Sport Shot Bowling

[The KingPin]

Ok Bowlers,

What do you think of sport shot bowling?

Do you like it?

Is it tough?

What thoughts do you have on Sport Shot Bowling?

[ebowler]

I have never had the opportunity to bowl on a sport shot, but would love to try it. I look forward to hearing from those that have.

[choc576]

I tried a Sport Shot league two summers ago and it was fun and challenging. Sort of like going back to the "old days" when they oiled the lanes with a "flit gun" and spread the oil by dragging a special "broom" with fiber-type cloth down the lane and back (or vice-versa). The difference being of course, that in the "old days," they generally oiled from the foul line to the back of the pin deck.

I really encourage anyone who hasn't done so, seriously consider joining a "Sport Shot" league because it can only serve to improve your skills. (There are also "PBA Experience" leagues that you can check out.)

In comparison to the typical oiling patterns that are put down, the sport shot will place a lot of emphasis on consistency and accuracy. Have you heard of the term, "area?" Well, in a typical house shot, there can be up to a 10 board "miss" area from your target where the ball can still recover and get to the strike pocket. This can be either left or right!

In the Sport Shot league I bowled in, the oil length was varied every so many weeks. For example, the first four weeks had 39 feet of oil, the second four weeks had 41 feet of oil, and the last three weeks had 44 feet of oil. But, here is the tricky part - the ratio of oil across the lane was also varied from 2-to-1 or 2.5-to-1, as compared to the 30-to-1 ratio in a typical house shot.

In a typical bowling center, they will use 24 to 27 units of oil on a lane in the 30-to-1 ratio. Placed in perspective, there is virtually no oil from the gutter to the 3-board. If you "dump" a ball outside your mark, it can still hook back to the headpin. "Dump" the ball inside and it hits the higher volume of oil and seems to back-up or hold the line straight into the pocket.

In our sport shot league, there was generally 90 units of oil across the middle parts of the lane and 45 units from the gutter to the 10-board area. (2-to-1 ratio). If you missed to the right, your ball did not come screaming back to the pocket; and, if you missed to the left, the ball continued hooking so there was no chance for the ball to hold a line to the pocket. We all got a wild surprise the first night of league play - gutter balls ran rampant.

There was a lot of a-moanin' and a-groanin' going on but most of us stuck it through. The one's that quit missed a great experience. Several guys who made it through vowed they would never do it again; but, I suppose they were the type that would only bowl in their home house, under primo conditions, and only if they can be guaranteed to maintain their 220+ averages. (One guy came in with 225 and ended up with 155.)

Sport Shot leagues are great for improving your accuracy, timing, and fine-tuning your overall game. Think about this: if a bowler only bowls in sport shot leagues and wants to enter into a regular tournament or league, the USBC has an adjustment/average compensation chart that adds 15 pins to their sport shot average.

[StormGirl712]

Sport shot bowling is definitly a challenge. It will however help you improve accuracy which will help your game. It also will help you learn how to adjust to the lane conditions as they breakdown. I do agree that it is one of those things everyone should experience atleast once.

[ken_g]

I love sport bowling and it has made me a way better bowler. I bowled in my first sport league, a PBA experience league three summers ago. At that time my house shot average was only 215 and I couldn't make spares on a consistent basis to save my life. I learned to make spares (actually I broke down and bought a plastic ball and learned to go straight at all my spares) and how to play the Cheetah and the Viper patterns (short oil) by taking something off the ball and not just grippin and rippin. By the end of the summer I was playing the short almost as well as I played the Scorpion and the Shark (long oil). My average went up each of the next three years and now I am currently averaging 241(on the house shot)! Anyone who really wants to improve their skills would benefit from a sport shot league.

[Stormed1]

Sport shot bowling is what should be the normal shot rather than the house wall you see now days. I love seeing the spray and pray 220 caverage bowlers shoot 160-170 and whine. The ability to make quality shots become most important on sport shots and can do nothing but improve your game

[mrbill]

Sport shot bowling is what should be the normal shot rather than the house wall you see now days. I love seeing the spray and pray 220 caverage bowlers shoot 160-170 and whine. The ability to make quality shots become most important on sport shots and can do nothing but improve your game

I agree with Stormed1
I love to see players with high averages get all upset with different oil patterns, I was one hehe
I know new bowlers would never come back if all bowling centers had sport shots
So why not have 20% of the house marked like batting cages for experienced bowlers to train on.
I'm starting my first PBA experience league on sept 13th and I am so excited

[Coach 3G]

Definitely helps determine who the better bowler is more often than a house shot. There is something not right about watching poorly skilled bowlers crush the pocket 36 times in 3 games, only to lose to another bowler who threw the ball just as poorly but failed to carry a strike here or there.

I like the elimination of the modern stomp and spray bowler, as they eventually have to wise up, or fail miserably game after game.

I wish I could only bowl on sport patterns, because frankly I hate house shots. I always struggle to find the right part of the lane to play because you've got area everywhere, it's just a matter of finding that spot with the most area and carry.

People irk me that want their average higher, without actually doing anything to get better, regardless of whether it's buying expensive bowling balls, or bowling on walled up shots.

Go Sport Bowling! Go PBA experience!

PS all tier 1 college tournaments are sport shots. That's not a good time for the youth bowlers to finally discover how to bowl on them. Now is the time!

[bowlermangigity24]

i love it! keeps my game sharp for the western regionals and gives me a true read on my equipment!.this is the only true way to improve your game and your mental state cause you bowl on these tuff patterns every week and then you bowl on the standard house shot and you realize how much room you got to miss due to the oil buildup in the middle part of the lane

[gparks]

i have never shot sport or pba exp league ,but my team captain has. he is rolling a 225 average on house shot(our current league). in pba exp he shot a 165 ...that being said he loved the pba exp and wish there was more of them around. last fall same league we are in now he shot a 185 so just by shooting the pba league he gained 40 pins on his average. so next pba exp league that is close to me im joining up. he learned so much ,more than just reading lanes,etc he describes it as it taught him mental toughness. 2 non touring pros were in the league with him and they really helped him out with the mental side of bowling.hey wonder if they can teach my wife how to back off me when i wanna bowl more? hehe i know pipe dream but there is always hope