How do you practice for changes in lane conditions?

[Chase]

I was recently getting in some practice, and was talking with a friend of mine who has only been bowling for about 1 year…and he’s doing great, averaging about 180. Anyway, I mentioned to him that bowling for a “score” in practice is not reality of how you will bowl in competition…and he understood. Then he asked me, “How do you practice bowling for when the lanes (oil) “break down” with multiple people bowling, etc…?” And actually I don't know...but, I told him that I guess when you practice it’s a good idea to practice on your weaknesses…. which in my case (and his) is “spare-making”....but for changing conditions...???????

I also told him that when I practice by myself, I usually (like most) will bowl pretty good. But, when I get in a situation with others, where adjusting and adapting to a different “shot” has to happen…I am still basically a “newbie”. I know this because I have bowled by myself and went 268, 279, 223, 232, and 279. And then went over to join in a pot-game with 5 others… and couldn’t break 190…. yet some KNEW what to do.

Now my question is this - “How do you learn to bowl on oil-changing conditions when you practice by yourself?” Is it even possible? Is this something that just comes from experience?

[F.O.X]

Chase, this is a tough one to answer.

Overall, experience will come into play. There are some guide lines to use. Yet, with today's balls and other variables I'll toss out there, it can get tricky.

The first thing to establish is where you ball is "breaking" into the pocket. That spot is usually called the "breakpoint". where the ball changes direction and heads for the pocket. Once that is established, if you know what type of roll you are utilizing to strike, then adjustments can be made.

The standard rule was 4-1. With every "4" boards you moved with your feet on the approach, you moved your target "1" board out on the lane.

Now, with today's bowling balls, some lanes getting more play than others, unstable tempertaures in the bowling alley, uncalibrated/maintained lane oil manchines, and most of all human error (poor execution, lack of knowledge/coaching) making adjustments can turn into a hair raising experience.

Lanes, at times have their own personalities like people. Some lanes are easier to deal with while others are tough to bowl on depending on your strengths and weakness in your game. It just takes some time on picking up on the hints that the lane is giving you to make the right adjustments.

I know that is one of my pitfalls as a bowler. I make my adjustment too slow. When the lane starts to change, I blame myself more so than the lane change. I figure I didn't throw it as good, so I go back only to find that the shot I once had isn't there now, and it turns out to be a costly error on my part.

You pick up on these things, the more you bowl. Remember, no two lanes will be the same, much less any two houses. Yeah, everyone wants to beat up around the 2nd arrow/tenth board. Yet, after so many bowlers, after so many games go over the same spot. The "sweet spot" has to migrate somewhere else.....

[Chase]

Thank you Fox

... and sorry about yesterday at Metro. I just couldn't get it together for some reason.

[F.O.X]

don't sweat it chase. another day, another battle. we don't go out to bowl badly. i surely don't. it just happens at times. we'll do it again soon.

[Barbara Turner]

Chase, the one thing I found out is when I go into the bowling center, I ask for a lane that has been bowled on all day. This way you are getting either dry, carry down, lanes where kids have bowled on. I practice on that. I also ask for fresh lanes. This way, you can practice on all conditions. I also do the arrow thing. I try and strike by throwing the ball down each arrow, no matter where I stand.

[Chase]

oh WOW!!!... now nobody told me about THAT!!! well, well,well (lol), I thank you soooo much. I will have to start trying that ASAP :)

[Martin "BLUFLAME" Seay]

As usual Chase I have been studying, (think i might get my masters in bowling lol). But the other day I was practicing and the lanes were fried. At first I was mad, then I thought to my self I need to practice on these. As the ball started going left I started working on what I had been reading over about changing the ball length by moving my eyes, even keeping the same hard hooking ball ( infinite one). By moving my eyes further down the lane, I was able to get the ball down the lane with the same reaction and I didn't have to move my feet. Hope that helped, now back to my studying so I can make some money these next two weekends.

[Chase]

ok cool. I do that too sometimes. I wasn't really talking about when the lanes are real dry though. I think it's more from "carry-down"...and seeing the ball not quite react the way you think it is going to do. I am talking about small changes in the lane condition I guess....and I didn't say that (sorry). I know sometimes I need to make a change...I just don't know "which" change to make sometimes... like speed, or left move, or look longer...or change balls, etc.

I am picking up on some things though. I just realized that if there is oil in the middle and the "pulled shots" are holding...then when 10 or 11 gets burnt up I can actually still play left of that most times. And I didn't realize that until one day Isom said that you have to recognize what the lane is giving you...especially when you get a house-shot that has exaggerated hold in the middle and/or a dry bump on the outside.

Thanks Martin.

[C.Moler]

Well Chase, when I want to practice on "carry down" lanes I will usually go in the morning and bowl 8 games moving a pair after every game, usually they don't dress the lanes from the night before and I start at the end of the house that the house bowlers were on and it is always an adventure....I've ran into shots that were harder to me than the nationals doing this. Hope this helps....GL

[Randy Russell]

Hey Chase,

I think this is something you can't practice for if you're a tournament bowler and I'll explain why. If you bowl in different houses you will run across different lane surfaces, and most importantly, different types of oil. In different tournaments the lanes will be broken down in different ways. These factors make the moves required to combat them different. Sometimes the lanes break down at the break point, causing you to simply move left, sometimes the heads go first, causing you to downshift balls, and then other times the oil goes down the lane, making you move to the right to create less angle.

If you get into a routine of trying to practice lane changes in one house you can put yourself in a box. This can limit your thought process when you get out to a tournament, and lead you into bad decisions.

If you practice on a league shot, then 90% of the time the proper move will be simply a 4 and 1, like FOX said. However on patterns and in tournament environments the moves can be 8:4, 12:8, or even 2:1 RIGHT. This is something you can simply practice by knowing what your equipment does, and recognizing when your ball reaction is going south. There isn't a sure fire way to do this, but in a tournament environment your eyes and the people around you are your best weapon. When your ball reaction goes south or you are lost, look for someone who's game is similar and striking....and try to duplicate what they are doing.

[Chase]

Thanks Randy. Yes, that last advice is something I tried. I actually bowled today at the CT Doubles Tournament. Check this: The center said that the oil pattern was the same oil machine program used when the Real bowlers thing was at Forest Park.... and I couldn't seem to figure anything out for longer than a game.
Shots that I thought were great... well, they were NOT so great with what I saw my ball(s) doing. It was soooooo confusing...LOL

But, I did watch a bowler that rolled the ball similar to me...and he was striking playing an area of the lane across the center arrow...and I tried that...and it actually worked. BUT, I also couldn't figure out how to adjust to get the ball to "angle" better to the pocket.

I guess in time I will learn. And I thank everyone here that has offered help and suggestions.

[Martin "BLUFLAME" Seay]

Basically this is something that falls into getting your knowledge and mental game improved to the utmost. like I said before I am always looking for things to learn. I am now working on my 6 different axis rotations and 3 different speeds. From what I have been reading. That is just the tip of the ice berg. Something about over a thousand ball reactions but thats later on down the line. The more I think about it bowling is so similiar to golf where we have difficult patterns because of the amount of oil and how golf has the greens being high on the stimp meter as far as making the putting difficult. but hey who wants to play a sport where it is easy to win.

[Rodney Scott]

When I practice, I am not bowling for score but for ball reaction. I usually take all my balls (60 that I will use in competition, and throw them all. I also move to the left and right to make sure I am comfortable with my ball reaction. You cant always reproduce a changing lane condition bowlking by your self, but be confident in hitting your mark when you move to the left or right. some times practicing, I will move each frame to see how my ball reacts at different angles. I have a ball for dry lanes through super oily, I try not to duplicate ball surfaces, I do nor want two balls that react the same. Hope this helps some