Blog Comments

  1. bowl1820's Avatar
    The Flat Spot

    The flat spot is the area in the red circle in which the blue ball track flattens and the delivery happens.


    (English cc/subtitles available for the text shown in the video)

    This is a translation from German of the text that goes with the video:
    Players who are able to make your delivery with a flat spot have the advantage that you can benefit from a margin of error in the delivery. It has also been shown that these players also have a higher consistency of the delivery.

    The following elements are necessary in order to be able to produce such a flat ball track (or flat spot)
    - the inclination of the upper body during the slide step should have a constant angle as far as possible
    - the level (height) on which the hip axis moves during the slide step should remain as equal as possible until delivery
    - to support this flat ball track, the knee should also continue the forward movement after which the foot has completed the sliding movement.

    You also might want to read this:
    Don’t Underestimate the Flat Spot!
    http://tamerbowling.com/dont-underes...the-flat-spot/

    Excerpt:
    "So it is important to remember that the armswing should not be a simple semi-circle, i.e., it doesn’t just go back shoulder height and come forward shoulder height. At some point when you release the ball at the bottom of the swing, there actually has to be a slight forward projection which creates this “flat spot” effect."
  2. bowl1820's Avatar
    Reading Lane Conditions Front to Back

    "Reading a lane condition front to back is identifying where the ball begins to lose speed. If a ball loses a lot of speed in the first 20 feet, you can expect less hook power or a smoother backend motion down lane. If the ball doesn’t lose speed in the front or middle sections of the lane, you can expect more hook down lane creating a stronger back-end reaction towards the pins."
  3. bowl1820's Avatar
    Flare Safe Zone.

    I don't know that it's a set in stone rule, but it has been a general guideline for approximating the top bowtie location.

    This has to do with what is called the Flare Safe zone, if you had a high track and you put the pin too low. You ran the risk of the ball flaring over your finger holes.

    The old guideline on what you did was draw a line from your initial PAP through your Ring finger hole to the track. (This IMO showed basically where your release would cause the bowtie to be.)

    Then If you placed the pin above and to the right of that imaginary line (on high track players) it minimized the chances of the ball tracking (flaring) over the finger holes.

    If you placed the pin below that imaginary line you ran a greater risk of the ball tracking (flaring) over the finger holes.

    You would also see "draw a line from the PAP through the pin to the track. To approximate the top bowtie location." used in conjunction with it. (This IMO showed basically where the ball layout +release would most likely cause the bowtie to be.)

    This is a quote from Ebonite that relates to this also:

    "If you draw a line from the positive axis point, through the locator pin to your ball track, that spot would constitute the pivot for your track flare bow tie. When the track flares, it moves closer to the fingers and farther from the thumb so this causes your ball to roll over the fingers.

    You should ONLY drill a pin in the flare safe zone referenced in our documentation. That zone is above a line from your positive axis point to your ring finger. Anything below that line raises your roll especially in asymmetrical bowling products."


    According to a MO post he said that's more related to how older balls tracked, That with today's more dynamic cores the bowtie locations have been altered somewhat. He said:
    "On modern balls the top bowtie is usually about an 1 1/2" to 3" above the line[/color](on the track) from the PAP through the pin. The bowtie (location?)is far less defined than it used to be because of the stronger dynamics of modern cores."
  4. bowl1820's Avatar
    Coefficient of Restitution (COR)
    The ratio of the energy of two objects after impact to the energy before impact. In the case of a
    ball striking a pin, this is the percentage of energy transfer from the ball to the pin

    There is a USBC specified range of between 0.650 and 0.750 in COR, the difference in filler materials is only really from around 0.700-0.7100 with normal three piece construction to 0.720-0.730 in two piece construction. It's not really a significant increase in energy transfer to the pins.

    Basically the measurement of COR is that you transfer more energy to the pins meaning, that the head pin will come off of the ball with a slightly higher velocity than with a lower COR. You might throw one more pin off the kickback plate out of 20 let's say the difference would be negligible.


    Two different results occur from differences in COR:

    Higher COR means more pin velocity and more ball deflection. Lower COR means less pin velocity, but less ball deflection.Which one would you like. Six of one; half dozen of another!

    According to Brunswick;

    "More coverstock (A Thicker cover) enhances the Coefficient of Restitution which is the ratio of the differences in velocity between two objects before and after a collision. The higher the restitution, the faster the pins will move after being struck by the ball, transferring that increased kinetic energy to the surrounding pins producing greater pin action!"
    Updated 01-22-2018 at 04:12 PM by bowl1820
  5. bowl1820's Avatar
    Flare Safe Zone Info: from a post I made before, it includes info from Ebonite and Mo about the Flare safe zone.

    I don't know that it's a set in stone rule, but it has been a general guideline for approximating the top bowtie location.

    This had to do with what was called the Flare Safe zone, if you had a high track and you put the pin too low. You ran the risk of the ball flaring over your finger holes.

    The old guideline on what you did was draw a line from your initial PAP through your Ring finger hole to the track. (This IMO showed basically where your release would cause the bowtie to be.)

    Then If you placed the pin above and to the right of that imaginary line (on high track players) it minimized the chances of the ball tracking (flaring) over the finger holes.

    If you placed the pin below that imaginary line you ran a greater risk of the ball tracking (flaring) over the finger holes.

    You would also see "draw a line from the PAP through the pin to the track. To approximate the top bowtie location." used in conjunction with it. (This IMO showed basically where the ball layout +release would most likely cause the bowtie to be.)

    This is a quote from Ebonite that relates to this also:

    "If you draw a line from the positive axis point, through the locator pin to your ball track, that spot would constitute the pivot for your track flare bow tie. When the track flares, it moves closer to the fingers and farther from the thumb so this causes your ball to roll over the fingers.

    You should ONLY drill a pin in the flare safe zone referenced in our documentation. That zone is above a line from your positive axis point to your ring finger. Anything below that line raises your roll especially in asymmetrical bowling products."


    According to a MO post he said that's more related to how older balls tracked, That with today's more dynamic cores the bowtie locations have been altered somewhat. He said:
    "On modern balls the top bowtie is usually about an 1 1/2" to 3" above the line(on the track) from the PAP through the pin. The bowtie(location?)is far less defined than it used to be because of the stronger dynamics of modern cores."
    Updated 07-20-2017 at 08:34 PM by bowl1820
  6. bowl1820's Avatar
    Heres some info on the pin.


    PIN PLACEMENT (Pin to CG)
    A Pin-in ball (when the pin is located within two inches of the CG) is excellent choice for control and less hook a Pin-out ball usually can be made to hook more and flip more dramatically than pin-in balls they often give the driller more options in layouts.

    AFFECT OF PIN PLACEMENT (Symmetrical core)
    Pin to PAP distance: (PAP=Positive Axis Point)
    0" - minimum flare potential, core is in its most stable position, earliest roll with smoothest arc.
    1 1/8" - 1/3 of flare potential, stable core position, earlier roll with smooth arc.
    2 1/4" - 2/3 of flare potential, semi stable core position, early roll with strong arc.
    3 3/8" - max flare potential, most unstable core position, medium length with the most hook potential.
    4 1/2" - 2/3 of flare potential, semi stable core position, late roll with flip/arc reaction.
    5 5/8" - 1/3 of flare potential, stable core position, later roll with a flip reaction.
    6 3/4" - minimum flare potential, stable core position, latest roll with strongest flip.

    Remember : These reaction characteristics are all relative to the conditions they are being used on and may not perform as expected due to burning up too early or not setting up early enough.

    Pin to grip center (GC) distance: The higher the pin above grip center the more length you will get for given pin to PAP distance. The placement in relation to GC also affects where the tracks of track flare intersect (bow tie). Higher pin = Higher intersection. For this reason they suggest high trackers place the pin higher above GC to reduce the risk of flaring over the finger holes.
    Updated 07-20-2017 at 08:29 PM by bowl1820
  7. bowl1820's Avatar
    Pearl Balls
    There are at least 2 ways to pearlize a ball. If you use powdered pearl, you will NOT add length, just increase the shape of the breakpoint. If you use liquid pearl (mother of pearl), you will definitely add length.
  8. bowl1820's Avatar
    Vise Hada Patch - 40 pieces

    1 - Quickest

    2 - slightly slower

    3 - even slower

    4 - slowest release


    Vise Hada Patch Blue (#1)
    The Blue Hada patch is the smoothest material.
    The Blue Hada Patch tape gives you the fastest release of
    all the Hada Patches made.

    Vise Hada Patch Red (#2)
    The Red Hada patch is smoother material,than the Aqua Hada Patch.
    The Red Hada Patch tape gives you a faster release,
    than the Aqua Hada Patch, but slower then the Blue Hada Patch.

    Vise Hada Patch Aqua (#3)
    The Aqua Hada patch is smoother material, than the Gray Hada Patch.
    The Aqua Hada Patch tape gives you a faster release,
    than the Gray Hada Patch but slower release then the Red Hada Patch.

    Vise Hada Patch Gray (#4)
    The Grey Hada patch is the roughest material.
    The Grey Hada Patch tape gives you the slowest release
    of all 4 Hada Patch tapes.
  9. bowl1820's Avatar
    Response time to Friction

    Refers to how fast or slow a bowling ball responds to friction.

    A Fast response time means that the ball responds quicker when it encounters friction, A Slow response is just the opposite. So In general, a quicker response to friction means a faster 2nd transition.

    In other words a quick response time to friction is just that, the ball will rev up and change direction as soon as it encounters friction.
    Updated 03-12-2016 at 01:20 PM by bowl1820
  10. bowl1820's Avatar
    Ball Cleaner Showdown #3

    Kegel Revive Ball Cleaner
    -VS-
    Brunswick/Neo-Tac Hook-It

    Ball used in test-
    Ebonite Striking Motion with the coverstock freshly cleaned and polished.

    Ball condition at time of test-
    #1-The ball was thrown once on a freshly oiled house shot. Then allowed to sit for 30 minutes before cleaning.
    #2-The ball was also thrown once on a freshly oiled house shot. Then allowed to sit for several days before cleaning.
    Both times the ball was shiny with oil and no visible dirt or grime.

    Cleaning procedure used-(This was done by hand without a ball spinner.)
    Kegel Rvive Cleaner was applied to half the ball and allowed to soak in 30 sec. Then rubbed in by hand with a microfiber towel until dry.
    Hook-It Cleaner was applied to the other half of the ball and allowed to soak in 30 sec. Then rubbed in by hand with a microfiber towel until dry.

    What was looked for from product-
    The products cleaning ability and the amount of tacky feel (on a smooth finish ball) as compared to the fresh surface of the ball. Tacky feel is rated "No tack 1"-"5 Most tack"

    The Results-
    Kegel Revive Ball Cleaner (which smells like 409) was applied to the 1st half of ball #1 and it removed from the surface all of the visible surface oil. The coverstock was clean, but oil lines could still be seen in the track area. Tacky feel rated at "2", but as the ball sat tackiness increased to about a "3". No noticable change with a second application.

    Brunswick/Neo-Tac Hook-It was applied to the 2nd half of ball #1 and it removed from the surface all of the visible surface oil. The coverstock was clean and all oil lines were gone from the track area. Tacky feel rated at "5".

    Results for ball #2 were the same.



    Conclusion-
    After trying Kegel Revive Ball Cleaner for several sessions, I've found that it is a average ball cleaner. It will remove surface oil and about 85-90% of the grit & grime. If you apply more "elbow grease" and a second application, you can remove more stubborn surface grime. But does not draw out oil from the coverstock well (The visible oil lines left). Also the shrink wrap label tends to slip on the bottle as you try to pump the spray, just rip it off.

    In the ads for Revive it says it lower's the ball's surface "energy" to slow dirt build up and oil aborption. I believe this accounts for the lower "tacky" feel, but I found if you keep rubbing for a longer time that the tackiness rating will go up some. As for the balls not building up dirt as fast, hard to say balls here have been staying pretty clean anyway.

    "A thought if something is lowering the ball's friction (energy??) which is what picks up the dirt and also doesn't let the cover absorb oil. Might let the ball go longer a little. I haven't really seen this, it's just a thought."

    Overall Revive is a alright general purpose ball cleaner, a little better than Ebonite Powerhouse Energizer Cleaner. But not as strong as Hook-It (My favorite).
  11. bowl1820's Avatar
    Ball Cleaner Showdown #2
    by Al Loar

    Product tested: HOOK-IT by Neo-Tac
    Claims to increase "Tac". Remove Oil,Dirt and Beltmarks. Leave dull balls dull and shiney balls shiney.

    Ball used in test: Ebonite NitroR2 Classic with the coverstock (Reactive Resin) freshly Dulled to 600grit.

    Ball condition at time of test-
    Ball was used for 3 games in a night Men's league. A medium oil pattern with a overall length of pattern was 41"
    After the league the ball was shiny with oil and a small amount of grime & dirt. The ball sat for 24 hours before cleaning.

    Cleaning procedure used-(This was done without a ball spinner.)
    Cleaner was applied to half the ball and allowed to soak in 30-45 sec. Then rubbed in by hand with a papertowel until cleaned and then allowed to dry. Then repeated on other half of ball.

    What was looked for from product-
    Cleaning ability,Ball dullness and amount of tacky feel as compared to the fresh surface of the ball. Tacky feel is rated "No tack 1"-"5 Most tack"

    The Results-
    HOOK-IT returned all the coverstock dullness and removed all surface oil and grime. Of the visible oil lines at the start of test on the ball. About 33% of the lines remained visible.
    As for the Tacky feel HOOK-IT gave the ball a incredible tacky feel it rates a "5+"
    As a side test Clean'N Dull was applied to the ball. Just little more grime was removed and most of the visible track lines that were left.



    Conlusion-
    Neo-Tac HOOK-IT is a excellent spray on ball surface cleaner. It removes all the surface oil and grime.It also removes some oil out of the coverstock. It does increase tac also.
    HOOK-IT is a good strong cleaner to use just after bowling and can be used during bowling as well.
    The results on particle balls are similar to these results. I wouldn't use it on a plastic ball, unless it had a real bad beltmark maybe.

    (A caveat try to keep the product off of vinyl inserts, it can make them sticky. Also HOOK-IT has a strong odor, to some who are sensitive to strong odors this maybe a problem.)
    Updated 03-05-2016 at 10:09 AM by bowl1820
  12. bowl1820's Avatar
    What is Grab?
    Or your grip/swing tension number.

    When you are in your stance, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being a feather and 10 being a death grip what is your number?

    Let's say it is a 6 for sake of discussion. Then 6 has to be maintained throughout the swing and release. If 6 turns into 7, 8, 9 or 10 at any point throughout the swing or release - that is grab.
  13. bowl1820's Avatar
    Intermediate Differential: Ball Asymmetry

    The intermediate differential values shown below are a basic guide to the amount of asymmetry in a ball.

    • .000 is a True symmetric, no PSA.
    • .000 to .007 (is treated as a symmetric because the PSA will migrate toward (not necessarily in) the largest hole in the ball, which is usually the thumb hole.)
    • .008 to .012 is a mild asymmetric.
    • .013 to .017 is a medium strength asymmetric.
    • .018 to .022 is a strong asymmetric.
    • .023 and above is a very strong asymmetric.
  14. bowl1820's Avatar
    Some of the basic bowler information needed to help give recommendations on layouts, equipment etc.
    The more information you give, the better information others can give out.

    1-Grip/Fit
    The pro-shop usually will fill out a form that lists this type of information:
    (note: not all forms look the same or list all or the same information)

    1. The actual span for each finger. (that's the measurement from the thumb to that particular finger.)
    2. The Forward/Reverse pitch used on each fingerhole and thumbhole.
    3. The Left/Right lateral pitch used on each fingerhole and thumbhole.
    4. The size of your fingerholes and thumbhole.
    5. The size and type of grips used (if any)
    6. Whether you have Round or Oval holes
    7. If using a Oval thumbhole, what angle is used.
    8. Positive Axis Point (P.A.P.)
    9. What hand is used.
    10. Ball Layout used (Dual Angle, Pin Buffer, other.)
    11. Location/size of weighthole (if used)



    Here's a example using my grip


    Bowler specific information

    1. What hand you bowl with
    2. Speed (Specify if its on the monitor or at the foul line)
    3. Positive Axis Point (P.A.P.)
    4. Rev Rate
    5. Initial Axis Rotation
    6. Initial Axis Tilt
    7. What surface you want the ball for (wood or synthetic)
    8. What lane condition you are bowling on most of the time
    Updated 01-30-2020 at 06:35 PM by bowl1820
  15. bowl1820's Avatar
    Malfunctions and what causes them to happen

    A 180, (pronounced one eighty)
    The rake stays swept back to the rear of the deck. This is called a 180, since the machine has
    actually stopped at 180 degrees.

    Causes:
    - Pins Are Logged Jammed - this is where the pins beaver dam themselves and prevent themselves from dropping into the pin
    wheel.
    1 / 2
    - Jam in the turnaround pan - This is where a pin is incorrectly orientated and jams against the pinsetter frame.
    - Pin Gate Prematurely Locked - The pin gate is essentially the gate keeper. The pin gate does not allow a pin to drop into
    the turret till the turret has rotated and stopped to receive the pin.
    - Bridged Pin - A pin bridges the conveyor and turret. This is caused by another pin pushing on the head of the lead pin and
    prevents the base of the pin from dropping into the turret.
    - Failed to Index - This is caused when a pin drops onto the Turret Trip Lever, but does not depress the Lever hard enough to
    release the index latch and allow the turret to index.
    - Failed to Index after the 5 pin only - When the 5 pin drops through the 5 pin chute and the machine does not index
    - Failed to release pins after 5 pin drops in - When the 5 pins passes through the chute and fails to actuate the 5 pin probe
    - Pin Head caught in the Halo Ring - A pin bounces back and gets caught in the halo ring. This prevents the turret from fully
    indexing to the next turret wire location.
    - Pit Conveyor Drive Belt Breaks - Self Explanatory
    - Snubber Bolt(s) or Snubber itself breaks - The snubber over time fatigues from being flexed and eventually fails and requires
    replacing.
    - Various other belts breaking - Jack Shaft Belt, Ball Wheel Belt, Motor to gearbox, motor to elevator, cross conveyor belt,
    and cross conveyor drive belt.

    How many times does each of the above function correctly, or has the chance to malfunction during a league match
    with two 5 person teams?

    Pins are Logged Jammed - This one is for Murphys Law to explain. It's total chaos in the pit area. There is no science to
    explain the how and why.
    Turn Around Pan - 3000 times the turn around pan correctly sent the pin up the conveyor base first
    Pin Gate Operation - 3000 times the pin gate properly controlled the flow of pins into the turret
    Bridged Pin - 2700 times the pins correctly dropped into the wires
    Failed to Index - 2700 times the turret indexed properly
    Failed to Index After the 5 pin only - 300 times the time delay gear indexed the turret clutch
    Failed to Release pins after the 5 pin drops in - 300 times the pins released from the turret to the buckets
    Pin Head caught in the Halo Ring - 2700 times the pins did not bounce back and get caught
    Pit Conveyor Belt Breaks - I never tracked the life of a pit conveyor belt, but I would guess for 1-1/2 to 2 years the belts
    keeps a shaking the pit conveyor. Thats a lot of frames.
    Snubber Bolt(s) or Snubber itself breaks - Some snubbers have lasted years, and others months. It varies from pinsetter to
    pinsetter, and snubber to snubber manufacturer quality and standards.

    As you can see there are 11 plus areas that can malfunction on the pinsetter, with 1000's of opportunities for a 180
    stop to happen. Even though the rake stays at the rear most of 180 degree position it may not be the same problem
    causing the stop to happen.


    No Ball Calls:
    Causes:

    - All of the above 180 stops can cause a no ball call
    - Machine fails to trigger
    - Ball and pins are slow to move off the pit carpet and the ball gets caught in front of the pit cushion
    - A ball from the odd and even lane collide at the y-switch.
    - A pin is carried up by a ball and deposited on the ball track
    - A pin is carried up the track and pushed down the underground subway ball return track
    - If you see a mark on your ball similar to a rug burn mark, stop bowling and show the front desk attendant. A
    rug burn mark is a strong indicator a pin has gone down the "chute".
    - Ball is yo-yo ing
    - A ball has fallen onto the pit cushion
    - A ball and pin are wedged on the ball lift rods.
  16. bowl1820's Avatar
    From Low RG, Total Diff and Intermediate Diff, we can determine the missing information.

    To use the RipR's specs as example

    • Low RG: 2.545"
    • Total diff: 0.042"
    • Asymmetrical, or Intermediate diff: 0.013"


    From this we can determine the following: (New info in bold)

    • Low RG: 2.545"
    • High RG: 2.587" (Low RG + Total diff)
    • Intermediate RG: 2.574" (High RG - Intermediate Diff)
    • Total diff: 0.042"
    • Asymmetrical, or Intermediate diff: 0.013"
    • Diff ratio: 0.31 (Intermediate diff / Total diff)


    Unless otherwise stated, we're usually given the Low RG. Brunswick is one of the few that lists High (Max), Low (Min) and Intermediate (Asym) RG values, as well the Total Differential and the Intermediate Differential (Asym Diff).
  17. bowl1820's Avatar
    The 4 influences a bowler imparts to a bowling ball:

    1-Initial ball speed
    2-Initial rev rate
    3-Initial axis rotation
    4-Initial axis tilt



    The following are generalized descriptions of ball speed, Rev rate, Rotation.

    Ball Speed:
    The following is a generalized description of ball speed at the time of release

    Slower: Ball speed at time of release is typically 15.0 MPH or slower
    Average: Ball speed at time of release is between 15.1 MPH and 17.9 MPH
    Faster: Ball speed at time of release is 18.0 MPH or greater

    Rev Rate:
    Rev Rate is defined as the amount of rotation imparted to the ball at the time of release.
    The following is a generalized description of the balls rev rate at the time of release.

    Lower: Lower Rev Rate is when the ball speed is greatly higher than the rotation. Typically Rev Rates of 240 RPMs or less would fall into this category.

    Average: Average Rev Rate is when the speed of the ball and the rotation are matched. Typically Rev Rates would fall between 240 RPMs and 360 RPMs would fall into this category.

    Faster: Faster Rev Rate is when the rotation of the ball greatly exceeds the ball speed. Typically faster Rev Rates are greater than 360 RPMs would fall into this category.


    Axis Rotation:

    Axis Rotation is defined as the Direction the ball is rolling compared to the direction the ball is thrown.

    Up The Back: When the direction of rotation is "end over end" and the ball is rotating the same direction as it is rolled use this measurement.

    If the Axis Rotation measurement is known, Up the Back is considered to be 30° or less.

    In Between: When the direction of rotation is roughly 45° to the direction the ball is thrown use this measurement. The average bowler will fall into this category if the direction of rotation is unknown.

    If the measurement is known, In Between is considered to be any measurement between 30° to 60°.

    Off the Side
    : When the direction of rotation is roughly 90° to the direction the ball is thrown use this measurement.

    If the measurement is known, Off the Side would be any measurement greater than 60°.
    Updated 07-13-2014 at 08:08 PM by bowl1820
  18. bowl1820's Avatar
    Change Ball Surfaces Every Time Your Bowl:
    Jayhawk found that a ball starting with a cover at 2500 became 3900 after just one game.
    Storm also has a similar finding with covers moving from approximately 1200 to 3000 after seven games.

    Bowlers also often make the mistake thinking that by simply using a pad at certain grit will make the ball that grit. To illustrate, 500 + 4000 is approximately 1200 while 500 + 2000 is the same as 1500 and 500 + 1000 + 4000 is approximately 2000

    To ensure you have the exact cover surface you want, start with a minimum of two grits down and work your way back to the that grit. For example, to achieve a true 4000 on the cover use 500 + 1000 + 2000 + 4000.

    When using a polish on the cover as well, be sure to use 2000. Grits lower than 2000 have more inconsistency, day-to-day, when trying to get the same exact grit. 1000 + factory finish is nearly identical to 2000

    Deep Clean Your Bowling Balls:
    Bowling balls can lose reaction significantly after 75 to 100 games of use. The pores of the cover become saturated with oil reducing the dynamic interaction between cover and the lane. When using bowling balls over 75 games without deep cleaning, a bowler will see between 2 to 4 boards less backend.
    Updated 07-08-2014 at 10:45 PM by bowl1820
  19. bowl1820's Avatar
    The Exit Point Formula & Mo Pinels Breakpoint Formula:

    It's referring to Joe Slowinski's exit point formula (Pattern length - 31= Exit point)

    The exit point is just that, the point where you want the ball to come out of the oil, It's not where you hit the entry angle (breakpoint).

    Once it hits that exit point using various launch angles. Then the ball will travel distance X out of the oil and turn (at the break point) to line up with the desired entry angle.

    The problem with it is that doesn't work right on shorter patterns. (Mo said it's not accurate and shove it)

    Mo suggested on how to find the board the breakpoint is on. By looking at the composite graph of the oil pattern. (you can also find it by looking at the Lane Machine Settings chart)

    What you do is look for the highest corners of the red bars on the bar graph and subtract 3. That's the place to start looking for the breakpoint. (But this doesn't tell you how far down the lane it is)

    Remember that the loads are applied to the buffer brush, so ALL the forward loads affect the breakpoint.

    Here's a example: using Kegel's DEAD MAN’S CURVE 3043 Pattern
    Direct Download the pdf for the pattern here http://www.kegel.net/V3/PatternLibra...&ID=607&Type=2

    or see the webpage here and click on composite view http://www.kegel.net/V3/PatternLibra...rn.aspx?ID=607


    In this example the highest red bar is on board 14, so 14-3= 11. That's where you start looking for your breakpoint.


    from the Lane Machine Settings chart

    Now my thought is not so much to shove the exit point formula, but to look at the situation and see if it would be beneficial if used (on The longer patterns).
    Like use the end of pattern minus 31 to give you a starting place, when the only info you have available is the length of the pattern.
    And if possible combine it with Mo's suggestion.
    Updated 07-07-2014 at 08:39 PM by bowl1820