Getting Frustrated

[Amyers]

As some of you know my home center closed after fall leagues this year so this summer I had intended to bowl in two different centers but The other center couldn't get their Friday night league off the ground so now all of my league bowling is located at one center. I feel like in some way I have been sent to bowling H***. I really like the owner and the proshop. The people their are great I know most of them as this is the center that my kids bowl their youth leagues in but the lanes my god the lanes. I will say first off some of this is a me problem. I have lower ball speed on a good night I'm at 12.5 on the monitors. It's not always a good night and I can easily drop to 11.5 and if the lanes are really dry I can struggle to keep the ball speed over 11. When we first started bowling there all I had was the Asylum and my Virtual Gravity Nano Pearl (this ball has a control drilling and not quite as aggressive as you might think but still strong) both pretty strong balls needless to say in open bowling I had to throw my plastic a lot. I've since added Arson Low Flare at the proshop at the centers direction and they have even went as far as a lot of the time when we come in they will oil the heads on a set for us when we come in (which is pretty amazing can't imagine that happening anywhere else) of course we spend a lot of money there practice 1 to 2 nights a week and my family of 4 is in leagues there 2 nights a week plus the bowling balls bought out of the proshop but still pretty amazing.

So to cut to the point these are older wooden lanes and the oil being put down is the most inconsistent thing I have ever seen in my life. It could be that I have been spoiled all of the other houses where I have bowled leagues put out a completely fresh shot for their leagues about 30min to an hour before start and on synthetics I don't seem to have as much of an issue with the drier shot. Here sometimes completely fresh shot is out, sometimes they just re-oil the heads (which I've never seen done before anywhere), and sometimes I think nothing is put down at all (anytime I have been there I see one of the machines run but man sometimes their isn't even a track on the ball). Their is absolutely no pattern to what your going to be looking at from night to night.

On the nights where the lanes have been completely redone I can play up the second arrow and scoring is really good, some nights I'm starting off playing between the second and third arrow and I do fine some nights I'm ending up starting off over the third arrow and I'm really struggling with it. The first game is ok not great (carry is poor) and after that is a disaster waiting to happen I end up adjusting farther in which is not my best shot I can still get it in the pocket but my carry just goes down the toilet I've thrown numerous 187-190 games already this summer that are all 9/ or 9/ and 8/ games and even worse when you miss or get some extra bad luck and leave something like a 8-10 or pocket 7-10 now your looking at a 160 in a game you bowled well in.

I've worked with the PSO about the ball speed he seems to feel that is a physical issue (I have a lower backswing) and can't really be fixed. I can't ball down anymore unless I want to go to urethane and I don't really want to. I could look at buying something that goes longer with a bigger backend (my VG Nano isn't really drilled for that) but I really don't want to buy another ball and I'm not sure that would really fix the issue. I do plan on working with an actual certified coach this summer unfortunately my fridge went out and sucked my extra money out and the wife has this strange idea that keeping the food cold is more important than bowling so I haven't got to do it yet but will.

I'm not sure if I'm really expecting an answer or just ranting here I've finally got my averages back up to 170 in both leagues here yes I did say up to 170 (had some thumb and ball matchup issues to start the season). Both these leagues have regular league scoring then the top three finishers for the men and women bowl off each night for $25 gift card. I've made the cut 4 times out of 6 weeks but yet to win. I actually finished as the top qualifier Tuesday night with a 583 (yeah top score with a 583) and there are some decent bowlers on this league so it's not just me. I've been tracking my scores in other houses and I'm actually bowling better then ever averaging 211 over the last 2 months bowling in other centers. Those speed dominate guys just rule the roost in this house the ones that can flip it out there at 17-18 on the monitors really seem to have a built in advantage. The guy I lost to on Tuesday night is not on the same planet bowling wise as me or the other guy that finished in the top 3 but he won with a 205 (High speed low rev got kinda lucky with some Brooklyn's), Me I had a 179 clean until a 8-10 split on a good shot in the 8th after a double and a 6-7 in the 9th on a bad shot by me, the other guy who is a real top notch two hander (not a sprayer one of the few real good two handers I know) ended with a 160 could keep it right of the head pin. I'm trying to figure out if I really want to keep beating my head against the wall bowling a league here this fall. I need to purchase some other kind of ball, or if coaching will help me raise my speed when no one else has been able to fix it, or if I just need to suck it up and live with it since I like the people there and the center. Regardless one of my leagues will be somewhere else this fall.

P.S. sorry for the Aslan style book in a post.

[Aslan]

P.S. sorry for the Aslan style book in a post.

Never apologize for emulating greatness.

My teammate on Wednesday has the same problem. Lower volume oil, very dry outside, shorter pattern. He also has a lower ball speed...and he's an older gentleman so increasing ball speed becomes very, very tricky.

But, you're still relatively young...so maybe increasing ball speed is still a possibility. It won't be easy...you'll have to tweak your timing....but theres more than 1 way to increase ball speed and unless you have serious physical limitations...you can do it.

I had the opposite problem. On wood I beat even the greatest bowler in Riverside County (MWhite) (in the Aslan vs. MWhite Wood Lanes Challenge) on those wood lanes. Unfortunately...they tore those out and put in brand new, slippery, synthetic lanes...and I spent 1.5 years leaving the 1-2-8 CONSTANTLY as suddenly...my 250 rev rate and 19mph ball speed was completely ineffective. I was out around the 4-6 board trying to find just a "sliver" of dryness. I had to learn to throw slower. Now I'm about 16mph. If I want more speed...more power...I'm gonna need more revs...and that's my current challenge.

But don't look at it as a game killer...look at it as an opportunity. With your ball hooking TOO much...you can explore the left side of the lane. You can really open up the lane. You can try to get the ball OUT more. Suzie Minshew (or whatever her name is) had some nice articles on BTM about getting the ball out a little a further or setting it down a little earlier (vs strictly lateral moves). You can experiment with a 5-9 step approach...use the entire approach to generate speed with your legs.

Again, most coaches will start by asking you the same question, "Do you have any health or physical problems/limitations?" The reason that's important...crucially important...is IF you are limited by a bad knee, bad shoulder, elbow, back, etc... you have less options. The older guy I mentioned...he's stuck. If the lanes are too dry for his ball speed he just throws a urethane ball and hopes it strikes Brooklyn or leaves him a decent spare leave. He can't do anything else about it. I bowled with an elderly Asian woman...same thing...she was a lefty and couldn't hit the single 7-pin. In her case...a spare ball (plastic) would have probably helped...but other than that...she had like a 7mph ball speed and a history of shoulder problems. Nobody (including me) wants to try and "help" that kind of a person by recommending they throw harder or faster or get lower or loft or ANYTHING...because it's too much of a risk that they could aggravate a pre-existing condition and be done bowling forever.

I deal with inconsistent conditions on Tuesday...and it's 20% of the reason I'm not bowling there in the fall/winter. 80% is I moved and live next door to a different bowling alley (so why drive 10 miles out of my way to go to another alley?)...but 20% is I feel if a house is not acting in the best interest of league bowlers...then the only recourse we have is to go somewhere else. Theres ZERO excuses for not putting down a fresh, consistent shot for league bowlers. It can be a hard shot, a PBA shot, an easy shot...THAT doesn't matter. But it must be consistent and undisturbed. My belief is, there's no value in complaining about a shot...not when I live in an area where I can get to 3 different centers in under 15 minutes. I'm not one to endlessly complain and never do anything about it. I don't like the service/situation...I'll take my significant $$ elsewhere. I'll miss my team...I'll miss the nice couches and fairly modern equipment...but whatever.

[Perrin]

in the summer I bowl in a house with shorter pattern, lighter oil, and old guardian(very soft surface)

Most weeks I end up having to resort to either throwing my spare ball as my strike ball (still get ~10 boards of movement from plastic) or play the middle of the lane and try to prevent the ball from burning up all the energy and hitting like a marshmallow.

[bobforsaken]

Sorry I don't have any suggestions but I feel your pain. I think with there being so few summer leagues I'm running into excessively dry conditions all the time. Wednesday I went with my son and paid for a 2 hour special. They put us on a lane that was SO dry that all you could see was on the lane was tracks from the dust that had settled on the lane. I was standing on 40 throwing to 15 with a flat wrist just to hit the pocket, but all rolled out. (And my son was playing a similar line and was just about throwing his arm out of socket to get enough speed)

I left after a couple of games with over an hour still on the clock. Now granted, this was open bowling, but seriously.. NO OIL!??!! I reached down and touched the heads with my finger and it wasn't even moist. I'd be bullsh*t if league conditions were like that. I did an adult youth league where they did a bad job putting down oil (not warming up the machine etc) and another where they didn't oil before the league and they were never as bad as this, and this was not the first time I've prepaid for garbage lanes at this house.

I won't be going back there anytime soon.. They may have saved a few bucks on not oiling, but they lost many more on pissing off customers.

[Cdolcejr]

As some of you know my home center closed after fall leagues this year so this summer I had intended to bowl in two different centers but The other center couldn't get their Friday night league off the ground so now all of my league bowling is located at one center. I feel like in some way I have been sent to bowling H***. I really like the owner and the proshop. The people their are great I know most of them as this is the center that my kids bowl their youth leagues in but the lanes my god the lanes. I will say first off some of this is a me problem. I have lower ball speed on a good night I'm at 12.5 on the monitors. It's not always a good night and I can easily drop to 11.5 and if the lanes are really dry I can struggle to keep the ball speed over 11. When we first started bowling there all I had was the Asylum and my Virtual Gravity Nano Pearl (this ball has a control drilling and not quite as aggressive as you might think but still strong) both pretty strong balls needless to say in open bowling I had to throw my plastic a lot. I've since added Arson Low Flare at the proshop at the centers direction and they have even went as far as a lot of the time when we come in they will oil the heads on a set for us when we come in (which is pretty amazing can't imagine that happening anywhere else) of course we spend a lot of money there practice 1 to 2 nights a week and my family of 4 is in leagues there 2 nights a week plus the bowling balls bought out of the proshop but still pretty amazing.

So to cut to the point these are older wooden lanes and the oil being put down is the most inconsistent thing I have ever seen in my life. It could be that I have been spoiled all of the other houses where I have bowled leagues put out a completely fresh shot for their leagues about 30min to an hour before start and on synthetics I don't seem to have as much of an issue with the drier shot. Here sometimes completely fresh shot is out, sometimes they just re-oil the heads (which I've never seen done before anywhere), and sometimes I think nothing is put down at all (anytime I have been there I see one of the machines run but man sometimes their isn't even a track on the ball). Their is absolutely no pattern to what your going to be looking at from night to night.

On the nights where the lanes have been completely redone I can play up the second arrow and scoring is really good, some nights I'm starting off playing between the second and third arrow and I do fine some nights I'm ending up starting off over the third arrow and I'm really struggling with it. The first game is ok not great (carry is poor) and after that is a disaster waiting to happen I end up adjusting farther in which is not my best shot I can still get it in the pocket but my carry just goes down the toilet I've thrown numerous 187-190 games already this summer that are all 9/ or 9/ and 8/ games and even worse when you miss or get some extra bad luck and leave something like a 8-10 or pocket 7-10 now your looking at a 160 in a game you bowled well in.

I've worked with the PSO about the ball speed he seems to feel that is a physical issue (I have a lower backswing) and can't really be fixed. I can't ball down anymore unless I want to go to urethane and I don't really want to. I could look at buying something that goes longer with a bigger backend (my VG Nano isn't really drilled for that) but I really don't want to buy another ball and I'm not sure that would really fix the issue. I do plan on working with an actual certified coach this summer unfortunately my fridge went out and sucked my extra money out and the wife has this strange idea that keeping the food cold is more important than bowling so I haven't got to do it yet but will.

I think I can be of some assistance. First of all, I don't want to be that guy, but I'm going to be THAT guy who suggests urethane. Let me put it like this. I bowled on a second shift Thursday night league last winter. For about 2/3's of the season, it becomes a third shift league because high school bowls before the first shift, then the first shift bowls, then us. The initial pattern is dry on the outsides even when fresh. During this league, I was able to maintain a 215 average for one reason- urethane. I bought a Karma Urethane a while ago and in this league it was money. The lanes were so dry that at one point I was throwing the urethane at 15 at the arrows while standing on 35 board just to keep it in the pocket. I have a ball speed of 15-16mph and the lane surface is older synthetic. The fact that your ball speed is slower and the lane surface is wood screams urethane. A ball such as the Blue Hammer is affordable and would most likely be a quality purchase for you as it can also be used for spares. This is also a good option if you don't want to/can't play deeper on the lane.

If you can play deeper and really are not interested in urethane, you can try moving deeper inside with your arson low flare. You can also try having it polished if its still too strong. Other reactive options you can try are the Brunswick Slingshot (you can find one on ebay at reasonable price), Columbia 300 Deep Freeze, etc...

Just my 2 cents as I've bowled on toast for the last 5 years. Hope this helps.

[HowDoIHookAgain]

This is almost the exact same kind of house that I play on every week. Very inconsistent shot, little oil, wooden lanes, extremely heavy pins (rumor has it they take all the pins none of the other houses want because they're all cracked and heavy and wooden). And to boot, you get grease on your ball. Not in a liquid form. In a solid form. You'd swear they took goose dung and sprinkled it all over the lanes. That's how terrible the lanes are. So trust me, I know the pain you are going through. For me, bowling on an actual set of lanes is like a gift from God himself (being the closest one to me is about a 35 minute drive away, and I really only go there for the school team). Not to mention, there are only 24 lanes, and they rely solely on the open bowling we get from tourists during the summer (it's pretty close to Long Beach Island, so when it rains, all the tourists flock to the mainland).

But despite all the shortcomings of a house stuck in the 1980's, I actually consider bowling in a house like this an extreme advantage. Why? Think of it this way. You're used to bowling in a house where everything is nice and consistent, right? Well, take the guys like you averaging in the 200's and such, and throw them on a set of lanes like you just described. Chances are, they will flop like a fish out of water, because they're not used to a house like this. But if you can adjust to a situation like this, and still walk away with games in the 180's-190's, then you're bowling great. For a lot of people in my house, once they go to a more modern set of lanes, their average will jump anywhere from 10-30 pins.

So let's say a bowler with a 205 average goes into your house and after 3 months, they are averaging a 190. Considering the extreme adjustments that they're making, they're shooting really good. I guess what I'm trying to get out of this little rant is, take this as a learning experience. If you can adjust to basically a different set of lanes every time you bowl there, you can pretty much adjust to anything right? You'll be able to recognize different patterns and such easier, so you'll be able to make a better adjustment.

Sorry if this was a little long-winded, but I just felt like sharing my personal experiences and what I've taken out of bowling on lanes similar to those you're bowling on. Hope I helped.

[classygranny]

Wow...I guess I better quit complaining about our occasional over/under situations, the sticky approaches, and popcorn on the floor.

Both houses I bowl in oil prior to league and no open bowling is allowed on the lanes after that. Granted sometimes the morning league, they have oiled at midnight, but it is still fresh oil. I've even been asking around about where I can go bowl on drier lanes to prepare for my upcoming Vegas tournament, as I know they will be dry on some of the squads. I've been told I have to go after 9pm - but that's bedtime!

After reading some of these posts, next time I want to complain, I think I better just thank my lucky stars and deal with my situation with a smile on my face.

[dougb]

Both houses I bowl in oil prior to league and no open bowling is allowed on the lanes after that.

Unfortunately that's a rarity out my way.

[Aslan]

I actually consider bowling in a house like this an extreme advantage. Why? Think of it this way. You're used to bowling in a house where everything is nice and consistent, right? Well, take the guys like you averaging in the 200's and such, and throw them on a set of lanes like you just described. Chances are, they will flop like a fish out of water, because they're not used to a house like this. But if you can adjust to a situation like this, and still walk away with games in the 180's-190's, then you're bowling great. For a lot of people in my house, once they go to a more modern set of lanes, their average will jump anywhere from 10-30 pins.

Yes and no.

When I started bowling on wood lanes, my high speed/low rev shot played well. Just toss it out towards the 2nd arrow...give or take about 4 boards...and just about any low-medium oil reactive resin ball would go slamming into the pocket. High speed played great at this house...and you didn't need a huge rev rate because there was so much friction out there...and a big cushion of it so missing a bit...not a problem. I averaged about 165...but was a beginner so a lot of that low average was still learning how to pick up spares.

When higher average guys used to "regular" lanes showed up...they'd curse and yell...because their balls couldn't stay right of the headpin. Even their mid-range equipment was going through the nose or Brooklyn. And, like most bowlers, their pride was in jeopardy.

Unfortunately...the downside of that wonderful little utopia was two-fold:
1) When I joined a league elsewhere...my average dropped to 139. I couldn't get the ball to move to save my life. No revs...19-21mph...it was a disaster.
2) It set me back developmentally because I had UNLEARN all the things I had learned. Tossing/lofting the ball to get it over the beat up heads...high speed/power to get the ball out far enough so not to hook too early...etc...

And when this house eventually made the decision to replace those old wood lanes...which virtually every center has or will...we now have only about 2 bowlers averaging 200+...out of about 135. The ones that "care"...like me...have had to reinvent their games and change and try to adapt to what is now a very flat, very long, very heavy volume pattern that (thanks to NOT oiling pre-league) can very from a slightly 'slick' THS to a bearly impossible pattern that is harder than any WTBA or PBA pattern I've played on. Those that don't 'care'...they just average less now.

But here's where you REALLY have a hole in your strategy...I'm sure you living in "Earth" don't often sweep much...due to interstellar traffic and bowling ball weight restrictions during takeoff...but in California/Arizona/Nevada...as well as other places...often times leagues will "sweep" in Vegas...or Reno or Laughlin. BEFORE switching to synthetics...our bowlers would go there and get DESTROYED on Vegas conditions. 200+ average bowlers bowling in the 130s-150s. Now...now that we've switched to synthetics...and made the shot almost impossible...suddenly people are doing better in Vegas!!!

So, the biggest downside to that strategy is you're only going to be good...in THAT house. Everyone else is going to be good everywhere EXCEPT that house. So unless that house holds all the tournaments...has the best leagues...and is the closest to you by far...with the most reasonable prices...and is nowhere near in danger of ever closing down...you're in trouble.

[HowDoIHookAgain]

Yes and no.

When I started bowling on wood lanes, my high speed/low rev shot played well. Just toss it out towards the 2nd arrow...give or take about 4 boards...and just about any low-medium oil reactive resin ball would go slamming into the pocket. High speed played great at this house...and you didn't need a huge rev rate because there was so much friction out there...and a big cushion of it so missing a bit...not a problem. I averaged about 165...but was a beginner so a lot of that low average was still learning how to pick up spares.

When higher average guys used to "regular" lanes showed up...they'd curse and yell...because their balls couldn't stay right of the headpin. Even their mid-range equipment was going through the nose or Brooklyn. And, like most bowlers, their pride was in jeopardy.

Unfortunately...the downside of that wonderful little utopia was two-fold:
1) When I joined a league elsewhere...my average dropped to 139. I couldn't get the ball to move to save my life. No revs...19-21mph...it was a disaster.
2) It set me back developmentally because I had UNLEARN all the things I had learned. Tossing/lofting the ball to get it over the beat up heads...high speed/power to get the ball out far enough so not to hook too early...etc...

And when this house eventually made the decision to replace those old wood lanes...which virtually every center has or will...we now have only about 2 bowlers averaging 200+...out of about 135. The ones that "care"...like me...have had to reinvent their games and change and try to adapt to what is now a very flat, very long, very heavy volume pattern that (thanks to NOT oiling pre-league) can very from a slightly 'slick' THS to a bearly impossible pattern that is harder than any WTBA or PBA pattern I've played on. Those that don't 'care'...they just average less now.

But here's where you REALLY have a hole in your strategy...I'm sure you living in "Earth" don't often sweep much...due to interstellar traffic and bowling ball weight restrictions during takeoff...but in California/Arizona/Nevada...as well as other places...often times leagues will "sweep" in Vegas...or Reno or Laughlin. BEFORE switching to synthetics...our bowlers would go there and get DESTROYED on Vegas conditions. 200+ average bowlers bowling in the 130s-150s. Now...now that we've switched to synthetics...and made the shot almost impossible...suddenly people are doing better in Vegas!!!

So, the biggest downside to that strategy is you're only going to be good...in THAT house. Everyone else is going to be good everywhere EXCEPT that house. So unless that house holds all the tournaments...has the best leagues...and is the closest to you by far...with the most reasonable prices...and is nowhere near in danger of ever closing down...you're in trouble.

Maybe I just misphrased that a bit. I understand that bowling on one specific lane (wood/synthetic) will make you inexperienced with the other. What I'm saying is that if he can make a change from synthetic to wood, especially with conditions as bad as he's described, then he will have the advantage. If he can maintain high AND consistent averages in houses with synthetic and houses with wood, that will be his advantage. My opinion is simply this; if you can adjust to many kinds of conditions, from good to poor and all kinds of in between, then you will have an advantage against most other bowlers.