a SADIST!!!   

One of my local houses puts out a sport/challenge pattern on a few lanes every Sat morning for the regulars to come try their luck on.

So me and my son show up Sat afternoon to practice and I ask for one of the regular lanes that is usually house pattern.  First game was like 115 and nothing worked, lol.  Playing the usual 15 to breakpoint overhooks towards the left gutter.  Going straight up 5 skids straight into 6/10 or slides off in the ditch.  Gradually moving left of 15 and throwing to breakpoint and I get over/under into the nose or skidding into the gutter.  And forget about picking up spares with reactive resin, lol.  Asked the PSO what the hell is going on and he says oh yea,  that's the shark pattern and you need to figure out what works for you.  Pulled out my phone and google'd a picture.  OK, I got this.

Game two was 185, getting there.  Finally I lined up in front of the left gutter and cranked it straight at the out of bounds or puddle of oil on the right and hope it catches the dry before it and slams back into the pocket. Worked like a charm for a 223.  Then it started to transition and had to loft the gutter a little and hope for carry.  Game 4 was 190.

Most fun of had in awhile and I felt like a much better bowler when I was done.  If I had the time I would have asked to put the pattern out again so it's fresh and bowled at least a dozen more games.

For all those that moan about the THS,  I now know exactly what you mean.  The THS sure makes the game easier, and kinda boring and redundant.  You show up and know exactly what you're gonna get and how you're gonna bowl. 
 

Like all true PBA patterns, the results can vary wildly with the topography of the local lanes and with how well the local oil  machine strips the backend.

Unless you have about 700 rpms off your hand, the Shark pattern does not  usually start off by requiring that you loft the gutter. The breakpoint is usually around 12/13 or so and requires a dull surface on a medium to medium-heavy oil ball for a matched speed/revs player.

I'd suggest your local lanes may have had some problems putting down the pattern correctly.

-1

Never said I started out lofting the gutter.

The shot was put out in the morning and they open at 1000.  sometimes they usually get a pretty good turnout of the house regulars for the Saturday morning clinic/practice session on the sport patterns they put out.  I showed up in the afternoon.  Don't know how many was on the lane before me and what they were using.  All I know is the long oil slick or OOB on the right was still there and combined with the short/dry early hook from 7 to about 15 was kicking my butt until I figured out how to avoid it.  What worked for about a game in a half was lined up in front of the left gutter which puts my lay down point around 35.  Probably crossing between 5th and 4th arrow and bouncing it off the dry at the breakpoint and hoping I don't throw it wide into the OOB.  Putting more hand/revs than usual on a pin up Hy Road.  Probably should have balled down after that but I was having fun with my favorite ball so I moved left a little bit with just enough loft. That kept me in the pocket but lost carry and I was done.

Crankers, including good young pros try to blow up the pattern rather than play it

Yea that sounds exactly like what happens on our house shot in one of the leagues I bowl in.  Lots on 160ish average no thumb lofters/crankers in that league.  They aren't trying to blow up the pattern on purpose.  They just don't know any better.  They are new to the game and just trying to hook the ball as much as humanly possible cause it looks cool.  A lot of them even crank/loft a back up ball because they haven't figured out 10 pins yet.  (How in the hell can you not roll a ball dead straight when your thumb isn't even in the ball!!!)  If we end up playing against 3 or 4 of them game 3 gets tricky on what was once an easy house shot.