Variables You Encounter When Bowling
By: bowlingball.com, 4/18/16
There are variables you encounter when bowling. Some variables you have a little control over and some you do not.
Ball motion variables typically include, your ball speed, loft distance, axis tilt and rotation, rev rate, delivery path angle, choice of equipment, drilling layouts, and ball surface texture.
These are variables you can and will have some control over.
Variables you cannot control, as examples, are the oil pattern, the type of lane oil and volume of oil applied to the lane surfaces, the type of lane surface you bowl on, the smoothness or levelness of the lane surface, and the humidity and temperature in the bowling center.
Most likely you are familiar with the oil pattern used when you bowl leagues or tournaments.
The application and distribution of oil applied to the lane surfaces across the bowling center can be close to identical volumes and ratios of oil per the settings on the lane oiling machine.
However, the lanes almost always vary enough to alter your bowling ball skid distance and back end hook.
This happens essentially because of the levelness of each lane, because of depressions worn in the track area, because of friction factors caused by humidity and temperature, and because of the displacement of oil in the lane machine tank as it is moved across the lanes by the lane maintenance people.
In the end, all you can do is try to address the variables you can control.
Try to regulate your ball speed and loft distance. Why? So you can attain similar skid distances from shot to shot and so you get a consistent ball reaction.
Try to deliver your ball at the same path angle from release point toward the break point repeatedly.
Stabilize your release technique. If you need to make a release adjustment, avoid major changes to your technique but rather make a modest adjustment and one which you are confident you can repeat.
Of course, you can change bowling balls to alter your ball reaction.
Don’t expect each lane on each pair of lanes to provide the identical ball reaction just because you felt you made a good shot.
Be ready to make adjustments as you cross pairs in tournaments or as your pair gets more and more linage in league play.
Trust your lane reads. Making timely decisions when a lane adjustment is needed is the difference between good results and poor ones.
Develop your own tested strategy in reading the lanes. Knowing that you will see ball reaction variations even when you make quality shots will keep you prepared to adjust spontaneously.
If you have no current system in place to read the lanes or if you adjust randomly without a tested series of adjustment options, it may be time you consult an experienced bowling instructor.
Fighting a poor ball reaction resulting from variables you cannot control can only lead to frustration and tension.
All any top tier player can do is use a variable you can control and trust your judgement when playing the lanes.
No adjustment works every time. If you remain flexible in your thinking, the unexpected and unwanted ball reaction can be minimized if you trust your variables and your decision to use them at the right time.
