Difference between House Pattern and Sport?

[sara2117]

So a center has offered to put a sport shot pattern out for me and a few friends to practice on for nationals, I've personally have never bowled on a sport pattern and was wondering what the difference was between the two and how I should approach the sports patterns?

[tccstudent]

Sports shots you have a a area of 1-3 boards while on a house shot you may have 10 boards. You must be much more accurate on sports shot. You wont get away with shots that you are generally close. If your not right on then it can be a very noticeable over/under reaction. Spare shooting is more critical and is much harder too. If they have the USBC pattern try and get them to lay that down for you since that is what you will be playing on (problem with that is they change it every year.)

[bowl1820]

how I should approach the sports patterns?

With Accuracy, Speed control and spare shooting.

Keep your shot simple, try to cover the fewest boards you need too.

As for downloading the USBC pattern and using it, IMO it's a waste of time.

It won't play the same on your lanes as it will at the tournament, they adjust the pattern all through the tournament, the lanes are different, the oil is different etc.

[Aslan]

I'm anxious to try it myself.

I have a feeling, how "different" it is…is a matter of how you throw. For example, why do people use a "spare ball" (besides to annoy me)? Because a ball that reacts less (or not at all) to the varying oil conditions is ideal if you want a straight shot. So, reasoning would also state that if you "throw" a straight ball…the oil condition differences would affect you less.

It is my theory as to why bowlers could bowl so consistently back in the old days of much worse conditions (oil, lanes, etc…)….besides being better spare shooters. They threw a ball that was less reliant on and affected by lane conditions.

These days, everyone is a cranker, throwing a reactive resin ball made to hook dramatically to give them an optimum angle into the pocket. The more that ball relies on it's interaction with the lane, the more the lane conditions affect it…and visa vie…the more challenging advanced/sport/pro patterns can be.

When I started rolling on wood lanes…then went to heavy oil synthetics…it was like going to a "sport" pattern….because on wood lanes I could miss 2-3 boards right…1-2 boards left…still not only hit the headpin…but even hit the pocket and strike. On heavy oil synthetics…I had to throw a much straighter ball..and I couldn't miss a couple boards left or right. If I missed left…it hit the headpin and split. If I missed right…missed the headpin. I "imagine", for the crankers thats what going from THS to SPORT is like…you lose that slight margin of error.

[Geneo2u]

I have bowled on a few sport shots over the years, get ready for your average to drop 30 pins, for those of us that rely on the outside board being dry, good luck..

[GeoLes]

In my group lesson we are introduced to some sport patterns. We have to option of playing ThS or sport patterns. I usually warm up on the house shot and then work the sport pattern. I found that they play pretty much the same as THS if you play the inside line (with a few small adjusments). But you are looking often at lanes oiled from about board 3 to board 37. If you miss outside, there is no friction to bring the ball back to center as on THS. Varying pattern length also detemines when and how sharply the ball turns down lane as well, so subtle adjustments must be mastered with sports patterns as well.

[sara2117]

So according to all the great advice you guys have given me I'm going to have to be extremely accurate. I've got a lot of work ahead of me and only 6 months to do it.

[vdubtx]

So according to all the great advice you guys have given me I'm going to have to be extremely accurate. I've got a lot of work ahead of me and only 6 months to do it.

Absolutely need to be accurate. If you have 6 months before you bowl Nationals, you should get the center to actually put down the Nationals shot when you get closer to going. I fully intend on doing so this year. Last year we bowled so early the center never got a chance to put it on a pair for me. This year we bowl Memorial day week and will certainly be getting them to put on at least a pair for us. If not the center, we have the ITRC locally, I am sure would put it down if we paid them enough to do it for a session.

[Bunny]

So a center has offered to put a sport shot pattern out for me and a few friends to practice on for nationals, I've personally have never bowled on a sport pattern and was wondering what the difference was between the two and how I should approach the sports patterns?

How exciting and challenging! You will definitely improve your game in the long run!

There's a ton of videos on youtube on how to play sport patterns. The USBC has a series that's pretty good. Here's just one but you get the idea...

[bowl1820]

Might take a look at this video.
Jason Doust explains the difference between the house shot and the US Open shot.