Lanes ..... How long are they?

[petraids]

Could anybody explain how long ten pin bowling lanes are .
When you read ball reviews they always say that they are using a 42 foot lane .
I have bowled on 3 different centres and 1 of the 3 seemed like the lanes were shorter than the other 2 .
Is it me or ?????

 

[Straight_kut]

wikipedia says

The 41.5-inch (105 cm) wide, 60-foot (18 m) lane.
Behind the foul line is an "approach" approximately 15 feet (5 m) long used to gain speed and leverage on the ball before delivering it. 60 feet (18 m) from the foul line, where the lane terminates, it is joined to a roughly 24-inch (61 cm), 41.5-inch (105 cm) wide surface of durable and impact-resistant material called the "pin deck" where each rack of pins is set.
This bowling lane is 60 feet (18.29 m) from the foul line to the head pin (1-pin). About 15 feet (4.57 m) from the foul line are a set of guide arrows. The lane is 41.5 inches (1.05 m) wide and normally consists of 39 wooden boards or a synthetic material. The bowling lane has two sets of approach dots; from the foul line back to the first set of approach dots is about 12 feet (3.66 m) and to the second set of approach dots is about 15 feet (4.57 m) (an additional 3 feet (1 m)). Although this figure varies, the lane is protected by about 18 ml of oil. The PBA events use about 30 ml of oil, and the PWBA events use 25 ml.

Im guessing the 42 ft they refer to is the oil length?

 

[JWhitty]

Forget wikipedia, the rules say it's 60 feet line to headpin...

42 feet is definitely a pattern length

I have bowled in centres that seem smaller, and some that are bigger. Big open centres seem like the room is bigger, and therefore changes your perception of the lanes. Similarly a long narrow room can make it feel the lanes a long, etc etc

 

[lenny marsden]

Lanes are 60feet +-1/2" from the foul line to the centre of the head pin.

 

[Straight_kut]

Forget wikipedia, the rules say it's 60 feet line to headpin...
42 feet is definitely a pattern length
I have bowled in centres that seem smaller, and some that are bigger. Big open centres seem like the room is bigger, and therefore changes your perception of the lanes. Similarly a long narrow room can make it feel the lanes a long, etc etc

And if you read everything i quoted.. thats what wikipedia says

 

[JWhitty]

Yes I did read your quote, my point was that the rules of this sport answer the question - it's not a matter of what proprietors or centre designers want to do like golf...

 

[pockets72]

yes the lanes r 60ft and 1/2"from foul line to end of lane that is the standard size all over the world the 42 would be oil length

 

[rychenroller]

The biggest deception in lane length is where the mask unit is positioned. If the mask is a long way forward, it can really make the same seem a lot longer. Same if the mask is hard up on the front end, the lane seems 50ft long.