I find my self most of the time not looping the ball at all but really putting my hand more up the back and just rolling it.  It is smoother at the break point and doesnt leave alot of odd leaves.
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Good bowlers use the big B and when they do they create a Storm
Kiall Hill
A.K.A.
The Chipmunk
"Its a trip 4 fest"
"God Dam it"
"Yea but the Brunswick ones get all ten down"

MSC2471, I underline everything you said. I learned on a sport shot to become accurate, how to read the lane and how to adjust speed/release/equipment and to paly slow.

Accuracy is never a wrong asset in bowling, and I benefit from it on easier THS patterns. Also, knowing when to change your game is vital, too. If you stick too long to your strategy or A-game, you will be stuck on quickly changing conditions. I found that sport patterns change dramatically, so you must react fast and decisive to stay in the game.

And the last thing, playing slowly, has shown me the power the equipment has. When I started bowling I played with a hustle at 15mph+ and trying to rev the ball violently - so hard that I topped the ball. With less speed I was able to conquer sport patterns, rolling the ball gentle and giving it rotation just by the fingers. Since then, my strike ball has become powerful. I play at 13mph on heavy oil und let things roll. Bowling can be SO easy if gravity rules...

Playing on sport patterns is therefore very rewarding. You directly see when you are doing something wrong, no walled shot will cover your mistakes. It is perfect for learning a clean technique, I think, even when results drop dramatically. Personally, my THS average is 30 pins higher than at a local house with a flat 40' sports pattern - but I owe this high THS average to the difficult lanes. If you have the opportunity to play on serious turf, appreciate and enjoy it. It will make you a more versatile bowler!
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany

Team "X" league website: http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/

"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe

Sport conditions exposed my spare "game" for the sham that it was.  Since then, I've learned to throw straight at every spare combination, including leaves such as the 3-9-10.  It makes a world of difference when you can make every spare the same way regardless of lane conditions.

Leave the muscle at home.  I used to start the lawnmower ("hit up") on every release and had never heard of a "free armswing" when I bowled in my first sport condition league.  Talk about a rude surprise.  To quote Mike Jasneau, "Sport conditions will maginify any muscle in your swing".  He wasn't kidding.

The breakpoint is the target, not the arrows.  It doesn't matter whatsoever where your ball goes through the arrows if there is more than a board difference at your breakpoint.  You can hit the third arrow every shot and be spraying shots all over the lane.  We get away with that on a house shot, you sure don't on sport.  Another way to read this is that you need a solid foundation in your footwork and swing.  If you can't repeat a consistent unmuscled swing and quality footwork, you're roadkill on sport.

Equipment that opens up a house shot is typically useless on sport.  I'm surprised nobody mentioned this as of yet.  That "skid/flip" stuff and "big backend" that sells so many balls will only get you in trouble on sport.  While there is no silver bullet in equipment that will open up a sport shot, the key is damage control.  What will hurt you the least is what you want to use.
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J.J. "Waterola Kid" Anderson, the bLowling King  : Kill the back row

I underline jandersons statement: equipment choice is vital. Spasmic reactive pearls as well as horribly aggressive backend balls will not get you through more than 2 games. A friend of mine has a Fear Factor and a Predator Red Sanded - both aggressive particle balls. They both work fine on a fresh sports pattern, but the become incontrollable after 1 or 2 games. Myself, I start out with a Fuze Eliminator and can play it longer since I have less speed and revs, but I regularly have to change balls once or even twice to keep control.

Staying in play is essential on sport patterns. If you are in doubt, straighter is greater.

What I have seen from experienced players is that they use rather "normal" balls with mild drillings. More ball reaction, yes, but at the cost of losing game control very soon. The original Inferno is still very popular around here, because newer stuff has become more aggressive. Highly polished Vertigos and some Ultimate Infernos are also frequent sights. Generally, no med or high load particles.
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany

Team "X" league website: http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/

"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe

i think strategy is key.  Burning up a track with a dull ball to generate a shot for yourself to bowl on.  Then executing good shots in what track you have created, followed by making your spares.  I've averaged in the mid 180s every time i've been on the sport shot.  And what happened is that I struggled until the 3rd or 4th game...

Observations .. four weeks into the SPORTS league .. each week the first game is GOOD .. the 2nd/3rd game scores are down.

Could be I'm not adjusting well .. could be I'm tiring .. whatever it is .. next week I'll be more conscious of it and see if I can improve the situation!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O