I would like to see a graph of a pattern that actually has more units outside than in the middle.  Not sure that most sanction machines can even lay out anything more extreme than flat edge to edge. 

I never say never, but almost every pattern I have ever seen labled as a reverse block was actually a relatively flat pattern with super clean back ends.  On such a pattern the oil quickly carries down into the swing area, but when you move left you get inside the carrydown and the result is early hook. 

In any event, on any flat pattern it becomes very important to know the buff length.  Longer buffs require you to play straighter through the heads from ball one, and move in as a track opens up.  Shorter patterns will give you free swing for a few shots, but typically you start to see the back ends tighten down very quickly.  If you can control your hand position, the best way to attack either is with low axis rotation to create forward roll which allow you to play less head belly that typically gets guys accustomed to house shots in trouble on tournament patterns. 

By the way, if there truly were such a thing as a reverse block, that actually means the oil volume starts to increase again if you get past 4th arrow.  A good super inside player would start at 5th arrow, and play out to about 12 board. 

I am an out of the box type thinker in general, and when it comes to bowling. What I have done on a group of tournaments in my state over the years called the uba classic...they either put out a us open type pattern with a heavy volume or they put out  a pattern that plays for me like a reverse block...extreme out of bounds the first 8-9 boards and extremely drier inside of that. I don't/can't move inside and swing the ball out...I am strickly down & in, if I can't do that I am like a fish out of water......that being said what I do is play straight up the out of bounds. I take an agressive ball(tipically) one of my 2 visionary midnight scorchers at a very low grit and it works---what I mean by low grit is I have one of them at 40 grit, that's not a typo, 40 grit, and another at 60 grit and I can be subborn and play how I want to play & where I want to play.

Or........I can move a few boards in --instead of  between the gutter & first arrow with a scorcher, I take a weaker piece at a low grit--for example in the 2010 uba memorial day classic I was blessed enough to win the 10,000 dollar first place money by using a international series brunswick dry zone solid at 24 grit---still not a typo, 24 grit straight up between the 1st & second arrows on my left side(lefty) and be successful. It's different , but it works for me. Actually I have taken a ball as far down as 12 grit(without cashing in with that).

That's my take.

Brad

Out of bounds is not a reverse block.   You can get major out of bounds on a 2-1 sport pattern depending on the length of the buff.  Most house shots have one load of oil outside of 8 board.  A typical tournament pattern will have 3-5 loads of oil out to 2 board, but they still have 5-10 loads across the middle.  Anything more than a couple of loads outside will give OB, regardless of how much is in the middle.     

@avabob: I think you're being way too technical here. The reverse blocks that I have seen are exactly as GTGT described his. I don't really care whether a machine can or cannot apply the oil in a true reverse block. The question was....."How should he play it?" That being said, I like the way bcw1969 thinks. That is also how I've played them in the past. Use a very big piece, in the oob, and let it fade to the pocket, or use a polished, pin-down piece in the oob, and stroke it down and in, with slower controlled speed. The reason I play right is because most everyone else moves in deep, eating up what little oil there is to begin with. You have virgin territory on the right, if you are a right-hander. I believe your Rogue Cell or your Defiant would be very useful in this regards. Hopefully they will burn up a lot of energy before entering the pocket area, so you can get, "hard to believe" mixer strikes! Just my two cents. Good luck!

I agree with AVABOB, what I would consider to be a true reverse block would be dry in the middle and progressivly wetter as you go towards the gutter.

The amount of lane conditioner and length of the pattern would dictate somewhat on how to attack it.

To me the only way to play it would be to move to the opposite side of the lane from your hand and try to generate a little hold area. Trying to just get past the pocket before hooking back. But it would be nearly impossible to play.

I've had lots of bowlers say that nationals is a reverse block but it is not. You just don't have the unlimited swing area where you get the ball back that most are accustomed to in league play.

Simply because an area of the lane is virtually unplayable does not make it a reverse block.

A lot of fresh sport patterns less than 40 feet seem like reverse blocks, because the back ends hook when you square up, but the midlane has more oil outside than people are accustomed to.  People will swear it is a reverse, but there is  more oil in the middle at every point on the lane

This!!!!!! Anytime its remotely flat in the middle 8/10 bowlers swear its a reverse block. Most have become all too accustom to the huge puddle in the middle. When its gone, its automatically a reverse block.

And a lot of bowlers will create a true reverse block by using a heavy sanded ball. They burn up the middle of the pattern the first game. So without having the ability to use the burn they created are left without a place to go.

A lot of fresh sport patterns less than 40 feet seem like reverse blocks, because the back ends hook when you square up, but the midlane has more oil outside than people are accustomed to.  People will swear it is a reverse, but there is  more oil in the middle at every point on the lane