Just my thoughts on Greater Ozarks, quite possibly my favorite tournament of the year:
Enterprise Lanes (singles and doubles)
Lane surface and approaches are both synthetic in this center, and the above comments are right on the money. This truly is one of the nicest centers in the midwest, and Steve Wiemer and his group do a terrific job there. Ball returns are medium length at this center, and I always choose to bowl the 5:30 singles and doubles on Saturday. This is 3rd squad of the day. The 5:30 squad gets a head run from the lane machine, but the rest of the lane is left untouced from the first two squads. In my opinion, this is by far the easiest squad at Enterprise. The proper move here is to get as far left as your armswing and revolution rate allow, and to simply play a fade/arc type shot to the pocket. I find that the pin carry is very nice from the inside angle, and getting the ball to hook on the 3rd squad is never a problem. The biggest mistake that bowlers make when bowling at Enterprise is to throw shiny equipment. You should not need shiny equipment to navigate the front part of the lane. My opinion is that if you are in a part of the lane that requires shiny balls to get through the heads, then you are not far enough left at this bowling center. Duller finish balls control the backend much better here and still hit with plenty of power. If you are throwing the duller finish balls and run into the ball return, I simply go in front of it. Last year we had to throw our last game from in front of the ball return on the right lane, and I find that pin carry still does not suffer from this range on the lane (betwee 28 and 32 at the arrows). Last year I had 1527 for the singles/doubles combo and won this event with a 600 grit sanded Classic Zone.
Sunshine Lanes (team)
Lane surface here is the factor in your success. Approaches are wood in this 32 lane split house (16 each side). But the lane surface is AMF synthetic through the first 20 feet and would in the back 40. I would say that the wood is in better than average condition, and that the synthetic is in great condition. The problem is that the friction level from one to the other is totally different. Two years ago I bowled the 12:00 team squad on Sunday (2nd squad). I had 770 with an Orange Inferno that I simply played a skid/flip type look with. Last year we made the mistake of scheduling 9:00 A.M., and the lanes are much more difficult in my opinion on this earlier squad. Without a little bump room in the track portion of the lane, it is very difficult to get your ball to read properly as it crosses from the synthetic to the wood. Last year I threw an Impulse Zone for a single-open 590. This year we have not made the mistake of the 9:00 A.M. squad once again, and we hope to have a little more room sideways on the lane. Ball returns are usually never an issue in this center. If you are playing enough launch angle that you are running into the ball return, you are probably not succeeding at Sunshine lanes.
These are just my general observations of a tournament that has been VERY good to me over the last 4-5 years. Of course my strategies don't apply to everybody, but I would recommend trying some of the tactics that have made me successful.
Jeff Ussery
