"House shot," not consistent

[Blomer]

Hello all. In the 2nd week of the season, the shot was different and this past week, it was back to what it was suppose to be. Here I can swing it out nad in but last week had to go down and in most of the night. Today I was practicing and had to play down and in again. The oil guy claims it's always the same, but clearly isn't. Many bowlers were having issues.

Does this happen anywhere else?

[ep1977]

Hello all. In the 2nd week of the season, the shot was different and this past week, it was back to what it was suppose to be. Here I can swing it out nad in but last week had to go down and in most of the night. Today I was practicing and had to play down and in again. The oil guy claims it's always the same, but clearly isn't. Many bowlers were having issues.

Does this happen anywhere else?

99.9% of the time the mechanics will lie to you! In my league week 2 I had to switch to the Hectic after the 1st game and threw plastic for the end of game 3. Last week in comparison I threw the Snap Lock for the first 2 games and then the Phaze in game 3. The mechanic said the same thing that the lanes are always the same.

[fordman1]

My team mate is the gen. manager and I don't believe a word he says. First off he is a lefty and they all play the same. Last year in the summer they replaced the 22 year old lanes with Brunswick anvil or something. supposed to be the best and just like the old ones. 80% of the house leagues lost pins on their avg. New ones re over under and seem to change early and often.

[zacks]

I think there are many factors that could be at play here. My house strips the lanes and oils in the AM, then re-oils before leagues in the PM. Depending who bowled on the lanes during the day, you can have different carry down week to week. Also temperature and humidity can be factors, inconsistent oil mixes, inconsistent ball maintenance (I leave mine in the trunk a lot so on hot days I get free ball rejuvenation), also where other players are playing the lane. Seeing how many others were having issues, I'd ask when they strip the lanes and see if you're bowling on fresh oil that's been placed on top of burned up lanes. And of coarse, nobody ever trusts the mechanic.

[fordman1]

That all sound good but they are doing the same as 2 years ago. No one is happy. Over, under. I think the surface is so hard the oil just won't hold a pattern.

[Tony]

Hello all. In the 2nd week of the season, the shot was different and this past week, it was back to what it was suppose to be. Here I can swing it out nad in but last week had to go down and in most of the night. Today I was practicing and had to play down and in again. The oil guy claims it's always the same, but clearly isn't. Many bowlers were having issues.

Does this happen anywhere else?

It happens everywhere else and the mechanic, General manager, counter manager, and owner will tell you, it's the same pattern, same machine, same oil, same oil mix.....and maybe it is, but the lanes certainly play differently night to night, pair to pair, I think of it as part of the challenge of bowling.

[bowl1820]

When the lane man, manager, counter people etc. tell you its the same conditions week after week, They might not necessarily be lying about it.

As far as they know they maybe the same, most houses don't strictly monitor the conditions every day, week or month.

Plus a lot of the lane guys, let alone the owner or the other workers don't have a clue to how the lane machine works or if it's working properly.

They just know that you push button #2 for the Monday night pattern and if they pushed that button as far as they know their putting down the same pattern.

[ChuckR]

One thing that is missing here is the weather outside and the weather inside. I bowl at a house that seldom turns on the air conditioning. When they do the lanes play very differently. When there is humidity in Las Vegas both houses I bowl at are different.

[mc_runner]

Keep in mind the season's changing as well, humidity and temp. play a part.

[JasonNJ]

Like everyone else said humidity and temperature play a big part on how the lanes play and also topography of the lanes will be different from pair to pair.

[fordman1]

When the lane man, manager, counter people etc. tell you its the same conditions week after week, They might not necessarily be lying about it.

As far as they know they maybe the same, most houses don't strictly monitor the conditions every day, week or month.

Plus a lot of the lane guys, let alone the owner or the other workers don't have a clue to how the lane machine works or if it's working properly.

They just know that you push button #2 for the Monday night pattern and if they pushed that button as far as they know their putting down the same pattern.

The thing is my house General Manager is a 230 avg. bowler he trains all the help from the mechanic to the lane oil man. He knows what he is doing. Being a down and in lefty he doesn't see how much difference the new lanes play than the old ones. This is season 2 and we are in one month with the new lanes. They have tries a lot of different combinations and no one is happy. One bowler just won a PBA senior tournament a month ago and barely hit 600. Everyone walks back shaking their head. I have seen sports patterns play easier.

[got_a_300]

Same as our center the same pair of lanes will play differently night to night
day to day week to week even if the weather is the same or close to the same.

last week the lanes were pretty dry and last night dry wasn't the word for it he
ran the machine down the lanes but I couldn't feel any oil on the lanes when I
ran my finger across the lane it was bone dry as if they had just been stripped.

About 90% of the league was complaining about the lanes being so dry but as
it has been said before the owner said "well they are the same as last week"
even though he was told there was no oil on them by several people.

[2handedsniper]

I have hardly ever noticed a difference. I think it is more mental really

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Same as our center the same pair of lanes will play differently night to night
day to day week to week even if the weather is the same or close to the same.

last week the lanes were pretty dry and last night dry wasn't the word for it he
ran the machine down the lanes but I couldn't feel any oil on the lanes when I
ran my finger across the lane it was bone dry as if they had just been stripped.

About 90% of the league was complaining about the lanes being so dry but as
it has been said before the owner said "well they are the same as last week"
even though he was told there was no oil on them by several people.

How far down the lane did you feel? AMF centers for example don't oil the first 1-2 feet

[LOUVIT]

Hey that's what teaches us to adjust. Would you really want to bowl on the same conditions all the time....lol...

[fordman1]

Lou we are bowling on the same shot every week. It just sucks!

[zacks]

Hey that's what teaches us to adjust. Would you really want to bowl on the same conditions all the time....lol...

That's the key. My house the conditions do change, sometimes insignificant amounts week to week, but last night was another one of those "the lanes are flooded" type of nights. I picked up on it in practice and adjusted. I typically play inside and swing it out, but last night I started almost up and in. My Thursday night league is smaller and doesn't have many 200 bowlers, but everybody that throws a decent hook couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. They all blamed the lanes.

[zacks]

Being a down and in lefty he doesn't see how much difference the new lanes play than the old ones.

Does anyone else play down and in? Sounds like it's a tougher shot that caters to this style of bowling.

[LOUVIT]

That's the key. My house the conditions do change, sometimes insignificant amounts week to week, but last night was another one of those "the lanes are flooded" type of nights. I picked up on it in practice and adjusted. I typically play inside and swing it out, but last night I started almost up and in. My Thursday night league is smaller and doesn't have many 200 bowlers, but everybody that throws a decent hook couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. They all blamed the lanes.

that's what I'm saying zacks,,, when that happens I put away my phaze ball inside line and throw my Track down and in and avoid the oil. All summer I bowled in the practice league with the same people on the right side on the house. the league is on the left side of the house. No clue if that's it but a lot of people say that the higher side of the house is better. I may not be a high average but I know the difference and adjust to it.

[got_a_300]

How far down the lane did you feel? AMF centers for example don't oil the first 1-2 feet

I checked at 4' and then again at 15' down at the arrows no oil that I could feel
on the lanes. I know the first 15" or so never has no oil on them for safety's sake
just in case someone goes over the foul line a little.

[foreverincamo]

Try looking up on Google about that particular lane surface. I've read an interview from Norm Duke saying how different the Anvil surface is compared to other lanes.

[chrono00]

I have hardly ever noticed a difference. I think it is more mental really

Maybe I should adopt the 10lb ball chest chuck down the center of the lane to help my mental game too