What is the most challenging lane condition for you?

[The Mayor]

Some people struggle on freshly oiled patterns while others go south once the lanes dry out. Maybe it's short oil patterns that give you the biggest headache, or a long pattern like the Shark pattern.

My least favorite lane condition has always been a reverse block, dry in the middle of the lane and long oil generally from 10 out. It's extremely hard to get the ball to finish at the pins with any force. Thankfully, this isn't a widely used pattern anymore (from what I've seen).

[Drano]

Some people struggle on freshly oiled patterns while others go south once the lanes dry out. Maybe it's short oil patterns that give you the biggest headache, or a long pattern like the Shark pattern.

My least favorite lane condition has always been a reverse block, dry in the middle of the lane and long oil generally from 10 out. It's extremely hard to get the ball to finish at the pins with any force. Thankfully, this isn't a widely used pattern anymore (from what I've seen).

I don't fair well on patterns that make me play up the gutter, when I'm that far right, for some reason I drift even more left than I normally do(normally 4-5 boards, when I'm trying to play up 2-3, I drift about 10 boards). I've been working on that though and hopefully I'll be comfortable with the gutter soon.

And generally, the lower ratio pattern you have the harder its going to play. You have your house shots that are something like 16:1, then your sport compliant shots are 2:1 or less, then you have your reverse blocks that are 1:2

[mhrinko]

I have a hard time when the lanes are freshly oiled. I can'ty seem to find that sweet spot on the lane.

[mhrinko]

My first game is usually very low, around 150's, my average is 170. Once the lanes breakdown, I start bowling my avaerage.

[jmartin27407]

Most of the time when bowlers struggle on the fresh is when they are not using enough surface. This is seen more on sport patterns do to the lack of taper in the back of the pattern. For example, if you were to throw a Victory Road at box finish (1500 polish) on a fresh pattern, the cover would make the ball retain energy as well as the oil in the front. Now once the ball encounters friction down lane the ball has retained so much energy that the ball is going to jump in the direction of rotation. This type of motion can really close down your miss area. If you were to throw a Marvel at 1000 abralon, the ball would attempt to burn off some of its energy in the front of the lane causing the ball to be smoother off the end of the pattern. Layouts can also help in this situation but surface is more of a factor.

[Stormed1]

For me due to my ;ower ball speed i have always struggled on dry

[Trex]

I use to struggle on short oil, and on reverse block until I got my old AMF Pro Roll Classic Rubber ball out of the closet and started using it on those patterns. It works great for me when everything else is hooking way too soon, or way too much!!

My high game to date with the old Rubber Ball is 277 and that was on an oil pattern that made plastic balls hook at the arrows!!!! But I could still get the old Rubber ball to hook and roll right up into the pocket and strike!!!

This was on Brunswick Pro Anvilane synthetic lanes oiled with an older model kegel lane machine, the oil pattern was the mic 50 plastic ball test pattern which made a joke of anyone trying to use a reactive ball!!

[DanielMareina]

I find that the hardest patterns to bowl on are ones with all the oil in the forward run of the oiler and no reverse oil. This has become a trend for Nationals the last couple years. The oil starts out thick and then moves to the end of the lane, but drys out in the mids. This causes mid lane roll and then back end skid. It makes a bowler adjust every other shot.
To make it worse, when the buff brush doesn't buff the last 10 feet of the pattern on the way back even, it gets even harder.

[jaydee]

Heavy/fresh oil. I always average higher on my 3rd game throughout a season. I have lower revs, so it makes sense.

[JAnderson]

The Kegel Turnpike (pattern info (http://www.kegel.net/patternlibrary/foPattern.asp?iKodPattern=715&bType=3&iKodMachine=14&iKodLane=1&iKodConditioner=3)) at the Bowling This Month tournament in Reno this year gave me fits, at least as it was applied in that house on that surface. So I'm asking my home "practice" house to put it out Sunday mornings.

[broncofan27]

Man I wish I knew what the heck all these patterns you guys talk of mean and how the heck you learn how to recognize them. Basically for me I struggle with heavier oil. I have one house I play at where I average about 190 or so now. Another house that I know has much more oil I average a good 20 pins lower.

[CMoore]

Worst is Purdue University's lanes! They have freaking pot hole in the middle of their lanes!

[glen290]

Heavy oil patterns are a killer for me as I dont have the rev rate to get through it..