Probably head oil depletion with possible carry down.  Ball bled out hitting flat leaving back row.  Possible poor length wise taper putting too much in back of pattern at shorter pattern length say 36' to 39'.  You don't see this as much with centers that blend out their length wise taper say to 41'.   Possible poor lane surface worn surface with lil side to side blend on THS.  Light conditioner used, climate in bowling center we can go on and on. 

I don't believe the Joe Slowinski study and there can be possible carry down over time depending on lane play other bowlers etc.  Use of urethane equipment and poly. 

Need to state your stats. and lane condition plus lane surface to know what is really going on other than that usually higher Rg balls some like particle inside like a Bruns Navy Fuse or something with a higher grit level under polish P2000/polish or I am using a Frantic 500/3000/polish.  Need to get the ball thru the heads and retain energy and go around carry down spot so ball will finish and hit hard enough to carry well.

This topic comes up about once or twice a month.

We had the same issue last year.  I think they changed the oil, but suddenly they inside players were struggling and the strokers were carrying everything.  The condition went from "Crank and go the Bank" to "Straighter is Greater".  I used the same ball, moved 3-5 boards right and stayed behind the ball.  I started getting the carry that the strokers were getting.  Broght me back up to where I was the year before, even with a couple of months of struggling.

Quote from: wbltim on September 23, 2012, 11:55:04 AM

Hi guys -

Struggling a bit with what I believe is a carry down issue.  Seems like our league shot is a little heavier volume this year, but still a pretty playable house shot.  Usually start with something a little more aggressive, the switch to more skid flip as the shot goes away.  I am probably a stroker-tweener with about average speed.

Last week, just pounded the pocket all day, but just couldn't carry, and I mean everything, ten pins, 9 pins, light three pins.  When I thought I saw some carrydown, moved a little further right to get some bettter finish at the end, but was still leaving pocket tens, some flat, some not.

I didn't try moving inside with heavier stuff, so I may have double crossed myself.  What do you think? 

In my mind, carry down doesn't really exist.  Modern balls flare all the way to the head pin, unless they roll out.  That line of oil  on the ball does not touch the lane in the back as the ball flares continuously.  Only the bow ties where the flares line meet touches the lane.  If you look at the back end of the lanes at the end of league, you will see dots of oil, but nothing considerable.  Even people talk about urethane causing carry down, but modern urethane bowling balls have a core, so they will flare as well, although Urethane doesn't soak up oil like reactive resin. 

I think people see one of two things, first what scotts33 was talking about, where oil depletion in the heads causes equipment to give up revs and tilt early resulting in a weaker backend for the ball, or people move in and the puddle is so heavy that their ball can't get into the hook and roll phases ... ie doesn't finish strong enough. 

Just my 2 cents.

Or, you have open play on the lane all day with bowlers using plastic balls that push the oil into the back ends. This happens where I bowl.