Simply put do I try to revamp my game to make myself more competitive on ABC Nationals type conditions?  

In my forty plus years of bowling I have developed a game that works pretty well on house conditions. But I do hit up on the ball a lot and the harder I have to throw the more I hit on the ball. Twenty years ago this was not as big an issue as it is today with resin and particle balls and today’s lane conditions.

To change this I would need to significantly lengthen my arm swing (particularly my back swing) which for me physically is somewhat of a problem. However I believe I could make strides towards this if I was willing to tear down and rebuild my swing for at least 6 months and practice 20 or 30 games a week.

I’m sure I would bowl worse on house conditions during the change over period.

I’m not sure these changes would help much in normal league play but might give me 10 or 20 pins extra at national or on sport conditions. But even then I’m not sure. I don’t bowl this condition but once or twice a year.

I’m never going to be a world beater and the changes simply might not work at all and/or my body might break down trying this. Do I try and put in the work for that once or twice a year it might make the difference?  

I tend to do this as well, and find urethane still works best for me unless there is Loooooooong oil.  Anyway, maybe find some urethane to squeeze into your arsenal for such situations?

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9~

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

Great topic... What I have learned about the same issue...and for what it is worth....

The key, you said it clearly... hitting up like we did in the 80's. That is all you have to change. You dont have to change much to do that. To hit up on the ball the ball is traveling in more of a half circle (the letter "c") than in an elipse with a flat spot at the bottom. To gain more flatness on the bottom, develop a slide that starts out slightly higher than your normal slide but completes deeper than you original slide.  This lowering of the body as the ball passes the ankle causes a flatness in the bottom. Because of this flatness you will hit out and not up. This will give you extra length and tame down the back ends and more resemble the reaction we had in the 80's. As well this will devlop less over under reactions as the release will be tamer and reduce the difference between a strong hit release and a slightly less strong hit. Just the things that you need to do to for the ABC's (reduce grabbing at the bottom for consistant reactions.)

Lastly I have learned that I had to learn infinitely more about ball choices and layouts. After reducing my upward hit, it became easier for me to see and understand the differences in layouts and shells. Prior it was simply how much hook and how much entry angle. Now its more about shape of hook and breakpoint control again, just like the 80's.

Hope this helps.
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Getting all the pins I can.