How many of you make adjustments even when getting good carry off an imperfect shot?  That thin hit where the 1 pin came flying across the pin deck taking out anything in its way could be your next 2/8/10 split?  That high hit where the 2 pin bounced off the wall and tripped the 4 pin could be something worse if it hit just a tad higher right?  Even if you're on a 4 or 5 bagger do you take notice and make the adjustment?  How much if any?

I've read that watching your ball exit the pin deck to see if it rolls off the 20 board is good to do.  What about when it doesn't exit the 20 but you still get a strike? In the beginning of a match or during warm up I know I watch the ball exit the pin deck.  But if I start stringing strikes together I'm fairly certain I stop paying attention and start giving high fives and collecting my next poker card.

Maybe I have too much time on my hands or I'm overanalyzing way to much.  Really I'm just wondering what it takes to add another 5 or 10 pins to my average.  I've hit a plateau lately. 

I'm guessing this would definitely help.  Just wondering how many out there actually do it and how much did your game/average improve?       

I've become a fan of watching where the ball "slows down".

By watching where the ball slows down and leaves the pin deck, I feel like I've been quicker to make adjustments and also making adjustments that has put me in a better position to post higher scores on tougher patterns

If you 'blow' the rack (5 into the 7 and possibly messenger takes out the 10) and carry how do you gauge that?

The ball is expending its rotational integrity too early or exiting the deck thru the 9 towards the 10 or not actually a good bit lucky shot
You have to watch where the ball exits the deck this tells what the ball is doing
The ball tells you what the lanes are doing...the pins tell what the ball is doing

The ball is expending its rotational integrity too early or exiting the deck thru the 9 towards the 10 or not actually a good bit lucky shot
You have to watch where the ball exits the deck this tells what the ball is doing
The ball tells you what the lanes are doing...the pins tell what the ball is doing

Well said Rico.

If I'm carrying light mixers, I'm usually not moving unless I see that the ball is coming in even lighter. Even Mo recommends not moving off this if you are carrying. More times than not, if I move, I'm leaving a 10 pin. I carried these with 15lbs, but with 14, I carry them even more.

If I go high flush and threw the ball well, I'm definitely moving.

On your normal THS that you see week-in/week-out, you should be able to anticipate with some consistency when the shot will begin to change.  If you don't make any adjustments, when does the ball start to lose energy?  At what point do you go a tad high or when does the ball start to hit flat?

My personal best to start the night is the front 20.  My teammate was surprised to know I had already moved my feet 5 boards.  I knew the shot well enough to make the adjustments in advance. 

And as others have stated, don't let the resulting leave dictate your adjustments.  If your ball is reading the lane differently than desired or not going through the pin deck as you wish, then an adjustment is probably needed.

 BACK IN THE DAY, I used to do this. It was not uncommon for me to make slight adjustments off of shots that struck and looked decent to the untrained eye.

 BUT, the important part of doing this is being very sharp, sharp enough to know the difference between a good shot that barely struck, and a bad shot that barely struck.

 If I knew it was a good shot, then I also knew the "loose" carry was not my fault, but an actual condition that I had to adjust to and allow for.

 If it was a bad shot by me, I knew no adjustment was necessary, other than to throw the ball better.

 IF YOU ARE NOT AS SHARP AS YOU NEED TO BE, you will not always know the difference.

 It is actually a weird thing to try and explain. It is a whole different level that, unless you have been there and experienced it yourself, you can't understand what it really means to be at that level, but I know that some of you guys know what I am talking about. That weird level you can get to where you can literally feel such minute differences in a decent release that got lucky, and a perfect release that didn't need to get lucky, and you know the difference instantly.

 It is weird when you get it. Almost like having a "sixth sense" about making moves and adjustments, making other players wonder why you're moving or changing equipment on shots that look good to them, but you know better.

 That place does exist, I've been there, but it is a hard place to get to, and not everybody makes it. Takes lots of hard work, money, patience, and time.
 It is also very hard to maintain that level, as it goes away REAL quick if you don't bowl, even for just a few days.

 Oh yeah, forgot to mention, bowling was NOT FUN at that level. There was nothing fun about it, as I took bowling deadly seriously back then.
 It was far more like having another job than it was like having a sport or game you love playing.