Making Adjustments

[Amyers]

It seams here lately that my first game is my low game. In warm ups I'm fine throwing strikes then when the game starts it seems that by the first or second ball my shot is taking off to the left. One of the leagues I bowl on is only four to a set of lanes. Last night I was matched up with a woman (righty) low revs polished ball so she's not tearing the pattern up, two left handers no effect, and me so I know it's not others. I think I threw 8 warm up shots all in the pocket for 5 strikes. First shot once the game starts left of the head pin. Second shot hits high I make an adjustment left and it doesn't seem to make it back or hits light sometimes then others its on. What causes this am I burning up my own line in warm ups? That's only 4 shots on each lane can I be using the line up that quickly?

I know I wait to long to make adjustments I'm always thinking it's me doing something not the lanes changing so I have a tendency to wait until the middle of a game to make adjustments. Maybe I just need more confidence to make a change as soon as I think something's going on. It could be I'm not finding the optimal line when I'm warming up also just because you can throw strikes from there doesn't always make it the best place. Just interested in everybody's thoughts

[Geneo2u]

Just a thought, Don't move after a bad shot... Only make your moves after a good shot if needed..

[vdubtx]

I certainly agree with Gene. Don't move on a bad shot. Something was up that you crossed over head pin. I would say that you either missed your breakpoint, or you dropped your speed when actual scoring started.

When you hitting high pocket and leaving 4 pins, or start to leave back row pins, then moves are needed.

[J Anderson]

I don't know what your league warm-ups are like, but in my experience the pace is much faster in warm-ups than the actual games. Everyone is standing in line waiting for their turn, and trying to get as many shots in as they can. Then once practice ends there can sometimes be a few minutes before the first game actually starts. Then you have the people who don't even get out of their seats until the bowler before them has stepped off the approach.

If this is happening in your league as well, the change in pace may be having an effect on concentration or maybe even some aspect of your physical game.

[RobLV1]

Some of the new oils burn up very fast, particularly on a fresh pattern. You could very well be burning up your line that fast. One of the centers where I bowl, you routinely get two frames before you have to move, then two more frames and you have to move again.

I hate to disagree with the others (LOL), but I think that not adjusting because you didn't throw a perfect shot is a big mistake. If you don't move and you should have, you leave yourself with a big ugly split. If you move when you shouldn't have, you leave yourself with a two pin or a five pin, or a 2-4-5 at worst and then you move back. You didn't strike, but you didn't open either.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Depending on who i'm bowling with, some nights i have to move a little after practice. Like rob was saying it is easier to pick up a 2 pin combination than the big four.

[Amyers]

Just a thought, Don't move after a bad shot... Only make your moves after a good shot if needed..

I usually try not to move after a bad shot but sometimes its hard to tell. Even the ball that went Brooklyn was within a board of my mark I think I just dropped my speed on that one. What I was getting at with the post is on a regular basis I seem to have 2-5 more boards of hook when we start keeping score vs. warm ups. I wanted to know if anyone else sees this and why this might be. Currently considering maybe I tighten up when we start reducing my ball speed or maybe I'm burning my line up in practice but I wouldn't think 4 shots on a lane would do that.

[RobLV1]

Keep in mind what a typical house shot is. If you miss your mark by one board in and you dive through the nose, you are not lined up and need to move. The idea of a house shot is to have miss room right and miss room left. That's why the condition is so condusive to high scores. If you don't have the miss room, you need to find it. And, four shots on a lane will most certainly affect the shot. I know many good players who, once they find a good strike line in practice, will stay away from it until the lights go on.

[Mudpuppy]

To me it seems like you have to do a mental checklist before moving:

1. Did I hit my mark?
2. Was ball at proper speed?
3. Did I follow through?
4. Did I post the shot?
5. Was my foot speed correct?
6. Was my backswing and stroke smooth?

If you answer yes to all of these then yes I would then adjust if it dove through the nose or hit light or I got tapped or it just did not hit solid. But if I was inconsistent in my shot then why would I move - just like Geno was saying don't move after a bad shot. It would be no different than throwing a terrible shot saying yanking it way left (for a right hander) because your forward stroke was way off and then immediately going to your 50 ball arsenal changing balls because the ball wasn't working (p.s. I qualified 1st in Vegas with a 666 using 1 ball, so buttons, as smithers would say, on the whole arsenal argument). And before you move could you adjust speed or your mark?

[J Anderson]

I hate to disagree with the others (LOL), but I think that not adjusting because you didn't throw a perfect shot is a big mistake. If you don't move and you should have, you leave yourself with a big ugly split. If you move when you shouldn't have, you leave yourself with a two pin or a five pin, or a 2-4-5 at worst and then you move back. You didn't strike, but you didn't open either.

This probably explains why I only average 10 pins higher on the house shot than in the sport league.