Well, they posted the graph.  Under the Lane Condition link it says details will be provided just before the start of the tournament so I don't know if that means they plan on explaining the graph or what.  This doesn't do me much good because I've never been good at reading these things, so if any of you out there with more knowledge than me would like to chime in I'd like to hear about it.

http://www.bowl.com/downloads/pdf/tournaments_abc_2005pattern.pdf
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Edited on 2/11/2005 9:17 AM

Forward - when the machine is going toward the pin deck
Reverse - when it is coming back toward the approach
Combined - that part of the lane that is oiled on each pass (forward & reverse 'double oil')

Here is a link to various patterns that you might want to compare to (thanks to the Phantom). It includes Reno

Remember the lanes at Reno were burnt. You will have new surfaces so they should be a little slicker. Control is still the name of the game. Look for back end in team.

http://66.70.217.221/tournaments/tournaments.htm

I believe the bowler who set the record last year was playing very, very deep (inside 5th arrow)with a V2 Clean.
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Repetition is everything..

Not all of us are pros at reading graphs.

From what I understand, if you've bowled the ABC nationals in the past, you should already know what to expect.  Last year was my first time, but talking to people that have been bowling nationals for the last 30+ years, they all say that the lane conditions are pretty much the same, or reasonably close, from year to year.

To add to what Bob posted, if they are putting extra units in the heads, it could be a different type of conditioner, or it could be due to the condition of the lane surface.
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Edited on 2/11/2005 4:04 PM

No effect - it's just mor efficient for the machine. The program is set up to deliver 'x' units to each area of the lane at various distances. In order to achieve the desired pattern, the machine simply applies the condition as it is moving down the lane and as it is moving back. The area of the lane where more units are required and hit each way. Otherwise, they'd have the run the machine and change the settings to deliver the appropriate amounts and length of oil.

I want to let everyone know that I DO NOT bowl well on this shot, but am working on my 10th year and know that depending on your hand, accuracy and the equipment you have, you can play various parts of the lane. However, other than Billings, inside 8 (maybe 6-7) are out of bounds unless you are dumping it at line. The team events have fresh oil and CLEAN backends so most guys stay with polished gear inside the track area and keep moving left to stay with the oil (10 guys). In D/S, only 7:30 AM is fresh.

Anyway, I'm running on. Kegel does not have the tournament this year as was pointed out but Janawicz & Forst are guys that will talk to you if you call them (I think they are both in FL). I talked to Len Nicholson (The Phantom) for about 20 minutes last year, simply by posting a question on his site, I recd a call at home!! For those who don't know him, he toured with the big boys in the late 50's - 60's and 70's. WOw, I'm done, sorry to drone on....

it's easy if you can hit a 2 board area at the same speed each shot and can read the moves one shot ahead for 9 gamess................the guys who score are Team USA-type bowlers. Sure, you can hit 1800 if you have a good weekend and are a very good bowler. Most guys average 15/game under their THS league average.

I will try to address a few of your questions, hopefully in a manner that will make it as understandable as possible.

The number "40" that you are reading in the upper right refers to the volume of conditioner in microliters that is being placed on each board from a "load."   A "load" means one application of conditioner onto the rollers that then apply the conditioner onto the lane surface.  For example, on the sheet with the numbers if you read the first line, it states 2L, 2R  6 Loads, Speed 10.  These mean that the "load" was distributed from board 2 on the left side of the lane to board 2 on the right side of the lane, and in all, there were 6 "loads" applied from 2 to 2.   The speed of 10 refers to how fast the lane machine is traveling down the lane in inches per second.  The slower the machine travels, the shorter distance is required for the conditioner "loads" to be applied to the lane surface, the faster it goes, the more spread out the conditioner is.  

"Forward" and "Reverse" oil do indeed mean the direction of the machine travel as the oil is being applied with forward going down the lane toward the pins and reverse meaning its return trip back to the foul line.  The big difference these make is in the "taper" of the pattern.  If you take a close look at the totals for forward and reverse you will see that the majority of the conditioner is applied on the "forward" travel which translates into more of the conditioner ending up further down the lane. This is typically one of the reasons the patterns at the ABC will play pretty tight.  This first page also gives you the total "volume" of conditioner listed on the right side of the page, in this case the volume is 23.96 milliliters.  That number, in and of itself, does not translate directly into "units" which is what the majority of the average bowlers are used to hearing.  The 23.96 would in most cases be classified as a medium high to high volume pattern.

The three colored graphs on the second page show the actual lane graph of "units" and how it is distributed across the lane.  I would agree, roughly, with one of the replies above in that the yellow graph was probably taken around 12 feet, the next one probably in the 20-25 foot range and the last one was likely taken at 36 feet, two feet before the end of the conditioner.  The shape would be that of a typical "Sport" pattern with a slight crown in the middle tapering down to pretty flat at the end of the pattern.  This type of pattern is what makes a shot like this tougher, there is no free miss room or "dry boards" on the outside that most all "house" shots have.  On a pattern like this, you MUST hit your line, from laydown to target to breakpoint to get the desired reaction.  You miss in the ball will go left, you miss out the ball will miss the headpin right, etc.

Hope this helps out some, keep in mind that this pattern is for a FRESH shot and will change very quickly once there is bowling on it so when reading a graph you need to be very careful what you read into it.  

Gary Sparks
Asst. Prof. Bowling Industry Management
Vincennes University
 
 This may help.I copied this off the ABC forum.One of the clearest and most informative explainations I've seen.

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