I think there should be a page on the Track website where the Pro and Amateur staffers describe what balls they use on a particular condition along with the layout. They should update it as there ideas change or a new ball is released that may take the place of something they currently use. This may help most bowlers that can identify with a particular staffers style to determine which new ball to buy and how to lay it out.

Just a thought.
DW

Very big YES.
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OnlyBowling

It would be nice to have that on the site. I need to post some vids of me so people can see how I throw the ball and the reactions I get from drill patterns.
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Southwest Region PBA
Track Pro Staff
Beasley pro shop

I've got to agree, that is a good idea.  It would be very useful to a lot of us when we're considering a new ball or drilling.

Video would be great. There would have to be explanation of the pattern they were bowling on but I totally agree.

I'll try to post some video soon myself. I'll edit out the times I hit the scoring monitors with my backswing.

DW

I think those type of videos would be awesome. I remember seeing some with Del Warren and Bill Monce (Sp?). I believe they were for the Phenom Unleashed and I think the Phenom.

So far I've done videos for all of my Track Balls. Maybe I can help out and repost them here again with details of the lane conditions and type of lane surface as well.

Peace,
Ramilli Vanilli
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Pedro: If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true. Napoleon Dynamite

Admittedly, I haven't thought this out completely before posting it...but, two things stand out to me as being important in "reading the pattern"-

1)  Being in the right position with the right ball speed, coverstock, core, drilling...to be able to give yourself the most area to "miss" as possible.  If you're bowling on tougher patterns for your league, this is crucial to having high scores week in and week out.  No bowler is perfect.  If you can give yourself the best matchup to the lane/condition possible from the equipment and physical game you have, then it's going to be relatively easier to score.

2)  Being able to understand what you have to change based on the ball reaction you're getting.  This goes along with my first concept:  are you giving yourself the most area possible to make a mistake?  Is your ball getting into a roll before it hits the pins?  Is it rolling out before it gets to the pins?  Are you watching the players around you and learning from their success/failure?  When you get a bad result, is it because you made a mistake, or is the pattern changing?

(A third idea that I decided not to explicitly mention in reading a pattern is that you MUST have confidence in yourself.  You have to believe that you can execute the shot that you're about to throw.  Your opponent isn't going to have confidence in you..that's something you need to take care of yourself.  Believe in the judgements you're making on what you're bowling on, and make adjustments with conviction.  If you're wrong, you can learn from that and incorporate it in the future...but never lose conviction in what you're doing.)




Just to hit on a couple of previous ideas-

-Yes, I'd love to see some videos!  I hope to have some time in the future to put up a few of myself....but I'd love to see some from the "real" pros!

-It's hard to classify what works on a given pattern...you can say what works on a pattern with certain qualifiers, but it's tough to say that on Cheetah on all surfaces with all volumes, the Heat will work...I think it's REALLY important that the public understands that what works for certain players on certain conditions under certain circumstances might not apply to other players...

Hope this rambling reply helps a little!
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Jeff Voght
PBA Eastern Region Member

Very good "rambling" there Jeff.  You are exactly correct on the finding your "miss area" on the lane.  The old way was to always lean up against the oil line to find your tug room but now the oils have gotten so much thicker, we have to circle around the oil today to the dry and back (describing THS) to carry.  Leaning up too long against a heavy oil line can cause for deflection which usually result in solid 10's.
 
Just to help substantiate what you just mentioned, I just watched the PBA show from 2 weeks ago where Tommy Jones was bowling against Wes Malott.  They were both going out to the 1-2 board at the break "area" (my new term) and on one shot TJ tugged one to where it only got out to about 5-6 and it still held and smashed the pocket.  He missed it by about 4 boards and still struck...area, guys...it's all about creating area.  I also now personally use the a new term vs "break point" in the shop and during coaching, I call it the "break area" because the ball can and will hook from an "area" downlane.  Our job is to find the center of that "break area" and then we'll be lined up to have some miss room.
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Rick Leong - Ten Pins Pro Shop
Track Intl. - Amateur/Pro Shop Staff  
Vise Inserts Staff
www.Trackbowling.com
www.startabowlingrevolution.com

*El Presidente of the Track Revolution