Is the THS pattern really easy for bowlers?

[Hammer]

For folks that do sport patterns and tournaments probably. Also folks that put in good practice time would have an easier time. There are a lot of league bowlers that can't bowl good on a THS pattern. These are folks that know little about what kind of ball to get that would work for them and knowing about surface changes to make the ball work for their style. A lot of league bowlers have balls that aren't that good and have bad form. They are not going to be good even on regular house patterns.

If you know about different kinds of balls and surfaces and have a fingertip ball and a decent release you still aren't going to bowl good if you don't put in practice time. I know because it is happening to me. Because of age and body issues I don't practice but I have bowled for thirty years. I get the usual high game over 200 now and then but I have also bowled a 120 game at times. So I think it is easy if you bowl quite a bit and you know all about ball and surfaces and put in practice time. You regular league bowlers are just there to have fun and friendships. So easy for some and not for others.

[KYDave]

I've come to even dislike the term THS

I bowl at several centers and their oil volume, length and ratio are greatly varied. Altho if you ask they will say "typical house shot"

I've talked to a couple of the guys that run the lane machines and know what is normally applied. But that also depends on who runs it.

Lately its been a matter of getting lanes that have even been ran in the past 48 hours

[mishatx]

It's "easy" even if you're not very good. Your regular league bowlers would have less fun if the center laid out a flat shot with an out of bounds.

[1VegasBowler]

The THS here in Vegas will be anywhere from 38-42ft. It is also designed for higher scoring to accommodate all league bowlers.

IMO, the biggest problem is the quality of oil the centers put out there. The better the quality, the better it holds. Cheap oil makes the lanes too wacky for any kind of consistency.

[J Anderson]

The THS, defined as an oil pattern with a much higher volume of oil in the center of the lane compared to the boards nearer the gutter, is only easier for those who hook the ball. Does it make the all 200+ average bowlers? No. I would guess that most bowlers get three or four more strikes per night than they would on a flatter pattern, as well as avoiding a couple washouts and a couple big splits.

Those who throw straight get no advantage

[Tony]

I've come to even dislike the term THS

I bowl at several centers and their oil volume, length and ratio are greatly varied. Altho if you ask they will say "typical house shot"

I've talked to a couple of the guys that run the lane machines and know what is normally applied. But that also depends on who runs it.

Lately its been a matter of getting lanes that have even been ran in the past 48 hours

I would rather use the term regular house shot, where I am located there are a number of centers all owned by the same family, of course they don't all put down the same shot, even if they could match it exactly, why would they? They prefer to have a house with heavy oil, another that's medium and others with dryer to make them different, the bowlers that like a certain shot tend to play more games at the center that gives them that shot. They are all technically " house " shots, just not the same house shot as the place down the road. So the answer to the question is a THS easy for some bowlers, it just depends, on the bowlers, the center, and the day. The top bowler in my league shot a 740 last night, slightly below his average, I bowled against him a couple of weeks ago,He shot a 179, on the same THS in same center. Sometimes it's easy, most times it's not so easy. So even for guys that bowl at a very high level sometimes the THS isn't always that easy.

[fordman1]

There are so many differences in lanes you would be hard pressed to put out a shot that would hold up for 3 games and be easy. Everyone uses different balls has different deliveries etc. Different length, different width 8 to 8, 10 to 10 etc. Thin oil thick oil. Old machines, new machines. Dumb operators verses knowledgeable ones. Even surfaces wood is much different than the new stuff. Even the new stuff is different. If it isn't installed correctly "level" it doesn't matter. The new Anvil pro we had installed 2 years ago is tough. The weather is a big factor and you can't control the weather.
Best bet learn how to throw hard with a lot of hand and "hit them thin and watch them spin" Billy Welu.

[fokai73]

what's "typical" IMO, is more of the huge area of friction on the outside and the hold in the middle. Some patterns have both, or either a good hold or a good bounce off the side.

There was a point when I bowled at four house with different lane surfaces. Guardian/over lay (can be tough), wood (dry quick like overlaid lanes, scores higher than overlay), HPL (high scoring surface), and PROAVILANE (hard surface too like HPL - hit or miss for me).. ALL of which used "house shots"