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Up the Pyramid (Adjustments) by Charley Wilson

Updated at March 18, 2010 16:05

Once the basics are learned, the challenge becomes recognizing and adapting to changes in conditions. Remember, in today’s environment, with more and more aggressive balls and more and more oil to combat them, every ball rolled changes the lane conditions. Coping with these continuous changes may involve changing the bowler’s physical game, the equipment used, or the way the lanes are played.

What’s the problem?

As we know, there is more oil in the center of the lane than toward the edges (Figure 1 – obviously lane width is not to scale). As balls roll through the oil, it moves. Some of the balls absorb it, some drag it down toward the pins, and some do a little of both. In any case, pretty soon there’s a dry track through the lane heads where there was oil when you started. And there’s a track of oil on the back ends where there was none earlier. Depending on who’s bowling with you, the tracks are small and all in one place, or wide and scattered all over. What to do depends on how you bowl and how the lanes break down.

If you’re paired with a lot of real crankers using dull, aggressive balls, the head oil may disappear first (Figure 2), making your ball roll and hook early and too much, leaving high hits and splits.

If the other bowlers are using weaker, polished, or even polyester equipment and fewer revolutions, the oil may simply move down into the back ends (figure 3), essentially extending the length of the oil pattern. This weakens your ball reaction and leaves light hits and washouts. Obviously the adjustments are much different for the two situations. Chances are, you’ll see a combination of the two (Figure 4). This combination causes the ball to (1) try to roll early and use up its energy, because of the drier heads, and (2) lose the hook in the back ends due to both lack of energy and less friction in the back ends.

What can you do about it?

The choice of adjustment strategies depends on the bowler’s comfort level with the alternatives. A way to think of the options is to use the acronym of one of the sport’s greatest players; Earl Anthony.

By altering Equipment, Angle, Release, Loft, and Speed (EARLS), you can choose the kind of adjustment with which you are most comfortable, or which is the most appropriate for the situation.

Equipment. As the oil dries up in the heads, weaker, shinier, or pearlized balls may make it through without hooking too soon. Aggressive balls with layouts designed to roll later may do the same job. If the ball is losing finish due to carry-down, a ball that hooks and sets sooner may defeat the lack of friction in the back end.

Angle. If you’re overhooking, you may need to move your feet toward the middle of the lane to chase the oil line. Don’t just move your feet, move your target deeper, too, or you’ll just send your ball further outside into drier conditions. If the opposite happens, a tighter, more direct line may be necessary.

Release. Ball roll/hooking too soon? Try to get your hand more around it at release, or reduce the wrist cup for fewer revolutions. Skidding past the pocket? Add revolutions or keep the hand more behind the ball at release.

Loft. You may be able to loft the ball over the offending dry heads, but can you do it with accuracy? Or maybe laying it down right at the foul line will bet some more roll out of it.

Speed. Anybody can throw the ball harder, but can you do so with accuracy? Without screwing up your timing? Can you soften the shot just the tiny bit needed to get it to finish right, and make those 9’s into 10’s? Sometimes increasing speed feels the same as increasing loft, but is it?

Strategies: First, you have to know your own game. Which of the adjustment strategies is best for you, which ones do you struggle with, and which combinations of changes go together (i.e., a deeper angle with a more angular-hooking ball)? As we’ve said before, this takes dedication, and probably the help of a coach. Look for coaches through any Smartbowler Pro Shop, at http://www.bowlspot.com/ or the "Find a…" function of the USBC website at http://bowl.com/. Know your arsenal; make sure any additions to it do what you want them to do to fill any gaps. Check the Smartbowler ball Guide to for the hook and angularity ("snap") ratings of the current balls available.

Charley Wilson, a USBC Silver Level Coach, has been coaching professionally for eleven years. A retired USAF fighter pilot, he currently works as a coach and pro shop ball fitter/driller. Charley is married (Sheila) and lives in St. Louis, MO. Contact – CGWJR@charter.net

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