Graaille

ONE OF THE TRUISMS IN bowling is that different surfaces lead to different ball reactions. You might think that bowling is as simple as a lane, a ball, and an approach, right? Not really--at least not nowadays.

In this article, I will illustrate some differences between physical lane surfaces: wood, synthetic, and Guardian. This information can help you make better decisions when choosing a new ball, finishing your third game of league play, or starting a tournament in a new venue.

How can you use this information to make better choices and earn higher scores? One thing is constant: All lanes must be of a certain length and width. The differences are mainly between the lane itself and the other important factors, such as your bowling ball and the friction created while the ball travels down the lane to the pocket.

In my time on the women's pro tour, I've formulated many thoughts and theories about different lane surfaces. But while I've bowled on my share of lanes while traveling the country on tour, it doesn't mean I have bowled on everything. My thoughts and theories all are based upon personal experiences and the experiences of my competitors, as well as observations I have made in my travels.

WOOD LANES

Wood lanes feature maple in the front part of the lane ("the heads") and pine in the back part of the lane. The two woods are separated by a divider called a "splice,"

If you're bowling on wood lanes, you're probably bowling on old lanes. Most centers do not buy "new" wood lanes. If they do, it's a deliberate and costly move--wood lanes are approximately twice as expensive as synthetic ones.

It has been a few years now since I have personally seen a new installation of wood lanes. It is a difficult installation process, and there are few companies nationwide that do a reliable job ... as is true with any topnotch carpentry.

What you're more likely to see are "recycled" lanes, where the wood lanes from a center that closed were moved to a new center. Recycled lanes are interesting because there's a chance you can be bowling on literally several different wood surfaces, in varying conditions, from several centers--all within the same location! Recycling wood lanes is more cost-effective as well, and many centers like the "retro" feel that the new/old wood creates.

Many centers are also "recycling" their lanes by installing only new maple fronts, which is the part of the lane that takes the most beating. Some centers are also scrapping their synthetic approaches and replacing those with more reliable wood ones.

On wood, darker boards may play differently than lighter boards. The darker the pine, the more dense the grain, which may help the ball turn toward the pocket. Grain is an important factor to acknowledge--know your wood!

Keep in mind that these observations on lane surface are of secondary importance. While knowing what surface your are playing on is important when you are maneuvering around the lane, the actual lane conditioner (oil) pattern and how you play it is more important than the color of the wood.

Many darker boards appear just after the splice; you can see the cut past the arrows. Nowadays, there are some synthetic lanes with markers farther down the lane that you can use to see where your ball breaks before entering the pocket. The dark boards in wood lanes can be used in a similar fashion.

Wood lanes must be resurfaced and "screened" to smooth them out. If that's not done, changes will occur in your ball reaction from year to year, so be sure to find out when your center resurfaces.

The smoother the wood lane, the more consistent the ball reaction will be. Lane oil will also hold up differently depending on the surface. There is less friction with a smoother lane, which means you may not have to stand as fat" left by the time you're playing your third game of league. Many wood-lane centers resurface in the summer, when there is less business and time can be devoted to each lane. The front part of each lane is inspected for "divots"; these are filled with an epoxy before a final sanding.

New resurfacing and recoating will also play differently when fresh, as opposed to two or three weeks after the treatment. Ball reaction can be indecisive because some of the "memory" of the lane is gone. ("Memory" is the trough created by the popular spots to play the lanes.)

Also check to see that if your center resurfaced that the approaches were also resurfaced. When approaches are sanded more smoothly than the lanes, they can be more slippery than older, worn approaches. Why? For the same reason as the lane--less surface friction.

Memory refers to how a cross-section of lane is made up of hills and valleys, from side to side as well from front to back. The trough--the actual topography of the lane--changes with the seasons, based on humidity, shrinking, and expanding. ABC specifications allow a plus-or-minus 40/1,000 of an inch tolerance in the crosswise level of a bowling lane. Although a 40/1,000 of an inch crown or depression is legal, even differences this minute can lead to hills and valleys in the lane.

Lane conditioner can even out some of the bad topography, but not all of it. Many times our lane man on tour compensates for a less than ideal lane surface by applying more condition to the trough area--and just as many times we as players end up right into the same spot he intended us to stay away from because the trough is so deep on some wood lanes that you cannot get away from it. A trough can be stronger than the strongest lane oil.

Many times, by the third game of league play balls will hook a lot more on wood lanes because this surface often is the most rough in terms of friction between ball and lane. On such a rough surface, you must play deep inside lines, at faster speeds, with more loft and rotation, to keep balls alive. Other options to fight a tough wood lane include switching to higher-RG ball or using more polish--especially when there is less lane oil.

According to Hoge Lumber Company, a wood lane manufacturer, wood lanes can provide a more consistent ball reaction by using wood grain. In addition, wood lanes are also more durable than synthetic lanes--each lane can sustain more than 14,000 games per year with proper resurfacing.