Multiple strike angles??????

[5280 Hooker]

I have been bowling now for about a year and a half. I've put my time in to learn the game and understand how to play on different oil patterns. Since getting better and learning all this I thought I would put something to the test.

I wanted to see if I could strike from multiple angles using different balls with various cover stocks (and cores) on a sport shot. And my answer was yes! I struck from three different angles. Now.....this is nothing new to you experienced bowlers, but it kind of baffled me!

My question is.....how do you know where to play when I can strike from so many different places.

I know this might be a dumb question, and guys will say "who cares where you strike from, as long as you are striking". But I know there is a proper way to play every pattern.

I now feel like I can't make up my mind where to play and I'm constantly changing balls and never really settle in to one shot.

Is this normal....lol. Can someone help?

Thanks.

[Tony]

I don't have the answers but I look forward to reading some of the perspectives of the other members, and I think it's a good question.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

You play where ever the lanes are telling you to play and scoring the best. There really isn't going to be a one size fits all usually.

My play will vary by many things including where the others are playing on the lanes (my pair and the pair ahead of me if moving lanes). With that balls to use, that comes with time and knowing what reaction you expect from the different balls.

[RobLV1]

There is a general rule called the "Rule of 31." Basically, it's a formula for where to start looking on a fresh sport pattern. The first thing that you do is to determine the length of the pattern. You can do this by watching your practice shots as well as the practice shots of others. Note where the balls hook. This can be seen from everyone's balls, but it is really obvious on the shots made by the high rev players. The balls will hook approximately five feet past the end of the pattern. If the balls are hooking at 45', then it's probably about a 40' pattern. The rule of 31 says that on a 40' pattern, the ball should exit the pattern at 9 board; in other words, the ball should be at 9 board at 40' (40'-31=9).

MOST of the time this will give you the best angle until the pattern starts to break down. Remember that the ball does not hook in the oil on the fresh, it hooks past the oil on the dry. The volume of oil, the length of the pattern, and your bowling style will usually dictate the type of ball that you should be using. Generally, shorter patterns have a greater volume of oil for their length and require balls with more surface and an earlier roll. Conversely, and this really confuses a lot of bowlers, longer patterns are more effectively attacked using balls designed to go longer with less surface to take advantage of the limited amount of friction that's past the pattern on the fresh.

While you can usually find a way to get to the pocket from most angles, the best angle is the one that gives you the most room to miss at the end of the pattern. The biggest mistake that many lower rev players make is to try to move to the right and point it at the pocket on longer pattern. This greatly reduces the miss room at the end of the pattern, as a ball that exits the pattern one board to the left will dive through the nose, while a ball that misses one board to the right will barely touch the head pin leaving a dinner bucket or a washout.

[2handedsniper]

If you hit it exactly right it is possible to do very well heaving the ball DIRECTLY down the middle two handed , lofting 1-3 of the lane with a plastic ball and miss one centimeter left or right. I bowled many 230s this way.

[bowl1820]

If you hit it exactly right it is possible to do very well heaving the ball DIRECTLY down the middle two handed , lofting 1-3 of the lane with a plastic ball and miss one centimeter left or right. I bowled many 230s this way.

Wow, a whole one centimeter margin of error! Yeah you'd have to hit it exactly right every time to do well that way.

I assume those 230's are handicap games and not scratch series.

[chrono00]

Is anyone else In the Philadelphia area? I wouldn't mind getting together and bowling for fun with a few people. Maybe we can get Sniper here to come and see this unique style up close

[Tony]

I'm not anywhere near Philly but could be interesting if you are able to get a few people together, make sure to have someone there taking video and post it here for everyone to watch !

[Tony]

You play where ever the lanes are telling you to play and scoring the best. There really isn't going to be a one size fits all usually.

My play will vary by many things including where the others are playing on the lanes (my pair and the pair ahead of me if moving lanes). With that balls to use, that comes with time and knowing what reaction you expect from the different balls.

I find this to be one of my problems, I tend to stick with the line that usually works best because I'm not making great shots, instead I should probably move to a more inside or outside line earlier. In thinking about it, I don't usually leave a lot of 10 pins but when I do leave one a few frames in a row, I should move to a whole different line instead of trying to make small adjustments that rarely work for me.

[billf]

Is anyone else In the Philadelphia area? I wouldn't mind getting together and bowling for fun with a few people. Maybe we can get Sniper here to come and see this unique style up close

I might be enticed to make the 10 hour drive if there would be a few people to meet and bowl with.

[chrono00]

I might be enticed to make the 10 hour drive if there would be a few people to meet and bowl with.

I'm not great at planning things like this but if someone were able to plan something a few weeks in advance I could Definatly try n take off work for it

[Goose]

I'm not anywhere near Philly but could be interesting if you are able to get a few people together, make sure to have someone there taking video and post it here for everyone to watch !

I am in, I can arrange to pick up Sniper on the way from the East Coast and hit up Bill O'Neil when we get into the Philly area to hold this clinic.

Put your order in for cheese steaks, I am stopping at DI Costanza's before I get there.

[RobLV1]

Isn't it amazing how one sniper can make an interesting thread head south so fast.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Isn't it amazing how one sniper can make an interesting thread head south so fast.

It's because he bottom lined the original topic question. Just heave the ball 20 feet down the middle of the lane and shoot 230. Lane play issues solved.

[Tony]

Isn't it amazing how one sniper can make an interesting thread head south so fast.

Right ! I am truly interested in any tips on when and how to change lines, for example I am usually around board 20 and shooting around 10 +or- 2 boards on both.
what results would encourage you to move more outside say 15 to 5 or further inside about 25 to 15 / with that same +or- a couple of boards.
I tend to fart around staying in the original position too long because it seems I'm not making decent shots and I usually don't always do as well from the other lines .

[bowl1820]

My question is.....how do you know where to play when I can strike from so many different places.


By knowing yourself and how you bowl and where you may end up as the night goes on and the lanes change. So you'll want to start by using your "A" game and the line that best fits it, so you'll have the most optimal scoring probability at the start.

Because while you may be able to strike from multiple lines, not all of those lines will necessarily be played with your "A" game. (Your "A" game is your most natural, comfortable shot.) and you don't want to start out by using your lesser game just because you can at the moment.

[RobLV1]

Right ! I am truly interested in any tips on when and how to change lines, for example I am usually around board 20 and shooting around 10 +or- 2 boards on both.
what results would encourage you to move more outside say 15 to 5 or further inside about 25 to 15 / with that same +or- a couple of boards.
I tend to fart around staying in the original position too long because it seems I'm not making decent shots and I usually don't always do as well from the other lines .

MOST league bowlers are the most comfortable standing on 20 and hitting 10. I call them Blackjack bowlers for obvious reasons. On a typical house shot (THS), regardless of the length of the pattern, they have one thing in common: heavy oil between ten and ten, and lighter oil outside of ten. If you start out sliding twenty and looking ten like most everyone else, before long the oil on that line has been absorbed into the bowling balls, and the line will no longer work. The ball may start hooking too early, or the ball may start straightening out as it burns up in the friction. When this happens, you have two choices: either change to a less aggressive ball to give yourself a few more frames on that line, or move left to find more oil. As you started at the edge of the oil line where there was little oil to the right, moving right to a spot where there is friction to the right AND the left makes no sense at all.

Please note that I referred to where you are sliding and where you are looking, rather than where you are standing and where you are targeting for a reason. First, it doesn't matter where you are standing if you don't walk straight during your approach. It's where you slide that counts. One of the most prevalent reasons that house bowlers have trouble moving left is that the inadvertently walk back to the right and continue to slide at the same spot for the entire set. It's also where you look that counts, realizing the the idea is to roll the ball consistently in relationship to your mark, rather than to hit your target. Personally, I always hit two boards to the right of where I'm looking.

The only goal that you should set for yourself in terms of your "comfort zone" is to work as hard as you can to eliminate it and get to the point where you are equally as comfortable and, more importantly, have the same amount of confidence wherever you are playing on the lane.

[zacks]

Right ! I am truly interested in any tips on when and how to change lines, for example I am usually around board 20 and shooting around 10 +or- 2 boards on both.
what results would encourage you to move more outside say 15 to 5 or further inside about 25 to 15 / with that same +or- a couple of boards.
I tend to fart around staying in the original position too long because it seems I'm not making decent shots and I usually don't always do as well from the other lines .

I always thought entry angle was not as important as long as you can get your ball to enter the pins between the 1-3 and exit the pins between the 8-9. Obviously angle is a factor in this, but it can change based on how much energy the ball has as it deflects through the pins. So angle will depend on oil pattern, ball used, revs, speed, etc.

If you're leaving ten pins or carrying them with strikes that aren't flush, the ball is deflecting towards the 9-pin and you'll need to change one of the variables (angle, speed or ball) to get the ball through the rack between the 8-9.

If you're leaving 4-pins or 9-pins, the ball has too much energy and is chasing the 5-pin through the 8-pin, so you'll need to change in the other direction.

There's a whole lot more to this, but hopefully this helps the way you think about it.

[NewToBowling]

MOST league bowlers are the most comfortable standing on 20 and hitting 10. I call them Blackjack bowlers for obvious reasons. On a typical house shot (THS), regardless of the length of the pattern, they have one thing in common: heavy oil between ten and ten, and lighter oil outside of ten. If you start out sliding twenty and looking ten like most everyone else, before long the oil on that line has been absorbed into the bowling balls, and the line will no longer work. The ball may start hooking too early, or the ball may start straightening out as it burns up in the friction. When this happens, you have two choices: either change to a less aggressive ball to give yourself a few more frames on that line, or move left to find more oil. As you started at the edge of the oil line where there was little oil to the right, moving right to a spot where there is friction to the right AND the left makes no sense at all.

Please note that I referred to where you are sliding and where you are looking, rather than where you are standing and where you are targeting for a reason. First, it doesn't matter where you are standing if you don't walk straight during your approach. It's where you slide that counts. One of the most prevalent reasons that house bowlers have trouble moving left is that the inadvertently walk back to the right and continue to slide at the same spot for the entire set. It's also where you look that counts, realizing the the idea is to roll the ball consistently in relationship to your mark, rather than to hit your target. Personally, I always hit two boards to the right of where I'm looking.

The only goal that you should set for yourself in terms of your "comfort zone" is to work as hard as you can to eliminate it and get to the point where you are equally as comfortable and, more importantly, have the same amount of confidence wherever you are playing on the lane.

Haha so true. I feel I am the same way which is why I can't really adjust by moving left.

[Tony]

One of the most prevalent reasons that house bowlers have trouble moving left is that the inadvertently walk back to the right and continue to slide at the same spot for the entire set. It's also where you look that counts, realizing the the idea is to roll the ball consistently in relationship to your mark, rather than to hit your target. Personally, I always hit two boards to the right of where I'm looking.

The only goal that you should set for yourself in terms of your "comfort zone" is to work as hard as you can to eliminate it and get to the point where you are equally as comfortable and, more importantly, have the same amount of confidence wherever you are playing on the lane.

I have certainly been guilty of drifting back toward my right, and have been working on going straight toward the line, I'm finding as long as I think about and remind myself to walk straight that I can, but it has not yet become an automatic thing. I also find that missing a couple of boards left is a common occurrence when I am further left, I will have to work more on focusing my eyes 2 or 3 boards right of the target location and see if that works for me.
I was pretty used to hitting the target fairly regularly on the 20/10 shot. It's also interesting that on some nights there are so many guys throwing a deeper line or lefties that the line stays pretty stable or inside line guys push oil out to the 10 line, that's one of the times I have moved right with some success.

[LOUVIT]

I shot 140 today the first game with my GOOD ball a Storm Phaze shooting inside. I move to outside with my Track Heat and shot 185 and 192...I don't really like the outside line cause there are usually a lot of 10 pins left.. Only 2 today