What am I missing?

[axslinger99]

Last weekend I bowled at a small house in Payson, AZ. They only have 16 lanes but they condition daily and take care of the lanes. I got in and got a lane with fresh oil...no pins on the pin deck. My ball behaved exactly the way I would expect it to on fresh oil. The skid/hook/roll were exactly what I would expect.

Yesterday I went to the local AMF center and requested a lane with fresh oil. Well, the oil appeared to be fresh but my ball wasn't behaving as I would expect it to. I had a strong oil ring around my ball so I know the lane wasn't fried. However, it just wouldn't hook! My back-end motion was almost non-existent. I had to move 10 boards right just to get close to the pocket. After a game or two, I just accepted that it wasn't going to get better and accepted the weak pocket entry. I managed to squeak out a couple 160-ish games and a 183 but it was a struggle.

I am a stroker with low-revs but my style generally works great with my Hammer Absolut Curve. I can straighten it out for spares and I get a decent hook on THS. I was watching a guy next to me bowl. He was throwing and orange and black Storm...couldn't tell what model. I think it had the name "gravity" in it. He was a cranker and was getting the kind of motion I would expect from my own delivery. I noticed that he cupped his ball so I thought I'd try that; it helped a little but I've just never been able to get those "cranker" revs on my ball.

My point of all this is, based on what I've said, what would make my ball behave this way, assuming this lane really had a THS pattern? It made no sense to me. In my effort to somehow get more revs I strained the tendons in my right hand! I won't be trying that again.

[Aslan]

Welcome to the differences between one center and another. Many people don't realize these things because they stay in 1 center.

It could be many things. It could be that the one center puts more oil down or a flatter pattern that extends further out. It could be the difference in the lane materials. There is synthetic and wood…but also different kinds of synthetics.

When I first started bowling, I got invited to join a short 10-week league in a local AMF house. I went from throwing 160-180 on wood lanes to throwing 115-135 in the new house. It was miserable. Like you, my ball just sailed into the 6-pin. I had to virtually throw a straight shot to hit the pocket.

I tried everything I could think of. I got a new ball. I added surface to my ball. I tried throwing it slower. I tried adding revs. Eventually, I learned how to bowl on heavier/flatter/longer oil…but I'm still better when there is significant dryness to the right.

I even have different ball choices for when I bowl on fresh versus not fresh oil. And before sweeps, I'll practice in other houses…the more oil the better…so I can get used to Vegas conditions.

There's lots of stuff you can do to help you score on different patterns than the one you're used to. But the first step is noticing there's a difference. I bowled casually all my life and never knew the lanes were different or the centers were different. I didn't even know the balls were all that different…figured it was just appearance.

[RobLV1]

Individual oil patterns can make a huge difference. Of the three houses where I bowl league this year, I usually end up starting standing 23-27 in one center, 27-32 in the second center, and 32-36 in the third. They are all typical house shots, but different lengths and volumes necessitate that they all be played differently.

[MICHAEL]

Individual oil patterns can make a huge difference. Of the three houses where I bowl league this year, I usually end up starting standing 23-27 in one center, 27-32 in the second center, and 32-36 in the third. They are all typical house shots, but different lengths and volumes necessitate that they all be played differently.

YES Rob, and Iceman bowls at an alley, in Plattsburg where they change it EVERY WEEK!! I like it and it has HELPED MY BOWLING at other Establishments,,, Heck last Friday I set the high scratch 741 for senior men at Gladstone!! I am seeing a huge difference in my ability to adapt, do in huge part to having to make ball, and delivery adjustments at the Wood Lanes of Plattburg!! Here lately, I have the score sheets I have been hitthing 600, a lot more often! Adjustments seem to be the key, and not waiting to long to implement them!

[axslinger]

Well, I managed to eek out a few 160's and a 183 last night but it's definitely a lot more work when you have to "work" your ball. I was cupping my ball and managing to get a few more revs out of it but it was still tough. Lots of left 10's, some 7's and some groups but I was picking up my spares so that was was my saving grace. If I didn't have a decent spare game it would have been disastrous.

On that note, I'll be bowling on "fresh" lanes at the same house tonight. I normally bowl on "open" lanes and who knows what kind of condition they're in.

[axslinger]

Well, I bowled my first night on a league in that house; the lanes were the same as the lanes reserved for open bowling. My scores were absolutely horrible. I have to find a way to adjust to those lanes. It appears the heads aren't completely dry. One of the guys on my team was a serious cranker and he had more of a long curve that a hook. It may have hooked a little more at the back end but not much. If I had to guess, I would say they either have very heavy oil on the fronts or they oil all the way to 40 feet, or both.

My best hope is to play a straight shot and hope for the best.

If I can't adjust, this is going to be a long, miserable 8 weeks.

[RobLV1]

Well, I bowled my first night on a league in that house; the lanes were the same as the lanes reserved for open bowling. My scores were absolutely horrible. I have to find a way to adjust to those lanes. It appears the heads aren't completely dry. One of the guys on my team was a serious cranker and he had more of a long curve that a hook. It may have hooked a little more at the back end but not much. If I had to guess, I would say they either have very heavy oil on the fronts or they oil all the way to 40 feet, or both.

My best hope is to play a straight shot and hope for the best.

If I can't adjust, this is going to be a long, miserable 8 weeks.

Are you sure that the ball is going straighter because there is oil, or is it because there isn't any at all? Lanes that are bone dry can suck the energy out of a bowling ball so fast that it straightens out, and appears unable to hook because of too much oil. The truth of the matter is often just the opposite; the ball loses energy, stops hooking, and hits like a toasted marshmallow.

[axslinger]

Are you sure that the ball is going straighter because there is oil, or is it because there isn't any at all? Lanes that are bone dry can suck the energy out of a bowling ball so fast that it straightens out, and appears unable to hook because of too much oil. The truth of the matter is often just the opposite; the ball loses energy, stops hooking, and hits like a toasted marshmallow.

There's plenty of oil from what I can tell, based on the revs I'm seeing going down the lane, on my ball as well as others.

[bobforsaken]

Hi Axslinger99. I'm also a stroker and had similar issues when oil was fresh. My center has a 42 foot pattern for its House shot, which is a little on the longer side. I know I used to struggle with fresh conditions since I started in May. How far right are you moving with your target? I found the only way to get strong pocket entry was to play around the first arrow (straight up or even outside line). My problem was my straight wrist release just wasn't getting the revs on it to counter the speed and my release was coming around the side of the ball too much creating even longer skid. I too am throwing it about 15MPH but my revs were just too low. Finally I started working on cupping my wrist with the help of some compression to keep my tendons from flaring up. I also started moving up on the approach to slow down my speed. Between the two changes, now the fresh conditions match up well with the way I bowl.

One other thing that worked for me was getting a spare ball. I was ok at flattening out my release for spare shots, but when trying to get a new cup released down, it was just counter productive switching back and forth. I've since played without my spare ball and did OK, but for getting the feel of the release it was very helpful to keep doing it whether I was shooting a strike or spare. I can honestly say the second best thing that happened to my strike shot was getting a spare ball. (the best thing was cupping my wrist)

[axslinger]

Hi Axslinger99. I'm also a stroker and had similar issues when oil was fresh. My center has a 42 foot pattern for its House shot, which is a little on the longer side. I know I used to struggle with fresh conditions since I started in May. How far right are you moving with your target? I found the only way to get strong pocket entry was to play around the first arrow (straight up or even outside line). My problem was my straight wrist release just wasn't getting the revs on it to counter the speed and my release was coming around the side of the ball too much creating even longer skid. I too am throwing it about 15MPH but my revs were just too low. Finally I started working on cupping my wrist with the help of some compression to keep my tendons from flaring up. I also started moving up on the approach to slow down my speed. Between the two changes, now the fresh conditions match up well with the way I bowl.

One other thing that worked for me was getting a spare ball. I was ok at flattening out my release for spare shots, but when trying to get a new cup released down, it was just counter productive switching back and forth. I've since played without my spare ball and did OK, but for getting the feel of the release it was very helpful to keep doing it whether I was shooting a strike or spare. I can honestly say the second best thing that happened to my strike shot was getting a spare ball. (the best thing was cupping my wrist)

How do you get more revs without coming around the side of the ball on the release? I thought it was necessary to get more revs. When I stay behind the ball, it straightens it out.