How to read allys?

[Blizzard]

ok ive ALWAYS had this trouble ive been getting LUCKY on this.

how do i tell if the lane is oily or dry? is there a way to simply look at the lane and tell or what if i could get some adivce on this it be helpful probly whats holding me back the most.

[kakcpa]

To me, reading a lane is a function of bowling the ball, seeing how it reacts, and making adjustments off of that. The rule of thumb is if you miss to the left, move left. If you miss to the right, move right.


You can assume that every lane has some sort of oil pattern on it. But you are just looking at the lane one dimensionally. I always think of it three dimensionally. It's sort of like a putting green in golf, with slopes, peaks, valley, etc. Here is the Kegel lane pattern library, you might want to check some of these out to see how lanes are oiled, various patterns, and what they look like three dimensionally. It is also fair to ask the bowling lanes what kind of pattern they are putting down.

http://www.kegel.net/patternlibrary/kegel-navigation-patterns.htm

[The Bowling Guru]

Kakcpa hit the nail on the head. There is no better way to determine exactly how much oil is on the lane until you actually throw a ball down it. Your ball's reaction will dictate the amount of oil (ex. if it skids, theres oil, if it takes off, it is dry), which also tell you what move you need to make.

[kakcpa]

also, what time do you bowl? If you are on the first shift, then most likely, there's more oil. If you are on the 2nd shift (there's a league before you), then most likely, the lanes will be drier, and will hook more.

[Blizzard]

i think i bowl 2nd as theres a senior league befor us. but they run some kindof machine down the lane befor we starts still dont know what it is :p BUT i only have my one bowling ball that hooks that i use my hammer so idk how to do that with my ball. thanks for tips tho.

[kev3inp]

Of course, if your ball comes back dripping with something, or the flare rings on it are 1/2 inch wide, it's a pretty safe bet that they're oily. During practice roll a ball where you usually roll it and see what it does. Then make a move to the inside or outside and see what it does there. Watch where the ball makes a move toward the pins and you can usually tell where the oil stops. Then, like Keith said, if it hits too far to the left, move left, and a move right for the right side. This applies to either hand, amazingly enough. But don't, and I can't stress it enough, don't make an adjustment off a bad shot. That's the quickest way to become confused. Know where you're standing, know where your target is, and know if you actually rolled the ball over it. It seems so simple, doesn't it? The hard part is actually doing it! :)

[JerseyJim]

There was a discussion in the Techniques section of this site. I like using Susie Minshew's 6 shot system. It gives me a good read on the alley. This is a link to those posts. http://www.bowlingboards.com/showthread.php?t=1661