Approaches

[fordman1]

Is it just me or are the approaches much tackier than they used to be? I remember when there weren't any changeable soles and bowlers still were able to slide if they wanted to. Now with out special soles it is impossible. I still have a pair of Linds and they won't slid at all. Yet old videos of Marshall Holman show him sliding a foot. We kept our wooden approaches when we went to synthetic lanes.
Can anyone explain this? I know sliding is old school but Planting isn't for old people anymore.

[RobLV1]

Has it been particularly humid? High humidity will make the approaches sticky.

[ALazySavage]

I looked at the Dearborn, Michigan forecast and it does appear that there is rain in the forecast so maybe humidity is playing a factor. Is this something that you notice a large portion of bowlers at the house are experiencing? If this appears to be more specific to your experience there may be a timing issue of some sort that is causing you to engage the brake of your shoe sooner than you would like.

[Aslan]

Radny Pederson talked about the approaches at the center he either owns or bowls at...and how when the humidity rises...the approaches get almost unbearably sticky. There are things the center can do to counter it. They can buff the approaches...or they can just turn up the AC...both will take care of the humidity issue.

[chip82901]

My home center has a humidity issue. I live in what we call an desert tundra (Southwest Wyoming). It is relatively dry here for the most part, but this year, we experienced an unusual amount of snow. It did make for a bit tackier approaches all season (went from a 6 pad to an 8, nothing too crazy). Also, during the summer, my house is still old school and uses a swamp cooler. It does almost make it unbearable to bowl during the summer, but if you have interchangable soles, you can usually find the right combo

[Aslan]

(went from a 6 pad to an 8, nothing too crazy)...but if you have interchangable soles, you can usually find the right combo
I can usually get away with an S8 sliding sole and an H6 heel (with S4 leading edge). On Tuesdays, the approaches are a little tackier so I go up to an S9 sole and was using the H6 heel with S6 leading edge....but I've had to move to an H7 recently with the temperatures going up (80s and 90s lately).

It's great having interchangeable soles/heels...BUT:
1) I ordered my Pyramid shoes a half size too big and a little too wide...so the fit isn't perfect.
2) Changing the heels is a *****. The soles come on and off rather easily...but the heels are stuck on there pretty good.

[Amyers]

One of the houses here has this issue I just refuse to bowl there because of it. The issue is the center not properly maintaining the air temp/humidity it being an issue for a while occasionally is happenstance it being that way on a regular basis is bs. I've tuned down 3 offers to bowl league in that house because of it. It's a shame otherwise one of the nicer houses in the area.

[fordman1]

"Is it just me or are the approaches much tackier than they used to be?"
Sorry for misleading everyone I meant over the last decade. I understand humidity and weather can cause problems. It just seems that over the years the approaches have gotten stickier. Very few bowlers slide. Go look at old shows and Marshall slides a foot. That was before the new shoes were even invented. Is it because so many bowlers are using those rubber soles and leaving the residue on the approach? I stick so much anymore I am afraid to attack the foul line. I end up on my tip toe or falling off the shot arms flapping. Did anything change on the wooden approachs? We bought the approaches from the now defunct Taylor lanes they are 20 years newer and have not been sanded very much. I think they only resurfaced them 10 times in 40 years. Plus they are going to be put in back in front so they should be in really good shape very few balls are dropped in the back. Just need to move the dots to the other end.

[J Anderson]

"Is it just me or are the approaches much tackier than they used to be?"
Sorry for misleading everyone I meant over the last decade. I understand humidity and weather can cause problems. It just seems that over the years the approaches have gotten stickier. Very few bowlers slide. Go look at old shows and Marshall slides a foot. That was before the new shoes were even invented. Is it because so many bowlers are using those rubber soles and leaving the residue on the approach? I stick so much anymore I am afraid to attack the foul line. I end up on my tip toe or falling off the shot arms flapping. Did anything change on the wooden approachs? We bought the approaches from the now defunct Taylor lanes they are 20 years newer and have not been sanded very much. I think they only resurfaced them 10 times in 40 years. Plus they are going to be put in back in front so they should be in really good shape very few balls are dropped in the back. Just need to move the dots to the other end.

I think it may be a case of centers trying to reduce costs. When I started bowling they used to dust mop the approaches between leagues. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen the dust mop in action in the last nine years, and I'm often at the alley four times per week. That's four times as often as when I used to see the approaches get mopped.

[Timmyb]

"Is it just me or are the approaches much tackier than they used to be?"
Sorry for misleading everyone I meant over the last decade. I understand humidity and weather can cause problems. It just seems that over the years the approaches have gotten stickier. Very few bowlers slide. Go look at old shows and Marshall slides a foot. That was before the new shoes were even invented. Is it because so many bowlers are using those rubber soles and leaving the residue on the approach? I stick so much anymore I am afraid to attack the foul line. I end up on my tip toe or falling off the shot arms flapping. Did anything change on the wooden approachs? We bought the approaches from the now defunct Taylor lanes they are 20 years newer and have not been sanded very much. I think they only resurfaced them 10 times in 40 years. Plus they are going to be put in back in front so they should be in really good shape very few balls are dropped in the back. Just need to move the dots to the other end.


I think it's a synthetic thing. The house I was at this last season has wood approaches, and there was never a problem, even on the most humid days. I'm moving to a different center that's been known to be a little tacky at times. Only once was it so bad I wouldn't bowl. The owner has told me he does his best to keep the air management as consistent as possible, but you can only do so much on bad days. I also think a lot of houses could do a better job cleaning as well. I bowled at one house and looked at my shoes after a few shots, and there was glitter impregnated into my heels. Needless to say, I was a little pissed.

I use an S9 slide almost exclusively, except for one house, where I drop to an 8.

[Tony]

One center I bowl in has had a problem a couple of times when it was super humid (morning league ) we found it was caused by humidity and the fact the owner had shut down the ventilation system overnight ...... once it was back up and got things regulated, the approaches went back to normal.

[chip82901]

I can usually get away with an S8 sliding sole and an H6 heel (with S4 leading edge). On Tuesdays, the approaches are a little tackier so I go up to an S9 sole and was using the H6 heel with S6 leading edge....but I've had to move to an H7 recently with the temperatures going up (80s and 90s lately).

It's great having interchangeable soles/heels...BUT:
1) I ordered my Pyramid shoes a half size too big and a little too wide...so the fit isn't perfect.
2) Changing the heels is a *****. The soles come on and off rather easily...but the heels are stuck on there pretty good.

Holy...H6 heel!?! Those must either be extremely tacky or you just like to slide lol. I usually go S6 with H2 heel. I like to stop, especially after the nightmares I had at a center 15 miles away and them buffing duraslide into the approaches. Last time I bowled there I put on an S2 and an H2 and still couldn't stop

[Aslan]

Holy...H6 heel!?! Those must either be extremely tacky or you just like to slide lol. I usually go S6 with H2 heel. I like to stop, especially after the nightmares I had at a center 15 miles away and them buffing duraslide into the approaches. Last time I bowled there I put on an S2 and an H2 and still couldn't stop

I dunno.

You're a 2-hander and most 2-handers tend to "plant" rather than slide.

But for me...I don't like things getting too 'slick'...for example, I rarely ever use those "sliding socks" because I feel like I have no control over my slide...like I'm on an ice rink. But my bigger issue has been the 'heel'...because I don't like an "abrupt stop". If I stop too abruptly...lose my balance a bit...harder to keep my swing stable and post my shot.

The H6 is actually a great heel...because you can change the front part of the heel to make slight adjustments...without removing the whole heel. The downside to needing the H7 heel, is that it's as slick as it gets...I don't think there's an H8 heel. So, if I get to a really sticky approach...I'm gonna be out of options regarding the heel. If I encounter more slippery conditions...I still have the H2 heel the shoes came with and the H5ST heel I ordered initially...and I have an S6 and S10 sole if I need to make further sole changes.

[fordman1]

Not really talking about what soles or shoes to wear. Just wondering if there is any reason besides weather or anything that would make proprietors not keep the approaches slick enough that you can actually slide. Even house shoes should allow the renter to slide a little.

I am talking about wood approaches not the synthetic stuff that is either too slick or so tacky it is dangerous.

[Amyers]

Not really talking about what soles or shoes to wear. Just wondering if there is any reason besides weather or anything that would make proprietors not keep the approaches slick enough that you can actually slide. Even house shoes should allow the renter to slide a little.

I am talking about wood approaches not the synthetic stuff that is either too slick or so tacky it is dangerous.

If wood approaches aren't properly maintained they can easily become "sticky" most of the houses I bowl in with wood approaches refinish the approaches yearly.

[fokai73]

13 years ago or so, when one of the houses I moved to had SLICK wood approaches, I had a hard time getting the proper slide. It was at this house where I cut my Dexter Soles 4, 6, 8 into equal halves/pieces and did a combination of the three. I remember bowlers looking at me funny when I messed with my soles. I guess they were not ready for it lol.

Today I have my S8 and S10 also cut in equal pieces for the STICKY approaches I bowl on - this would be the sole S9 if I were to buy instead of customizing my soles myself. Dexter didn't have the odd number soles at the time and I was between soles. S8 was too early and S10 was too late in braking. Customizing these two soles to my needs is great, especially bowling travel league.

When I was a youth bowler, I had a LLLLOOOOONNNGGGG slide similar to Marshall and Danny. I used the ashes from the cigarettes found in ash trays all over the settee to help me create this long slide. Today, if I need a little touch up on my timing of my slide, rubbing my shoe under the ball rack to collect dust has replaced cigarette ashes lol.

[chip82901]

I dunno.

You're a 2-hander and most 2-handers tend to "plant" rather than slide.

But for me...I don't like things getting too 'slick'...for example, I rarely ever use those "sliding socks" because I feel like I have no control over my slide...like I'm on an ice rink. But my bigger issue has been the 'heel'...because I don't like an "abrupt stop". If I stop too abruptly...lose my balance a bit...harder to keep my swing stable and post my shot.

The H6 is actually a great heel...because you can change the front part of the heel to make slight adjustments...without removing the whole heel. The downside to needing the H7 heel, is that it's as slick as it gets...I don't think there's an H8 heel. So, if I get to a really sticky approach...I'm gonna be out of options regarding the heel. If I encounter more slippery conditions...I still have the H2 heel the shoes came with and the H5ST heel I ordered initially...and I have an S6 and S10 sole if I need to make further sole changes.

I actually like to slide a bit. After tearing up my knee in HS, I have to be able to slide. But I also like to be able to stop. But yeah, most 2 handers plant. Not many people slide much any more

[fordman1]

F73 That sounds like something I could do I have a new 10 and a new 8. The 10's are so slick you can't even push off. 8's just a little too tacky. How would you suggest cutting them. I used the cigarette ashes for years. I think I slide pigeon toed due to knee injury while in the army. Thanks for the idea and good bowling to you.

Amyers maintains isn't the problem. They are always up grading stuff they just replaced the synthetic lanes after 20 years. They just bought the approaches from the old PBA stop Taylor lanes. Taylor closed because in the last 15 years they didn't maintain anything. It used to be one of the best in the Detroit area. Now it is some kind of Church.

[fokai73]

F73 That sounds like something I could do I have a new 10 and a new 8. The 10's are so slick you can't even push off. 8's just a little too tacky. How would you suggest cutting them. I used the cigarette ashes for years. I think I slide pigeon toed due to knee injury while in the army. Thanks for the idea and good bowling to you.


Thank you for your service first of all.....

I was in the trade market with guys with interchangeable soles. I hunted the crankers or planters in leagues and traded my low numbered soles with their high numbered soles.

THe reason I say this, I keep uncut S8 and S10 in case I need them. With that being said, if you have extra soles go ahead and cut them. Cutting them is all about each individual preference and also to match the way the person slides and at what area of the foot do they slide. I took an old shoe and looked at the area where I make a lot of contact on the bottom of the slide shoe. Because I slide flat footed and cover more surface area evenly (inside of the foot to the outside) on the ball of my foot, I cut the soles 60/40 (or 70/30) straight across. This works well for me. And changing them out is much easier.

If you're pigeon toed, you may be carrying most of your weight in the inside of your foot when you walk. but when you slide, the weight may be on the outside - to see where the "wear and tear" happens most on the bottom of your slide shoe. Knowing how you slide is very important when customizing your soles. But it's not that hard to do.

Now, I'm no expert... if you slide with toed in, in a straight line, Pinky to heel for example, you "may" need to cut the soles cross hatch or from Big toe to heel. This is just an example. The diagonal cut may not be that extreme as I mentioned.

I've shown this personal customization to a friend and started doing this awhile back. He created an oval type sole combination. Like a doughnut hole and doughnut round lol. The oval sole is what he changes out, keeping the outer sole the same.

[fordman1]

Thanks a lot. I will do some experimenting. One thing though I'm not pigeon toed I just slide that way to protect the tendons and ligaments on the inner part of my knee. It probably is OK now but I have done it for so long I would have to relearn every thing again. Again thanks.

[foreverincamo]

I just started bowling in a center with synthetic lanes and approaches. The lane guy there fights constantly with the approaches being sticky. They have a fan that blows across the floor at all times to combat humidity. He scrubs the approaches every day. I haven't had a problem sticking yet. I've bowled for years on wood approaches in the summer and never had a problem.

[DMS]

Have they looked at their stock of rental shoes? If there's shmutz on the bottom of the rental shoes, it could be tracked onto the approaches. Also, how about their carpets / floors in the concourse area? If those are dirty or have been cleaned with something that leaves residue, then that could also get tracked on the approaches.

I notice at most centers when they're spraying the shoes at the end of the night, they rarely check the soles to see if there is anything on them. I would think brushing the soles would be a wise step in the shoe maintenance process. He could clean the approaches 'til the cows come home, but have them dirty and sticky again almost instantly if something from the carpets or rental shoes is being tracked onto the approaches first thing in the morning.

Just some ideas... Hope he finds the solution. Some old folks' knees will be happy if he does.

[fordman1]

DMS I never thought of that. They spray the shoes with disinfectant after every use. That is something that hasn't been a requirement until a few years ago. Thanks