Getting through the breakdown

[bowlingtom95]

I am new to the site so i figured i would just jump right in and start posting, i am a 170-180 average bowler. Working on a lot of stuff and finally getting consistent but this is one of my biggest problems, getting past the initial breakdown. Once the lanes are on the dryer side its okay but i seem to have issues with the initial breakdown(after first game beginning of the second game) Where it feels like every adjustment or change I make is wrong, how do you guys handle this, what adjustments do u make. Thanks for the help everyone.

[RobLV1]

Welcome to the site! First of all, the terminology for what you are describing is called the oil transition. Breakdown is when someone gets angry and starts kicking the ball return - LOL. Anyway, it's important to understand what is going on during the period leading up to the transition in terms of the other people on your pair of lanes. You are at the point with your 170-180 average that you really need to start paying attention to what is going on with the lanes and understanding the adjustments you need to make.

First of all, the oil transition is created by the specific lines that all of the bowlers on the pair are playing. The bowlers on your team are constant from week to week, but the bowlers on the other team affect the lanes too, so you need to be aware of everyone. There are three parts of the lane that are affected by each bowlers bowling ball: the heads (laydown point and position at the arrows), the midpart of the lane, and the breakpoint (just past the end of the pattern - around the far dark tracer boards on Brunswick lanes). Usually the first transition occurs in the front part of the lanes, from the laydown point to the arrows, as a result of the fact that most house bowlers choose to play the second arrow. As the oil on the heads is absorbed by all of the bowling balls, your ball starts to hook early and lose energy before it gets to the pocket. The adjustment here is to move left (I'm assuming you're right handed) with your target at the arrows, but keep your breakpoint the same. This is the traditional 2 & 1 move left (2 boards with your feet, and 1 board with your target). This adjustment works for a while, until the oil starts getting really depleted at the breakpoint (most bowlers are much more accurate hitting their target at 15 feet than they are in hitting their target at the breakpoint around 40 feet). At that point, when you see the ball start to lose its reaction down the lane, you will also have to move your breakpoint left to find more oil.

If you would like to learn more about adjusting to changing lane conditions, there is a section on making adjustments on my website: www.Modern-Bowling.com where you can start learning about all the nuances of the modern game.

Rob Mautner

[sprocket]

For me being older and out of shape helps. During the first game I am still throwing the ball slower because my muscles haven't loosened up. My muscles gradually loosening up coincides exactly with the first transition. As I loosen up my ball speed increases and that is all it takes for me to get through the first transition.

[bowlingtom95]

Thanks for the response, being as advanced as I am I do know about the way the transitions work, I have been getting better but maybe that's the adjustment i need to try, i totally forgot that was even a possibility. I usually just go 1 board left and throw the same line, the other way i get around it is using my loft, im a bigger guy(and yes right handed) so lofting is pretty easy, but i will give the 2-1 a shot. Thanks.

[bowlingtom95]

Hey rob, got home from my league day(morning youth and an afternoon traveling league) Thank you so much for giving me the suggestion of that 2-1 adjustment. I started the day in my morning league as i usually do and they didnt really break down to bad, but the afternoon league we had the pair with a group of five great bowlers throwing tons of revs so the lanes broke pretty quick but ended up only needing a few adjustments, twice on the left lane i made a 2-1 and one 1-1 adjustments and stayed in the pocket all day, and the right i made one 2-1 and one 1-1 adjustment and same thing, it helped a ton, thanks again

[RobLV1]

No problem. Glad to help.