Technique
Probably not too much. But by walking into the
center blind, you usually spend your practice time and first few frames feeling your way around the lane. It doesn’t have to be that way. Critical information is
readily available, information that will allow you to focus on simply throwing good shots. The first two items on
your Lane-Reading Cheat Sheet are simple fact-gather- ing.
First, know the length of
the pattern. You can get this information from the lane mechanic, or even someone at the front counter. Knowing the distance of the pattern will give you a good idea of where your breakpoint will be. The breakpoint is the farthest most outside spot on the lane that your ball can get to and still get to the pocket. To determine the break point, simply subtract 31 from the distance of the pattern. On a 40-foot pattern, the break point will be at the ninth board. (This formula is not exact, but will get you very close.)
Second, know the vol-
ume of oil that has been laid down for that pattern. Know- ing the volume of oil will tell you what surface you need on your bowling ball. Gen- erally speaking — the less volume, the less surface. The more volume on the lane the less friction, so your ball will need more surface to grab the lane. You want the ball to slow down and gain more traction before it reaches the end of the pattern. Again, you can usually get this infor- mation when you ask about the pattern length. Anything below 21ML is considered low volume; 21-24 is me- dium volume; and anything above 24 is considered high volume. One misconception that
needs to be addressed is the notion that your decision on using a shiny or gritty ball is based on the distance. Many bowlers assume they need a shiny ball on a short pat- tern because the ball comes out of the pattern early. The truth is that the surface of the ball should be altered based more on the volume than distance. The pattern’s dis-
BOWLING TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER
HEAD START: A lot can be learned before you throw your first shot.
based on your ball speed and revs. Knowing your style tells you the angle you need to take to get the ball to that breakpoint. If you have a lot of hook you’ll need to set up further inside. If you throw the ball straight, you can play the ball direct and straight around the second arrow. Speed also affects your
position. A bowler with slow ball speed but a high rev rate will play the furthest inside. A high rev rate combined with high speed (18 mph or higher) will dictate that you play not quite as far inside because your ball isn’t on the lane as long and there- fore has less time to hook. Knowing this informa-
tance will tell you where to play, but the volume tells you how much surface you need to play that part of the lane effectively. Finally, know your style.
11 USBOWLER JULY 2011
Going back to the distance equation, if the Rule of 31 tells you not to let your ball get beyond the ninth board where you stand on the lane should be determined
tion before you step on the approach will make your 15 minutes of practice time much more valuable. — Bryan O’Keefe is Assistant Coach and Facility Manager at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18