Well, the lane maintenance crew messed up last night....

[foreverincamo]

and forgot to reset the lane conditioning machine to our THS. Instead we got the Kegel Challenge Shot " Middle of the Road " oil pattern. The pattern is listed as 39 feet long, but no one could get their ball to do much of anything the first game . I went with my Brunswick Melee Cross the first game and shot 184 with one open on a pocket 7-10. Couldn't strike for nothing. Either left a ten pin or grazed the head pin and left the 2-8 or the 2-4-5-8.
The second game I switched to my Black Widow Legend . Pounded the pocket the whole game for a 189. The last game the left lane decided to go Mr Hyde on me and start hooking several boards more than the right. I kept moving left and throwing right and leaving 7's, 10's, and 2-8 10's for a whopping 164. No one shot higher than 550 on our pair. Asking around the other teams, more than 30 pocket 7-10's were left that night, along with countless 5-7's from low rev players. I'm not sure how the last 21 feet of our lanes weren't allowing the ball to hook, but the whole league struggled.
How did this come about? The local high school team was practicing on this challenge shot for the next tournament, and when they oiled for our league they forgot to change the machine's programming back to our THS. All I can say good about my night was I never missed a spare, my first shot accuracy was good, my speed was very consistent, and I never gave up.

[jab5325]

I bowled on Kegel's Route 66 pattern in a tournament a few weeks ago--and had much the same experience. I never saw so many odd leaves, 7-10s/7-9s in my life.

I'd love to get in a sport league to try different shots.

[foreverincamo]

My coach wants me to get in a few sport shot league this summer. I love a challenge, but I want to be informed of a change in the oil pattern . I'll try at least one sport shot league this summer . I just about have my arsenal set up. It's time to learn what they'll do on tougher patterns.

[jab5325]

Agreed. I wish I would've had my Bad Intentions on the Route 66 pattern; I still scored fairly well (180s for an average), but that ball would've ate that pattern for lunch. The Xxcel just couldn't get the reaction it needed.

[RobLV1]

When you bowl on a challenging pattern that is close in length to a THS like the Middle of the Road, it simply shows you how spoiled we have become in counting on the free miss room that we take advantage of all too often. If you look at the pattern graph for Middle of the Road, you can probably see that there are three distinct parts of the lane that you can use to play the pattern: 13 board, 9 board, and 5 board. The one that will work the best for you is determined by the other bowlers on the pair and the characteristics of the center and the particular pair of lanes. Whichever line you choose, you have to be consistent in line, speed, and release. Wherever you play, there is very little room for error.

[jab5325]

RobLV1,

Have you ever bowled on the Route 66, or something similar? I'm curious to get your thoughts on it and where you'd target.

[foreverincamo]

RobLV1, the only problem we all had was we weren't informed of the pattern switch until after the night was over and maintenance came out of hiding in the back of the center and admitted what happened. By looking at the pattern and going over some websites I have determined that I was playing the part of the lanes I should have. I had six splits, and leaves of the 2-8, 2-4-5, and 2-4-5-8. The rest were 10 pins and strikes, but mostly 10 pins. First game had two strikes, and the third had none . But I never missed a spare I could make.

[foreverincamo]

Funny thing was the ball I own that would have matched up the best was sitting in my bedroom. I just decided on taking 4 balls and left it home. My Melee Cross kept leaving flat tens, and my Black Widow Legend kept leaving ringing 10's. My timing, release, and accuracy were great. Just couldn't carry.

[vdubtx]

Route 66 is a long pattern and as such should be played with a more inside line. You want your exit point from the pattern to be in the 12-13 board area vs. 7-8 of house shots. Of course will be a bit different with how you play, but should be a good starting point. As Rob mentioned, and with any "Sport" shot, you need to be consistent with your shot as there is not much room for error.

[RobLV1]

RobLV1, the only problem we all had was we weren't informed of the pattern switch until after the night was over and maintenance came out of hiding in the back of the center and admitted what happened. By looking at the pattern and going over some websites I have determined that I was playing the part of the lanes I should have. I had six splits, and leaves of the 2-8, 2-4-5, and 2-4-5-8. The rest were 10 pins and strikes, but mostly 10 pins. First game had two strikes, and the third had none . But I never missed a spare I could make.

You defined your own problem! They shouldn't have to inform you of a pattern switch. If you start your league without any preconceptions, you'll find the shot whatever the pattern is. Funny, the first article I wrote for BTM back in 2007 dealt with the dangers of preconceptions, and we keep coming back to it, over and over and over...