What is going on with these lanes?

[RobLV1]

Found a couple of really good videos that do a good job explaining lane transition, why it happens and what to do when it happens:

Following Lane Transition

Understanding Lane Oil Changes When Bowling

Any explanation of transition that doesn't take into account a change in topography as the oil goes away is doing bowlers a huge disservice. As the oil dries up, friction increases. As friction increases, the effect of gravity increases. Topography that is exposed as the lanes dry up can, and does have a huge effect. Have you ever seen a pair of lanes where one starts to hook more, and the other gets tighter? It happens all the time because of the newly exposed topography. If you think that oil is the only consideration, you are flirting with danger!

[boomer]

Very interesting Boomer, see you never know when or where knowledge of unrelated things can prove useful. So the question I have is...

When you bake it, a miniscule amount of the plasticizer is extracted. Is that really enough to make it brittle? Or again after we still talking a drop eye dropper of water in a bathtub?

Probably not - but repeated bakings? May not make it overly brittle, but might be enough to affect some change in the ball and its surface and, thus, its reaction.

[Cdolcejr]

Any explanation of transition that doesn't take into account a change in topography as the oil goes away is doing bowlers a huge disservice. As the oil dries up, friction increases. As friction increases, the effect of gravity increases. Topography that is exposed as the lanes dry up can, and does have a huge effect. Have you ever seen a pair of lanes where one starts to hook more, and the other gets tighter? It happens all the time because of the newly exposed topography. If you think that oil is the only consideration, you are flirting with danger!

I guess that explains why the lanes seem to change drastically from warm ups to game 1. Often, I'll be locked in during warmups but by leave a big split by frame 2 or 3 of game 1 on a shot that I deemed good.

Would it be a good idea to keep a log of the lane characteristics on each pair and what the weather was like that day? I recall reading that Walter Ray keeps a notebook for each pair in the house he bowls in.

Or is that pointless considering the one takeaway here is not to have any preconceived notions, and to just to show up and play the lanes the way they need to be played on that given night?

[RobLV1]

"Or is that pointless considering the one takeaway here is not to have any preconceived notions, and to just to show up and play the lanes the way they need to be played on that given night?"

It's not pointless, as long as you use it as a guide, not a bible. Some lane characteristics hold long-term, others don"t. After a while you will discover which lane characteristics are long-lasting, and which are temporary; affected by temperature, humidity, etc.

[Phonetek]

Probably not - but repeated bakings? May not make it overly brittle, but might be enough to affect some change in the ball and its surface and, thus, its reaction.

I can buy that. Like anything else, if done with moderation problems will be minimized.

[Cdolcejr]

Winter League started back up. Lanes are completely different than over the summer. No idea if it was who I was bowling with, different lane pattern, weather, topography etc.

Anyways, has anyone here ever struck on every shot on one lane for the entire night? I did this last night...didn't realize it happened until I edited my video but I don't think I've ever done that before. 17 for 17 on the right lane even w/ a ball change tossed in there. Left lane was a lot tighter and was giving me problems all night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTQbrVKohHk&t=330s

Speaking of videos, does anyone know if me recording myself during league is legal? I can't find anything in the USBC rules prohibiting it.

[RobLV1]

Nice bowling on the right lane! Often, really tough lanes result from a very similar shot where the miss room differs. Notice where you can miss on one lane and not the other. Often you'll find that you have miss room to the right on one lane, and tug room on the other.

[boatman37]

The other night we had a few guys playing 2 different lines on each lane. Left lane played completely different than the right

[Cdolcejr]

Nice bowling on the right lane! Often, really tough lanes result from a very similar shot where the miss room differs. Notice where you can miss on one lane and not the other. Often you'll find that you have miss room to the right on one lane, and tug room on the other.

Thanks! Yeah that's exactly what happened. I think if I squared up a little bit on the left lane, I would have been able to get to the pocket better. Instead I was missing a little right and then the ball was fighting to get back to the pocket.

[Cdolcejr]

The other night we had a few guys playing 2 different lines on each lane. Left lane played completely different than the right

I think that just happens once in a while. In my center the pairs are usually a little closer than that- maybe a 3 board difference between the lanes on average, but one end of the house hooks much more than the other end.