Pba League
Week 3
Resurfaced Wood Lanes
Shark Pattern

I found this pattern to be very challenging. 10 and out was out of bounds unless you threw it super turtle slow. The backends weren't as stripped as it usually is. My best shot was playing 12 to 8 or even 13 to 10 using a Banger Hole Pounder Solid. I was using soft speed with some side tilt and layed it down very early so it could start rolling early. The ball went down nicely and made a decent arc into the pocket. First two games i go clean shooting 237 and 245. End of game 2 the lanes started to change. From watching the Chris Barnes and Wes Mallot video i can understand what they were talking about. The backends started to look tighter when really i think the heads started to burn up a little. I wasn't getting the movement and ball reaction i was earlier. So i started moving left a little and got an ok reaction on the left lane but on the right i was stuck. I was getting over and under. If i got left a little i left the bucket and if i move right i leave a high 4 pin or 4-7. I switched to a 4000 abralon Black Solid Widow and it was the same. Plus i might of been getting a touch firm with my speed. I chopped a 2-4-5-7 but the rest were marks. I finished with a 184. So overall i shot a 666. He ehe. I think i should of got softer and had more tilt pus move inside a little playing 16 or 17 to 13.

I bowled with Ramtart and he used his Hammer Hawgzilla, Brunswick Impulse Zone, Storm Vertigo and Roto Spare. His best look was with the Vertigo. He was able to go away with the ball but he had to be firm and come around the ball a little. It was an adventure out there. Our league puts out the pattern 2 weeks in a row so Ramtart and I will get another shot next week at it.

Any advice to how to play this pattern better? What were your experiences?
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Team Banger Bowling Test Staff

I agree, leaving single pin spares instead of multipin ones would help increase one's average.  Funny thing is that I am pretty good at spare shooting but currently my mechanics are not so good, and bowling once a week doesn't help improve it.

Edited on 6/28/2007 1:09 AM

I hear ya!  I haven't exactly whacked the patterns, 182 ave for 6 weeks.  The only pattern that I whacked was the Viper, 886 for 4 games.  Although, I had to shoot 280 the last game to do it, love that Mystic.  I guess on the tough shots you just grind it out until the door opens up for a big game.  The league is worth it just for the spare shooting lessons.
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Roto Grip personal staff.  I send them money the send me equipment.

We've bowled on all 5 patterns once now and I have a 184 average.  I struggled on the Chameleon (decision error), did pretty well on the Viper, Cheetah and Shark, and struggled on the Scorpion.  Big games are possible on these patterns if you match up right, what separates the "men from the boys" is how to make adjustments when the lanes break down.  Most of the big games I've seen have been bowled in the league where when the bowler's natural style matched up to the lane condition.  For example, I shot 882 (4 games) on the Cheetah pattern because I was able to play out near the gutter (breakpoint @ 2 or 3 board) when no one else on the pair dared go out that far.  As a result, the lanes didn't break down  out there and I could set up camp most of the night.  I have medium to high ball speed (16-19, depending on the lanes) which matches up well to the Cheetah.  On most of the other patterns, I don't think playing on the fresh has been a problem in our house, the challenge has been dealing with the transition and what the other bowlers on the pair are doing to the lanes.  I think you have to know who's bowling on the pair and what angle they're playing to anticipate how the lanes are going to break down so that you make the proper adjustment decision. (chase the oil left or soften hand/more speed & loft, etc.)

So far after bowling on all 5 patterns one time (the first time I've bowled a PBA experience league) I'm averaging 192.4. My low set was on Cheetah last week (533) and my high set has been on Scorpion (625). On Shark I shot 611, I found I had to play the lanes a little like Norm Duke did at the Columbia 300 Classic last December, I stayed away from big splits, made my spares and kept the ball in play. The shorter patterns seem to be giving me a little more trouble than the longer patterns. Spare shooting has been decent- staying away from splits has been the key I think to keeping my average in the 190's.

I'm loving my experience, can't wait to see what my second time around on these patterns will be like.

Matt
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Tag Team Coaching Success Story

The shark has been my favorite of the 3 patterns we have bowled so far.  3 Weeks I have shot 599, 678, 678 on a Pro Anvil Surface.  I was only averaging about 180 on the cheetah and viper patterns going into the shark pattern.  I have started out standing around 25 shooting at the third arrow with a Special Agent and moving left from there.  The biggest problems I had was when I got far enough left I couldn't recover and moving back right hooked too early.  I think some peoples averages are higher than expected, because for the most part you bowl 3 games and are done.  PBA tournaments they are bowling at least 7 games at a time and I imagine the longer you go the more difficult the adjustments.