The sport league I'm in is using the Badger. According to the "book", I should play up 15 to 17 or left of 20 board. I'm right handed. I'm using a Defiant Soul, 4000 box finish. First week, I tried the book and it looked like the ball was wiggling in the mid lane and then backing up to the right. I made a lot of moving around and never found it and shot 466. The second week, I tried to point off the 10 board and shot better, 193. 192 and 163. In the middle of the 2nd game and the last game, the mid lane burnt up and the heads were very tight. I switched to a global 900 eagle, sanded to 1000. It was inconsistent. I visited a local pro shop and they recommended a ball drilled with the Rico layout. I want to try that, but they were busy and I did not have time to wait. I'm looking for suggestions on a ball, lay out and surface for this pattern. I had CATS done at Reno and my ball speed is 16.75 MPH and 375 RPM. I'm not sure how I classify my style, but I try to stay behind the ball and make a 1/4 turn at release. Please Help.

The pattern is 52 feet long.  4000 isn't nearly enough surface for this.  Take that ball down to at least 1000.  Don't expect your ball to go left in the back end.  Just try to get the ball into enough of a roll to carry.

+1. The Badger Pattern is all about surface and shotmaking. With your speed and rpms, you shot be able to take a ball throw 800 or 1000 on and target 17ish at the breakpoint. Nothing you drill is going to give you a hockey stick reaction. The pattern isn't designed for it.

What your seeing isn't wiggle, you ball is still in a skid.  You're probably used to bowling on something in the 40-42 foot range.  This is 10 feet longer.  Where you ball is usually picking up a roll on this pattern it is still in the oil.  You get 10 more feet of skid and only 8 feet of back end.  8 feet isn't enough for the ball to recover if projected right, away from the pocket.  If you are going to project the ball to the right, you need to start left of the pocket.

Hi Guys, Most of my equipment is pin down for sport conditions. I have a few older pin up balls I will sand and try out.

The first week I tried to play as straight up as possible. I saw another bowler having success playing left of the headpin. It did not work for me. Week 2, I tried to point from the right side, across the 10 board to 17. I was in the pocket most shots, but left weak 10 pins, 9 pins and 6-10 if high. Then the mid lane burned up and every thing went away.

I will try your suggestions and report back.

Thanks, Bob

Nice shooting that third week! Another thing to keep in mind here is to avoid the "this pattern should play here" mentality. Obviously, you can use things like pattern length minus 31 as a starting point; however, you have to keep in mind that patterns play differently in every house depending on the machine being used, conditioner being used, lane topography, etc. For instance, the house I bowl league in has a lot of built-in friction on the lane surface. As such, I know that I can usually afford to be a little bit outside of the recommended ranges on the fresh for each of the PBA patterns. I also know that the breakdown is going to be quick and dramatic, so big moves are usually required. What I'm getting at is the idea of keeping an open mind. It's good to have a concept in mind when you start, but don't get caught in the "I'm supposed to be playing here" mindset that some people fall into. Lastly, kudos on the notion of playing them together. That's a very under-appreciated concept! PBA patterns can open up and play much, much easier if people break them down in the same areas. That's why pros tend to get so ticked off when amateurs bowl PBA events and throw the ball from all over the place. When that happens, it can make it darn near impossible for anybody to score! The fact that you and your partner were smart enough to try to break it down together speaks highly of you. Nice work!