Anyone ever play in a league that doesn't oil pre-league?

[Mike White]

I don't mind the practice as much as the message it sends. Like Rob said...adjusting to lane conditions is becoming an ever more important part of the game so it's best to learn how to do it.

But...when you have a house that is worried about limiting league sizes so not to interfere with open bowling...when you have a house that is not giving a 1-pair cushion between open and league bowlers...and now a house that has just decided to stop oiling before leagues because it costs them the open bowling on those lanes for 30-45 minutes prior to league...it sends the message to league bowlers that despite the rhetoric and "Happy Birthday" wishes...the owner and management really look at leagues as more of a hinderance than a benefit.

The Brunswick house I bowl at with MikeW on Sundays seems to have a much better attitude towards leagues...but, with California traffic...a league in that center on a weeknight would be absolutely impossible. It's a 20 minute drive on Sunday mornings but a minimum of 45 minutes on Mon.-Thurs. evenings...on top of the hour commute back from where I work.

They might have a better attitude but that doesn't clean the approaches from what I assume was moonlight bowling on Saturday night.

Those approaches are killing me, to the point where I have completely altered my approach so I don't require a long slide, which in turn alters how I release the ball.

[Mike White]

I don't mind the practice as much as the message it sends. Like Rob said...adjusting to lane conditions is becoming an ever more important part of the game so it's best to learn how to do it.

All of the scratch leagues I bowled in during the 70's-80's were second shift leagues.

The deal now is you get so much help from a fresh oil pattern, that people become reliant on that help, and when it changes, people become "helpless".

Adjusting actually is becoming less of a requirement than is was in the past.

There is no need to adjust to the lanes if your opponent also doesn't just.

A win is a win even if you both bowl like crap.

Now if winning is important to you (it's not to everyone) you learn to adjust better than your competition.

[Bradski9]

It really varies from alley to alley, our bowling alley makes most of their money from the leagues, that is the case with a lot of smaller bowling alleys, some are in a good location in their town or city and get a lot of open bowlers.

[vdubtx]

My Tuesday night league is like this. OIl early afternoon and then let open bowlers or seniors warm up on the lanes before leagues start up at 6pm. Every week, we can see track marks down the lane. The house already skimps on oil, then to compound it with people removing more makes for some fun adjustment nights.

[Aslan]

My Tuesday night league is like this. OIl early afternoon and then let open bowlers or seniors warm up on the lanes before leagues start up at 6pm. Every week, we can see track marks down the lane. The house already skimps on oil, then to compound it with people removing more makes for some fun adjustment nights.

What also bothered me was the guy said, "We just a lot of oil down in the morning and it lasts throughout the day." So let me get this straight...if I bowl in the afternoon...I'm playing on flooded lanes...but if I come bowl after 9:30PM they are dry as hell???

That might explain why I had to move right of the 8-board with my most aggressive ball last night when I showed up for the Virtual Bowling Tour at about 4PM.

They might have a better attitude but that doesn't clean the approaches from what I assume was moonlight bowling on Saturday night.

Those approaches are killing me, to the point where I have completely altered my approach so I don't require a long slide, which in turn alters how I release the ball.

Yes, the downside to those lanes besides the older scoring system (although about 17 years newer than what you're used to at Arlington) is the approaches are hit or miss. I haven't noticed it AS much near the foul line...but the seating area at times feels like someone spilled soda and of course that gets on your shoes and either makes the shoes sticky or gets tracked onto the approach.

[circlecity]

You are completely wrong. Examine the history of Bowlmor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowlmor_Lanes

The company got started with one bowling center in Manhattan, and turned it into a night club style bowling alley, ant they made a TON of money.

That might not ultimately translate across the country.

Didn't they just close that alley not to long ago?

[Mike White]

Didn't they just close that alley not to long ago?

Yep, it said they lost their lease, not that the business was doing bad.