BallReviews
General Category => USBC Tournament => Topic started by: lefty50 on January 29, 2005, 04:41:26 AM
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I've heard rumors that there may be a reputable chance of practicing on the ABC shot somehere locally when in Baton Rouge....
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
Edited on 1/29/2005 8:50 PM
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How has your center been putting the shot out when they haven't released the shot yet?
http://www.bowl.com/tournaments/abc/national/laneconditions.aspx
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The clock on the wall says 3 O'Clock...last call...for Alcohol!
"I love a martini -- but two at the most. Three I’m under the table; Four, I’m under the host." Dorothy Parker
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There's an ad in the Dec issue of BTM for Don Carter Baton Rouge.
It says that you can reserve your lanes in advance and practice the ABC tournament conditions.
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got mule?
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Sounds great, thanks. I'll check it out.
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
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Something to keep in mind while bowling on the ABC shot somewhere other than the convention center; there is more to a lane condition than just the lane condition. You have to consider lane surface, the lane machine, temperature, humidity, the fact that a bowling center typically has 15 foot ceilings and the convention center has 100 foot ceilings, etc. What I'm getting at is that while it will help to practice on a tough condition, don't take the reaction you are getting at your local center as the gospel of what the tournament condition will be.
I've seen it happen every year where somebody practices and practices on the ABC shot, then they get out there and are completely lost because it's so different.
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The clock on the wall says 3 O'Clock...last call...for Alcohol!
"I love a martini -- but two at the most. Three I’m under the table; Four, I’m under the host." Dorothy Parker
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To anyone who thinks that bowling on the ABC oil pattern is a good thing, PLEASE READ, word for word, DanH78's reply. I was going to say the same thing, but he has said it all.
I have done that practiced on an ABC oil pattern in prerp for the tournament. It hurt me MUCH more than it helped. If the lane surface is not the same (same surface AND same wear and tear and same age!!!), it is not going to work. And that's the truth.
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DanH and charlest are correct, I know last year I practiced on the ABC pattern at my home house, found a good line, wrote it down and brought it with me to Reno. First ball I through in shadows over that line would have hit the 4 pin. The lane surface and atmosphere of the center plays a huge part on the condition. You may as well just show up and bowl without a clue.
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Dan Chambers
Winona State University Bowling
I'm Dan and I approve this message.
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Thanks guys, but those are obvious comments. Perhaps the younger guys would be crazy enuf to try it and assume the Nationals would be identical. However, you must realize that a lot of us are in areas that can't get to sport or even close to a test pattern. In these cases, there is real value in the ability to try any practice possible.
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
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lefty50,
No, those are not obvious comments. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make such an assumption and how different it can make the shot. The lane surface can make the oil pattern appear to be many different things. Depending on the lane surface at these places that put out the ABC pattern, it may be safer to practice on your home lanes.
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Don Carter's is my regular house. It's all wood. No synthetic.
They've recently resurfaced the heads so that the shot would
hold up a little longer. There has been noted improvement
since then. Prior to that the shot would break down fairly
quickly. I'll let you know how they react, once I get the
chance to bowl on them.
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Scooter
"I will not engage in a battle of wits with
an unarmed man"
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quote:
Thanks guys, but those are obvious comments. Perhaps the younger guys would be crazy enuf to try it and assume the Nationals would be identical. However, you must realize that a lot of us are in areas that can't get to sport or even close to a test pattern. In these cases, there is real value in the ability to try any practice possible.
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
Lefty, I wasn't trying to say that there wouldn't be value in practicing on a tougher shot prior to going to the ABC. I just meant that you shouldn't practice and decide that your Track Rule, thrown over 14 at the arrows, 7 at the break point is the shot and stick with it when you get there because chances are what works at home won't work at the ABC.
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The clock on the wall says 3 O'Clock...last call...for Alcohol!
"I love a martini -- but two at the most. Three I’m under the table; Four, I’m under the host." Dorothy Parker
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The team that won last year was from the Detroit area.In the interview the team captain said a great deal of credit came from duplicating the ABC shot in practice in their HOME house(wood) before heading to Reno.
I guess it did them some good.
Given the chance I would practice in my basement(7 foot ceilings,close walls and concrete approach) if I could duplicate the pattern.I just don't see the down side.
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President and CEO Visionite Stormy Buzzwick LTD
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Sorry to hear that Don Carter's is wood. Personally, I think that creates the largest possible variance. It's in fact(IMHO)disingenuous at best to take out an ad saying "Y'all come here", and then find out they are wood vs. synthetic".
That's a shame.
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
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Rack, the "downside" is some guys practice on the "ABC Shot" at home, and they figure out that if they use ball X, playing line A, with speed C, they will score. then they get to the tournament location, and when the shot they practiced seems different, they are too stubborn to move and end up shooting 1400, and spend the whole time saying "This line worked at home, why doesn't it work here?"
Practicing on the shot before you go can help you, but your plan of attack should not lay solely in what you learned at home. It will give you a good starting point, and force you to get used to hitting a 2 board area as opposed to the THS 9 board area.
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The clock on the wall says 3 O'Clock...last call...for Alcohol!
"I love a martini -- but two at the most. Three I’m under the table; Four, I’m under the host." Dorothy Parker
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Dan,
I can't argue advice to adjust to the condition your presently bowling on. Just thought that was a given.
I am fortuned in that I have a large arsonal to choose from.My practice time would be spent getting a general feel for the condition so as to help me decide the best core/surface/drill to take with me.I would of course have a mix of balls within that range to fine tune the shot once there.
I just don't see why a bowler lacking the ability to realize the condition he/she is on is not the same as back home and not adjust would seek it out to practice in the first place.I assume anyone that dedicated has the skills needed to adapt.
The PBA puts down a set number of shots.I'm positive the same applied condition will vary from house to house.I'm also pretty sure the bowlers have a good idea how to play the Cheetah or Scorpion wherever it's applied.How do they know this?They have thrown the condition before.They have practiced the condition before.Somewhere.If they won on Cheetah three weeks ago standing 22 swinging to 4 will they play the same shot? Maybe maybe not but I bet thats the first shot they try.
I am flying to ABC and will be limited in the number of balls I take.It sure would boost my confidence if the five I take have proven effective on the condition I'm going to face anywhere,including my basement,prior to that.
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President and CEO Visionite Stormy Buzzwick LTD
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quote:
I just don't see why a bowler lacking the ability to realize the condition he/she is on is not the same as back home and not adjust would seek it out to practice in the first place.I assume anyone that dedicated has the skills needed to adapt.
You'd really think so, but I've seen it EVERY year.
And I'm agreeing, saying that practicing on the shot before hand will give you the idea, but it won't duplicate what you will face, which is the trap a lot of guys fall in to.
Good luck and High scores to all.
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The clock on the wall says 3 O'Clock...last call...for Alcohol!
"I love a martini -- but two at the most. Three I’m under the table; Four, I’m under the host." Dorothy Parker
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At Greenway Bowl in Odenton,MD, we ran the 2004 ABC Tournament shot every other week in our summer league and found that, eventhough we couldn't match the topography, of the National Bowling Stadium the oil pattern played very much like Reno. BTW, on alternate weeks we used a sport pattern from the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships and most of our bowlers found it much tougher than the ABC pattern. If we can get the 2005 ABC pattern, we plan to make it available at certains times for local Maryland bowlers to practice on before they head off to Baton Rouge. When these plans firm up, I'll come back on here and provide details.