Author Topic: Has this ever happened to you during warmup? (Read 1428 times)

WillynHook · « **on:** August 24, 2005, 07:01:42 AM »

Its been 15 weeks of league, typical house shot night after night,
pull out your "go to ball" to start warm-up before starting the night's
bowling - toss your first ball down the lane and the ball goes perfectly
straight down the lane never breaking never hooking.

You look at everyone else tossing their first ball on the lane - all the
righty balls go straight into the right gutter about halfway down all the
lefties do the same left. You witness much shock and surprise on everyone's
faces that hook the ball. The straight ball throwers notice nothing different.

Everyone else during warm-up keeps tossing balls into the gutter wondering
what the deal is as you adjust your line and ball to the conditions. Much
complaining occurs during the night about the f#*k-ed up shot, that the night
is ruined, that there is something seriously wrong. Meanwhile you just smile
and try your best to adjust to the conditions and realize that you try to
play what the lanes give you.

Well, this happened last week. The house really changed up from the typical
walled house shot they have put out all summer. There was no wall - none.
The pattern was pretty flat across the lane and it was a loooong pattern -
I swear it was all the way to the pins. I went to a heavy oil ball that I
haven't used in ages and it would slide all the way down the lane without
breaking. So, I moved right and threw straight at the pocket all night and
did pretty well (albeit that is not my most comfortable game). Most everyone
else was befuddled all night. Our league's high average (210) dropped 60 pins
off his average every game.

Now, I didn't bowl too great, but at least I knew what was going on and made
adjustments to my game.

Anyone else?
--------------------
Dr. Joseph Howard
Joe's Physics Page

"Imagine what you could do,
if you could do what you imagine"

F.O.S. Member
Uranium Pearl
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H_sub2_O (expected order date ~Oct)
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More saber-toothed saws soon thereafter.
Hey! There is room in the roller!

Edited on 8/24/2005 2:53 PM

Edited on 8/24/2005 2:55 PM

Edited on 8/24/2005 2:56 PM

Ragnar · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:07:29 PM »

A few years back we had a little local tournament. The only ball I had at the time (hard to believe isn't it?) was an El Nino Wrath. Worked well on the usual house shot. Threw my first practice ball into the ditch at about 15'. Couldn't pick the ball up without wiping it - it was literally dripping oil. (I finished second to the laneman - how odd, he had a super oiler in his hands. My friend finished 3d only because on his last shot he lost the ball due to all the oil on it.) So I moved way right, slowed way down, and played for about a 1 board hook. Averaged 203 for 8 games (about my league average at the time).

Yes, you can adapt to these sorts of shots if you don't get mad and just keep your head on straight.
--------------------
"Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum,
minutus carborata descendum pantorum."

livespive · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:09:20 PM »

Yep,

I go into survival mode...

Get the ball to the pocket, and cover your spares.
--------------------
Eric T. Spivey, P.E.
Visionary Test Staff Member
http://www.visionarybowling.com
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CoachJim · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:13:19 PM »

I wish that would be the case, I have had the opposite of that happen more times than I care to remember. That is take out your benchmark ball and take a warmup shot just to see it snap accross the lane about 30 ft. like there wasn't a drop of oil on the lanes. Then management wonders why so many people shot put the ball halfway down the lane. I would love it if I came in one day and the shot was long and flat.

The lane oiling machine probably broke in your case, instead of stripping and oiling it just oiled the whole way down. A friend of mine that bowls in another center had this happen a couple of times last year.

bluedothooks · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:14:19 PM »

Yep. Summer league championships years ago. Shot for the first 12 weeks was pretty dry. Last week, one lefty on other team pulled out a dull ball, sanded to 400. (of coruse he knew the manager, and was a bit on the shady side, too) He was the only one on the pair to make the ball hook. Needless to say, we didn't win. Don't mind surprises, but just on our pair, on the last night for the championship?

Personally, I'd love to see it happen all the time at the bowling alleys. All those fluffers who throw dull up the ditch, seeing their ball go dead straight. Ah, the 350 series would be a flowin' that night.
--------------------
A bird with a straw can succeed.
I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Can't go wrong with a Blue Dot.

thfonz98 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:25:53 PM »

happened last season and our break point had to be at the 1 board downlane or there was no break..challenging and fun. lots of washouts.
--------------------
I have a problem..i'm a fluffer
currentleague: Anchor on Team 3
F.O.S. Member....Proof

Edited on 8/24/2005 3:18 PM

LuckyLefty · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:30:28 PM »

Very common or some variant of it! I've had it happen on last week of nearly every league I've ever been it. Call it proprietor's surprise!

We had our last league night recently.

In anticipation I brought one ball that had a little backend.

Everyother week I had finally gotten down to very muted backend balls.

First game nothing would strike!! And I missed the 7 pins. And I had a few 7 9 splits. End result...lowest competitive game as an adult.

Then I remembered the ball I brought that usually flys brooklyn.

Got it out and almost got myself first a 300(that would have been embarrassing, and then just missed 600 for the night!

Would have been quite a feat I assure you from where I was!

rEgards,

Luckylefty
PS and I've seen much worse where like Rags above I've had to point and stand almost on the mark I'm throwin! Very tight!

ten pin killler · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:38:47 PM »

yep, it happened twice last season due to malfunction of the oil machine, we had 60 feet of soup gutter to gutter. while everyone else was be-aching and complaining, i pulled out my SCB, moved all the way right and fluffed my way down the 1st arrow with a soft down and in shot to a 635 the first time and 615 the second time. its all about adapting instead of boohooing. was it pretty.......?, no it wasnt, but it was highly effective.
--------------------

TPK

.... A HammerHead with a touch of BuzzSaw

Could someone tell me where this "Great Wall of China" is???

Sawuser · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2005, 03:48:59 PM »

Yes that has happened more than a couple of times. I must say it is better when it happens in a good scratch league instead of a casual handicap league. When you're averaging 200 & can't hit it & the 160 bowler notices no difference it's not a fun evening!
--------------------
Wayne

FOS MEMBER

A HARDCORE FAN

RSalas · « **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2005, 04:00:19 PM »

Never happened to me, at least not the point-and-shoot issue. The only times in recent memory that we've gotten conditions out of the ordinary have been in the opposite direction. However, those times were great opportunities to practice launching the cap.

quote:
My friend finished 3d only because on his last shot he lost the ball due to all the oil on it.

Did he ever find the ball?

--------------------
...formerly "The Curse of Dusty," and "PoÃ¶ter BoÃ¶f" before that...

Beef STL · « **Reply #10 on:** August 24, 2005, 06:43:57 PM »

Here's a few fun ones for you all.

A few years ago in league, I come into league. This is back when I was still throwing an angle evolution and a 15 ball at spares (so, right after the Ebonite 15 ball came out.)

I throw a practice shot on the left, nothing different. Get up on the right. LEFT TURN. This is the last week of league, too, and my team was bowling for the championships. So, I take out the 15 ball and try the same shot I just played with the Angle Evolution on the left. Pretty good shot. Shot 665, and was the only one on the pair to break 500. They even announced the score on the intercom. Turned out the oil machine (or the mechanic) spilled lane stripper all over the lane and no matter how much they tried to oil, they couldn't get anything to stay on the lane. Needless to say, it turned out to be a crazy shot.

So, on to more recent times. Last November, I'm bowling a tournament. I start on 13 & 14. Shoot 189. The lanes are kind of dry. Move to the next pair and get up there. Doesn't even nearly make it to the pocket. I was getting a 3 board break. I have a 21 in the 3rd frame. My dad's like "How much hook are you getting?" "around 2... maybe 3 boards." "So, go in tight and play 2-3 boards backend." Move inside, go right up third arrow with my MoRich Colossus and strike out, going plus for the game. I made the cut, and won the next day.

This is the story I got from the people. They were oiling the lanes and they had to put normal tap water in something on the lane (I don't know, do you have to put part water to oil or something? I have no idea) and the water is bad there, so the bacteria clogged whatever hose the water was coming out of. Which is the reason for the semi dry lanes first game. They decided on lane 15 to put a little bit of bleach in that water to clear the bacteria and it sure cleared it! The lanes from then on out were flooded. That's the explanation I was given.

--------------------
-Ricky-
Member of the St. Louis, Missouri YABA

MORE Speed = LESS time to PANIC

Current Arsenal: MoRich WMB, MoRich Total Shock & Awe, Brunswick Punisher, , Ebonite Eyeball, Brunswick Nemesis, and Brunswick Impact Zone #2.

Edited on 8/24/2005 6:36 PM

Walking E · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2005, 07:24:01 PM »

Definitely happened to me in the past. The most vivid one I can remember was when a house put in new synthetic lanes during the short oil days (pre-reactive resin). We bowled on the fresh lanes with 24 feet of oil and the ball hooked off the lane. So the following week I brought my non-hooking equipment and discovered that they didn't clean the back ends the prior seven days so my ball wouldn't wrinkle.
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Official Member of the BrunsTrackColumStormHammEboRotoBuzzAMF Nation!

Scolai · « **Reply #12 on:** August 24, 2005, 07:41:31 PM »

Yeah, I had this condition in a tournament a couple of years ago. At the time, I was averaging about a 190ish. I was in a doubles tournament at the time and my partner knew only one speed - all of it. He chunking the ball expecting it ot break and leaves washout after washout. Meanwhile, I'm throwing with creep speed up 5 with a ton of hand, pretty much just floating it to the pocket.

The 210 average pairing on the lanes with us are complaining that they can't get a thing to move. They shoot a bunch of 180's. Meanwhile I'm plugging along. I shot 621 that tournament but didn't cash because of my partner's sh!tty performance. I won my brackets and carried home some cash anyway.

Those long, slick patterns are actually a good bit of fun once you figure them out because you know the guys who love to bounce it off the great wall out there are going to be as lost as a biddy-hen in high weeds. That's when it's time to make some cash.
--------------------

Nut

...
/|\
None are more hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free....

Author Topic: Has this ever happened to you during warmup? (Read 1428 times)

WillynHook

Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

Ragnar

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

livespive

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

CoachJim

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

bluedothooks

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

thfonz98

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

LuckyLefty

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

ten pin killler

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

Sawuser

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

RSalas

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

Beef STL

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

Walking E

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?

Scolai

Re: Has this ever happened to you during warmup?