When your ball don't match up to the lanes on league night.....

**Hammer** · 09-22-2013, 12:08 AM

I definitely had trouble bowling tonight on league night. In Bowling This Month magazine a writer for the rag said that your ball will work differently on different lanes in the same house. My first league night this year I bowled a 155, 207,and a 220. Tonight on a different pair of lanes I bowled a 158, 144 and a 172. My ball did not match up to the lanes or the application of the oil they put down. It seemed that my urethane Blue Hammer with 4000 Abralon surface could have used maybe a 2000 Abralon surfrace. Maybe a backup ball with more surface and drilled with a different layout might have helped me out. I made some little adjustments with my feet on the approach to see if I could find that elusive path to the pocket for more strikes. Didn't happen. I guess the writer of the article in BTM magazine about lanes acting differently in the same house one night and then different again with the same ball on another night knew what he was talking about. For this reason he said you need a backup ball with different surface and different layout in case your first ball can't handle the lanes that night. I should have brought my Hammer Raw Anger with me tonight then maybe things would have worked out better for me and maybe not. Oh well that's bowling for ya.

**Stormed1** · 09-22-2013, 02:07 AM

In todays environment you definatly not be a "one ball wonder". There aremany factors that come into play. Lane topography, lane wear, lane surface, who you're bowling with and what they're throwing. One center I bowl in (wood lanes) varies as much as 2 arrows depending on which end of the center you're bowling on. For example in our doubles league on 17 & 18 I was playing 12-8 in games 1 & 2. For games 3 & 4 we were on 43 & 44 i was playing 18-8 with the same ball. I have also bowled in a center wher 13 hooked an arrow less than 14 I have played where I shoe 2 different balls. same line during league. So it's always a good idea to have more options available

**vdubtx** · 09-22-2013, 10:18 AM

Absolutely different reactions from different lanes in same house using same oil pattern. In my Thursday house, not only is it the lanes that differ, but the pin setter can sometimes be different. 13-18 are notorious for Pocket 7-10 splits. I think it is 5-6 in this house that you can tell the head pin is very slightly off.

I often throw different balls on each of the same pair of lanes. I even threw a 300 doing so on lanes 21-22 using my Uturn on 21 and my Black Widow Pearl on 22.

**MICHAEL** · 09-22-2013, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by vdubtx

Absolutely different reactions from different lanes in same house using same oil pattern. In my Thursday house, not only is it the lanes that differ, but the pin setter can sometimes be different. 13-18 are notorious for Pocket 7-10 splits. I think it is 5-6 in this house that you can tell the head pin is very slightly off.

I often throw different balls on each of the same pair of lanes. I even threw a 300 doing so on lanes 21-22 using my Uturn on 21 and my Black Widow Pearl on 22.

interesting you say that!! I bowl with a hall of fame guy named Pat Henderson, (look him up on bowling awards com),, his location would be Missouri!

He uses, on some occasions two different balls on a pair also! (not often but on occasion).. works for him. He has Godzilla amounts of 300s and 800s look him up. I bowled with him on league last night! I am a sub for bowlers on his team of immortals... lol

**e-tank** · 09-22-2013, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by vdubtx

Absolutely different reactions from different lanes in same house using same oil pattern. In my Thursday house, not only is it the lanes that differ, but the pin setter can sometimes be different. 13-18 are notorious for Pocket 7-10 splits. I think it is 5-6 in this house that you can tell the head pin is very slightly off.

I often throw different balls on each of the same pair of lanes. I even threw a 300 doing so on lanes 21-22 using my Uturn on 21 and my Black Widow Pearl on 22.

yea i know that feel. There a couple lanes that allow your ball to pop out of the gutter an knock down the standing 10 pin on a spare. Im pretty sure thats not usbc legal but im not in a sanctioned league so no one cares

In regards to Hammer, lane pairs can be night and day between the 2 sometimes. For this reason i always bring a sanded and a polished ball or pay attention to how your balls reacting and adjust accordingly

**Hammer** · 09-22-2013, 06:06 PM

I am going to try knocking down my ball surface from 4000 Abralon to 2000 Abralon. I figure when the lanes are playing tighter I will get a better reaction to the pocket with the 2000 surface. If they are drier I would have an easier time adjusting for the pocket. For me the tighter line to the pocket is harder to make adjustments to get to the pocket for more strikes.

**Zaxmazr** · 09-23-2013, 09:24 AM

I experience this ALL the time. Literally every bowling alley I go to with supposedly the lane patterns, have ALL different reactions from my arsenal.

**atty_hen05** · 10-02-2013, 11:09 PM

Same goes for me, my average during my regular league is usually 180 using my VG Nano pearl. I know this is a strong ball but when I played in a different lanes on a different league. It just wont hook. The oil patter was crazy! made a lot of adjustments such as going further outside and stepping back but to no avail. It just wont hook. I guess this is because most of the players that night are just house ballers (No offense). They all throw straight using plastic house balls. They tend to push the oil up to the end of the lane.

**Stormed1** · 10-03-2013, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by atty_hen05

Same goes for me, my average during my regular league is usually 180 using my VG Nano pearl. I know this is a strong ball but when I played in a different lanes on a different league. It just wont hook. The oil patter was crazy! made a lot of adjustments such as going further outside and stepping back but to no avail. It just wont hook. I guess this is because most of the players that night are just house ballers (No offense). They all throw straight using plastic house balls. They tend to push the oil up to the end of the lane.

It could also be not enough oil for you Nano. If there is not enough oil it will not hook. Try a weaker ball and see what happens