Playing the outside line...anybody?

[Aslan]

So...abridged version of details...I struggled a LOT last night and eventually went to my "B-game" which is to play a little closer to the right gutter...about the 5-6 boards. With less oil out there, I can get the ball to hook back into the pocket on most nights.

The trouble is...I lose all my "miss room" to the right...which becomes "out of bounds". And I can't "play with" my speeds or release as much because I need to be incredibly accurate.

I don't see many players use the extreme outside. I remember players in the past...probably in the late 80s and 90s...guys like Del Ballard and Jess Stayrook...they used to play that extreme outside line...but I don't see it much anymore. I think the introduction of "big hook" balls has led many bowlers to move more inside and use revs to get it back into the pocket.

And that lesds to pros/cons (as I can see them):
The con is, you lose your miss room to the right. You need to be incredibly precise. I am not good enough to play "inside" the 5-board. If I'm missing left playing the 5-board...I have to go to plan 'C' before trying to target the 4, 3, 2, or 1-boards.

The "pros" as I can see it is:
- Less people play there...less people mess up your line. Let everyone else battle each other of the 9 through 20 boards.

Anyone else venture outside? Is it still a viable place to play or has technology forced us inside?

[swingset]

I play outside but I tend to shoot from the outside when I do with much less aggressive equipment...throw from the 10 to the 5 board with a down/in shot.

I don't have the consistency to put it across the lane and bank it off the >5 board dry spot with any confidence.

[tccstudent]

This used to be my shot. I still use it alot if my first choice aint working. I dont worry about missing right cause if I do I generally get a little bit more hand in the ball. If i miss left the oil will allow the ball to hold and still carry and If I pull the ball I have a good chance at going Brooklyn

The con is with this angle you leave alot of corner pins.

[Aslan]

I'm talking about starting with my left heel on the 13-board...throw the ball almost straight along boards 4-6.

Usually my left heel is about 3 boards right or left of center and I'm sending it out over the 11, 10, 9, 8...then it kinda grabs and starts arcing back towards the pocket. When I'm playing my "A-game"...the ball never gets much further right than board 7 unless I miss my target. But when I miss...it's still usually getting to at worst the board 4 before it grabs and comes back.

But when I play the outside...I don't get the same loft or speed or revs...because I have to lay it down very smooth and precise. If I try to rev it (aiming at board 4)....and I miss ever so slightly to the right...GUTTER. The ball IS less reactive (Perfectscore 189)...but the lanes are wood...so when it starts arcing toward the center...it goes.

And that was my problem with that path last night. The ball at that speed, even with less revs, was cutting too early and missing left. Normally....I can move left....but not if you're target boards 0-6. I'd have to move my target. And normally I could just speed it up and play the same line....but the faster I throw...more likely I am to miss...and you can't miss playing that line.

It was an interesting experience and I bowled two games in the 160s. It left me rather easy spares unless I came in WAY right and got a washout...but I think that only happened 1-3 times. Most of the time I was left not right.

I was thinking of trying it in game 1 in league play this Friday...but I think I'll stick with my "A-game" until I feel more confident out there. The right gutter "messes with me" mentally. The closer my target gets to it...the more nervous I get...and it's inevitable I'll throw 1-2 balls in there. And no matter how bad you're playing, you never want to come away with a - in the first shot.

[tccstudent]

Aslan define slightly
You said if you target the 4 and miss slightly your in the gutter. That is a 4 inch miss.
I am talking about playing straight down the lane not throwing the ball out to the 5.
Playing straight down like that gives me more options in hand positions to control the length the ball will go before it starts reacting.

[striker12]

the 5-6 board is a bit easier to play then where i have to normally play in my league i have to play the 1-2 board i have no room for error and most of the time i over hook the pocket but the thing i found out that works with playing out that far is on the approach my last step my slid i slid back to the right witch prevents me from pushing the ball to the right and making it go into the gutter

[SouthpawTRK]

I usually play the 10 board, but have been experimenting playing between the 5th and 8th board with some success. It's a bit outside my comfort zone and it does feel like I'm going to throw a gutter, but overall I think it will be good in the long run.

[sprocket]

Here's a tip for anytime you are trying to learn a line outside your comfort zone:

Temporarily spot closer to the foul line. Like the dots. If you can't see the rest of the lane, then the angle can't bother you. You can start looking farther down the lane to get square to your target line but then move your eyes close to the foul line for your approach. It can't look "wrong" if you can't see it. A target is a target is a target. Just try to hit the board your aiming at. One board isn't any easier to hit than any another board.

[J Anderson]

I was thinking of trying it in game 1 in league play this Friday...but I think I'll stick with my "A-game" until I feel more confident out there. The right gutter "messes with me" mentally. The closer my target gets to it...the more nervous I get...and it's inevitable I'll throw 1-2 balls in there. And no matter how bad you're playing, you never want to come away with a - in the first shot.

At least half the battle is to throw the ball with confidence. You need to play with the outside line in practice until you feel like you can throw it with the same degree of confidence that you do on your "A-game". This doesn't mean you'll never dump one in the gutter again, but that when you play that line you'll make a higher percentage of quality shots.

[Aslan]

Aslan define slightly
You said if you target the 4 and miss slightly your in the gutter. That is a 4 inch miss.

Usually if I'm aiming lets say 9-board (probably my most frequent target)...when I miss...I'm either missing 1-2 boards left or 1-4 boards right. I'd consider that a "miss". If I'm only 1 board left or 1-2 boards right...I'd consider that a "slight miss". In both circumstances, I'm probably still hitting the pocket.

But playing the 9-board...even a 5-board miss to the right will usually stay out of the gutter. Playing the high side...playing lets say board 5...a 1-2 board miss right is "okay"...but 3-5 boards is GUTTER. Thats what I mean by room for error. I have no idea how the old pro guys were able to play a straight line along the 1-2 boards. You'd NEVER see them drop one in the gutter. Yet if my ball gets anywhere near that 1-2 board...it's almost like the alley is "tilted"...right in the gutter.

At least half the battle is to throw the ball with confidence. You need to play with the outside line in practice until you feel like you can throw it with the same degree of confidence that you do on your "A-game". This doesn't mean you'll never dump one in the gutter again, but that when you play that line you'll make a higher percentage of quality shots.

I agree JA. Thats why I was thinking I'd go back to my "A-game" for league play. I need to mentally get better playing that outside shot...where I can alter speeds without losing accuracy. Without an "arsenal", I rely on slight speed changes or loft changes or rev changes to change the balls reaction. Usually it's no big deal if I lose a touch of accuracy (not on wood lanes or low oil...heavy oil synthetics, different story). But I can't lose that accuracy playing that close to the gutter.

Thanks!