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Author Topic: What makes a shot a swing shot ?  (Read 2082 times)

Pinbuster

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What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« on: June 14, 2004, 12:53:55 AM »
What makes a house favor hooking the lane versus playing straighter line?

The house I’m currently bowling at favors bowlers who can hook the lane. Even on fresh oil you are better off starting at 15 (or deeper depending on how much hand you have) and swinging it to 5. Bowlers who “A” game fits this shot also get very good carry.

Bowlers who try to play down and in get early hook with little hold. Even if you go inside to 15 you cannot play a tight line to the hole you have to go away and any mistakes made have to be swing wide mistakes. The only players outside who do any good are generally higher speed low track spinners.

I asked once what the lane pattern was but was told by the management that they didn’t give out that information. The lanes are 7 – 10 year old Anvilane. They use a Phoenix machine that strips and oils but it is one of the early ones that uses wicks and not programmable. I believe they try to put out a standard top hat house shot with it oiling to about 25 feet and buffing to 37 (these are guesses just watching the machine).

I have had my best success when I can throw hard with only a little belly and can lean on the oil in middle. But here I can’t find a line, ball, drill, speed, etc, that gives me any tug room.

I’m having reasonable success going deep and hooking the lane but my carry can be suspect a lot of the time. I can grind out games from 200 to 230 but generally can’t pop any big ones doing this.

What makes this a swing shot house? The length of the pattern? How strong the backends are? Wear pattern on the lane surface? Combination of the above?
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Pinbuster

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2004, 09:38:42 AM »
I have been able to play the shot and score reasonably well.

My biggest issue is the right hand lane. Due to my not so dainty nature and the fact I don’t naturally drift left, I start against the ball return on the right hand lane. So when the lanes breakdown I have trouble making the adjustments. I can make myself drift left and throw right but I’m not as consistent as I’d like to be and generally once a set I don’t get my shoulders opened up enough and throw a big pull.

This house is also strange in that the low end plays much slicker than the high end. The low end (1 thru 10) you can play down the boards and generate hold. The higher end 17 thru 24) is the hooking end. The middle obviously is in between and can be played both ways.

This house has had foundation problems with a lot of settling (the drains in the men’s bathroom now stick up out of the floor). I’ve wondered if the middle of the house has sank down, this would leave right handed bowlers hooking up hill on the low end and down hill on the high end.  Most of the lefties I know shoot better on the high end.

Fortunately (I guess) this is the dump that will be replaced by the new center being built. So I only have another 6 months on this surface.
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seadrive

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2004, 10:08:24 AM »
quote:
I asked once what the lane pattern was but was told by the management that they didn’t give out that information.

That means that either the guy you talked to has no clue what the pattern is, or the machine isn't consistent enough to put down the same shot twice in a row, so they don't want you to be able to say, "There's no way this pattern is what you told me it is."

The oil pattern is a state secret, yeah right. These guys sound like clowns...
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omegabowler

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2004, 10:31:07 AM »
if you have problem's drifting left try this. walk straight but with a total open shoulder.

start at 35 end at 35 or so. but your shoulder would be square with the target 4th arrow or so. be sure your follow through goes through your target. you have to be firm but don't force your shoulders closed like a crankers.

be sure not to pull it. this is defiantly a trust shot. You will not be able to spray the lanes from the inside like some heavy handed players but you will be able to feed the ball right more.

also get a ball drilled for that kind of line. I find that once your out of your   line up range you need all the help you can get. I also find it is a better test of concentration. when I am  in a comfort zone the brain relaxes a little too much and then it goes dosen't the tubes for 160 game.

good luck finding a ball. I like my Unleashed for an iside shot on fresh but when it breaks down I don;t really have a go to ball.
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"deserves got nothing to do with it."
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ksucat

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2004, 03:47:18 PM »
Do I need Dad to come down there to give you some motivation?  You shot pretty good against us in City.  

You say that the guys who really whack them are swinging the lane.  Are they just burning up your hold since your are obviously not as deep as the kids?  Your hold is probably gone by the middle of the first game especially considering these kids are likely using some surface the get the ball to set up and turn the corner.  My limited experience in that house is quite different than yours.  I was a jeckyl/hyde type in that I either carried everything and shot big games or had nothing.  I imaging the kids are also having a lot of these bad games, you just notice all the honor scores.  I'd try a little surface and move inside to start.  Hopefully, you can later back off with something shiny and stay in the same area.  Either that or learn to stand on the ball returns.
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mumzie

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2004, 04:10:29 PM »
Well, I'm no expert on that house, but I did throw a few practice games there on fresh oil. ksucat's advice is right on the money - a little bit of surface from inside.
I was laying the ball down around 19-21, hitting 15 -17 or so at the arrows, out to around a breakpoint around 9-10, and had a pretty fair look. I was using my Black Cherry Bomb and my Ultimate Inferno - if memory serves, the ultimate had a better look. The Super Carbide Bomb hooked WAAAAYYYYY too much for that house.

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Pinbuster

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2004, 04:14:48 PM »
ksucat – I can’t generally find any hold from the get go on the high end (17+). The low end I can but not the high. And all my leagues have bowled from the middle to the high end.

My carry comes in bunches but generally small ones. I’ll have 3 or 4 in a row then leave 5-ten pins in the next 7 frames.

I’m starting as deep as the kids right now but like I said I tend to run out of room fast. Left lane not a problem, I just kick the guys on my left out of the way as I stand on their approach. I’ve thought about using the left hand approach on my pair for the right hand lane but that gets me a little too deep (boy that would screw up the lane courtesy).

You and your Dad’s memory of my scores are about the same as you are describing for me on the kids. You’ve forgotten all the raunchy sets I’ve shot against you just the one or two big ones. But it is fun getting under the old man’s skin and I’ll have to admit at the tournament he started motivating me by the end of the second game.
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UCIbowl

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Re: What makes a shot a swing shot ?
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2004, 04:29:37 PM »
my advice to you is stop tryin to play down and in and play the lanes. if you cant play your shot move, if that doesnt work move again. i had the same trouble this year except just the opposite i am a swinger and i started playin a house that was dry as all hell so with a combination of hand and smooth arc i was getting no where. struggled for a good 8 weeks shooting kinda low like you were. but i finally said f it and moved all the way back off the lane used my legs to carry me up to about 16+ miles per hour and played the whole lane. that worked well and even though it isnt my shot its the shot that works. i suggest you change your game, not suggesting any changes such as mine but changes that will allow you to play the lanes. good luck
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