Back in the '60s what would it have meant to have a lane "blocked" with oil?

[sprocket]

With hard rubber balls on wood lanes with light oil, how much of a crown of oil would it have taken to stop a ball from hooking and guide it to the pocket? My guess is, it wouldn't have taken much. I don't think it would have taken anything like a 10 to 1 ratio. Basically I'll bet if you just had dry boards outside and then oil in the middle that alone would have been enough. Of course any honor scores would have been thrown out because the ABC rule was that oil had to be applied uniformly across the lane.

With oil on every board how much would a crown of oil have increased scores? Maybe not much at all because hard rubber didn't hook in oil, period. They couldn't hook less than zero so adding more oil in the center wouldn't have made much difference. The only way it would have mattered is if the oil tapered off more gradually in the center down lane, but again that was illegal because it would have meant that oil was applied to some areas of the lane but not others and that was illegal no matter where on the lane it occurred.

The easiest lanes would have been those with a distinct track worn into the lane surface that guided the ball to the pocket and that was fairly common but it still took a fair amount of skill to get the ball to stay in the track.

Another method was to actually sand the surface of the lane to give more friction in one area than another. I believe that was also fairly easy to detect.

Another method was to apply the oil very lightly so that the track would dry out first.

Skillful bowlers I believe could create area over time by causing carry down of oil left of the track area and then adjusting right. This still required skill to get the ball into the track and then use the oil left of it to help keep it there.


The only way I can think of that would come close to the blocks we have today would have been to have the outer boards have no oil at all. But it was such an easy rule to enforce by the ABC. A simple smear test would tell whether there was oil all the way across the lane and if there wasn't, honor scores were thrown out.

Over time as the ball coverstocks became more able to hook in oil, the methods the ABC had to use to detect blocks became more complicated and more subjective. Eventually it just became too complicated and too expensive to bother with.

Much of what I wrote above is either my opinion or based on what I believe was true from what I have read. If I have anything wrong feel free to point it out.

[bowl1820]

"Back in the '60s what would it have meant to have a lane "blocked" with oil? "

What would it mean? Higher scores.

And they did block lanes back then and before, that's where they came from. Christmas tree, top hat, tunnel block, a skill full lane man back then could easily put out a shot to either let you score or keep you from scoring.

The ABC for all intents just legalized blocking


The only difference between today's blocks and then, are the amounts of oil and the machine to apply it.

[MICHAEL]

Talked to our lane mechanic, and he remembers using a mop, to apply oil! LOL,,, also remembers using a bug sprayer to apply oil! Talk about a the US Open pattern all you want.... can you even imagine bowling on lanes with oil applied, (THE OLD WAY)! LOL

[tccstudent]

A few years ago I heard about a tourney in ChickAGo that still applies it this way

[bowl1820]

Talked to our lane mechanic, and he remembers using a mop, to apply oil! LOL,,, also remembers using a bug sprayer to apply oil! Talk about a the US Open pattern all you want.... can you even imagine bowling on lanes with oil applied, (THE OLD WAY)! LOL

I don't to have imagine, example:

I went to a tournament in another county here back in the 90's, they used a antique lane machine (looked like one of the first ones) that just put down the oil, then they hand dragged lane with the lane duster, then the lane man brought out the fly sprayer and sprayed the heads with more oil.

That was a hard house to bowl in, there were only 2-3 bowlers with 200 averages and the number of 700 series they had in one season was what the mens league I was on here at that time had in one night.

[MICHAEL]

I don't to have imagine, example:

I went to a tournament in another county here back in the 90's, they used a antique lane machine (looked like one of the first ones) that just put down the oil, then they hand dragged lane with the lane duster, then the lane man brought out the fly sprayer and sprayed the heads with more oil.

That was a hard house to bowl in, there were only 2-3 bowlers with 200 averages and the number of 700 series they had in one season was what the mens league I was on here at that time had in one night.

YES bowl1820,,, those were the GOOD OLD Days!! IT meant something then to have a 300, 700, or even a 800!

The ego of people now days is such that IF THEY DON"T get high scores, then they won't play!! What is it that has created a society of EASY, HIGH SCORES, or I won't play attitude!

If I can't do well I quit, attitude is not a great trait.....

[tccstudent]

YES bowl1820,,, those were the GOOD OLD Days!! IT meant something then to have a 300, 700, or even a 800!

The ego of people now days is such that IF THEY DON"T get high scores, then they won't play!! What is it that has created a society of EASY, HIGH SCORES, or I won't play attitude!

If I can't do well I quit, attitude is not a great trait.....

It all started when the took prayer and paddling out of the school, and made it almost a crime to spank your children. Maybe it has something to do with the invention of the time-out as the predominate discipline technique. All that and add the attention span of a mosquito which was created by video games and tv and has been further damaged by social media.
Im sure Burger Kings motto hasnt helped things "Have it your way" when I was a kid I didnt get things my way heck I couldnt get up from the table until after I had eaten all my vegetables and asked to be excused from the table. If I was in trouble my dad would hand me his knife and make me go cut my own switch and It had better not break. If I got in trouble at school my teacher would call my dad and I would get it again when I got home.

[circlecity]

I went to a tournament in another county here back in the 90's, they used a antique lane machine (looked like one of the first ones) that just put down the oil, then they hand dragged lane with the lane duster, then the lane man brought out the fly sprayer and sprayed the heads with more oil.

My proshop guy said he has oiled lanes with a bug sprayer back in the day.

[MICHAEL]

It all started when the took prayer and paddling out of the school, and made it almost a crime to spank your children. Maybe it has something to do with the invention of the time-out as the predominate discipline technique. All that and add the attention span of a mosquito which was created by video games and tv and has been further damaged by social media.
Im sure Burger Kings motto hasnt helped things "Have it your way" when I was a kid I didnt get things my way heck I couldnt get up from the table until after I had eaten all my vegetables and asked to be excused from the table. If I was in trouble my dad would hand me his knife and make me go cut my own switch and It had better not break. If I got in trouble at school my teacher would call my dad and I would get it again when I got home.

I bet your one hell of a bowler because of your up bring amen, brother tccs-student!! People like you and me, know the pain of cutting your own weapon of self spanking!! Yes, My dad would make Iceman spank himself, with the tree limb that I would cut down with my dad's chain saw!!! I never eat at Burger King, getting it my way, has never been an option! Video games, are the devils lure! All those killing this, and that, stealing Cars, Grand thief, when will it end brother bowlers!! We got troubles,,, right here in the United States of Too Easy!! But easy oil patterns are the devils way of making you buy into the life of leisure,,,, next thing you will want is a ball the can miss by a foot either direction and still get a strike!!

Stop using machines that put down perfectly easy oil house patterns!! Put it down like in the old days,,, use a mop, or bug sprayer!!! It wouldn't bug us who want a challenge at all!! (Its not EASY GETING into heaven), why should it be easy bowling high scores on blocked patterns!

Its not too late to save your immortal bowling soul,,,, give me that OLD TIME Oiling, its good enough fer me!!!

[tccstudent]

I dont think I would want to go back to oiling the lanes like that. Now dont get me wrong I am all for more challenging shots and I wouldnt mind trying this out. I just think laying the oil like that gives no consistency in the shot or from lane to lane. I think you will improve your skill if you play on challenging shots that are laid consistently. This would be great for a sweepstakes or a special unsanctioned tournament