If you (right-hander) leave a stone eight, would you consider...

[RobLV1]

making an adjustment?

[JasonNJ]

I probably wouldn't. I probably wouldn't do it for a stone 9 either. 10 pin, yes depending on where my ball is leaving the deck.


Rob - what adjustment would you make on a stone 8?

[RobLV1]

Rob - what adjustment would you make on a stone 8?

Yesterday I was bowling in a doubles league. Near the end of the first game, my partner left a stone eight on the left lane. As I watched the ball go through the pins, I thought to myself, "I hope he's going to make an adjustment off of that eight pin, 'cause I see a pocket seven-ten in his future." He did not adjust, and three shots later on that lane he left the seven-ten. This prompted an animated discussion between the two of us and the PSO after bowling. The PSO, who is a 225 average bowler said that he would not adjust, citing the fact that non of us are consistent enough to adjust for a solid eight.

This brought up a discussion on the merits of adjusting on a less-then-perfect shot. I firmly believe that you can, and should make adjustments on less than perfect shots for the very reason that he cited: we rarely throw perfect shots. If we wait for a perfect shot to adjust, we would never adjust! I said that I would consider a one and one move left appropriate, but added that I don't think that a solid eight pin is indicative of the lane shouting out for a move, but more like a whisper that it is something to consider. I think we've all seen what happens when we ignore that little voice in our head when it suggests that an adjustment might be a good idea.

[djp1080]

I was thinking more along the lines of your PSO especially for me as my consistency stinks; however, I like your thoughts on this as well.
I've thought that the result of a one and one move left (or right) would allow the ball to move over one board.
For the last couple of years I've been targeting at the dots. As a result my move would be more like one board left with my feet and half a board with my target. Seems to work just about right.
I had a pretty darn good third game of a set recently. Quite a few strikes. Had two 3-10 splits and picked them up. Finished with a double in the 10th and the last ball was a 7-10. No stone 8's before it.

[boatman37]

A stone 8 would tell me either I hit light or my ball deflected (burned up). Initially I would probably move my feet 1/2 board right but leave my target the same (I target at the dots). If I was sure my ball was burning up then I would either try a different ball or move my target in closer to the oil and adjust my feet accordingly.
This is all dependent upon whether or not I hit my mark. If I missed my mark then I would not adjust based off of a bad shot.
This would be my progression but yeah, if you hit your mark and aren't getting strikes then why would you not adjust?

This is how I would handle it, not saying it's right or wrong because this is stuff I'm still working on figuring out myself.

[RobLV1]

I hope that when you refer to hitting your mark, you're referring to the breakpoint and not the dots or arrows. Close up targets are meaningless unless you know where your ball is at the breakpoint.

[boatman37]

I hope that when you refer to hitting your mark, you're referring to the breakpoint and not the dots or arrows. Close up targets are meaningless unless you know where your ball is at the breakpoint.

Actually I have always targeted the dots but last week I was practicing and started trying to target further down lane. It did seem to help me with my spares a little but haven'y done it enough to know how much of a difference it would make. I don't really know my breakpoint. I tried it with a couple 7 pin shots and looked at a spot about 3/4 of the way down. Not really sure where my breakpoint would be but might have to try it next time I bowl. We are off the next 2 weeks. But since I started bowling around 1980 I have targeted the dots...lol

[RobLV1]

The pros refer to where you look rather than where you target. There is a reason for that. There are no pins at the dots, or at the arrows, for that matter. Nor are there any pins at the breakpoint. Any of the points, or all of them, are only references to determine the path of the ball on the way to the pins. It is most important, regardless of where you look, to notice where your ball is at the end of the pattern. This is much easier on Brunswick lanes with the dark tracer boards at 34' and 40'. Once you learn to notice where your ball is there, I'm pretty sure that you will notice a correlation with when your ball strikes... or when it doesn't.

[boatman37]

The pros refer to where you look rather than where you target. There is a reason for that. There are no pins at the dots, or at the arrows, for that matter. Nor are there any pins at the breakpoint. Any of the points, or all of them, are only references to determine the path of the ball on the way to the pins. It is most important, regardless of where you look, to notice where your ball is at the end of the pattern. This is much easier on Brunswick lanes with the dark tracer boards at 34' and 40'. Once you learn to notice where your ball is there, I'm pretty sure that you will notice a correlation with when your ball strikes... or when it doesn't.

This would change from ball to ball, correct? And I was taught to target at the arrows when I was about 10 but I threw a straight ball then so maybe that is why? Anyway, I always stuck with that. And our lanes are AMF so no tracer boards. I'll have to try looking down lane more and see how that goes. I do look up and follow the ball after it gets past the arrows but before that my eyes are glued to the arrows.

[J Anderson]

This would change from ball to ball, correct? And I was taught to target at the arrows when I was about 10 but I threw a straight ball then so maybe that is why? Anyway, I always stuck with that. And our lanes are AMF so no tracer boards. I'll have to try looking down lane more and see how that goes. I do look up and follow the ball after it gets past the arrows but before that my eyes are glued to the arrows.

Where the ball needs to exit the pattern is more dependent on the lane condition than what ball you’re using. We all need to really observe the whole path of the ball including where it drops off the pin deck.