PBA Xtra
Prepare for Abrupt Transition One of the rudest awakenings Burkett experienced at the Summer Swing oc- curred when he realized that practicing on the patterns in the ITRC in no way rep- licates how the patterns play on the PBA Tour. On tour, extreme rev rates coupled with ball surface alterations carve up the pattern in a way no practice session can simulate. But even in league back home, where bowlers are less likely to possess E.J. Tackett’s rev rate or carry Abralon Pads, today’s equipment still creates more
How and Why
to Manipulate Ball Surface Another common theme in Burkett’s conversations with O’Keefe is the need to alter the surface of the bowling ball. “There are very few great players
around the world who will take the ball as is out of the box and leave it that way forever. They’re tinkering with surface constantly,” O’Keefe explains. “It all makes
“PRACTICING ON THE PATTERNS GIVES YOU A GOOD LOOK AT THE FRESH. YOU KNOW WHAT THE LANE DOES ON THE FRESH AND YOU CAN PUT A BIG GAME UP IN THE FIRST GAME BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.”
extreme transition than did the equip- ment available in Burkett’s youth. “Practicing on the patterns gives you a
good look at the fresh,” Burkett says. “You know what the lane does on the fresh and you can put a big game up in the first game because you know what to expect, and that’s great. You get a head start. But that’s really all you get. After that, you’re on your own.” Burkett shares pairs with Fagan and
Team USA veteran Shannon O’Keefe during practice at the ITRC to get a look at how they play the same pattern and the transition their games create. That is an idea league bowlers might try: practice on the same pair with several other bowlers whose games differ from yours. The tran-
sense if you think about it. The more grit you have on a bowling ball, the shorter the skid phase is going to be. It’s reading the lane sooner and taking away the po- tential energy from the backend part of the lane. “So if there’s a short pattern, for exam-
ple, an old-school bowler’s first instinct is to use a very shiny ball that goes very long, but all you’re doing is creating a very drastic break point change in direction. The motion is going to be very abrupt. It’s OK to use some surface so the ball doesn’t exit the pattern so violently. Just because a ball comes out of the box with a thou- sand grit doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. That’s just what the manufacturer put on the ball to begin with.”
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JOHN BURKETT
sition they create may challenge you to expand your versatility.
— JOHN BURKETT
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