I don't know if this is more of a question or a rant, but here goes:

Last month, ABT stop in Tinley Park, IL  --smacked the shot fairly well during qualifying, finished in the top 3. During semis, lanes appeared to be playing the same, shot 230 something to open up. Game 2, moved down to the lower end of the house and encountered a carrydown nightmare. The ball wouldn't read at all, I made bad shots, before you know it, 150 something, over and donw. Game 3, the lanes played similarly to how they had been all week, shot somewhere in the two teens but was too far down to make the finals.

This weekend, ABT stop in Bolinbrook, IL -- Smashed during qualifying, 214, 243, 266, led the field by 30 something pins. Yesterday's semifinals, lanes played the same during game one, threw one bad shot, split, then lost carry a bit at the end to start with 214. Move to the lower end, hit carrydown, tried to adjust but had no success, 157. Game 3, the pair was in between the first two, some carrydown but not nearly as tight as Game 2, 201, missed the in cut to finals by 40 something pins.

OK, so there are a few obvious facts here:

1) The lanes are playing differently during qualifying to the finals.

2) I am much better on the fresh than I am on carrydown.

3) I'm not recognizing the carrydown early enough and am not adjusting and/or making the correct moves once I do notice it.

OK, I know the basic idea of how to play this carrydown shot. Rather than swinging the ball through fourth and banking it back like I had been, I need to get a ball that reads sooner (the heads are still in tact, by the way), and gets into a heavy roll going into the pocket. I tried a couple of different things in order to do that, but my ball choices were wrong and my execution was suspect. I actually considered taking out my urethane Hi-Flare and just trying to roll the ball toward the pocket. I know carry might have suffered, but at least I would've stayed in play.

My biggest frustration, though, is how I keep hitting just one pair that plays totally different. Don't get me wrong; I realize that we're all bowling on the same pattern, and that it's my job to adjust. I also realize that conditions change as we bowl, but, man, it's been striking to me just how different one pair can be.

I don't encounter carrydown very often during league play, so this is not a condition that I get a great deal of practice on. What would you all suggest I do if I run into a similar situation in the future?

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I've only bowled 300, but I've benched 345

http://members.bowl.com/FindAMember/memberView.aspx?mp=519&ms=9130&s=2006-2007

i cant really give advice, because im the reverse of what you are going through Gene.

I learned how to bowl and adjust on a 2nd shift pattern.

Pattern was elongated due to carrydown being there already.
I'm playing on my First-1st Shift league, and I strugged on the over/under of fresh to start the season.

I was used to having carrydown to smooth out my reactions.
Staying behind the ball on fresh this year has proven to be critical to my success.

After the fresh oil carries to the backend, I move LEFT and play the twig with more speed, when everyone else migrates left.

I'm on an island, they're fighting each other's lines.
The best part about it is, I stay within my straighter A game.

Edited on 1/15/2007 12:33 PM

Gene, here is a copy of a recent article by Kendra Gaines in regard to "Carrydown"......Don't know if it will help you with your problem or not.
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                     Kendra Gaines Carrydown Article

There is a lot of carrydown. My ball stops hooking. The backends are really tight.

These are a few statements heard throughout leagues and tournaments, but does oil really travel down the lane?

To get that answer, we must address what type of equipment is being thrown down the lane during the competition. Thereare two categories of equipment that we can look at: low-flaring bowling balls and high-flaring bowling balls.

Bowling balls that fall into the low-flaring category are plastics and most urethanes. This equipment will help lane conditioner travel down the lane because they typically have one ball track or ring and they do not absorb much lane oil. The ball rolls consistently over one ring around the ball, so when it picks up oil in the front of the lane, the oil can transfer to the backend portion of the lane.

High-flaring bowling balls include most of today s equipment, particularly high performance balls. This equipment willhave multiple rings to its ball track and absorbs oil quickly. As the ball travels down the lane, the ball uses a fresh surface for each flare ring, so there is little to no lane conditioner transfer to the backends.

So now that you have an idea of the type of equipment going down the lane, you can better decide if it is carrydown or if your ball is burning up/losing energy.

Most likely today, it is not carrydown that makes your ball stop hooking in the backend. As explained above, today s equipment dries out the first 20 feet, which makes the ball lose energy in the early part of the lane. This also makes the ball straighten out in the backend of the lane and makes it appear to be carrydown. You may want to try a ball that is designed for a later breaking or a skid/flip reaction, or something that saves its energy to the backend portion of the lane. I hear it all the time: My dry lane ball out-hooks my heavy oil ball. This is because the dry lane ball retains energy and makes a drastic move when it hits friction and the heavy oil ball uses its energy earlier and makes a muchslower move in the friction.

If you find that carrydown is affecting your ball reaction, you may want to try a ball that gets into a roll a little earlier, so the ball won t skid too far before turning towards the pocket. You may also try moving right, but playing a little straighter line to the pocket to increase backend reaction.

Next time your ball stops hooking in the backend try going to a less aggressive ball and see if that improves your backend reaction.

Best of Luck!
Kendra Gaines



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Brick