Aslan's Scores (of the non-lady kind)

[RobLV1]

You've tested how many bowling balls for Bowling Journal? You bought every single one? THAT folks, is dedication. I hope RobM at least got an honorable mention as employee of the month.


Because...while "yes", conditions CAN and DO change for a variety of reasons...the changes not only aren't as drastic as you suggest...but cannot logically be as drastic as you suggest.

A house uses the same lane surfaces, so thats constant. Temperature factors vary a small degree and are often time mostly accounted for with AC. A center 'could' change an oil from season to season...but not night to night. The oil machine is the oil machine. The techs are the techs. I agree that these factors can change a line...but logically...even worst case scenario...as long as they oil the lanes...it's gonna be within a 6-board area of where you usually play. You may need a 3:3 move or a 2:1 move or a 2:2 move or a 3:2 move...or maybe you start out with your ball #2 instead of your ball #1...again, a minor adjustment...that hopefully you are able to make in practice/warm-ups.

Now, the reason i said it CANNOT logically be any more than a minor adjustment...is that IF IT IS as bad as you suggest...and that any little change in barometric pressure could cause the lanes to play entirely different...then bowling has no legitimacy whatsoever. It's an elaborate game of beanbag horseshoes. To have conditions change SO dramatically for very minor reasons...reasons that occur on an hour by hour basis globally...would completely delegitimize the sport...because there is no ability to guarantee that two bowlers are bowling on the same conditions from second to second.

First of all, I have never tested a bowling ball for anyone. I assume that you are talking about Bowling This Month though you say Bowler's Journal. I write instructional articles for Bowling This Month, I do not write, nor have I ever written, ball reviews and yes, I pay for every single ball I use. Secondly, when you combine the overall conditions like the oil pattern and the weather conditions with the topography of the individual lanes and the bowlers who are bowling with you, then yes, the conditions can vary tremendously and your belief that they cannot is just one more example of the preconceptions that you bring with you every single time you bowl. Get rid of them and you just might reach the level that you are shooting for.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

For example, who are the best bowlers on the site right now? VDubtx and MWhite...if we go by averages and reported performances?? So what do you think would happen if those guys showed up at a center and they only oiled from 15-25? What kinda series do you think they'd have? I've seen MWhite throw some miserable series (by his standards) on unexpected conditions. How well would VDub do? He's normally a 625-650 series bowler...would less than ideal conditions cause him to throw a 525-575 series?? What about the next tier of bowlers...the "rest of us" that are averaging in the 450-540 series range on most nights? What would that non-ideal pattern do to our games?

I think MWhite was better in his own head then what the lanes actually told. Maybe back in his "prime" was what he spoke of.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I'm not a Track expert but from everyone I've ever talked to the Tropical Breeze is the weakest reactive ball made not sure how it compares to the Rhino but from seeing them I would guess about 2-1 different. The Cyclone is actually strongest of all the entry level balls and most of the EBI people I know say it's more of a true medium than lighter oil ball.

There are for sure "weaker" reactive balls than the Tropical Breeze unless your strictly speaking to Storms line.

[Amyers]

There are for sure "weaker" reactive balls than the Tropical Breeze unless your strictly speaking to Storms line.

What are some major line examples that you feel are weaker?

I'm not an expert and throw primarily Brunswick myself but from what I've seen the Breeze is less than the Rhino, Outcast, and Rack Attack. With the Rhino being closest.

In this area I see primarily Storm, Roto, Brunswick, and Hammer. As far as Hammer goes I think the breeze is also less than the Nail or Viral series. I can only comment on what I see or what other players I trust tell me so if you have better info please share.

[JasonNJ]

What are some major line examples that you feel are weaker?

I'm not an expert and throw primarily Brunswick myself but from what I've seen the Breeze is less than the Rhino, Outcast, and Rack Attack. With the Rhino being closest.

In this area I see primarily Storm, Roto, Brunswick, and Hammer. As far as Hammer goes I think the breeze is also less than the Nail or Viral series. I can only comment on what I see or what other players I trust tell me so if you have better info please share.

I would think the Columbia 300 Scout ball is the weakest reactive ball out. Pancake core and really weak cover but still reactive.

[Amyers]

I would think the Columbia 300 Scout ball is the weakest reactive ball out. Pancake core and really weak cover but still reactive.

True I guess I should have amended it as reactive cover real core.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

As mentioned there are some reactive balls with pancake cores. Columbia, Lane masters tempest ... as for a "real" core reactive ball the Tropical like is defiantly a contender.. for whatever reason the one I had some years ago had a major back end motion though and I found to be too strong on the dryer conditions.

[Aslan]

I wish I had Iceman's arms

Which is EXACTLY what Iceman would say if he were you pretending to be him pretending to be you.

Yeah but I can't bowl in sandals

Neither could he.

Ooooooo!! Burn!!

Tuesday Night League: Fairly new synthetics, low oil to dry THS

605 Series: 158-244-203

Game 1 I had some split and multi-pin spare issues.

Game 2 I was dialed in.

Game 3 I continued to carry, but the spare issues snuck back in.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 9.09 pins
Strikes: 58% (1 5-bagger, 1 4-bagger, 3 turkeys, and a double)
Spares: 35% picked up

Single Pin spares: 66% (2/3)
Most common single-pin leave: 7-pin (2x).
Also left a single 5-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 27% (3/11)
Most common multi-pin leaves: 3-10 baby split (3x)

Splits: 0% (0/3)

Average over 3 games: 201.67.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 205.00.

Got the Track300A drilled up before league night and it seems to give me a better look than my other 3 balls...at least at that center.

NOT ready to say I've solved the issue...and NOT particularly happy I couldn't make the standard 3-ball arsenal work...but, this is the highest series I've shot since the middle of July.

[Aslan]

Wednesday League Night: low-medium oil synthetics, older brunswick lanes

499 Series: 164-159-176

As usual, started out missing right and couldn't figure out which of the several reasons that could be.

Game 2 I had a pocket 7-10 where the 7 fell late. Two frames later, back on that lane, a pocket 7-10 split. Other than two splits and a missed single 10-pin...it was a clean game...just couldn't seem to carry.

Game 3 was more of the same, but with an extra missed single 10-pin and better carry.

PinPal Stats:
First Ball Average: 8.40 pins
Strikes: 34% (3 turkeys and 3 singles)
Spares: 50% picked up

Single Pin spares: 70% (7/10)
Most common single-pin leave: 10-pin (7x).
Also left a single 3-pin, 5-pin, and 9-pin.

Multiple Pin spares: 33% (4/12)
Most common multi-pin leave: 1-2-4-10 washout and 7-10 split (2x each)

Splits: 0% (0/5)

Average over 3 games: 166.33.
Average had I picked up 100% of single pin spare leaves: 177.67.

Five straight weeks of 499 to 509 series (499-506-501-509-499). It appears I have found my ceiling!

[RobLV1]

So I've been pretty concerned about you my friend, what with your continuing travails in making adjustments. I had an experience yesterday that I thought I would share with you about making adjustments and how important they are.

I bowled four games at Suncoast with an eighty year old friend of mine who just started bowling a week ago after having a knee replacement last August. Since I remembered where the shot started last week on the same pair of lanes, I knew to lay the ball down on 13 on the left lane and 12 on the right lane, using the Brunswick Fanatic BTU. I got through the first game with a 217 despite changing ball speed as I warmed up. In the second frame of the second game, I left a weak ten on the left lane. I didn't move. Meanwhile, I moved one board left on the right lane as I saw the ball begin to finish a little earlier. In the fourth frame of the second game, I left another weak ten on the left lane. I still didn't move (MISTAKE!). In the sixth frame of the second game, I left the 2-4-5-8 dinner bucket and failed to convert the spare. In the eighth frame, on the left lane, I balled up to the Storm Rocket Ship and moved my lay down point to 14. I left a four pin. I the tenth frame, I moved my feet two boards left and struck out for a 191.

In the third game, I was pretty much lined up for most of the game, shooting 235. In the tenth frame I noticed that the right lane was starting to lose finish, so I changed to the Rocket Ship, playing the same line that I had on the left lane with a good result. At the beginning of the fourth game, I again noticed that the left lane was not finishing the way it had, so I again balled up to the Storm Phase II, moving my lay down point in to seventeen. In the eighth frame, on the left lane, I left a 2-4-5 when the ball refused to finish. Once again, I didn't make an adjustment, and left the 2-4-5-7-8 in the tenth frame, failing to convert, ending up with 188. What I should have done was to realize that I had reached the end of my comfort zone when I moved the lay down point to 17, and balled down in the tenth to buy myself one more frame. Oops!

The moral of the story here is that two missed moves in four games lowered my average from a sure 220+ to 207. This is why it's so important to have an arsenal that includes a wide range of bowling balls in terms of core numbers, particularly the low RG, and to not be afraid to move when you see indications that it is time. It also shows how every move that I made when the ball quit hooking on a particular line was to the left to find more oil, rather than to the right which is the classic intuitive move, if you don't understand that carry down is a thing of the past.

Hope you find my story of some help.