If you're not too used to it, it's tough the first time, especially if you have high speed or high revs.  If you're used to bumping the wall on a house shot, it's quite a bit different.  What you do is play up the gut, just get to the pocket.  With strong backends, you'll get some decent pin action.  Get the ball into a roll sooner, and give it just a little room (play like 14-10 or something) and you should be in the pocket all day on a stock flat pattern like that.  If you can get either X's or 9/ all day, you'll be in the money.
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New member of the Metal Militia!!!  If you think Simple Plan is metal, then you must die.  And not get to be a member . .\m/!!!

I took a 10 year break from bowling myself and got back in about 6 months ago.

When I came back and picked up a couple new high performance balls, I gravitated towards a cross-lane cranker shot. Once I came across a flooded back end multiple times, I decided to make my game more versatile. I actually made the decision at a different house that I don't bowl at much one day, which didn't have flooded back ends, just a different lane surface that made my ball react differently.

I lost 10 pins on my summer booked average doing so, but instead of averaging 205-210 at my house and 150-180 on differing conditions than my THS, I average 195-205 anywhere I go. This includes my own house where the shot was gone from open bowling.

The irony is that my THS on league changed the last week of league. I hadn't used my cross-lane line in a while. They must have done something drastic to change the back ends. Maybe new cleaner? They were hooking like crazy. All the strokers/tweeners were missing the head pin left and didn't have the rev's to let the ball slide out before coming back. Myself, and the only other guy on the league that had a similar shot were the only ones to post high games.

The point is, I think versatility is an important part of the game if you're putting yourself in variable conditions. The ability to go down the gutter and in, down the 10 out to the 5, or any other combination of breakpoint approaches will give you confidence going anywhere, anytime.

Unfortunaley, my game hasn't matured to the point where I can pick that line quickly. Sometimes it takes me 4-5+ shots to find it. But this game might be boring if there wasn't always some new level to get to
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Elite P43 - 16#
Ebonite One - 16#
Lane #1 Cobalt Bomb - 15#

Also on House Shots all my balls pretty much react the same. But on these tournement shots or pba patterns they all reacted different especially without the wall being there. I should have drilled up a less aggressive ball and just thrown it straight up 10, then down and in. But i dont think i would have been good at that i would have dumped the ball and swung out to 5 and watch it roll into the gutter. i need coaching or something!