The last three years or so, and after seeing Mark Baker, I worked on increasing my normal rev rate. From the grip to my physical game, it had its ups and downs.  Today, I am comfortable with my game and things happen naturally.

I used to be around +/- 300 with an average speed of 15 mph playing the track, or up the boards mostly. Currently, my average speed is around 16.5 with an increase in rev rate - I don't have accurate measurements for rev rate. I rarely can play up to boards unless I ball down, to urethane or plastic. My starting "line" is just inside the track area, or 3rd arrow'ish compared to the 2nd arrow. I'm playing deeper more frequently than ever before. So the goal I set was achieved, increased rev rate and speed - I've also increased ball weight by a pound.

With this said, I'm finding it more challenging than being easier.  I'm finding my self being "trapped" more often. The positives, I get away with more missed shots, off hits carry better, and when I'm on.... I'm on and I'm by myself.

When I go against the seniors who play up the boards using the third arrow, with their medium to slow speed, with different ball surfaces, and with other "pipers" on the outside, I can struggle. I move in more... but the balls I carry don't give me much room for error.

This is fairly new to me and I'm guessing with ball choices too. The Hyroad is the only ball I have that hides the mess going down the lane and give me confidence when playing inside everyone. But I don't always bring it.... I like to save it for tourneys lol.

The balls I carry now are:

LT-48
Rave - new 5 games only
breeze
Blue hammer

I could use some tips and even possibly ball choices... I bowl 37' oil THS pattern on SPL surface. Fire and Ice mix/combo......

I have a No Rules and a HyRoad in the garage...

Doom,

I would agree that THS tend to give bowlers a distorted sense of how good they really are.  Any of us that have bowled very much on the flatter 3:1, or even 1:1, patterns can vouch for that.  It can be a humbling experience for sure.  I love it, although I'm a little crazy.  I know going in that I'm likely to see some bad scores, and those same bad scores may still win points.

My remarks assume that most of us bowl most of the time on the THS conditions, because I believe that's the case.  I guess my whole thing here is to try and be versatile and accept what's on the lane instead of what we wish was on the lane.  Too many guys have one way they bowl, and God forbid, they don't match up.  Let the whining begin...
 

My remarks assume that most of us bowl most of the time on the THS conditions, because I believe that's the case.  I guess my whole thing here is to try and be versatile and accept what's on the lane instead of what we wish was on the lane.  Too many guys have one way they bowl, and God forbid, they don't match up.  Let the whining begin...
 

To describe my approach, I'd say look to Duke and Steelsmith. Per Mike Jasnau, who used Steelsmith as a model to follow - also he used Ozio too when I saw him before Bakes.

Anyway, Duke, Ozio, and Voss were guys I tried to emulate as a kid and when I returned to the game as an adult 15 years ago or so. That being said, there are nights where I still think I'm an outside player and fail to move. I end up forcing things when the shot isn't there. I played this way for so long with success that it's embedded in my brain.

I have to "trust" myself and my game. I do it in practice, sliding in front of the left gutter playing the 5th arrow to playing the twig. Actually, I have a fear of the twig these days. When I bowled more Sport shots and the shorter pattern called to play the twig, I was fearless! To see almost half the ball off the edge and then come back, that was beautiful!! FIGJAM! well...... If I had to play that shot, I'd be knocking my knees......

The better I got on some things in my game, I got "worse" in another lol...