For the last four years, I have bowled at a house, I grew up bowling in and for the last two years, I have bowled two nights a week.  Last year I had a phenominal year, I averaged 212 in both leagues, with 8 700s and 4 279s in the friday night league and 2 700s and 2 279s in the tuesday night league, the shot was admittedly short, since the oiling machines for the better part of that year were broke, so the backends were flying and the crankers complained....a lot...  So then during the summer the manager of the house tweaked the shot, to be "more fair to everyone"... So for the first two weeks, the lanes had no oil hardly at all on them.  I shot well since I'm a very good dry lane bowler.  Then the wall, he put up a much longer shot, averages and scores have been down ever since, the manager got fired due to the complants of not just the bowlers but the staff for not really helping out...and my friend got hired as the bowling alley manager, averages have still been way down this year, however bowling there is like bowling at two different houses.  Bowling on the high side (past 30) the shot starts tight and then breaks down nice...just like it did last year.  However the very next night I bowl on the early side of the house and its a swamp and then some...even crankers can't score on it.  Now the infamous oiling machine is again the problem..its an older one...

Now what do you do as a league bowler?  I bowled a tournament this weekend where the shot was looser than my house shot...a lot looser...It's gotten to the point where, a lot of people are not very happy with it...personally I think the owner should suck it up a bit and buy a newer oiling machine with one of the computerized programs (Kegel Firehawk comes to mind)...

I'm just curious to hear what you guys think
--------------------
"You aren't carrying unless it says S-T-O-R-M on the side of the ball."  "Nothing hits like a storm"

Purduepaul: Take this opportunity to try different lines, different equipment, different hand releases and angles of attack in order to see what will work best on the two sides of the house. I bowl in a small 12 lane center on Tuesdays where my average is significantly lower than the Monday house I bowl in, yet I think as a result of having to play a tight line with repetition I've been able to open my game up in tournaments where I'm averaging at least 15 pins higher per tournament than I did last year. I know that every week in that center will be a challenge- and I've come to terms with shooting 550's-low 600's as long as I can execute good shots, make my spares and try to read what's going on from there.

Matt

Old machine or not, they should be able to get a playable condition out there.  However, like others have mentioned, take advantage of this opportunity to expand your game.

Also, from what I have heard, a new lane machine might be a considerable investment for your center - they'd probably have to raise the $$ of bowling and make everyone mad.  It'd be easier and cheaper if they just fixed the old machine up and learned how to use it.

--------------------
9~

"Fastest Chicken in the South!"