I have been wondering about this since I started bowling in February. I notice many of you talk about the walled shot and easy house patterns. I bowl in different houses when I get a chance, and invariably find that the most difficult shot is in those houses where the lanes are totally dry.

I have not bowled on "PBA" patterns so I can not speak to them. We have wooden lanes in my house and they do not oil except for league play. If there is oil on the lanes, I can find a shot, and easily average 175 to 180.  This holds true wherever I bowl. If the lanes are dry, as they usually are, I have to work (lofting ball, opening hand, etc.) to average 165, using less aggressive equipment (Desert Heat).

My brothers have been bowling  for years and both average 200+. But, when they come here on our dry lanes, I consistently beat them.  

My question is, for those of you that have bowled the "PBA" patterns, and bowled on extremely dry lanes, what is more difficult. How do the two situations compare in terms of difficulty, and adjustments that have to be made?

Reverse Block? Is that a block pattern with light oil up front and heavy at the end?

For me, extreme dry desert condition on wood lanes have been more difficult.  Wood lanes have more friction, plus they tend to transition more rapidly and unpredictably than synthetic.

I haven't bowled on all the PBA patterns so I can't comment on the difficulty on those.
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Ken - aka "dpunky"

"Now rolling Storm, and old school Faball and Brunswick"
Too Cool for School

xtreme dry.

Oil will simply go straight. Hit your target hit the pins where you want.

Reverser block. Get deep enough and you find a shot unless they are walled for the other side.

Flat you can burn a hole.

Bone dry and anything will roll out. Any change in release speed etc are magnified. Try to throw it straight and if you turn it the least little bit it will hook.

The fastest way to kill the super balls is to eliminate oil.

I bowled a tournament last year in which the right lane had 9 games bowled on it (team, d&s), and no oil.  The left lane had the same 9 games, but was oiled twice.  Trust me on this, the right lane was much more difficult.  The ball I used on the left lane went in the left ditch at about 35' on the right lane.
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"I do desire that we may be better strangers."  Willie the Shake, As You Like it(III,ii)
"I'm capable of being just as sorry as you are, Dimitri."

Edited on 4/23/2007 12:32 PM