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Author Topic: Sydney Pattern  (Read 10355 times)

Walking E

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Sydney Pattern
« on: May 29, 2012, 06:34:34 PM »
Has anybody here bowled on the Sydney pattern yet? If yes, what are your thoughts? Is this a high-volume pattern? Where did you see most bowlers having success? What type of equipment worked best for you? I.e. Some surface, rolly not flippy, etc.

 

Strider

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2012, 08:14:26 PM »
Unless they changed it, Sydney is 21.8 mL; pretty middle of the road.  I play it like Cheetah.  I use either my Wicked Siege (my "flat" release) or my XXXL (normal release) playing up the boards as much as possible, targeting around 5 and hitting around 2 at the break point.  With my physical game, I always use some surface (2000 abralon is my sweet spot).  Overly flippy layouts will usually get you in trouble.

BrunsWolf

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2012, 10:20:09 PM »
Only bowled on it once on Pro-Anvil. If my memory serves me correctly I used a 5" pin up Versa-Max at 4000 grit and "boomed" it up the 1-2 board. Basically, I threw it about 20 mph and 300-350 rpm (I'm right handed btw). Just had to make sure I got out clean and kept it outside of the 3 board. When it broke down, I found success by just upping the speed even more and coupling it with less hand if needed.
Jared Wolf
Jonesboro, AR
Brunswick Advisory Staff

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

Walking E

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2012, 11:47:54 PM »
Thanks for the replies so far.

Has anyone tried moving in and slow-hooking the lane on Sydney pattern? I am more comfortable with that than with getting out to the twig. From what I hear from a few other bowlers, the house I'm bowling at tomorrow screwed the lanes down so firmly to the gutters that the lane "slopes" towards the gutter on the outside few boards. Now, I don't know if this is actually true or if it's hogwash, although I have seen a few one-counts at this place on a house shot from bowlers who hook the ball (including by yours truly), so I tend to believe that it's true...ish ;-).
If it IS true, then the twig area won't be playable even on a pattern where it's supposed to be the place to play. As such, I'll probably try playing deep on this pattern - at least to see if I can get a look inside.

Strider

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2012, 06:18:15 AM »
The inside part of the lane hooked early and often for me.  Definitely wasn't a good look.  When people take 1 or 3 off the corner it's usually because they are playing too much angle through the front part of the lane.  That leads to a ton of over/under for me.  Especially with the short patterns, I need to go as straight through the front part of the lane as possible.  Don't try to "bounce" it off the gutter; get as far right as you can and feed it down lane.

Walking E

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2012, 11:13:56 AM »
Thanks, Strider! One thing about this is that it's a league and not a tournament, and the league comprises bowlers of various styles and averages. As such, I don't think we'll have a "group think" mentality and try to break the lanes down in a certain way, which means it will be each bowler for himself or herself.
Worst case, I'll move left and throw rockets at the 1-2 (I'm righthanded, but this shot worked well for me at state tournament once).  :P

Walking E

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2012, 01:26:51 AM »
Well, surprise surprise. I think it really is true that the house characteristics override the condition.
At this house, 1-2 board is out of bounds no matter what, and that was certainly the case tonight. I ended playing a nice little belly shot over about 12-13 to 8 or 9 and just tried to take my hand out of the ball. I stayed in play all night for 788 - not great, but not terrible. I moved left maybe two boards all night and tried playing the same break area after my moves. I struggled to carry the first game (five 10-pins) and generally struggled to string strikes together. Fortunately I was making my spares tonight or it would have been much worse.
There was really no room to miss left, and the ball would hang if I missed right UNLESS I grabbed at the bottom, at which point the ball would snap back into the pocket. Funny, this was one night where grabbing the ball was a good thing (unless I missed left)!!
Anyway, I used a combination of Nomad Solid and Nuts Pearl, each drilled pin down and kinda weak on the back end. Both balls are generally pretty weak for me, but this seemed to work well tonight. I made a few bad shots that cost me a much better series.

Russell

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2012, 06:16:53 AM »
Many times on patterns that short if you play too far in there will appear to be OB to the outside, but the ball is burning up.  If you square up to the outside and get your angles right you should be able to find some sort of a look.

When Cheetah gets put out many bowlers not comfortable with throwing the ball right of 5 will play where you are describing and make the pattern play more difficult than it is.  If you get another opportunity try and really move your feet right and make your laydown point around 5....see if that works.

TWOHAND834

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2012, 09:26:30 AM »
Another thing to remember is the -31 rule, where you take the length of pattern and subtract 31.  That will give you where generally you want your breakpoint to be.  Some people still think that no matter what pattern you are on, that high end equipment is the way to go.  IMO....for those with heavy handed rev rates, dont be afraid to ball down; say something like a Freeze Solid at 2000 or 4000 and get in to 13-15 at the arrows and MAKE SURE the ball gets to the breakpoint.  If you ball down and miss a pinch left, you may still end up with at worst a 4 pin or 3-6-10.  If you use high end stuff and miss a pinch, be lucky to stay right of the head pin (right hander).  On the short patterns, there is always going to be "free hook".  Use it as an advantage and not a disadvantage.  Even guys that arent so heavy handed can ball down as long as the volume is not too high.  The only guys that I can see using higher end equipment, are those that are pretty speed dominate and/or have a good amount of axis tilt and can help the ball push down the lane. 

Personally I dont like using 1-2 as a breakpoint simply because you have zero miss room right (gutter) and if you do miss left, the ball will want to hook at your feet (little exaggeration).  I like using around 4-5 as a breakpoint so if you do miss right, you still hit something and get count, but if you miss left, the volume is usually heavier inside anyway.  The it just becomes about ball matchup and how clean the release was. 
Steven Vance
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Walking E

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2012, 10:53:08 AM »
Thanks, guys! I appreciate the input!

Russell

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2012, 08:12:14 AM »
I've said this before to my Junior bowlers and I'll say it again here....You can throw a strike from anywhere....on any pattern....it doesn't mean you're playing it properly or giving yourself the best chance.  If you look at the pattern loads the pattern is DEAD flat inside of 5...so by playing a line where 5 is your breakpoint you're making the pattern the US Open for yourself.  As I also said above...if you try to play too far left with the wrong ball....the outside will appear to be dead OB.  If you square up to it and throw something that revs a little in the midlane with some surface...you can probably get some light bounce off of the gutter.

If you try to play a breakpoint of 5...you're playing the flattest part of the pattern and not really using the taper that is between 2 and 5.  The pattern is 33 feet, which is an INCREDIBLY large amount of backend.  If you try and throw balls that store energy you'll be in for a long day.  You need balls that bleed energy and don't try to store through the fronts.  The pattern has a pretty good amount of volume (24ish mLs), so you don't need help to get it down the lane.  Anything resin is going to go left when it gets to the 33 to 35 foot mark on the lane.  The key is getting it to bleed energy properly.

I would even venture to say that urethane is a great idea....the reason is because it DOESN'T try to skid as far as possible.  It actually picks the lane up EARLIER than resin, but bleeds energy much more evenly through the backend part of the lane.

Lower RGs....surface.....not skid...

« Last Edit: June 01, 2012, 08:53:15 AM by Russell »

TWOHAND834

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2012, 11:39:38 AM »
So if there is apparently 27 feet of backend, then how can there appear to OB? 

I've said this before to my Junior bowlers and I'll say it again here....You can throw a strike from anywhere....on any pattern....it doesn't mean you're playing it properly or giving yourself the best chance.  If you look at the pattern loads the pattern is DEAD flat inside of 5...so by playing a line where 5 is your breakpoint you're making the pattern the US Open for yourself.  As I also said above...if you try to play too far left with the wrong ball....the outside will appear to be dead OB.  If you square up to it and throw something that revs a little in the midlane with some surface...you can probably get some light bounce off of the gutter.

If you try to play a breakpoint of 5...you're playing the flattest part of the pattern and not really using the taper that is between 2 and 5.  The pattern is 33 feet, which is an INCREDIBLY large amount of backend.  If you try and throw balls that store energy you'll be in for a long day.  You need balls that bleed energy and don't try to store through the fronts.  The pattern has a pretty good amount of volume (24ish mLs), so you don't need help to get it down the lane.  Anything resin is going to go left when it gets to the 33 to 35 foot mark on the lane.  The key is getting it to bleed energy properly.

I would even venture to say that urethane is a great idea....the reason is because it DOESN'T try to skid as far as possible.  It actually picks the lane up EARLIER than resin, but bleeds energy much more evenly through the backend part of the lane.

Lower RGs....surface.....not skid...

Steven Vance
Former Pro Shop Operator
Former Classic Products Assistant Manager

Russell

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2012, 12:12:42 PM »
I am not sure how to answer that question....it's just what happens when you play too far left on a pattern.  Short pattern doesn't mean there is "free hook" to the right.  If your breakpoint is 5-7 on a short pattern, the ball will encounter longer oil when it is thrown further right, giving the illusion of "OB".  The ball is being thrown at a slightly higher launch angle, which requires MORE friction to make up for the mistake...and on top of that stays in the oil for another inch or so before exiting the pattern.  On the house shot when you miss right your ball encounters MORE friction so you don't notice it.  It's the reason house bowlers think sport patterns are "reverse blocks"....it's because their usual misses don't BOUNCE off of the bumpers.  If you've ever bowled on Cheetah you can make OB happen on that pattern too if you play too far in, even though there is virtually no oil on the 1/2/3 boards.  This may be why you don't like using that as a breakpoint because if you're angles are too steep your ball will blow right through the taper....and boom....OB.

It's the same thing but exaggerated on the US Open pattern.  The pattern is the exact same distance going across, but when you miss outside your ball "hangs" even more because of the increased angle and longer distance to reach the backend part of the lane.

It's all angles....

Russell

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2012, 01:52:02 PM »
I guess an even better way to explain would be to think about a house shot....

Find a strike line...let's say you're playing 20 at the arrows to 8 downlane....

Now move your feet 15 left....look at 28 and still play 8 as a breakpoint....throwing the ball exactly the same....

You've created too much angle for the ball to recover from and you'll probably miss the headpin.  Now if you move your breakpoint in to let's say 12 or 13 you probably strike....but now you have OB to the right.

avabob

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Re: Sydney Pattern
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2012, 11:28:20 AM »
There are exceptions to every rule, but generally high rev, high axis rotation players are going to struggle on lower volume short patterns.  Robert Smith often whacked the Cheetah, but but he was the exception I spoke of. 

Too many younger players don't understand that just dropping down to tame equipment doesn't help on these short patterns.  Outside of 5 will indeed play the best on a the Sydney, but only if you keep the axis rotation down, and don't try to bank the gutter.  I have had a lot of luck with urethane balls on short patterns and extreme wet dry house shots with my 275 rpms because I can square up