Playing the outside line...anybody?

[RobLV1]

There seems to be a couple of issues going on here. First, where you stand, and where you target is not your A game, or your B, game or your game of any other letter. It's just where you like to play the lanes. Your A game is how you play, not where you play, and the lanes tell you where to play, not the other way around.

Secondly, if you are playing a board to the right of where everyone else is playing, it means that if you tug a shot by one board, you dive through the nose. The idea is to play one or two boards to the left of everyone else so that when you tug you find more oil and hold pocket, and when you miss right you find friction from everyone else and hook back to the pocket. It's called creating some "area." It's a big help in raising one's average.

Rob Mautner

[Aslan]

I consider my "A-game" where I'm used to playing at the speed and loft I'm used to playing…release as well. When I move outside and start throwing the ball straighter (less arc to the pocket), I consider that my "B-game". It's similar to my "A-game" because the target is close…but it's a less snappy release, straighter arc, and relying more on the ball than the revs generated on the release.

I've read your work on moving left to find oil…but that sort of assumes everyone is playing generally in the same area and thus using up the oil. If you're playing the "high/outside" line…and nobody is within say 3 boards of you (they are all to the left)…doesn't that leave you some room to play by yourself to the right without having to move left? There's still a cushion to the left…still some room to the right.

I've tried to move to the left as you and others have talked about. But I've only had success with it once…and that was a holiday weekend when the lanes were just so dry it forced me way to the inside. I just don't seem to have the revs or the ball to get it to catch and come back into the pocket…even at lower speeds.

[CaptainXeroid]

I'm a righty, and at the 2 houses I've bowled practice, the outside boards are so dry any shot that strays outside around 8 duck hooks left and rolls out instantly. At the house where I'm subbing on a league, the lanes are kinda' fried due to pipes in the ceiling bursting so often. Apparently they put down more oil to make the track playable, so many weeks anything outside 10 doesn't come back.

Even on 'normal' lanes, most of today's bowling balls hook so strongly that controlling them outside 10 is very difficult. I recently picked up a bleeder Yellow Dot to handle head burned synthetic lanes. Hey..it worked back in 1988.

[Aslan]

Well, like anything...it's ball and lane dependent.

I played a house that usually has the heaviest oil I've ever seen...but couldn't play anywhere outside of 15 because it was a holiday weekend = no leagues = don't bother to oil.

And...it's ball dependent. I have a ball that is symmetric with a PerfectScale score of about 189.5. Balls in that range, for a low rev (275-300) stroker..."most" alleys...you could probably play the outside. But if you start creeping up into the 400s in revs and using balls with a PerfectScale score over 200...I could defiitely see how keeping it on the right side of the headpin = impossible.

[RobLV1]

What, pray tell, is a "perfect scale"?

[classygranny]

What, pray tell, is a "perfect scale"?

If you go to bowlingball.com - they "rate" all the bowling balls according to the "Perfect Scale". Apparently to give bowlers an idea of how much a bowling ball will hook. Hummm? Personally, I don't find much use in the Perfect Scale - yet, maybe I don't quite understand how to use it. I find your articles, my pro shop, and coach much better information that this "scale".

[bowl1820]

What, pray tell, is a "perfect scale"?

heres a link to the page that tells about.

http://www.bowlingball.com/info/perfect_scale.html

[Aslan]

I find your articles, my pro shop, and coach much better information that this "scale".

Okay…I'm just gonna say…that was a BLATENT attempt at *** kissing!! Just kidding.

Rob…someday…hopefully…I'll get some more knowledge (get my knowledge on) and will be able to judge a ball based on RG, abrasion surface, and pin-up vs pin-down…couple that with it's core being asymmetric or symmetric…etc… But…right "now"…thats a LOT to take in. I'm learning…slowly…but even though Bowl1820, the internet, and Mike White (bowling ball driller to the stars) have shown me REPEATEDLY what things like PAP and rg and cg vert angles and just all kinds of "stuff"…I don't get it. I sorta get it. I read yur articles about RG…and how it affects how early the ball starts to hook…so I AM learning. But…come on…I've been bowling for 5 months…give a brutha a break.

I LOVE perfectscale. I realize it's imperfections. I DO. But…from a total NERD standpoint…the thought that you can create some type of "formula" based on kinds of input data…and it will spit out a "perfect scale score" that can "sorta" direct an intermediate level bowler to select something…is REALLY COOL. I get it's not PERFECT (despite the name). Obviously, you or Chris Barnes, probably could pick out a MUCH better ball for a player than "perfect scale" can. But it's still cool. And it gives a "data point"…a "single" data point that allows easy comparison between multiple different bowling ball brands. And thats cool.

It's not gospel. I've seen people throw a urethane ball from gutter to gutter going thumbless with MASSIVE revs on low-moderate oil. So…release and speed are always able to trump "ball". Nothing annoyed me more when I first got my ball…and was struggling to get it to "hook" and then I go on the internet and see some cranker get the thing to hook like a BEAST! But…perfect scale is just a "tool"…a "screening tool" if you will..to "guide" us newbie bowlers and our tiny, tiny brains…into the vast ocean of knowledge…that we can barely swim in.

Okay…enough mumbo jumbo…gotta go get my practice on!!

Plus I'm gonna try my new app…so YAY!!

[RobLV1]

Okay, I checked out the line that 1820 provided. The problem that I have with the "Perfect Scale" is the same problem that I have with the PBA telecasts that show bowler's arsenals along with a "hook rating." The problem is that bowlers need to understand that the only thing that affects how much a ball hooks (the degree of the angle of the change of direction of the ball) is the release of the bowler. In other words, every ball hooks the same amount for a given bowler, the only things that vary are when it hooks and the shape of the hook. The idea of buying a ball that "hooks more" based on the perfect scale or any other scale for that matter, is that it encourages bowlers to buy balls that hook early (because they cover more boards), that often results in bowlers try to use balls that are way too aggressive (early) for a given lane condition which results in the ball losing energy before it gets to the pins. This was the whole idea of the article I wrote entitled, Weak Ball, Strong Ball, Right Ball, Wrong Ball. This, by the way is the exact reason why I am so excited by the Zero Gravity: it's high rg (2.55) helps to get it down the lane so that its aggressive cover and asymmetrical core retain its power to transfer to the pins.

[Aslan]

is that it encourages bowlers to buy balls that hook early (because they cover more boards), that often results in bowlers try to use balls that are way too aggressive (early) for a given lane condition which results in the ball losing energy before it gets to the pins. This was the whole idea of the article I wrote entitled, Weak Ball, Strong Ball, Right Ball, Wrong Ball.

I actually agree 100% with this. "Hook" has been the "in thing" since the resin balls started coming out...and even relative beginners are out there going for the top of the line, pro performance BEAST. Then the lane breaks down and they go "huh?"

And then we have the "ARSEnal" arguement because they start buying 7-9 ball roller bags as if they're Sean Rash heading to the Masters...when in fact they realistically just need a ball (or 2) that better suits the ONE HOUSE they primarily bowl in 98% of the time.

I have a ball with a PerfectScale score of 189.5 and another with a PS rating of 211.3. I rarely use (really never) the higher rated ball because right now I'm bowling in ONE house and it's wood lanes/low-moderate oil. My 189.5 ball was bought at THAT pro-shop...and drilled by THAT pro to match not only my delivery...but those conditions. It doesn't mean I "can't" use the 211.3 ball on those lanes...I am a firm believer (in slight contrast to Rob's "you can't out bowl a bad ball reaction" mantra) that you CAN make any ball work. But it's harder. And I'd rather use the ball the matches up well than get out the stronger ball...and either loft it further down the lane or try to play the inside (my C-game) or God forbid mess with my approach to make the ball speed increase (which Fs with my timing).

I agree there are better ways than PerfectScale...BUT...PerfectScale at least allows you to compare Hammer to Brunswick to Storm to DV8 to Motiv using the same scale.

I'll have to read "Weak Ball, Strong Ball, Right Ball, Wrong ball." I thought I read all the articles on the site but I think missed one or two.