Six Unbelievable Ways to Raise Your Average

[RobLV1]

For those of you who have followed my writing in BTM over the past decade, you know for the past year and a half, my physical condition has dictated that I have to use a plastic spare ball with a pancake weight block a great, great majority of the time. Over the time that I have been using plastic, I have learned a great deal. First, I must say that throwing plastic, I am enjoying bowling more than I have in many, many years. Obviously, my average is lower, hovering around 180, however when I am able to throw the occasional 600 series, I know for a fact that I earned every stick.

Along the way, I have learned a few things that can help most every bowler, however I realize that many of you will refuse to believe what I’m about to tell you because it goes against so many things that you’ve believed for so long. That’s okay. My hope is that a few of you will be able to open your minds enough to consider the examples that I will give you as proof, and accept that many things have changed in bowling since you first threw your first shot in the sixties, seventies, eighties, and even the early nineties.

This season I am bowling in two leagues: a recreational trios league, and a fun time no-tap league. While both leagues bowl during the day, neither is exclusively for seniors. Each league has a mix of current or former serious bowlers and purely recreational bowlers. I also practice occasionally with two or three 200+ average bowlers. This mix of league bowling with low average and high average bowlers has taught me a whole lot about myself and about lane conditions. Following are the unbelievable ways that you can raise your average. Feel free to question them at which time I will be glad to give you anecdotal proof of the events that led to my beliefs.

1 Carry percentage increases when you simply hit the pocket rather than trying to strike.
2 To stay ahead of transition, you must watch every shot thrown by every bowler on the pair.
3 You cannot over-power the lanes, so you must be aware of lane changes immediately.
4 You don’t have the luxury of waiting for a perfect shot to make an adjustment for changing lanes.
5 You must learn to differentiate between oil absorption, carry down, and lane topography.
6 The only way to gain control of your bowling is to accept the fact that you have no control.

[GrumpyCatFace]

I wish I had a lot more info about #5. That’s probably the biggest obstacle to improving as a bowler.

[RobLV1]

I wish I had a lot more info about #5. That’s probably the biggest obstacle to improving as a bowler.

You jumped right to the meat of the matter! First, let me remind you that I am currently throwing a plastic ball almost exclusively. Plastic balls cause carry down, but not in the way that most bowlers believe. Two things are necessary for carry down to become a factor in lane adjustments: volume and a ball that will react to the carry down. In the no tap league in which I bowl, I am carrying a 236 average after 33 games. I am very, very accurate and consistent. Because of my accuracy and consistency, I create a streak of carry down off of the end of the pattern which is very even. Because I am using the plastic ball that is causing the carry down, I also start seeing the need to adjust to the right as the carry down is initially created.

Now fast forward to my other league where I have been bowling with two senior women, both of whom use reactive resin balls. Our lead off bowler uses an overly aggressive reactive resin ball and insists on playing the second arrow exclusively. Unfortunately all of the her misses (she averages about 145) are to the left, into my more direct line to the pocket. The fact that about 1/3 of her shots missing left into my line has resulted in my never having to adjust to the right in that league is testimony to the fact that carry down has no effect on reactive resin bowling balls for the simple fact that those ball absorb oil off of the lane on every pass. Once you accept the fact that the notion of carry down being an issue in modern bowling is a fallacy, then you are ready to really get to the meat of the matter: is the lack of ball reaction that you are seeing a result of too much friction causing the ball to lose energy, or is a result of newly exposed topography.

To understand the concept of "newly exposed topography," imagine driving your car around an icy racetrack. The track is banked from right to left (positive topography). As you turn your car to the left to make the corner, the ice causes the rear end of the car to slide to the right until it comes out of the turn. Now imagine driving on the same racetrack and half way through the turn encountering a length of road where the ice has melted. Can you see how the car will now dive to the left as the friction in the road brings the gravity of the bank into play. The same thing happens as the oil is absorbed off of the lane by reactive resin balls. The oil on the lane is the ice on which the ball skids. When the oil goes away, gravity comes into play and topography is exposed.

Please permit me to give you an actual example. Two weeks ago in the no tap league I was bowling on a pair that was relatively even. I shot 234 the first game which was about average. In the second game I struck on the right lane in the first frame and continued to strike in every frame on that lane. After striking in the second frame on the left lane, I proceeded to throw three splits and an eight count on that lane for a 160 no tap game. Needless to say, I was ready to eat my own arm I was so angry. At the beginning of the next game, I took a moment to evaluate what had happened on the left lane. Suddenly, shots to the right weren't coming back, and shots to the left were diving through the nose. I decided to make a move that is absolutely huge for a plastic ball. I moved my feet five boards to the left, my eyes three boards to the left, and concentrated on staying more behind the ball to go more direct to the pocket. I ended up shooting 300 the last game for a series of 694, just a few pins short of my average despite an embarrassing 160 game.

Do this help? Do you have any questions?

[GrumpyCatFace]

Yes it does, actually.

I’m curious what you see in your teammates reaction though, with you throwing plastic, and her refusing to move.

Does her score tend to drop in game 2?

[RobLV1]

Yes it does, actually.

I’m curious what you see in your teammates reaction though, with you throwing plastic, and her refusing to move.

Does her score tend to drop in game 2?

She is so inconsistent that there is rarely any pattern to her scores. I can tell you though that thanks to her, my scores tend to trend downward through the set while they trend upward in the no tap league. As long as there is consistency around my line whether in reactive or plastic balls, I can find a shot and follow it. If there is inconsistency around me, I really can't create any of my own.,

[GrumpyCatFace]

She is so inconsistent that there is rarely any pattern to her scores. I can tell you though that thanks to her, my scores tend to trend downward through the set while they trend upward in the no tap league. As long as there is consistency around my line whether in reactive or plastic balls, I can find a shot and follow it. If there is inconsistency around me, I really can't create any of my own.,

I take it you’re hooking the plastic ball then, or it wouldn’t matter. :)

I can do it, when I shoot at a 10-pin, but not much.

[GrumpyCatFace]

That does change the “carrydown” idea though, if you’re putting revs on a plastic ball. I’d expect much more of the effect if you were rolling it end-over-end.

[J Anderson]

She is so inconsistent that there is rarely any pattern to her scores. I can tell you though that thanks to her, my scores tend to trend downward through the set while they trend upward in the no tap league. As long as there is consistency around my line whether in reactive or plastic balls, I can find a shot and follow it. If there is inconsistency around me, I really can't create any of my own.,
This is what my friends in the local sport league experience. There are about 20 bowlers who bowl both the fall/winter/spring season and the summer season. In the summer the league doubles in size with about a third of the extra bowlers having some experience with sport conditions and 2/3 just trying it out. If you were to take the average of all the summer games bowled it would be about 15 pins lower than the average winter game. Even the year round sport bowlers see their averages drop 5 to 10 pins. Since the format always entails switching pairs at least once, you usually face much different condition when you move to a different pair in summer than winter. It’s not unusual to see someone throw a pair of 200 games and then struggle to hit 150 the third game after moving.

[RobLV1]

That does change the “carrydown” idea though, if you’re putting revs on a plastic ball. I’d expect much more of the effect if you were rolling it end-over-end.

Depending on what the shot requires, I can either hook it or throw it more direct. Either way, there is carry down which I find after I've created it. More significant is that I have not seen any indication that anyone throwing a reactive resin ball is experiencing carry down, even when it is as concentrated as what I create with my consistency. It's just an idea whose time has passed, but refuses to roll over and die!

[GrumpyCatFace]

Depending on what the shot requires, I can either hook it or throw it more direct. Either way, there is carry down which I find after I've created it. More significant is that I have not seen any indication that anyone throwing a reactive resin ball is experiencing carry down, even when it is as concentrated as what I create with my consistency. It's just an idea whose time has passed, but refuses to roll over and die!

You may be right, but the idea isn’t going anywhere. It’s a convenient scapegoat for people, and there’s no real way to know with certainty.

If somebody can come up with real evidence, like a way to measure the oil pattern mid-game, it would dispel any myths.

[RobLV1]

You may be right, but the idea isn’t going anywhere. It’s a convenient scapegoat for people, and there’s no real way to know with certainty.

If somebody can come up with real evidence, like a way to measure the oil pattern mid-game, it would dispel any myths.

Actually, there is a way, and I've done it. I had a tape run after a four-game trios league. There were only two streaks of carry down past the end of the pattern, and both were only 2 units of oil. Reactive resin will not respond to two units of oil. Besides, the whole idea of this thread was to get bowlers to open their minds to the changes in modern bowling. You're right, it is a scapegoat. It's a way for bowlers to avoid actually seeing the reaction of the bowling ball before it gets to the pins. It's the layman's way out, and it costs bowlers big time. All I can do is try to help. You can lead a horse to water, etc., etc., etc.

[vdubtx]

Making spares is the best way to increase your average. Watching for transition is great if you know how to see it. I am still learning to watch for changing lanes every time out on the lanes. But, if you can't convert what you leave then you're not gonna get very far.

[RobLV1]

How right you are. One of the only good things about being forced to throw plastic is that using a ball that cannot overpower anything, the only option that I have is to see the transition and anticipate it. I've gotten pretty good at it. I only wish that there was something that could be done to repair my spine so that I could get enough ball speed to throw reactive again. I firmly believe that I could be the bowler I always wanted to be if that could happen.

[boatman37]

I'm usually a few frames behind the transition but alot of that is because I am not consistent enough to hit my mark every shot. I'm still trying to get my old form back that I had 20 years ago when I quit. Seems I need a few frames to be sure it's the lanes and not me.

As for spares, I agree 100%. Even pros would be way worse than they are if they couldn't convert spares. I have been pretty erratic since I came back. I either throw a bunch of strikes and miss spares or I get my spares and no strikes. My scores are usually higher when I'm hitting my spares than I am when I'm hitting strikes. Last week was one of the few weeks where I did both (2 opens all night and 635 series). In my previous bowling life I was a spare killer but not a high strike % bowler. I had a 193 average when I quit in 2002 (elbow injury and surgery).

I have never been strong at reading transitions but being a lefty that plays way outside I don't usually see much transition. Last week I was a couple boards further right than usual (still throwing 1st arrow). I did move to about the 7 or 8 board midway thru the 2nd game because I wasn't comfortable moving any further right and throwing over the 1st arrow. If I missed outside the 1st arrow it wouldn't come back. We have 3 lefties on our team and the other 2 throw 2nd arrow and a little higher rev than me. When it does get really dry I will move to the 2nd arrow and have thrown 3rd arrow a few times but my ball is pretty much a straight ball at that point and I have rarely ever had to move that far in.

Even with 20 years of league experience I was never much on the technical side. At the point I left there wasn't much technical information out there for the league bowler. Just starting to learn this stuff.

[RobLV1]

Look at #4 in my original post. You say you're not consistent enough to hit your mark on every shot. Consider these two things: 1. You can learn a lot about transition by watching your bad shots as well as your good shots. A lot of lining up is knowing where you can and cannot miss at any given time. Every imperfect shot still gives you valuable information. 2. There is a reason that the pros refer to lining up with their feet and their eyes. Pros don't talk about target, just about looking with their eyes for the simple reason that where you are with your eyes gives you a direction. It is not a target that needs to be hit to throw a good shot.

[boatman37]

I always looked at my target. It's what I was taught when I was about 10 and just have always done it. I have noticed I don't focus on it as much as I used to. I can rarely tell you exactly what board my ball rolled over because I'm not focused enough or something. Seems like I used to be able to tell you exactly where my ball went but not so much anymore. I attributed that to the fact that I'm thinking about so many other things. It used to be muscle memory and I didn't have to think about it but now seems like I still have to think about every movement on my approach.

[mattmc82]

For those of you who have followed my writing in BTM over the past decade, you know for the past year and a half, my physical condition has dictated that I have to use a plastic spare ball with a pancake weight block a great, great majority of the time. Over the time that I have been using plastic, I have learned a great deal. First, I must say that throwing plastic, I am enjoying bowling more than I have in many, many years. Obviously, my average is lower, hovering around 180, however when I am able to throw the occasional 600 series, I know for a fact that I earned every stick.

Along the way, I have learned a few things that can help most every bowler, however I realize that many of you will refuse to believe what I’m about to tell you because it goes against so many things that you’ve believed for so long. That’s okay. My hope is that a few of you will be able to open your minds enough to consider the examples that I will give you as proof, and accept that many things have changed in bowling since you first threw your first shot in the sixties, seventies, eighties, and even the early nineties.

This season I am bowling in two leagues: a recreational trios league, and a fun time no-tap league. While both leagues bowl during the day, neither is exclusively for seniors. Each league has a mix of current or former serious bowlers and purely recreational bowlers. I also practice occasionally with two or three 200+ average bowlers. This mix of league bowling with low average and high average bowlers has taught me a whole lot about myself and about lane conditions. Following are the unbelievable ways that you can raise your average. Feel free to question them at which time I will be glad to give you anecdotal proof of the events that led to my beliefs.

1 Carry percentage increases when you simply hit the pocket rather than trying to strike.
2 To stay ahead of transition, you must watch every shot thrown by every bowler on the pair.
3 You cannot over-power the lanes, so you must be aware of lane changes immediately.
4 You don’t have the luxury of waiting for a perfect shot to make an adjustment for changing lanes.
5 You must learn to differentiate between oil absorption, carry down, and lane topography.
6 The only way to gain control of your bowling is to accept the fact that you have no control.

No tap tourneys taught me point number 1 greatly. I throw a plastic ball with pancake about 50% of the time. Point #2 was learned easier in no tap because I’m more concerned with missing the pocket and everything moves so much faster.

[mattmc82]

You may be right, but the idea isn’t going anywhere. It’s a convenient scapegoat for people, and there’s no real way to know with certainty.

If somebody can come up with real evidence, like a way to measure the oil pattern mid-game, it would dispel any myths.

I was in a league where the alley did not change the oil every week! Carrydown was a definite problem (you would see pins slide from 3 to 10 lol)

[mattmc82]

Boatman you just gotta concentrate those 30 seconds! My average is up about 25 pins from last year. I can basically tell within the first rotation if my ball is gonna be a 9-10 or 7-8

[Lancerdad34]

What type of plastic ball do you use? I use an old Columbia white dot most of the time on my Wed league because the last are too dry (and wood) to use reactive. I have a blue hammer urethane and that works some nights. I am left handed and play the 5 board most of the time. I am looking to replace my white dot with a plastic ball that has a little stronger finish.

Thanks,
Brian in MI

[J Anderson]

What type of plastic ball do you use? I use an old Columbia white dot most of the time on my Wed league because the last are too dry (and wood) to use reactive. I have a blue hammer urethane and that works some nights. I am left handed and play the 5 board most of the time. I am looking to replace my white dot with a plastic ball that has a little stronger finish.

Thanks,
Brian in MI

On many house shots there is virtually no oil outside of the ten board. When someone from an earlier league tells me that “the lanes are dry”, I usually assume that they are really saying that area that they are comfortable playing is toast. I then look to see where the oil is left.

[RobLV1]

I use a Brunswick T Zone with a 3000 abralon surface. J Anderson is right. There is very, very little oil outside of ten board on a typical house shot. I'm playing around 12 to 13 with plastic, and am normally in to about 15 by the end of three games. If I could use reactive, I would in a heartbeat. Move into the oil and use a reactive ball. Your carry will improve tremendously!

[mx1alex]

I use a Brunswick T Zone with a 3000 abralon surface. J Anderson is right. There is very, very little oil outside of ten board on a typical house shot. I'm playing around 12 to 13 with plastic, and am normally in to about 15 by the end of three games. If I could use reactive, I would in a heartbeat. Move into the oil and use a reactive ball. Your carry will improve tremendously!

12-13 at arrows? coming our of the break?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is it with your health that you can throw a plastic ball but not reactive or urethane? I just figured they would all apply the same stresses to your body no matter the cover stock.

[JasonNJ]

12-13 at arrows? coming our of the break?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is it with your health that you can throw a plastic ball but not reactive or urethane? I just figured they would all apply the same stresses to your body no matter the cover stock.

My guess would be his ball speed, not enough speed and reactive and even urethane will hook way too early.

[mx1alex]

My guess would be his ball speed, not enough speed and reactive and even urethane will hook way too early.

Makes sense!

[RobLV1]

Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is it with your health that you can throw a plastic ball but not reactive or urethane? I just figured they would all apply the same stresses to your body no matter the cover stock.

I have degenerative bone disease throughout the entire length of my spine as well as arthritis in all of my joints. I have had neck surgery to fuse C5 and C6, but there is nothing that can be done for my lower back: Orthopedic Surgeon, upon looking at my MRI, "Sorry, dude, but I could cut you nine times and never fix you, your back is so screw up!" My ball speed is 9-10 mph on the monitor, but I do have a decent rev rate and axis rotation. I can throw a plastic ball from 12 at the arrows, out to 6 or 7 at the far tracer and get the ball back to the pocket.

[boatman37]

When I quit in 2002 there was a different PSO at our center. He is no longer a PSO but still bowls in our league and we bowled against his team Tuesday night. He still remembers me from way back but anyway quite a few people had mentioned how dry the lanes were. Me targeting the first arrow it didn't affect me. So we were both up to bowl and he says to me that he wishes he had more speed. I told him he could have some of mine...lol. He said he noticed how fast I throw. Told him I have tried to slow it down but haven't been able to. His comment was that I 'need that speed tonight' (Tuesday night).
But I have 2 bulging disks in my lower back and impingement, bursitis, and bone spurs in my shoulder. I also had torn tendons in my elbow (upper epicondalitis) that I had surgery on in 2002, which is why I quit bowling. So far these haven't been an issue but at 49 I'm sure these issues will get worse. I think slowing down now may help my body last longer. I slowed my approach but my timing is so bad then it just makes it hard to get used to. I feel like I'm crawling to the line. We pulled a sub in and are getting his games in so I am sitting out next week. I might go down to practice and work on slowing down. It's very hard for me to throw inside the 10 board with my speed and low revs. The ball pretty much goes straight.

[RobLV1]

My bone issues first reared their ugly heads when I was in my mid thirties. I was playing softball four nights a week and finally decided to hang up my spikes when my thought every time I came up to bat was "I really hope I don't have to slide 'cause it's really going to hurt!" After quitting softball, I was approached by someone on the company bowling team who said that one of their members had quit, and would I like to learn to bowl. That's how i got my start 35 years ago!

The most important thing for me in terms of both my comfort when I bowl and my success each outing is keeping the thought "smooth" for every shot I throw.

[djp1080]

Rob that's a great story. So you got your start in bowling pretty late in life. Interesting!
One of my problems is that I started when I was 8 or 9 years old and was bowling in a kids league at 9 or 10 each Saturday morning at a place about 10 miles from our house. No coaches and no training. Some of the things I learned early on have evidently stuck with me to this day and hinder my ability to do things in a better way. Oh well.
On to softball though. What game did you play and what position? Fast pitch or slow pitch? I got into playing softball while I was in the Navy down in Florida. Was stationed up at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in the late sixties and used to watch the leagues there and I was amazed at the fast pitch pitchers speed and accuracy. A few months after leaving there and going to Florida I was playing that game with my work mates and loved it. My batting average was pretty darn good in fast pitch, but never learned how to hit slow pitch well at all. I guess you were supposed to more or less catch the ball with your bat and hit it where you wanted to. Never got the knack. Thanks for bringing back old memories for me... :)

[RobLV1]

I played first base in a slow pitch league. My last season I was playing four nights a week, with the main night being our company team. My final season I was the playing manager, and our team went 10-0. I batted 400 for the simple reason that I am so slow that I had to get a double to get to first base. The sad thing about softball is that, like hardball, the worst fielder is always put in right field. All I had to do was to learn to hit to right with the ball spinning like crazy toward the foul line, and and could get on base at will.

[djp1080]

Yes, the right fielder usually wasn't the best. Fortunately I bat left-handed even though I threw right. Maybe that's why my batting average was better than most. Played 2nd base much of the time, but liked 3rd base, too. The final year I played I was on a position I wanted to play from the beginning and that was 1st base. My throwing abilities were marginal at best, but then I tried pitching slow pitch. I was one of the few who would get a few strike outs each game I was in there. I had the nasty habit of tossing high arc balls which would drop like a rock right on the plate. :)
Broke my ankle sliding into third base one of the last games of the season. Suffered from that for quite a while.
Enjoyed playing the game but fast pitch was tons more fun for me. Thanks again for the story...

[bdpeters]

very very interesting post. having much to learn I can see how each of these items can help. #2 really strikes a chord with me. I think about all of the times i have been unhappy with my throw and turned my back, ignoring what was actually happening on the lane. and forget about even watching what is happening to others. I started get a lot of info about what was going on when I started paying attention to what the ball was doing rather than turning away in disgust.

[RobLV1]

That's what I'm talking 'bout!