On Tough Lane Conditions, Back Off On Your Bowling Release

By: bowlingball.com
Publish Date: 11/9/15

If you are an advanced player and not one who bowls with a super amount of revs; and if you are facing a difficult oil pattern in a future competition, follow the rule of thumb:  on tough lane conditions, back off on your bowling release.

If you are scheduled to compete in a tournament using a difficult oil pattern such as the USBC Blue Pattern, it can be in your best interest to practice using less revs and less hand rotation with the purpose of creating a longer than normal skid distance to prevent your ball overreacting before it reaches the mid-lane.

The example of a USBC Blue Pattern is a condition where the oil is applied across the lane in a very lightly blended ratio with far less oil being applied to the front end of the lane than on house conditions (such as the USBC Red Pattern).

You can play a slight swing shot on the Blue Pattern but it is very important to control the skid distance, thus the suggestion to reduce the amount of hand you use when delivering your bowling ball.

This challenging oil pattern does not typically allow you to send the ball on a wide delivery path angle and get a consistent reaction in the mid-lane and at the breakpoint back to the pocket.

In this case with a challenging lane condition, use less power. This is a case where less power equates to a stable ball reaction.

Another tip is to control your ball speed from shot to shot without delivering your ball more slowly than normal in search of a sweeping hook motion. If you can keep your speed up and play a tighter than normal line to the pocket on the Blue Pattern, then you stand an improved chance at gaining a good ball reaction.

When selecting a bowling ball to match to this tough lane condition, give strong consideration to using a ball with low track flare and a moderate coverstock texture which provides a controllable arc motion.



Avoid a ball drilled with a sharp breaking layout so you do not get too sensitive of a ball reaction and find it hard to control the ball at the breakpoint.

A mild reacting ball can serve you well on tough lane conditions because it minimizes the overall ball reaction and amount of hook due to the very light application of lane oil on the front end and in the mid-lane.

Give yourself a good chance at hitting the pocket repeatedly by using less hand, more ball speed, and a stable reacting bowling ball on difficult lane conditions.