Possible Topography Issue ??

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Glenn
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Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by Glenn »

I bowl in a 36-lane center whose lanes 17 & 18 have a reputation - not a good one. I am scheduled to league bowl on this pair next week, and am looking for some ideas on how I might approach it. I have bowled this pair in the past and watched my scoring plummet. It seems that strikes are few, stringing strikes even more infrequent, and splits common. The ball usually has an erratic behavior, and your never certain what it is going to do - strike, go long, hit the pocket but not carry, read early, etc. It does this on fresh oil so I don't think it is a carry-down problem. I have watched numerous other bowlers of various skill levels and equipment struggle. The only thing in common is the pair and low scores - I watched two teams of 185-200 bowlers hitting 150's last week on this pair. The league bowls across half of the lanes, and this is the only pair that stands out.

Lane topography is the suspect, but I can't see any pattern to it. I have read that your misses at the break-point will tell you whether it's oil or topography. If it's topography, then your misses right won't come back or leave you a flat 10, and your misses left will hold pocket. If it's carry down, then your misses left will hold pocket, and your misses right will come back to strike.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to go about bowling on lanes where topography may be the issue. I have tried outside, inside, straight up, strong equipment, weak equipment, and throwing plastic from the gutter to the pocket to neutralize the problem - no luck.

Looking for some trick I haven't thought of.
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RobMautner
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by RobMautner »

Usually when a pair of lanes has a reputation like this, it's because the two lane that make up the "pair" are so different from each other, that bowlers can't really wrap their heads around how different they really are. You may not be seeing a pattern because your mind is trying to create a pattern where there is none; between the two lanes.

What you are describing is definitely topography, but I believe that you are over-simplifying it. Topographical issues are often caused by humps or depressions in the lane surface. The situation that you describe where misses to the right don't get back or leave weak tens, but misses left hold pocket it caused simply by the whole panel or the majority of it leaning in a negative direction (down hill to the right for a right handed bowler). More common are humps in the lane where misses to the right (at the breakpoint) won't make it back, but misses to the left hit another part of the hump which cause left misses to dive through the nose. Conversely, dips in the lane cause misses to the right to dive through the nose, and misses to the left to move right, away from the pocket.

In either case, the solution is to avoid the invisible obstruction and make use of the area of the lane to which you've moved. In other words, hook the ball around the obstruction to the right, or go more direct using the area to the left of it. Whatever you decide to do, it will not be a small move. Two with your feet and one with your eyes will have no effect. You need to really commit to playing a whole different area of the lane.

Before you can do this, make sure you observe every shot thrown on each lane and try and determine if they each have a pattern without trying to mesh the two together to make it easier. Good Luck!
Glenn
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by Glenn »

Hi, Rob, and thanks for the reply.

Your comment that topographical issues are often caused by humps or depressions in the lane surface may be spot on. Although my eyesight isn't good enough to see it, and I haven't been allowed to walk down the lanes to inspect, several bowlers have commented that the joins in the synthetic sheets are not smooth (in places or all across the seam??) as they should be causing the balls to kinda skip when they hid one.

I will try to follow your suggestions and see if I can do better next week.
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RobMautner
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by RobMautner »

The humps and depressions in the lane are not visible even if your eyes are perfect! You have to figure out where they are and what their shapes are by the ball reactions of every bowler on the pair. It's also usually a lot more complicated than where the sheets are joined. The sheets are only about 1/2" thick and they are usually held up by supports that are often made of wood and are susceptible to expansion and contraction as the humidity and temperature changes.
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by Meteobowler »

Lane topography is one of the biggest challenges we face as bowlers. One of the most typical lane topography patterns is what is referred to as “bird wing”. Bird wing topography occurs when the lane is the lowest at the gutters and in the middle because of where it is screwed down; and the track area is the highest because heat and humidity swell the base below the panels...which is typically the former wood lane that was overlayed with the synthetic.

In this situation, the bowler who wants to play straight from the right can have some built in hold because of the uphill topography. However, a ball that rolls over the hump going left to right will actually roll downhill and appear to squirt outside of the desired breakpoint. Conversely, the bowler who has big hand can stand left and basically bank the ball off the inside of the hump can create a lot of area with the correct ball reaction. Tweeners often have the toughest time on this sort of topography because they have too much ball to play from the right; but not enough to be able to go left to right and create consistent enough ball reaction because they are forced to play essentially on the hump. So, a small miss outside wiggles and a small miss in jumps the face because of gravity.

As for the pair you are describing, the important thing is to just watch your ball motion. It will tell you where the prominent humps and depressions are located. This way, you can use that information to make the appropriate moves to potentially create some success. Every house has a bad pair(s). How bowlers manage it is determined by their mindset and how willing they are to take what that pair gives them. Good luck!
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by RobMautner »

The funny thing is that back in the days when I was throwing resin, I used to dread bowling tough pairs because I couldn't score as well. Now that I'm relegated to throwing plastic, I look forward to bowling tough lanes. I may not score as well, but I'll most certainly win the majority of my points.
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by TomaHawk »

There are a couple of pairs in our house that are as much as 4 boards different. Topography plays a part, but so do other factors. Atmospheric conditions also play a huge role in how lanes play in relation to each other too. Examples are most readily identified on the outside pairs of a lot of houses where there is a significant difference in the temperature of the wall versus the inside of the building.

Other things to note, where are the doors located either in the front or the back of building? Where are the heating and air conditioning units situated? Sometimes, it just might be a subtle difference in the way the approaches play or the amount of use one lane gets versus another. Bottom line, just about anything can make one lane different than the other.

One thing is pretty certain though, the oil pattern is probably the same. The challenge is being open minded enough to find something that works.
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kajmk
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Re: Possible Topography Issue ??

Post by kajmk »

RobMautner wrote:The funny thing is that back in the days when I was throwing resin, I used to dread bowling tough pairs because I couldn't score as well. Now that I'm relegated to throwing plastic, I look forward to bowling tough lanes. I may not score as well, but I'll most certainly win the majority of my points.
That is a very healthy attitude and game within the game.
Back in the 90's a lefty was using plastic, averaged 195 consistently if I recall correctly, good enough to be near the top in that league in that house. He was as smooth as silk, last name was appropriately "Clear" as his shots were pure!

That house had topography issues too, low end scored low, high end scored high.
That was the House I sat in on a PBIII interview and among other things he explained the miniscule differences that made areas play slick or dry. Also learned how much of a gentleman he was, especially with kids. As good a man as a bowler.


In any competition, get a feel for what it takes to score RELATIVE TO THE FIELD.
Check the ego and heart at the door. The most important statistics are WINS and LOSSES!

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