What appears to be a hard pattern, may turn into a easier one.

[bowl1820]

Last night on my sport challenge league, I was talking to one of the other players after bowling. He's one of the better bowlers (comp. ave. 238) has a pro-shop as a sideline in his main business.

A lot of times on league I pick one of the better bowlers in the league and try to beat them as a way to challenge myself more. This night we bowled on one of Slowinski Signature Series (Houdini's Escape 48'), I bowled well and beat his score (except for one game).

So I wanted to talk to him and get his take on the pattern, to better gauge my performance. So I asked him if he thought it was hard/easy etc.

The gist of the reply was that when it comes to the patterns, The long (like this one) and the short patterns appear harder at first, but tend to become easier. While the medium length patterns basically appear easier, but tend to be the harder ones.

This is because the long & short patterns have more of a set area where everyone has to play, which causes them to breakdown in a more consistent way.

Take long patterns for instance, on them you typically need to play straighter with flatter launch angles and more in the middle closer to the pocket. Because you have limited area for the ball to react and move.

Which is what everyone generally does and causes that area of the lane to breakdown and gives you a little area there so it can get a little easier as the night goes on.

Basically what happened on the Houdini pattern.

With short patterns you typically need to move right (left for left handers) and play the outside, which is what most do. So they breakdown that area of the lane etc.

Medium length patterns on the other hand he felt could actually wind up being harder. Since because they offered multiple angles of attack and everyone can kind of play their own favorite line. The lanes didn't breakdown in a consistent way (you don't get a good line burned in, that bump and hold area). Because everyone is playing different areas.

Which was a pretty good take on the different patterns and how easy or hard they could wind up being.

Some info from kegel on long and short patterns:

Short patterns:


Long Patterns:

[Amyers]

Sounds very reasonable. Short patterns kill me because of my lower speed but I find if I'm picking between a medium or a long I'll play the long any day.

[bowl1820]

Sounds very reasonable. Short patterns kill me because of my lower speed but I find if I'm picking between a medium or a long I'll play the long any day.

IMO with short oil patterns and lower speed (like me) it comes down to ball choice followed by surface mainly.

That's what hurt me a lot a couple of weeks back when we played a short pattern (36'), the ball I liked for short oil was my Storm Pyro (a particle pearl). When I pulled it out to take with me, I found it had cracked. So I the only thing I had was my Burgundy urethane and the Curse & Paranoia.

There was too much oil for the Burgundy and the Paranoia was too much ball with my speed. The Curse was close but needed a different surface I believe and may work. I didn't have my Dude to try.

We're coming up on a bunch of short patterns soon, so I will have to see just what to go with soon for them.

I usually liked longer patterns too.

[Aslan]

I agree.

I thought I'd do better, rev challenged, on sport patterns that were shorter...and that was not the case. I could play longer patterns by just moving laterally. But, shorter patterns I had to have the right ball and could never really change by release enough.

[RobLV1]

The problem arises when the black jack bowlers come and try to play the sport patterns off of the second arrow, regardless of the pattern length. This isn't too bad on a long pattern where they are opening up area to the right of us, but it's deadly on a short pattern when then are creating friction to the left.

[foreverincamo]

What an interesting concept. I enjoy short patterns that aren't flat. Long patterns vex me as of yet. Still working on them.