Follow Up to Article Research

[RobLV1]

Thank you to those of you who participated in my Article Research thread. You may be surprised to know that there are "right" answers. It is not just a matter of opinion. Lanes do differ, and if you really want to reach your full scoring potential, you will not only accept this, but learn to do everything that you can to get ahead of the differences.

I would like to address one of the two themes addressed in the research questions: lane differences. Lane differences do exist, and if you start bowling on a "pair" of lanes that have been freshly oiled assuming that the two lanes will play the same, you will be wrong over 90% of the time. Conversely, if you expect the lanes to play differently, you will be right over 90% of the time. As both lanes were oiled the same, the differences are obviously not because of the oil. As you have just started, they are also not because of other bowlers. The differences are because of topography. The term is bandied about by bowlers all the time, but few really understand what topography is.

For a really great overview of topography, go to the following link: http://www.kegel.net/topography-study/. To see topographic differences in lanes up close and personal, just look at the reflection on a freshly oiled synthetic lane. If the surface of the lane was perfectly flat, the reflection would be perfect, but it never is. There are peaks and valleys, and areas of the lane that are slightly tilted and those things affect how you ball rolls on the individual lane.

Because of the differences in topography, the differences between lanes are much more than just, "the left lane hooks more, and the right lane's tighter." The differences often define the miss room: the area that you can miss and still get back to the pocket. It is often the case that one lane forgives misses to the outside and the other lane forgives misses inside. Once you learn to look for this, you can use it to your advantage.

Sometimes the differences between the two lanes that make up a "pair" are too subtle to see just from your own shots. This is where the scoreboard can be your best friend. If you see one or more bowlers who are striking on one lane and sparing on the other, you can be 100% sure that the two lanes are not playing the same.

Does this all make sense to you?

[fordman1]

Would there not be a difference between newer lanes and very old ones. Different kinds of lanes etc.

2 year old lanes would be much more likely to play the same than old ones. "If" they were installed correctly :cool:

If you average under 200 you will miss your spot enough to just about take away all the differences anyway.

[Amyers]

I have no doubt that that is correct it's not uncommon for lanes to react differently. I will say assuming the lane machine applied the oil exactly the same on both lanes is probably suspect at best at least in my houses. Probably in Vegas it's not really an issue but here where the lane machine is likely as not to be 10 years old or more I wouldn't expect that as a given.

[Aslan]

Would there not be a difference between newer lanes and very old ones. Different kinds of lanes etc.

2 year old lanes would be much more likely to play the same than old ones. "If" they were installed correctly :cool:

If you average under 200 you will miss your spot enough to just about take away all the differences anyway.

I actually agree with fordman on this one.

"Are" there differences lane to lane. Absolutely. It's a physical impossibility that two different areas...even close to each other...are "exactly" the same. Physically impossible.

However...what's the point? How can the average bowler (or even a high level bowler in this case) use that information to improve their scores?
Answer: They can't...realistically.

1) They can't hit a 0.25-1.5 board area 15ft down the lane with a 97% accuracy rate...thus making minute differences inconsequential.
2) A minor variation in oil application will cancel out minor topography issues 99.998% of the time. And if the center doesn't oil consistently or maintain their equipment at a high level...forget about it...topography won't matter.
3) Humidity and temperature variations are far more impactful than topgraphy...so again, unless you're in an area where temperature stays relatively constant and the center uses their air conditioning consistently...minor, minor, minor...
and
4) IF topography was as important a factor as you might be stating...we wouldn't see scyrocketing averages.
and
5) IF topography was as important a factor as you might be stating...the USBC would need to improve their testing DRAMATICALLY.

So...do two lanes play identically? Of course not. Do they play different enough to matter to the average bowler? Probably not.

I mean, Iceman uses one ball and doesn't even know what topography IS...and he's an honor score machine...so, there's THAT.

To really convince me on this...I'd need to see Mr. USBC robot throw numerous shots on every lane of a center over a short time frame...to see a noticeable difference. I have over 570 games of data that show a minor difference lane-to-lane...I'm gonna need to see actual data to change my opinion.

[Mr900]

Yep, the THS covers up a lot, including topography. Walled up shots will give a bowler multiple boards to play with. You don't need to be a sniper. Leave that to the sport patterns

[RobLV1]

Common sense says that if the THS gives you a 5-board area, and you are playing the wrong board by 2, your 5-board area has shrunk to 3 boards. While the THS may partially mask the topography while it is fresh, it cannot and does not eliminate it.