	AllExperts > Bowling
	Search

About Warren Friedl
Expertise
20 Years Pro Shop Owner/Operator, 17 Years Bowling Center Operator (Manager/General Manager), Certified Coach since National Bowling Council and YABA days. Also Dick Ritger and USA Bowling Bronze certified. International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter member, IBPSIA Certified, IBPSIA "On Lanes" Certified, 2 Time Member of the IBPSIA Board of Directors and Past Secretary/Treasurer, Small Shop columnist "Pro Shop Operator" Magazine, contributor to "Bowlers Journal International" magazine, editor of IBPSIA NET NEWS weekly e-newsletter, editor of "The Bowling Tree" blog and webmaster of www.revbowl.com.

Experience
20 Years operating Revolutions Pro Shops in 2nd Largest bowling ball market in the country, Chicagoland. 17 Years in Center operations as Marketing Director, Asst. Manager or General Manager, becoming GM in every Center I worked.

Organizations
American Bowling Congress/USBC Member since 1976, bowling 50 years. International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter and continuing member (18 years), 2 time member of IBPSIA Board of Directors, former Secretary/Treasurer. US Bowling Coaches Association (Bronze Coach) Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Publications
“Bowlers Journal International” and “Pro Shop Operator” Magazines. Chicago Bowler, Windy City Bowling News, Centennial Lanes.com, The Bowling Tree Blog, IBPSIA.com and IBPSIA Net News (e-newsletter).

Education/Credentials
IBPSIA Technically Certified. Multiple Seminars from AMF, Brunswick, Columbia, Circle, Ebonite, Hammer, Mo-Rich, Storm, Track, Dexter, Etonic, and others. Kaploe and Davis Bowling Marketing training. Certified with the Young America Bowling Alliance (YABA) and the National Bowling Council (NBC) as a coach in 1982. Other coaching credentials include: Dick Ritger Level One, Dick Ritger Coaching Coaches, and USA Bowling Bronze Level.

Awards and Honors
Created and executed Promotions highlighted in Bowlers Journal Magazine and included in the “150 Promotions for Bowling Centers” organized by the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA). First Pro Shop featured in Bowling Industry magazine, for customer service and merchandising, October 1996. Identified “One of the best ball fitters in the country” by then Track, Inc. President Del Warren, September 2005. Tournament Promotions lead to top performance in center, or for center hosted events including: Chicago City Championships, US Open Qualifiers, Amateur Bowlers Tour.

Past/Present Clients
Presenter at the IBPSIA National Convention. Presenter at Bowling Proprietors Association Management School

You are here: Experts > Recreation/Outdoors > Bowling > Bowling > trying to find the fight ball setup

Bowling - trying to find the fight ball setup

Expert: Warren Friedl - 10/28/2009

Question
QUESTION: I live in an area with small bowling centers with no pros. There is only one pro and he would rather change everyone to a down and in bowler then find a ball that works. I average about 202 but sometimes have problems with ball reaction. It really seems, the way my balls are drilled, I am not getting the most out of them. I stand all the way left, throw over center arrow til about to 5 and it normally comes back. Sometimes the ball out revs and wont come back hard enough and sometimes the ball will rev early and come back to quick. This is hitting the same mark on the lane. The balls that pro drills just feel very wrong for me. What should I do?

ANSWER: Klark,

You're using the whole lane from the first frame of the first game? Attacking the lane from that angle typically removes oil (from the front part of the lane) and changes how the lane plays as you bowl. Are you finding the first game is good but you struggle with the lane condition changes in second and third games?

Ball reaction is layout, ball surface, lane conditions and all that you contribute (rev rate, ball speed, axis tilt and rotation). I'd need lots more info about your equipment, including how thay are laid out, to begin to understand what's going on.

Can you time the ball from foul line to pins (that will help with ball speed). The other info is harder to identify. Best is to get a video of your shots with the Positive Axis Point marked with a tracer. Can you get a video?

Thanks for the questions. look forward to hearing from you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have 4 balls I feature: Hammer the sauce out of the box finish with the pin being just to the right of the fingers with the center mark about 2 inches under the right finger. Lane 1 chainsaw massacre out of box finish with the same layout as the sauce. Storm deuce(my favorite) out of box with the same layout. Columbia epx out of box but the layout is straight down on the right side of the ball. My game averages are usually pretty close all the way through. According to stats my second and third games are the best. Sometimes its hard for me to get started. My ball speed is usually at 15.5 to 16.2. The track on my ball is just to the left of my fingers very very wide and goes straight down from there. Every so often I get a "j" track on the ball. Can you help?
Thanks
Klark

ANSWER: Klark,
You've got a couple different balls with different surfaces, and play them all from fourth arrow to the friction near the gutter? The Sauce and EPX are aggressive surfaces, yet you don't throw real hard, is there a lot of oil on the lanes you bowl on? How do the strong covers work for you?

The Deuce is your favorite, is it shiny from use? The layout being drilled for you is basically just over the label (1 to 2 o'clock pin), does the driller know your Positive Axis Point (PAP) or any of your specifics of tilt, rotation or rev rate?

A label drill for an inside angle to the pocket isn't the optimum layout for the ball to turn hard and recover at the breakpoint with good continuation for carry, the label drill is the (typically) longest/strongest (down the boards)layout. Swinging the Center of Gravity (CG) and Mass Bias (MB) under the pin to swinging it towards or past the Vertical Axis line can create a stronger reaction, better recovery and more flare potential. Have you ever rolled a ball with a weight hole and the above ideas?

The track is close to your fingers, and equally close to the thumb? Not familiar with the expression "J" track can you explain further? Please fill me in more and we can cover more options for you. thanks for hanging in.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The lanes I bowl on are consider almost dead like. All the oil is in the center. There is no oil from the 12 broad to the gutter. The strong covers get a little spoky. Sometimes they hook way to hard and sometimes they stall out and come in weak. The Deuce is still as dull as when I bought it. All he said to me is that my rev rate is the one of the highest in the area. When I say j track the flare gets wide and then crosses over itself. Thats when it usually stalls out. With the ideas that you have, I have never thrown a ball that way. I have also never thrown a ball with a weight hole. The Deuce also is my most hooking ball. The track is really close to my fingers but gets further out toward the thumb. My driller doesn't remember my PAP. Sorry for the inconvience. Could you also send my a picture of the drilling layout that you think would work, for the aggressive ball and advice on where to drill them. Do you have anymore advice? Thanks for all the help.

Answer

Layouts

Klark,
Not sure what you mean by "almost dead like" can you explain?

Your center conditions the lanes the way so many do (THS-Typical House Shot). Easy hook on the outside boards (the 12 nearest the gutter) makes the sport so easy (creating hook and angle back toward the pocket for weaker players) that when you have some skill it makes the game more difficult (needing to manage too much hook).

The flare pattern (on your ball) reflects good execution and an effective roll. But the flare pattern is hindering the backend reaction of the Deuce. When the ball flares back across the track, the oil on the ball changes the reaction down lane (the ball loses friction because of the oil on the ball surface, picked up by the first few ball rotations, and it doesn't finish). A weight hole on the side and finger quadrant of the ball will reduce the flare and some of the hook but allow a more consistent continuation on the backend of the lane.

Doesn't the driller record the PAP info for future use and comparison? You can figure the PAP using the observable oil rings on the ball.

If I had your PAP, ball speed and axis rotation, I'd be better equipped to suggest something. A shot in the dark, given what little I know now, I'd suggest staying with some surface, nothing close to how aggressive the EPX is, but a layout with a less flare (pin farther from your PAP), big pin (so you have thumb and side weight that would be removed with a low thumb and side quadrant hole (if the driller knows anything about Mo Pinnel's Gradient Line weight hole system (use a P3 or P4, which will add flare back, but not have the top of the weightblock so close to your Vertical Axis Line - VAL). If you can get your driller to call or e-mail me, I'd be glad to explain further or in greater detail.

If the Sauce has a longer (4 inches or more) pin to Center of Gravity (CG), I'd suggest you plug it. Move the pin above your fingers, swing the CG and Mass Bias toward your VAL (place the MB about halfway between the thumb and VAL) put a weigh hole just above the MB (on a line back toward the PAP) if the weights require it. The small change will turn the corner harder, you'll flare through a bow tie area on the ball where all the flare rings pass and get stronger continuation.

Please understand the suggestion above is an estimated GUESS! I'd rather have more info and a better idea, maybe from the driller, exactly what's going on. Thanks for the questions and hanging in, good luck and good bowling.

Add to this Answer Ask a Question