How Can I Read Lanes Faster?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear. There is so much involved with the answer. It is not just a stand here and throw there sport. All the things that affect an oiling pattern are truly staggering. Let's keep in mind that you do not ever read lanes. You can only read your ball's reaction to the lane. It is the ball you are reading because the ball is the only barometer you have to know what the lane wants you to do.

I know what you'd like here is a quick concise answer; kind of a take-a-pill and that will fix it philosophy. There is no quick answer and no pill. The key to good scores (besides ability) is the lane surface. The oiling pattern on that surface will have some influence. It has scientifically been established that even if the exact oil pattern could be put down in two bowling centers, it is very likely that the ball reaction in each center would be different. Regardless of how much the lane installers tried to do everything on every lane exactly the same way or the laneman tries to put down the same shot on each lane, there are unavoidable differences. You might have noticed that this could also be true in your bowling center. Perhaps one end of the house is oilier than the other or you've noticed the lanes get progressively drier as you move toward one end or the other. It might even be that you know lane 15 is always two boards slicker than lane 16!

This difference is due to the topography of the lane. Topography is the contour of the lane - the potholes, ridges, cliffs, and bumps the ball sees as it travels down the lane. We don't see this unless it causes the ball to make a big move off its intended path, but the ball notices all of it. Here are just a few of the things that can affect lane conditions and ball reactions:

•   The lanes are synthetic or wood,
•   The synthetic panels are not flush,
•   The wood is feathered,
•   The heads are acting like piano keys,
•   There are high boards,
•   The crosswise tilt is improper,
•   The age of the lanes,
•   How long it has been since resurfacing,
•   Who did the resurfacing job,
•   The location of the entry doors,
•   The pin decks are too high or too low,
•   Where the track is on that lane,  
•   The grain is rising in the pines, 
•   The location of the air vents,
•   There is a synthetic overlay on a poorly prepared old wooden surface,
•   There is Guardian on the lanes, 
•   The location of the ceiling fans, 
•   The humidity, 
•   The location of the bar,
•   The amount of open play,
•   The type of finish on the lane surface,
•   The type of oil used to dress the lanes (100% solids, water-based, etc).
•   The oil evaporates quickly or carries down slowly.

Let's say you do know all these things and how they affect the oil migration, ball reaction, and your life. Now what?

The most important thing you can do is one of the No-Matter-Whats in bowling, paying attention. There are three other No-Matter-Whats that will be discussed in the Learn section of this site as well as in future FAQ's.

Your ball will always say to you, "If you stand there and throw me here in this manner, I will do this." Whether you get the message or not depends on your receiver being on the same frequency as the ball's transmitter!

Let's say you're ready to start your competition and you have chosen your line and equipment. You are lined up through the first part of the game and then leave a 2 pin. Thinking it's you, you don't adjust and leave the washout on your next shot. What is really happening is the beginning of lane transition.

How much and how fast lanes change is dependent on many factors: the location of the vent for the air conditioning or heating, the proximity of your pair to outside doors, the humidity, traffic, the oil chemistry, etc. These are factors you cannot control. You can only be aware of them and therefore prepared for what they mean to the transition of oil on the lane.

Another factor you can't control but which can help you get lined up is where others on the pair are playing and what equipment they are using, regardless of whether they throw the ball like you. How much and when lanes hook, for instance, is directly proportional to the type of bowler who bowled in early league or on the previous squad and who's bowling on them now.

If most folks on the pair are throwing between the second and third arrows, for example, they are going to develop a shot there. The ball will react more on this line, as oil is being depleted in this area as well as moving to either side of it. If many of them are using resin, the oil will be depleted even more quickly. Whatever the shot is on that lane is developed. This means that regardless of the oiling pattern, the shot is constantly evolving due to the way rolling balls move and remove the original oil.

Going back to the example of the 2 pin leave, carrydown could be the culprit. A move to the right could be in order. Before you get back to that lane, seven to nine bowlers will have made additional shots on that lane and the carrydown will be even greater. As a matter of fact, Throbot has demonstrated that carrydown will occur in ten shots.

That is often why when you practice on a lane the shot is there and when the lights come on, you perceive it has gone away. Be bold in your moves and make them quickly. If you miss and then stay there for the next shot on that lane to make sure that miss was 'real', you have wasted a frame. You can't afford to do that. Your opponent isn't. Remember, whoever finds it first wins!

There is usually a 'settle down' phase and then the lanes might start to hook earlier. Sometimes lanes hook earlier first and then the ball starts to finish less and less sharply. It doesn't matter in which order it happens. It only matters that you are aware of it and adjust accordingly. You can be prepared for these changes by watching your ball reaction and the ball reaction of other bowlers.

Don't assume someone who is lined up all of a sudden goes high and leaves a 4 pin because they pulled it or slowed their ball speed down. Maybe not. Being aware of where they have been aligned will help you know what caused a different ball reaction. You need to know where the folks you are sharing the pair with started AND finished at the foul line. By noting both the starting and finishing board, a bowler's drift will not be a consideration. If a ball went high, and the person is a right-hander who slid where they previously had been sliding, you'll know it's the lane and not the bowler and can adjust accordingly. The important information is the laydown point and launch angle through the heads. Being aware of where they're playing and what they've done BEFORE that shot will help you see lane changes before you have to pay the price for not paying attention.

There are some lane conditions where you should ANTICIPATE transition because lanes are changing on every shot. Sometimes a parallel move (moving both the feet and eyes in the same direction) is necessary to stay ahead of quickly changing lanes. On most lane conditions, these changes are subtle and you should be ready to move with the ball's reaction. The earlier 2-pin leave perhaps dictates a one board move to the outside with the feet or it might be that you should move both your feet and eyes one board outside. When the ball begins to react sooner (that pesky 4 pin), moves toward the center of the lane could be in order. These are traditional adjustments. Sometimes a move left is indicated by a 2 pin leave. In today's game, you must think outside the box.

You only have five shots on a lane during a game. As the shot changes, you don't have time to make small or subtle adjustments. Making an aggressive adjustment can sometimes help you zero in on what's going on with lane transition by narrowing your parameters. For instance, you're hitting the pocket and carrying pretty well and all of a sudden trip a 4 pin. If you analyze what happened (Mildred), you probably will not move. After all, it's still a strike, right? 'Whew! Lucky break...' Then you hang a 4. "Well, there's the payback for that trip 4." Still thinking it's you, next frame it's a 4-6. By the time you react to the lane, you have no shots left on that lane.

Don't think of a trip 4 as luck. Move! A trip 4 on a well-executed shot is a message. The lanes are telling you they are changing and so should you. It is usually better to carry light than carry high. Hitting high in the pocket is dangerous as splits sometimes occur there! Light hits are safer, usually carry well and when they don't, leave simpler spares. So why not make a move inside on that trip 4 and give yourself some room?

Rolf Gauger's Force It To Fail philosophy is a wise and aggressive one. Since you have a limited number of shots, you must have a mindset of not wasting any of them. Make a big move! Little moves are defensive. There is no defense in bowling. You think, "I'm not striking here. It will probably be worse if I move. Probably better to just stay here and be safe." Instead, you should be thinking that yes, you are not striking where you are playing and if you move, what will happen? You might not strike. You're already doing that. Move. Force the move to fail.

If you don't move, you'll find out too late if it was you or the lane. If you move instantly and the move works, it was the lane and not you. If it doesn't work, you'll know in one shot it was you and you can move back and make a confident shot. Wondering if it's you or the lane will make you tentative. The pins smell fear!

If you would like more information on this subject or one-on-one help with your question, I am available via my 800 number. Rates are $50 per hour with no minimum. If it only takes 10 minutes, you only pay for 10 minutes and we'll talk by appointment so time is not wasted for either of us. Bowling is more fun when you do stuff on purpose!

Strikeability, Inc. 8216 Dot Hudson Road Alvarado TX 76009 800-346-3648 Intl/Fax 817-783-6010