changing lane conditions during league play.

[turbotwister]

on one of the leagues that i bowl, the lanes sem to change real fast. it seems that the 3 guys on each team using the same line (2nd arrow) burn out the alley's real fast, along with drying out the heads faster also.the majority our of bowlers on the league carry a 2oo plus average. i start out standing on 22 and go over the 10 board the but by the 2nd game, i'm standng on 26 and still use the 10 board but by the end of the 2nd and start of the 3rd game ,i'm standing on 30 and loose my line by then. should i start moving my target from 10 to 15 by then? right now i have been moving forward and back to try to keep the line. normally i take 5 steps but sometimes i go to 4 just to adjust to no avail. happy bowling

[Triplicate]

on one of the leagues that i bowl, the lanes sem to change real fast. it seems that the 3 guys on each team using the same line (2nd arrow) burn out the alley's real fast, along with drying out the heads faster also.the majority our of bowlers on the league carry a 2oo plus average. i start out standing on 22 and go over the 10 board the but by the 2nd game, i'm standng on 26 and still use the 10 board but by the end of the 2nd and start of the 3rd game ,i'm standing on 30 and loose my line by then. should i start moving my target from 10 to 15 by then? right now i have been moving forward and back to try to keep the line. normally i take 5 steps but sometimes i go to 4 just to adjust to no avail. happy bowling

Those are all the wrong moves. Sorry! You have no chances doing that.

What you need to do is find your break point down lane that allows you to strike. Lets say that's the 9 board at 45'. The nine board in this case is the closest you get to the gutter. Now, generally you want to keep this "break point" (9 board @45 ft.) as you begin to move deeper. To do this you'll have to keep moving your target at the arrows in deeper to allow the ball to project on line to that same break point. As the oil breaks down even more you may find that moving you break point in as well from 9 to 10 or even 11 will keep you striking. This is the concept, however it may not be the exact boards I've used in the example but it is the procedure that works well for me.

Does this make sense?

[turbotwister]

thanks for the responce. today i was standing at 25 and targeting the 10 board and my breakpoint was the 9 board. as the lanes broke down i was moving left and keeping the breakpoint at 9-10. then i started moving my target to 13 and playing the breakpoint @ 12 which seemed to help today...tomorrow might be different story. i'll pay more attention to the break point as i go.

[Pinbuster]

As Triplicate said you generally have to make double moves as the lanes break down, moving both your feet and your target.

If you don't move your target in all you do is throw the ball into the dry area, outside 10, quicker so in some cases the ball hooks even more until you either get too much angle to carry or the ball might start rolling out and losing it's punch.

Each bowler and house is different. I generally have to move in 2:1 increments, 2 with my feet and 1 with my eyes. Then if I dont' carry I look at the hit and may move my feet and/or target one board in either direction to get the angle I'm looking for.

On house shots you have to move in as the head oil disappears so the ball doesn't pick up too early.

Learn to chase the oil line. On THS shots it is generally artificially put around the 8 to 10 board. As balls dry up that area you need to move in to find fresh oil.

If you have players on the lane playing deeper than you then they have already modified that area in the heads and you have to watch your ball carefully as you move in and maybe adjust your move ratios.

[turbotwister]

that's a big problem with me. i'm so tuned into the 10 board that any move i make, it still hits the 10 board even if i'm looking at even 12 or 13. it's something i'm going to work on. even though i carry a high average, i run into not making the right move more than not. sooner or later i will get it right. happy bowling

[kajmk]

that's a big problem with me. i'm so tuned into the 10 board that any move i make, it still hits the 10 board even if i'm looking at even 12 or 13. it's something i'm going to work on. even though i carry a high average, i run into not making the right move more than not. sooner or later i will get it right. happy bowling

In the book co-authored with Mike Aulby, Dave Ferraro among other things recounted some of the development gambits as taught to him by his father.
Two that stick out in my waning memory are "The Dot Game" and the premise of using the wrong ball.

The Dot Game more or less: Commit to rolling a certain number of shots that strike (or at least hit the pocket) pocket while standing on every dot. when you hit the number, move to the next dot. You can vary this from dots to boards or a certain number of boards.
Shooting every arrow or a certain amount of board increments.
Potentially, this helps hone the art of speed control, release variances etc, and getting you out of your "comfort zone" build confidence etc. "Comfort Zone" is another name for "One Trick Pony", it's a development killer. Expunge the concept of comfort zone, it is a way of placing more emphasis on physical and mental skills.

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Post every shot watching ball transition all the way to the pit, this only takes a few seconds and no one has the right to complain about it.

Test your fit before every delivery.

Have a Pre & a Post shot routine.

Have a plan before you step up on the approach, commit to the plan, observe and evaluate, only adjust if you executed the plan and the reaction and result was not productive.

There are no points for aesthetics. Observe if a certain type of hit is carrying more than others,
your percentage on one night might be the high hit and on another it might be the light hit and so on.

I mentioned using the wrong ball, that is a practice gambit wherein you use a ball that's on the opposite end of the spectrum for what you are trying to do. This puts the emphasis on physical adjustments and lane strategies. Remember in practice the purpose is development not scoring.

Always practice with a PAP tape and remember to POST EVERY SHOT!

Keep a journal of some sort: e.g. make note verbal to a recorder or on paper, review notes.
Mark Roth, PB III and others took notes, there might be something to it!

Remember the phrase "Going to school on the lanes", i.e. learning by observing others, who is scoring, where are they playing, what are they rolling, and so on.
So and so is shooting out the lights, what's their Break Point, how can I get my ball to where they are playing (speed, surface, release, and so on).

Bowling is all OJT and you are never done. Learn and file it away, you never know when you can use something or meld variables ...

[Pinbuster]

I often see that when a bowler has to move off their favorite line they don't get their shoulders square to the new line they are playing.

Some will keep the shoulders (arm swing) pointing towards the orignal target, as you seem to, so they throw the ball wide of their intended target.

Some will keep the shoulders at the same in relation to the foul line when if they have made double moves they need to actually open the shoulders some in relation to the foul line. So they tend to pull the shot inside of the new target.

For me I like to feel I'm centering my nose 3 boards (each person is different) to the left of my target (right handed) and walk that line towards the foul line. This gets my arm swing in line to my actual target. The only real problem I have is that because of this I don't drift and can run out of room next to the ball return on the right lane if I have to target much inside the 3rd arrow.

[charlest]

In the book co-authored with Mike Aulby, Dave Ferraro among other things recounted some of the development gambits as taught to him by his father.
Two that stick out in my waning memory are "The Dot Game" and the premise of using the wrong ball.

The Dot Game more or less: Commit to rolling a certain number of shots that strike (or at least hit the pocket) pocket while standing on every dot. when you hit the number, move to the next dot. You can vary this from dots to boards or a certain number of boards.
Shooting every arrow or a certain amount of board increments.
Potentially, this helps hone the art of speed control, release variances etc, and getting you out of your "comfort zone" build confidence etc. "Comfort Zone" is another name for "One Trick Pony", it's a development killer. Expunge the concept of comfort zone, it is a way of placing more emphasis on physical and mental skills.


Post every shot watching ball transition all the way to the pit, this only takes a few seconds and no one has the right to complain about it.

Test your fit before every delivery.

Have a Pre & a Post shot routine.

Have a plan before you step up on the approach[/color], commit to the plan, observe and evaluate, only adjust if you executed the plan and the reaction and result was not productive.

There are no points for aesthetics. Observe if a certain type of hit is carrying more than others,
your percentage on one night might be the high hit and on another it might be the light hit and so on.

I mentioned using the wrong ball, that is a practice gambit wherein you use a ball that's on the opposite end of the spectrum for what you are trying to do. This puts the emphasis on physical adjustments and lane strategies. Remember in practice the purpose is development not scoring.

Always practice with a PAP tape and remember to POST EVERY SHOT!

Keep a journal of some sort: e.g. make note verbal to a recorder or on paper, review notes.
Mark Roth, PB III and others took notes, there might be something to it!

Remember the phrase "Going to school on the lanes", i.e. learning by observing others, who is scoring, where are they playing, what are they rolling, and so on.
So and so is shooting out the lights, what's their Break Point, how can I get my ball to where they are playing (speed, surface, release, and so on).

Bowling is all OJT and you are never done. Learn and file it away, you never know when you can use something or meld variables ...

Absolutely GREAT summary of how to adapt to transitions!!
I know it helped me renew a lot of knowledge that migrated too far to the read of my bowling mind.

We should all have this or similar tattooed inside our eyelids!!

Thank you!!!!