Transition

[RobLV1]

Unless you have a whole lot of hand, balling up is a good option when you have to move so far inside that you have trouble getting it back. I actually ball up more than down.

[boatman37]

Unless you have a whole lot of hand, balling up is a good option when you have to move so far inside that you have trouble getting it back. I actually ball up more than down.

No I don't have a whole lot, just more than I had before. That is kind of what I did last night. Went back to the stronger ball and moved inside. Not really on purpose as much as it was that my other ball wasn't working either but it's good that I got to see that balling up might work if I need it. Before my adjustments didn't usually match up with what was talked about in here so I think I was a little confused. Now I am seeing the scenarios play out so it makes more sense. Whatever it is I feel more confident about it now. I just need to match up what I need to do with when I need to do it. I'll get there. That will be my focus this year.

[boatman37]

Pre-bowled today and picked up my new Igniter replacement for the cracked Glam. Tried sticking with that ball the first 2 games but kept leaving 7 pins. Tried adjusting but not any better. Think I need to hit it with a 3000. Switched to the Uppercut late in game 2 and had to move in. Tried from the 7 board to the 15 board with it but left splits. Moved back outside to the 7 board and flattened my hand and it was better but I think the biggest problem today was me. My wife was using her new ball for the first time and I just wasn't very focused. Should get a better read next league night. I rolled 181, 178, and 151

EDIT: just looked at my stats and had only left 1 7 pin the first 6 games this season. Today I left 7 of them...ugh. So far I'm 5/8 on the conversions. Not bad but need to get better

[Aslan]

So my question is this...do you guys typically change hand positions as part of transition adjustment or do you keep the same hand position and just move your line and/or ball down?

Ideally?

IDEALLY...I'd never have to move OR ball down. My line would stay the same all night and shoot a 900. Granted, that'll never happen.

Slightly less than ideal?

It would be sort of a best case scenario if I can make a minimal number of moves laterally to the left as the oil transitions. If I can avoid a ball change, that would be very much ideal. Just chase the oil a little...essentially just chew up my own line a little and move left to compensate.

Normally?

Normally...my night involves a series of moves to the left as well as vertical targeting changes. Some people prefer to move vertically on the approach to vertical targeting changes...but it's kinda the same thing. Once I move to the left and hit weak (a flat 10-pin or a 2-pin combination or a 5-pin combination or an 8-pin combination or I can clearly see that it's exiting to the right of center out the back of the pin deck)...then I know it's time to ball down...OR, if there's a suspicion of 'carry down' (it's later in the match, someone is using urethane, etc...) I may go to my skid/flip ball.

Do I ever change other things?

Approach Speed/Steps: No. Pros do this...but for most amateurs, trying to go from a 4-step to a 5-step or a 3-step...without significant practice...is a recipe for horrible timing and thus horrible scoring.

Axis Rotation (revs): No. Usually, trying to get "more revs" usually results in trying too hard. Most coaching I've gotten has taught me that less is more. A relaxed shot, in time, will get you more revs than trying to do a Mark Roth impersonation when you're not Mark Roth.

Axis Tilt (hand position): No/sometimes. I usually only do this if I'm trying to pick up a tricky spare. I used a change in hand position last night to pick up a 9-10 baby split because I knew I needed less axis tilt. My only reason for not using this more is that most coaching I've gotten has taught me that you are limited to a certain number of things you can think of on the approach. 3 things...4 things...5 things...2 things...whatever the case may be. Hand position is just outside the maximum number of things I can think of right now. Someday...maybe.

Alternate Lines*: I wish. I use a progression/arsenal system. So, my 4 bowling balls are designed to work in a given area for my current game...with minimal adjustments. To adopt a "B Game" where suddenly I'm playing 1980s style up the 2-board...I'd need some different equipment. Same with adopting a "C-Game" and trying to loft the left gutter....I'd need some different equipment. I'd also need a 1st floor condo because carrying 2 additional roller bags up and down the stairs to leagues would kill me. AND, I'd need more practice time to figure out which line to choose each night. Pros can play anywhere because they play sport patterns that often require you to find the best line. Sometimes thats up the 2-board...sometimes thats lofting the left gutter...and they have plenty of practice time and plenty of equipment to figure all that out ahead of time.

* The only time you should EVER need different lines in a standard THS league 3-game league...is if the center screwed up the oiling and either didn't oil pre-league or the oiling machine broke down. Or, the other team played entirely with urethane or something crazy like that....or you're in a sport/challenge league. If you're in a sport/challenge league...then, yes, I'd bring more equipment with me...do some research on the patterns ahead of time...and consider alternate lines.

[boatman37]

Ok. Tried something different today. Rob would be proud...lol. Got way outside my comfort one. I liked the reaction but need to work on it and have a few questions because I have never done this before.

Remember I'm a lefty. So late in game 1 and early in game 2 using the Uppercut I stood with my right foot in line with the right side gutter lip (about board 40). Targeted out past the 20 board (about the 17 board if that is what it would be called) and breakpoint was about the 12 board. Have never been able to hook the lane that much before. Granted my speed was lower than usual. When I was hooking the lane I was around 14.5-15.0 at the pins where lately I'm usually about 15.5. I still need to work on my consistency with it. Most of the shots didn't get out far enough and hit Brooklyn. A couple were too far out and didn't make it back to the head pin. A couple were accurate and the results were nice.

So my question is when would you try this line? Early on? After nothing else works? If you start the night there and it dries up then what? Go back to a more direct line? I don't plan to use this at this point unless nothing else is working but knowing I can do it is nice.

Here are my pre-bowl scores today:

[RobLV1]

You're right, I'm proud of you! Two things: it's natural to slow down your shot a little when moving that far inside, and you use it when nothing else works. Nice job!

[boatman37]

Sounds good. I stuck with the Uppercut until about the 7th frame of game 2 then switched to the Igniter and stayed with it the rest of the way. 4th frame of game 3 is when the insert flew out of my fingertip. Got a strike on that ball then had the PSO re-glue it but then next shot it was in my head and I was worried about it coming out again and tugged that shot, leaving the 5 pin. Every ball with the Igniter was up the 10 board using a more direct line.

[J Anderson]

Ok. Tried something different today. Rob would be proud...lol. Got way outside my comfort one. I liked the reaction but need to work on it and have a few questions because I have never done this before.

So my question is when would you try this line? Early on? After nothing else works? If you start the night there and it dries up then what? Go back to a more direct line? I don't plan to use this at this point unless nothing else is working but knowing I can do it is nice.

The short answer you try it when you need it. You may have noticed there are times when if you play your favorite line perfectly you get a strike, but the least little deviation yields a split or a washout. I suspect that even Earl Anthony, playing when accuracy and consistency were more highly valued than today, still looked for a lined that gave him a bit of miss room. When you find a line that let’s you miss a bit right or left and still carry almost as well hitting it just right your swing will loosen up and you will deliver better shots.
You generally don’t want to start off way inside. When that breaks down and you’ve run out of room to keep moving right, you have no choice except to go back out side. But now if you tug one a bit, instead of the nice house pattern shim, the ball hits a nice dry patch, reads early and winds up the next town over. You’re back to having to throw it perfect which makes you tense up and even more prone to pulling it.

[boatman37]

The short answer you try it when you need it. You may have noticed there are times when if you play your favorite line perfectly you get a strike, but the least little deviation yields a split or a washout. I suspect that even Earl Anthony, playing when accuracy and consistency were more highly valued than today, still looked for a lined that gave him a bit of miss room. When you find a line that let’s you miss a bit right or left and still carry almost as well hitting it just right your swing will loosen up and you will deliver better shots.
You generally don’t want to start off way inside. When that breaks down and you’ve run out of room to keep moving right, you have no choice except to go back out side. But now if you tug one a bit, instead of the nice house pattern shim, the ball hits a nice dry patch, reads early and winds up the next town over. You’re back to having to throw it perfect which makes you tense up and even more prone to pulling it.

lol. Yeah I like when I find that line with some miss room. Yesterday it started out pretty good but then left a few pocket 7's. Had to be right on to get the carry. That's when I decided to test the far right side just to see if it would come back. I had tried it last year and the ball went straight to the 4-7 but last year I had much less rotation and quite a bit more speed.

[boatman37]

Question related to hooking the lane and speed. My speed is quite a bit slower by about 1-1.5 MPH when I try this line. I know it was said that speed will naturally be slower but if I do pick up speed will the ball hook more? Not planning to use this line tomorrow but will if I need to. Will try it in warm-ups just to get the feel of it.

We are in a 3 way tie for 2nd now and bowl one of the higher average teams tomorrow but they are struggling and are in about 7th or so.