If you (right-hander) leave a stone eight, would you consider...

[RobLV1]

making an adjustment?

[JasonNJ]

I probably wouldn't. I probably wouldn't do it for a stone 9 either. 10 pin, yes depending on where my ball is leaving the deck.


Rob - what adjustment would you make on a stone 8?

[RobLV1]

Rob - what adjustment would you make on a stone 8?

Yesterday I was bowling in a doubles league. Near the end of the first game, my partner left a stone eight on the left lane. As I watched the ball go through the pins, I thought to myself, "I hope he's going to make an adjustment off of that eight pin, 'cause I see a pocket seven-ten in his future." He did not adjust, and three shots later on that lane he left the seven-ten. This prompted an animated discussion between the two of us and the PSO after bowling. The PSO, who is a 225 average bowler said that he would not adjust, citing the fact that non of us are consistent enough to adjust for a solid eight.

This brought up a discussion on the merits of adjusting on a less-then-perfect shot. I firmly believe that you can, and should make adjustments on less than perfect shots for the very reason that he cited: we rarely throw perfect shots. If we wait for a perfect shot to adjust, we would never adjust! I said that I would consider a one and one move left appropriate, but added that I don't think that a solid eight pin is indicative of the lane shouting out for a move, but more like a whisper that it is something to consider. I think we've all seen what happens when we ignore that little voice in our head when it suggests that an adjustment might be a good idea.

[djp1080]

I was thinking more along the lines of your PSO especially for me as my consistency stinks; however, I like your thoughts on this as well.
I've thought that the result of a one and one move left (or right) would allow the ball to move over one board.
For the last couple of years I've been targeting at the dots. As a result my move would be more like one board left with my feet and half a board with my target. Seems to work just about right.
I had a pretty darn good third game of a set recently. Quite a few strikes. Had two 3-10 splits and picked them up. Finished with a double in the 10th and the last ball was a 7-10. No stone 8's before it. :)

[boatman37]

A stone 8 would tell me either I hit light or my ball deflected (burned up). Initially I would probably move my feet 1/2 board right but leave my target the same (I target at the dots). If I was sure my ball was burning up then I would either try a different ball or move my target in closer to the oil and adjust my feet accordingly.
This is all dependent upon whether or not I hit my mark. If I missed my mark then I would not adjust based off of a bad shot.
This would be my progression but yeah, if you hit your mark and aren't getting strikes then why would you not adjust?

This is how I would handle it, not saying it's right or wrong because this is stuff I'm still working on figuring out myself.

[RobLV1]

I hope that when you refer to hitting your mark, you're referring to the breakpoint and not the dots or arrows. Close up targets are meaningless unless you know where your ball is at the breakpoint.

[boatman37]

I hope that when you refer to hitting your mark, you're referring to the breakpoint and not the dots or arrows. Close up targets are meaningless unless you know where your ball is at the breakpoint.

Actually I have always targeted the dots but last week I was practicing and started trying to target further down lane. It did seem to help me with my spares a little but haven'y done it enough to know how much of a difference it would make. I don't really know my breakpoint. I tried it with a couple 7 pin shots and looked at a spot about 3/4 of the way down. Not really sure where my breakpoint would be but might have to try it next time I bowl. We are off the next 2 weeks. But since I started bowling around 1980 I have targeted the dots...lol

[RobLV1]

The pros refer to where you look rather than where you target. There is a reason for that. There are no pins at the dots, or at the arrows, for that matter. Nor are there any pins at the breakpoint. Any of the points, or all of them, are only references to determine the path of the ball on the way to the pins. It is most important, regardless of where you look, to notice where your ball is at the end of the pattern. This is much easier on Brunswick lanes with the dark tracer boards at 34' and 40'. Once you learn to notice where your ball is there, I'm pretty sure that you will notice a correlation with when your ball strikes... or when it doesn't.

[boatman37]

The pros refer to where you look rather than where you target. There is a reason for that. There are no pins at the dots, or at the arrows, for that matter. Nor are there any pins at the breakpoint. Any of the points, or all of them, are only references to determine the path of the ball on the way to the pins. It is most important, regardless of where you look, to notice where your ball is at the end of the pattern. This is much easier on Brunswick lanes with the dark tracer boards at 34' and 40'. Once you learn to notice where your ball is there, I'm pretty sure that you will notice a correlation with when your ball strikes... or when it doesn't.

This would change from ball to ball, correct? And I was taught to target at the arrows when I was about 10 but I threw a straight ball then so maybe that is why? Anyway, I always stuck with that. And our lanes are AMF so no tracer boards. I'll have to try looking down lane more and see how that goes. I do look up and follow the ball after it gets past the arrows but before that my eyes are glued to the arrows.

[J Anderson]

This would change from ball to ball, correct? And I was taught to target at the arrows when I was about 10 but I threw a straight ball then so maybe that is why? Anyway, I always stuck with that. And our lanes are AMF so no tracer boards. I'll have to try looking down lane more and see how that goes. I do look up and follow the ball after it gets past the arrows but before that my eyes are glued to the arrows.

Where the ball needs to exit the pattern is more dependent on the lane condition than what ball you’re using. We all need to really observe the whole path of the ball including where it drops off the pin deck.

[ChuckR]

Interesting discussion. If I start to leave 8 or 9 pins, I check to see how my release is. I also have to check around me to see if the Red Rock lanes in Las Vegas have started to dry out at the pins. Rob, you understand what happens with their oil and the lanes bothered by the entrance.
Originally, I looked at the pins but my eyes forced me to look closer to the foul line. They finally changed enough that new glasses have returned the vision to further down the lane.
This discussion highlights the many things that can cause unwanted results.

[RobLV1]

Interesting discussion. If I start to leave 8 or 9 pins, I check to see how my release is.

This is one of the many ideas left over from the pre-resin days. Bowlers still like to think that they are in control, but we're not. The only way to gain control of your game is to admit that you have no control, if that makes any sense at all.

[J Anderson]

This is one of the many ideas left over from the pre-resin days. Bowlers still like to think that they are in control, but we're not. The only way to gain control of your game is to admit that you have no control, if that makes any sense at all.

I received the Quiet Mind Bowling DVD as a Christmas gift and started watching it. Your comment is in line with the focus of the video. Instead of being focused on hitting a target or releasing the ball just right, one needs find a way to shut the intellect down and let “muscle memory” do its thing.

[ChuckR]

Muscle Memory vs Over Thinking is a key part of the game. What you need to remember is that Muscle Memory only works if the Muscles remember to do the right things or the wrong things(which can be adjusted for) consistently. In my case I have had for 60 years a 3 board walk right. I can adjust because I do it so consistently.

[RobLV1]

I think that a big part of the problem is that we don't all view making adjustments the same way. Back in the old days we looked at maintaining the best line to the pocket. Today, a major part of adjusting is maintaining our knowledge of how the "miss room" is changing. As oil is absorbed by each ball that is thrown down the lane, and the new areas of increased friction expose new topography that will affect the ball, we need to be constantly aware of where we can miss and still get the ball to the pocket. This is the reason that waiting for a perfect shot to adjust does not work today. It is often our misses that give us the most information. This is not over-thinking, it's just thinking!

[J Anderson]

I think that a big part of the problem is that we don't all view making adjustments the same way. Back in the old days we looked at maintaining the best line to the pocket. Today, a major part of adjusting is maintaining our knowledge of how the "miss room" is changing. As oil is absorbed by each ball that is thrown down the lane, and the new areas of increased friction expose new topography that will affect the ball, we need to be constantly aware of where we can miss and still get the ball to the pocket. This is the reason that waiting for a perfect shot to adjust does not work today. It is often our misses that give us the most information. This is not over-thinking, it's just thinking!

Amen!
Now, all I have to do is figure out how to get one of my teammates to come to a decision on what adjustment to make before stepping on the approach and just roll the dang ball.

[JasonNJ]

Amen!
Now, all I have to do is figure out how to get one of my teammates to come to a decision on what adjustment to make before stepping on the approach and just roll the dang ball.

Good luck with that, the majority of league bowlers I know, know nothing about transition and when they bowl bad, its always the lane man's fault for not oiling right.

[GrumpyCatFace]

I’m the same. I still take a while to think about what marks to hit. I’m not quite confident enough with throwing at a breakpoint yet.

Be patient with your teammate. Once he gets the hang of what he’s trying to do, his scores will shoot up.

[J Anderson]

Good luck with that, the majority of league bowlers I know, know nothing about transition and when they bowl bad, its always the lane man's fault for not oiling right.

I have never heard this teammate blame the lane or the lane man for his low scores.

What I think is the problem is that he has spent 40 years dealing with computers, and is mentaly going through all the lines of code involved in delivering the ball.