Current no carry situation (last few weeks)

[Iceman]

Between Dec - Jan, I didn't shoot anything less than 669. I shot 6 700's in that span also. Since beginning of Feb, the carry of the 10 pin has reduced dramatically. I know this house very well, and I spoke to the guys running the machine. One day they will say they are buffering the length on the lanes more, and adding more units of oil to the outside, and the next they say they haven't changed anything for 2 months.

I've been rolling the same Jacked 3" pin at 2:00, I'm a tweener, play up the boards. I still get to the pocket very well - but carrying now is very hard. In my last 3 evenings, spanning 2 weeks, I've left at least 14 10 pins average. I am picking them up which is not the problem, but making adjustments to carry is. I've got the ball out early on the lanes to create more roll, I've moved back, moved right and amped up the speed, etc. I put a 800 grit on my jacked each evening before I head out. I have a spinner which makes it easy. Last night, I put a 1000 on it. The ball gets down the lane good, but you can see when the ball gets inside, it tends to slide instead of roll. It's almost like the ball is rolling out at the pocket, a lot of 6 pins in the gutter (or flat 10 pins) Very seldom wrapped 6 pins.

I understand putting more surface creates roll earlier and less on backend - which is my game - the skid/flip is not. I can move left, move line inside but when I do this, I know I'm leaving 10 pins, even during my stint of 700's it would happen. I have a Track 505 with 800 surface and I'm going to try tonight on a fresh pattern. The 700 stint were on fresh patterns and after a mixed league, it didn't matter during that timeframe.

I'm just curious as to better adjustments to carry (i know bowling is about carry and sometimes you're not going to do it - but when I haven't been carrying, I've been shooting 560-590. I should be getting 60's at minimum. Not getting doubles and a few bad adjustment shots that go through the nose takes the 600 out of the picture.

I'm all for nights when carry is not possible, but after a few evenings of the same thing, I know there is something I need to do to change it - this is where I am struggling.....

suggestions????

[DanielMareina]

There are a couple of suggestions i can make. Number one is squaring your shoulders with the lane instead of your shot. It will help with the carry. Also, getting a little loft will get the ball to be a little sharper off the back of the pattern.
These are just a couple suggestions. As a side note, know that it isn't just the lane machine and oil pattern that effect lane conditions. There is about 25+ things that will effect it. Most of which would be humidity and temperature (air and lane). Also, the people you bowl against will change the oil on the lane depending on their ball and line. Just something to keep in mind.

[Iceman]

Also, getting a little loft will get the ball to be a little sharper off the back of the pattern.


So loft will create sharper back? I thought if i'm leaving 10 pins, the angle of the ball is late, so wouldn't loft get the ball down the lane before break? I assume you're pointing out just the sharper turn on the back end. Loft, as I understand it, gets the ball longer (not rolling front or mid lane, saving it's roll on the backend, is this correct in my understanding?

I do understand the other conditions that could effect it too, I'm just looking at the last few weeks, over the last few months, and the patterns saying it has changed then it hasn't. I'm not against changing patterns, would be nice to know, but then again, I only get 2 - 3 balls a season and if they change conditions (buffer, length, etc). All I'm trying to do is increase my avg 5 pins each year, I'm down 3 this year overall, but up 7 on 1 of my leagues (always a fresh shot) - but last few weeks even on that pattern, not carrying.

Oh, and squaring to the lane versus shot? Are you saying don't open my shoulders to my line I'm playing, keep it square to the lane and swing my arm to the line? I'm a little confused here.

[DanielMareina]

First of all, lofting does get the ball farther down the lane. You are correct there. What it also does is get the ball through the heads without wasting any of it's energy. This leaves more to be used on the back of the pattern. Also, lofting tends to slow the ball speed up a little, which will help get the ball to read the back of the pattern. This is not a garuntee of a solution, just a suggestion as one thing to try. If the ball is reading a little in the heads, it will not drive through the pins, and in turn can cause you to not carry.
Next, squaring your shoulders to the lane instead of the shot will adjust the entry angle of the ball. This will create a sharper angle, and in turn will cause you less 10 pins. This is the adjustment that me and my other coach both use when we start coming in weak. You square your shoulders to the lane, and prodject the ball on the line using your arm. If you keep your shoulders open to your shot, on a regular shot, that is fine, but when you start coming in weak, then you make this adjustment. If you are playing a very large arcing shot, this is sometimes impossible to do, because it will cause you to come off the side of the ball. Otherwise, it is a good option that is easy to do.
I hope this clears it up for you.

[The Mayor]

I totally agree with everything Daniel said! Let the ball store its energy.

[Iceman]

I understand better - I tried this last night, which even my best friend coach, stated he saw I was more square at the lane, but I created a backswing (that was coming behind my back) and causing me to come around early - Once I shortened my backswing, staying down and getting a little more loft, the ball read the heads and mid lane well, and finished strong. Although it was difficult for me to repeat every frame, old tendencies surfaced (got feet fast, coming behind my back, ect). This gives me more to work on, and I'm planning on Sunday afternoon to record video and just roll each frame (not worrying about scoring) - coach tells me I need to make myself do it, so the memory of muscles will take over eventually. He also said I'm just in a funk and to bowl through it with what I've been doing in the recent past.

[DanielMareina]

Slumps do happen, but learning how to loft consistently will help in the future, so it isn't a bad thing to practice anyway. I trust his eyes since I haven't watched you bowl, but know that versitility is what makes a great bowler. Lofting is tough, and you will have to change your swing a little, but it is a good skill to have late in a tournament run. Also, it isn't something you should have to do all the time, just when you can't carry and your regular moves don't work. Good luck! Post the video on this site, and we will all give you some advice. I find it very helpful myself to let the other coach at my center watch me, and I do the same for him. Even coaches have plenty of room for improvement.