tournament, or their center renovates and suddenly they have to adjust.

I get flack all the time because I bring 6 strike balls with me each night. People think I should have a good idea of what balls will work or not work...so why bother bringing 6 balls with you? Those are people that have been bowling in the same center for going on a decade. They know what will work and what won't. They know where they need to play. They know that certain pairs act differently.

Knowing all those things...after years of bowling in one place on one condition...averages creep upward. Then there's a change or the center closes or whatnot...suddenly everyone's averages drop. The reason it's shocking to some more than others is people out West...we're used to this dilemma. We call it "sweeps" and it's a once per season trip to Vegas...to bowl on different conditions. And what do you think usually happens? Everyone struggles. Guys used to an easy house shot on dry lanes...now their playing on slicker lanes. The breakpoint is in a slightly different place. The oil length, width, or even kind of oil is different. The high level bowlers can adapt...those that are used to playing in multiple centers or travel leagues can adapt. But everyone else spends most of the sweeps day biznithching about how horrible the lanes are. Not because they're horrible...Vegas centers are actually quite nice if you've never been. Instead, it's because they're "hard". And they really aren't even that hard. They're just "different".

In the league/center I initially referenced...after 3 seasons on the new synthetics...now there's 9-10 bowlers over 200. It takes time...but eventually everyone learns and adjusts.

[Cdolcejr]

Sorry but I have to laugh here.

Across the boards theres always post after post about how the scores and averages are too high, the conditions too easy. Usually from high average bowlers.

Now here you have a house that fixes everything up and the shot gets a little harder and what happens?

Everyone starts complainng about losing all the easy carry they had and their scores and averages went down.

Now you see why the houses and the usbc are reluctant to make changes.

Honestly, I don't mind a challenge. In fact, I pride myself on the fact that I am within sight of the top 10 averages in the league despite the changes and struggles thusfar. My biggest complaint is not knowing what I'll be bowling on each week. I don't see how one can be consistent if they are bowling on an unknown pattern with unknown length/volume of oil. I personally don't feel like bring 5-6 balls to the lane for league night and trying them all out to see what works the best on a given night. I feel that is plausible.

[Aslan]

My biggest complaint is not knowing what I'll be bowling on each week.

I said the same thing to the Pro Shop guy at my old home center.

My main reason (70%) for leaving there (after 4 seasons) was that I moved next door to another center and didn't feel like dealing with the traffic to stay there. But the rest of my reasoning (30%) wasn't the lanes got harder. It was that they would refuse to oil pre-league...which made every night different. Sometimes the lanes would be freshly oiled...the next week somebody practiced on the lanes or kids threw house balls all over the place...and the pattern was unrecognizable.

They did it two seasons ago, I complained...and when enough people complained, the owner reluctantly would oil pre-league...then eventually stop again. He makes a ton of money at that center...lots of parties, lots of executive functions, Christmas parties, a big college crowd...so he treats league bowlers almost like an annoyance. But it's a nice place, good peeps, the leagues are run very, very well...so they have a ton of league participation...thus...the owner has no real reason to behave any differently. He makes money, that's what matters. He doesn't host tournaments, he doesn't participate with the local USBC regarding events and such. But the place is full and the people are drunk and he gets positive feedback in the form of $$$.

If you want things to change, sometimes you have to vote with your feet. Will me leaving hurt the guy's income? Probably not. But neither will me staying there and sucking it up.

I'd prefer sport shots actually. I even threw out the idea to the pro shop owner about doing a 3-person sport shot league some time on the weekend and he (pro shop owner) said he had already pitched the idea and the owner wouldn't even hear of it. Weekends are for birthday parties...and there was no way he was going to deal with putting down special patterns and sanctioning a sport league...no money in it.

[Amyers]

One of the houses I currently bowl in has older wood lanes and an oil machine that looks like it come out of a 70's sci-fi flick. You never know what the lanes are going to be like from one week to the next. The proprietor also randomly decides to save money by only reoiling the heads. I've learned to just adapt bowling there because I like the people.

[foreverincamo]

We had the same problem for the first 6 weeks of our league. Then they decided it would be a good idea to completely clean the lane machine. Doing that created the ability to consistently lay down a pattern instead of sputtering oil everywhere and not cleaning anything.