Any decent bowler who rolls in a center regularly has an idea of the shot that is put out there. Like Ron said, the shot doesn't stay to diagram very long though. I mean, i bowl on synthetic lanes, as a result, heat, humidity, and even cold changes the lanes before a ball is ever rolled. The center i bowl in uses a 37 ft pattern buffed to 45. By the time my late block rolls around that means nothing. Yes i'm a lefty, but the lanes still change in those 2 plus hours. A bowler who can properly practice should know the pattern after the practice session without a paper.

A couple points I would make on this, both for and against.

The first point is that if the center does not have sanction technology or several thousand dollars worth of Brunswick lane reading equipment, they can not do patterns to post, no matter what the rules. So, unless ABC wants to provide the the latest software to the centers (and they don't to local associations) they can not institute such rules.

I agree with the fact that knowing will do little good for most bowlers and even less after just a few frames. Trust me knowing has not helped me in regionals or in my center. The only advantage is that I used to know if a change was made or if it was just the weather. Many times guys swore the pattern was changed and I knew for a fact it had not changed in months.

Do I think it should be posted??  I think bowlers should know they are getting a legal condition and the basics of what it looks like. Do I think it will ever happen??? NO WAY!! Most associations do not even make centers oil a legal pattern, do you think they would make them post a pattern even if it was the rules? I am the house director and I have not seen the official inspection report in years, even if I ask. I suspect unless the director is on the inspection committee he or she never sees the official readings. It would make it too obvious if the center is cheating on inspections.