Author Topic: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past. (Read 3618 times)

JessN16 · « **on:** September 17, 2008, 01:56:34 PM »

I bowled three tournaments this summer, plus my summer league and now my fall league.

Outside of the "long pattern" at The Gathering, I have yet to see evidence that oil still exists. The house shot in Winston-Salem absolutely flew. The Alabama State Tournament had automatic back ends and virtually nothing outside 10. A local tournament here was dry as a cat's tongue.

My summer league shot was roughly 32-35 feet of oil, low volume, very little crown in the middle, but without a real wall outside. Averages were down about 10-15 pins from regular fall league. Our first night of fall league, the volume was up and the length had been buffed down to about 40, and everyone shot the lights out, so the next week, it was back to a shorter, lower-volume pattern.

I'm not complaining about the house reining in the shot. I'm just commenting on how hard it is to find oil these days.

Jess

icewall · « **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2008, 10:06:22 PM »

I have only found one place near me to oil the lanes.

then again NJ is known for being dry when it comes to bowling. but this year seems even worse in the bigger houses.
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all visionary this year

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themagician · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2008, 10:09:26 PM »

I know for a fact in my area i've had solid amounts of oil, that isn't the issue here.

The big issue is all the people that just take Resurgences and other companies strong oil balls that are dull and blow up the pattern, a lot of the more old school up the boards outside guys are using these strong balls and moving in a bit and just destroying the patterns. I've had to migrate in with weak stuff like the lanes are dry though they aren't due to bowlers just destroying the pattern, its frustrating but it adds a new element that helps me improve on a house shot as it complicates things.
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thegame · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2008, 10:13:15 PM »

Agreed. The only true oil I find is in my PBA leagues and regionals anymore. Any house shot I practice on other than one center about 30 miles from me is so dry, it's hard to use anything above a Psycho or so. It's quite frustrating, and you really do see less and less skill required to shoot decent numbers. In practicing on these drier conditions, I also find myself getting into bad habits, and not really fixing them, because you get away with it on an easier, or even overall drier condition. I would think centers would want to put out a little more oil, and protect their lane surface a little better, but I guess high scores, and higher turnouts in leagues because of the inflated averages speakes a bit more. One center closest to me has had by far the easiest shot in the area for the last 5-6 years or so. 300's being shot every week, sometimes 2 or 3 a night, 299's losing sidepots, and now the scores are going down because there isn't enough oil. The lanes have gotten so burned up that they aren't holding what oil is being put out. The lack of oil is definitely an issue in my area at least, as well as a lot of other people's as well.

JessN16 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2008, 10:15:04 PM »

quote:
I know for a fact in my area i've had solid amounts of oil, that isn't the issue here.

The big issue is all the people that just take Resurgences and other companies strong oil balls that are dull and blow up the pattern, a lot of the more old school up the boards outside guys are using these strong balls and moving in a bit and just destroying the patterns. I've had to migrate in with weak stuff like the lanes are dry though they aren't due to bowlers just destroying the pattern, its frustrating but it adds a new element that helps me improve on a house shot as it complicates things.
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http://www.absolutebowling.com

My second-highest set of the summer was what I shot at The Gathering on three different sport shots.

House shots take a lot of flak on the bowling forums, but I've bowled on some the last six weeks that I think are pretty da*n hard. When these patterns go -- particularly if they're short to begin with -- you might as well be bowling in the parking lot.

Jess

mainzer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 18, 2008, 08:24:13 AM »

The sheer power of modern gear has something to do with it also. But yeah I think houses are combating modern gear and the price of buying lane oil by putting less on the lane (I don't even know what lane oil costs but wouldn't it be going up with the cost of everything else that involves oil?) One of the houses I sub at from time to time actaually took some oil out of Lake Monggoon which is what we call the vast puddle in the middle of the lane.
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MainzerPower

A_P_K · « **Reply #6 on:** September 18, 2008, 08:36:29 AM »

So far in my area of NJ oil is a thing of the past.
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The original Pin Krusher

road94master · « **Reply #7 on:** September 18, 2008, 01:41:22 PM »

San Diego Barren Mojave too really light oil if any...

rockerbowler18 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 18, 2008, 01:43:59 PM »

Very few places seem to be opting to oil the lanes, which is extremely frustrating.

I get to bowl on lanes (when I go to practice) that have in upwards of 100 games on them. What I want to know is, do the proprieters not realize how bad this is for their lane surfaces, or do they just not care?
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Righty
High rev rate (400-450 rpm)
Semi-high speed (16-17 mph)
Book average: 193 (current 245)

For a game based on the principles of science and math, bowling sure does have a bad habit of being illogical.

htownstaff · « **Reply #9 on:** September 18, 2008, 01:54:57 PM »

There's oil...it's just usually in the form of a deep puddle in the middle of a house shot. Anything outside of 13 for most house patterns is an adult bumper.
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Brian Krantz
Track Amateur Staff
Building The Legion one member at a time!

Pinbuster · « **Reply #10 on:** September 18, 2008, 01:58:10 PM »

False.

There is much more oil on the lanes today than there was 25 years ago.

janderson · « **Reply #11 on:** September 18, 2008, 02:16:41 PM »

PB - that's true, but I think in some areas we're talking about the last 12 months or so.

quote:
I think houses are combating modern gear and the price of buying lane oil by putting less on the lane

Two birds with one stone kind of thing. It would be interesting if all of the houses got together and put out less out. How long would the hook monster equipment (generally) last?

Jess - as you know, I recently moved east from Phoenix. I will say that in general, conditions were heavier there but (presumably because of the low humidity and high heat) broke down quicker. Here in the Southeast, the conditions seem to hold up pretty well, but most houses put down a lighter pattern to begin with. Maybe the two go hand in hand?

I've heard that some conditions overseas (Europe) are deplorable in that the heads are totally fried on a regular basis. Thus the Mika loft.
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J.J. "Waterola Kid" Anderson, the bLowling King : Kill the back row

KDawg77 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 18, 2008, 02:22:15 PM »

False! Oil is a thing from the past!

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Ken

Ragnar · « **Reply #13 on:** September 18, 2008, 08:17:05 PM »

In my experience out here in the west we usually have decent oil. However this year my house went to a new pattern with (probably) about 1/4 less total volume and maybe less than that in what used to be the track area.

TWOHAND834 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2008, 08:57:53 PM »

I dont think it is so much that there is no oil. I believe that most houses are still using the same patterns they used 10-15 years ago and with the new "soaker" coverstocks, the oil is disappearing at a much faster rate. The problem is that if you put more volume out there, even with todays equipments, the middle of the lane carries down towards the pindeck. In order to have a THS, lighter volume is on the outside. Problem is that 75% of bowlers play in the track area where volume is already light and the oil disappears. Another reason, is that the covers soak the oil so quickly, that unless you bowl on a heavier volume, some balls will soak up the oil before the ball even gets back through the return. Not all centers oil their lanes the same way. Some have longer patterns, some shorter. Some have heavier volumes, some lighter. Just have to find the ones that suit your game the best.

To answer the question: I dont think that centers will be able to keep up to the technology over time. They can only put so much oil out there without creating problems for pinsetters and manufacturers only keep getting stronger with their equipment.
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Steven Vance
Pro Shop Operator

If anyone out there is worried about the scores being too high, try duckpin!!

Author Topic: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past. (Read 3618 times)

JessN16

True or false: Oil is a thing of the past.

icewall

Re: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past.

themagician

Re: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past.

thegame

Re: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past.

JessN16

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mainzer

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A_P_K

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road94master

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rockerbowler18

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htownstaff

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Pinbuster

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janderson

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KDawg77

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Ragnar

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TWOHAND834

Re: True or false: Oil is a thing of the past.