Lanes, Oil etc

[sampson1791]

When I bowled at Ed Flemmings during Emerson Shield - i bowled on the 2nd arrow (left hander here) and my ball moved into the pocket beautifully.

I bowl regularlly (wood lanes) & aim for the same arrow but no movement (3 boards if that). average 160 i was happy with this.

I go to Morwell & then again same arrow - the ball moves into the pocket...21 games average 176 extremely happy and surprised.

Why could lane conditions be that different? How can lane conditions be improved?
Is there such a thing as bad oil?

 

[RobbieB]

Hi Sampson,
Many factors affect how much your ball will hook. The oil that is applied to the lane is not applied all the way to the headpin, and how far down the lane it goes varys from centre to centre. The further down the lane the oil is applied, the less your ball will hook, in general. There is also a variation in how much oil is applied across the lane - many centres apply a lot in the centre of the lane, and less to none at all on the edge. If most of the oil is applied from second arrow into the centre, for instance, a ball may hook a lot when bowled down the first arrow, less on second arrow, and go almost straight if bowled down the middle.
Another important factor is how many games have been bowled on the lanes since they were oiled. Most oiling machines clean the back end of the lane as they oil, helping the ball to get a good grip and finish strongly into the pins. If the lanes have had a lot of play, the balls can carry oil down the lane, making the back part too slippery for the ball to hook well. Or, after a lot of play, most of the oil may be removed and the ball will start to hook more, but less predictably as the remaining oil is 'patchy'.
It is important for you to learn to bowl over different parts of the lane (different 'lines'), as the best place to bowl on the lane for optimum ball reaction varies greatly from place to place, and even from day to day in the same centre. Try bowling some practice games using the first arrow as a target, then moving to second arrow, then third arrow until you get used to the different ball reactions you get from each line. You will need to adjust your starting position on the approach left or right to get the ball to the pocket on the different lines - the golden rule is, if you are missing the pocket to the left, move your feet left, missing right, move right.
A good coach will help explain all this much better on the lanes.

Good luck.

 

[sampson1791]

thanks - i guess i am frustrated at being able to bowl well away from home than at home! you would think it to be the other way around!!

thanks agian

 

[Pyro]

Robbie is correct & has some sound proven advice there dont fall into the trap of believing alot of the "bowlers" this game is about adjusting to the conditions!

 

[tenpin albury]

Hey Sampson don't be worried about performing better when you bowl at other centres then your home centre. I have and just about every bowler at our centre have the same problem. Robbie is right on the money about adjusting but another thing to consider aswell as different oil patterns is different surface your bowling on... Your wood lanes will react to the new bowling gear considerably different to that of the synthetic lanes at Ed Flemming and Morwell... You bowl at Sale if I'm right so there I think the oil pattern is something like a reverse block. Meaning there is ALOT of oil from about 10 board to the gutter but not so much in the centre. Morwell would be more like a top hat which is basically the opposite. Synthetic lanes and these type of oil patterns make it much easier to bowl on because you have more margin for error (area). Improving your accuracy at your home centre aswell as trying some different lines will drastically improve your game when you bowl somewhere else... Goodluck.

 

[akdefl]

how about looking at other things, not just the pattern or the lanes.
Pins, are they old or new. Brand and weight make a difference.
Kickbacks, what condition are they in.
Flat gutters, how deep and age.
Approaches, were you more comfortable on synthetic or wood.

The list goes on and on. Yes lane conditions are a big factor, but please bowlers, don't hinge everything on them, there are other factors involved on not just how a lane plays, but how the pins react etc.

 

[Phluff]

This is what makes bowling so much fun .... there are so many different factors involved in a game that will influence the scores.
From ambient temperature and humidity, lane oil, oil pattern, lane cleaner, lane machine, lane pannel type and condition, pin deck surface, kickback condition, pin age and brand, flat gutter depth and condition, ball surface, ball age (# of games), insert condition, bowler condition, sweep delay, previous games on that lane...... there are more factors, but you get the idea
And people wonder why techs give you a funny look and walk away when a bowler says "those lanes were crap tonight... I think you're oiling machine is broken!"