Expert: - 11/12/2009

Question
I have bowled for several years and have always played between the 7 and 10 board with no problems.  I recently moved to a new state where the bowling alley must have to much oil on hand.  If I hit the 10 board i'm lucky to make it to the 3 pin, 15 board comes close to the pocket.  I throw a 15lb. Cell kinda on the fast side(I've tried to slow it down).  My average has dropped 50 pins!?!?!?   New ball, go to 16 lb., ????  PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer
Donovan,
Every bowling center conditions their lanes the way they believe is best for their bowlers. Your former center may have conditioned the lanes with much less oil (regionally some areas use more oil, some use less).

Your speed, the changing surface of any bowling ball and the tighter lanes are frustrating you. Your speed, rev rate, axis rotation and tilt determines how quickly the ball will start up. Your Cell and it's layout worked on the previous conditions, possibly a plug and re-drill, or updating your equipment will help. Moving up a pound to 16 normally slows players down, but if you've built your game (timing and skills around a 15 pound ball, it might take a little learning curve time to get everything to work with the heavier ball). I'm a big fan of ball speed (because I don't have much and see how it helps my customers that have it) so if you decide to update your equipment a stronger ball and possibly stronger layout should help.

Are you saying you've been missing in (tugging the ball to 10 while trying to play 7 board)? Bowling balls should be laid out to deal with conditions, so the older Cell with a layout for previous conditions isn't working so well, understood, and, honestly, expected when switching centers. Also, if you are tugging the ball, you may be pulling it, in an effort to put more lift and turn on it. Try relaxing your swing, moving your starting point a board or two to the left (for a right hander, the other way if you're left handed), and still try to roll at your normal target (at 7 board). Let me know how it does?

50 pins??? Your average dropped 50 because your not hitting the head pin like you were, leaving much more difficult spares and your not very proficient on the spares (you've only bowled a couple years give yourself a break). The game of bowling has gotten easier (conditions, equipment, lane surfaces, light pins) but for some easier is harder.

When the brain trust at the BPAA (Bowling Proprietors Association of America) realizes that too easy is too much challenge for some bowlers or no challenge AT ALL for more experienced bowlers, and that they lose bowlers actively from both ends of the spectrum. And that the sport has lost 10-15 million league bowlers in the last 20 years, they will let the USBC (United States Bowling Congress) start toughening up the lane condition and equipment standards so our sport is a sport again not just kiddie play time for birthday parties and open play at Brunswick and AMF owned bowling centers. So when the big dogs put out the easiest lane conditions in the world, the independent centers nearby that compete with them, do too.

The two biggest chain operators have beat up the organizations in bowling for decades. Their short term, quarterly profits mentalities have eliminated any long term control or improvement to the sport. When a company is driven to not piss off a few stockholders, while actively abusing their customers (worldwide), that short term corporate thinking is killing league bowling (and a lot of stuff in our country).

Please excuse the rant. I hope my suggestions offer some help. My recent experience with dull, strong cover bowling balls would put a Storm Virtual Gravity or T-Road Solid, Roto Grip Cell or new Mutant Cell, 900 Global Bounty or Bounty Hunter, Brunswick Siege, AMF Mega Friction, Hammer Jigsaw or Black Widow Sting on the short list as suggestions for you. BUT, the ball MUST match up with your game. So the professional pro shop operator that you go to for a ball or layout change will ultimately be able to decide which might work best and how to maximize the effects.

Thanks for the questions. Let me know how things work out.