What do you do when your line just vanishes?

[foreverincamo]

I had a strange night in league last week. I struck 4 out of 5 shots in practice playing right up first arrow. Game 1 was almost flawless. A stubborn 8 pin in the 8th frame kept me from being perfect. I ended with a 278. Then I start out strike, strike, ringing 10 I picked up, strike, then 4-7-10.
After that I moved two boards left and left another 10 pin, then another big split. I switched balls from my asymmetric Black Widow to my symmetric DV8 Marauder Mutiny. I played that ball right up 7 expecting it to hold, but it went Brooklyn. I moved 5 boards left and swung it 15 - 10, pocket 7-10 to end the game. Went from 278 to 171.
Game three I stuck with the Marauder and kept moving left. The lanes went from normal house shot to a sandlot. No one could stay on the right side of the headpin. Big splits everywhere. I shot 177. I managed average for the night in series, and we won all the points, but what an ugly night.
We jumped back into first place, up 5 points on 2nd and 7 points on 3rd. We bowl the second place team next week. Any thoughts on what to try next week if that happens again?

[1VegasBowler]

If you have a urethane ball, that would probably be the next step and will probably hold your original line.

In my case, I would go to my BTU.

[djp1080]

Great first game!
The 4-7-10 would be an indicator if you thought you'd made a good shot; however, you started targeting board 5 (at the arrows?) and that means you were on dry boards. Not many target board 5. I would think that things wouldn't change all that much for you, but changing to a symmetric ball makes sense. Why did you change your line to target board 7? Keep your same speed and target the first arrow instead. See what happens.
I tend to target boards 8 or 9 and when transition comes into play, I'll make a one board move with my feet and my eyes to the left. If that's not enough, I'll make another parallel move. Most times that's enough for me to stay in the pocket.
Good luck...

[foreverincamo]

The first split was on the right lane. And yes I was playing straight down first arrow. I moved 2 boards left with my feet and 1 board left with my target and left the 10 pin on the left lane. Threw the same shot on the right and split again. That's when I went with the symmetric ball. What I didn't mention was ball surface. The asymmetric I had changed to 2000 grit Abralon and 2500 grit compound. Symmetric is OOB 500 grit Abralon and factory polish.
My first shot with the symmetric was over 7 and went Brooklyn. I did that because I figured 5 was toast. I don't have a urethane ball or the BTU, but I am getting a BTU. I kept moving left but my carry just disappeared.

[foreverincamo]

Funny thing is I talked to several people after we were done and the problem was house wide. I have been switching to another asym that will carry the corner pins even if I'm throwing over 17 and out to 5 but I didn't have that ball with me that night.

[fokai73]

Just curious, why do think the BTU may be the answer to you issue?

I've seen the BTU at different houses from different types of bowlers, and in my opinion, it looks stronger than advertised and no where the reaction of a urethane.

also, low rev and/or high speed bowlers may even struggle more with urethane too.

Have you tried balling up and moving deeper?

[RobLV1]

Just curious, why do think the BTU may be the answer to you issue?

I've seen the BTU at different houses from different types of bowlers, and in my opinion, it looks stronger than advertised and no where the reaction of a urethane.

also, low rev and/or high speed bowlers may even struggle more with urethane too.

Have you tried balling up and moving deeper?

Personally, I find the BTU to be exactly as advertised. It gives me the look of urethane to calm down over/under situations, without the carry-down created by urethane balls. It is just aggressive enough to let me move in without loss of carry. I will often use it when there are just a few frames left, rather than balling up and moving deeper.

[JasonNJ]

Personally, I find the BTU to be exactly as advertised. It gives me the look of urethane to calm down over/under situations, without the carry-down created by urethane balls. It is just aggressive enough to let me move in without loss of carry. I will often use it when there are just a few frames left, rather than balling up and moving deeper.

I'm curious about the BTU, since it absorbs oil will it lose it's hook like resin balls?

[foreverincamo]

I'm hoping the BTU does as advertised. Its slow response to friction and slow arcing hook is what I'm banking on. I have balled up in the past with my DV8 Ruckus Schizo, another asym, and its hockey-stick left turn has been the answer. I just didn't have that ball that night.

[Amyers]

the Marauder Mutiny was the least agressive of the Marauder series but from what I've seen it's still pretty strong the BTU should fit under it easily. My guess would be the lanes were pretty dry to begin with on the back and the widow was actually burning up a bit which was allowing you to hold the pocket until the heads went. When you switched to the less agressive less surfaced ball you kind of unleashed the beast.

It's difficult to move from a line the far in to one way out but it's probably what you needed to do and the Shinzo would have been more the ball to do it with. You know you've got dry at 7 to bounce off just get left throw right and let it rip is often the best choice in that situation. Moving to ten just put you in everyone else's track. On the rare occasions when Ive got players inside of me and it's time to move it's got to be dramatic or I'm sunk and what happened here to you happens to me. By the time you 2-1 yourself across the lanes an entire game or more has gone by.

[larry mc]

i go to my rhino and take some hand off the shot

[foreverincamo]

Thanks Amyers. Sounds like a plan for next week

[RobLV1]

I'm curious about the BTU, since it absorbs oil will it lose it's hook like resin balls?

Not if you take care of it like any other resin ball. Otherwise, I would guess so!

[chip82901]

This happened to me just last friday. In my first league I went 1 open 200 something, clean 198, followed by a no carry 2 open 169. That was all with my Storm Street Fight. I decided to bowl our drop in league after, which they don't re-oil the lanes for, grabbed my Storm Phaze II (which I won on here!) and move left...A LOT! I was 27 at the arrows, out to about 15 and went 268 the last game of drop in after trying my Street Fight for the first 2 games and going 160 something 180 something (I suck at spares sometimes lol). After the 268, guys wanted to bowl a pot game, and I ended up using the same line on a different pair and went 277. So, my suggestion, work on balling up and moving left and keeping it tight. It's been a long time since I've thrown a dull piece of equipment as I usually try to get as much length out of a ball as possible, but switching to the dull ball allowed it to burn up a little energy in the middle and didn't over hook on the back end.

[foreverincamo]

Thanks for the input, everyone. This coming Thursday is huge for our team. We could seal first place alone in the first half if we win all the points. The following week we bowl the ghost team so it's an easy 7 point week. I just don't want another lame night.

[foreverincamo]

Ok, finally got to the next week of league. First game with the same asym Black Widow, 224 clean game. Next game I stayed with the ball because I couldn't miss the pocket. 5 strikes, 5 10 pins. 205 game. We were playing the 2nd place team and won the first two games, putting our team way out front of them.
So game three I pull a wildcard out of the bag. I had taken my Brunswick Melee Cross solid and taken the surface to 2000 Abralon, then hit it with 2500 grit Vise compound, making it a shiny ball. I only shot 182 with two opens, but the ball reacted well. It had a nice arcing hook I could control. I just need new grips in it.
All in all, I shot average, have a new old ball to use, and we are in first place. A good night.