-I have been very disillusioned at the lane conditions the last couple years at the Nationals. Have been going 19 years. Had some bad years when I wasn't that much of a bowler. But, have had a number of reasonable, and even good years. That was when there was a decent amount of oil and you had to make very consistent shots; speed, accuracy and consistent release were rewarded. I'm a tweener more on the stroker side, 17 - 18 mph, 300 RPM, 35 degree axis rotation, 18 degree axis tilt. Was very close to a 200 career average after 17 years and scoring better, was hoping to get to 200 lifetime at 20 years. Was doing well in brackets (getting in only 10 - 15 per event), side pots and even prize money, covering expenses and sometimes making a few $.    
-The last few years have been tough. I don't bring high performance or aggressive balls, never needed them. Every ball I bring now hooks early or not at all. I'm versatile w/ hand position, can play almost anywhere on the lane, doesn't matter. The guys that score when I'm there play 25 - 10, throw matte surface aggressive balls hard w/ a lot of revs. They have a lot of room right and need it. While these guys are obviously good, the only thing they can't get away with is a tug. I've seen 6 or 7 in a row w/ break point varying from 11 - 4, then miss in just a little and miss head pin left. With the shots these guys make, and score well the last couple years, they would be hard pressed to shoot 1500 from 4 - 10 years ago. I spent a lot of time and effort to learn how to score at the Nationals, but that all went out the window in recent years.  
-While I realize speed and power is the major factor in every modern sport, i.e. baseball, football, basketball, hockey, golf, etc., bowling was one sport/activity where you could excel w/ average speed and power but above average concentration, accuracy, technique, consistency. I don't see it that way anymore.
-Anyone else have the same issues/problems? Have you been able to find something other than frustration at the Nationals?

Hall,

I can agree with your statements to an extent.  I have been going to the ABCs, now USBCs, for about 8 years now.  I have an average of around 205-210 only having 2 showings under 1800 all events.  I am, also, similar to you in brackets in that I make some money, only getting into around 10 or so.  I am a cranker, but have never used anything dull or matte in the 8 years I have gone.  Most of my higher sets have been used with older, shiny equipment.  I shot 730 in singles this year with a 6 year old pearl reactive shined up with Xtra Shine.  The only event where I see everyone closely matched up as far as lane conditions, is the team event being that everyone is guaranteed to have the same conditions.  As far as singles/doubles, it is luck in that it depends on who was on those pairs in front of you before you start day two.  There are little tweaks here and there from year to year as far as the pattern they put on the lanes.  Just about every year, you can pretty much guarantee that anything outside of the 5 board could be considered out of bounds, and like you mentioned, there isn't alot of hold on shots missed inside of target.  However...you are going to have to execute shots in order to score.  I think the shot is fair, because it is not your easy, walled up shot, but hard enough where you have to hit what you are looking at to be successful.  Here is the reason I think your frustrated of watching crankers have "11-5 at the breakpoint" and can still score.  It happened to me during singles this year.  Most players are so comfortable playing the track area, that even if they are not bowling well, they do not know how to adjust to those tougher conditions and therefore stay playing up the track and just pull out different balls.  I had bowlers do that during doubles this year where they just had all 4 guys playing up 8,9,10, that by the time singles hit and we switched pairs, they literally built the wall in the track area and I just got inside and bumped it playing 20 at the arrows out to about 10 at the breakpoint and had the world.  I watched my videotape of that event here at home and I was dangerously close to taking 1st place, with a little more carry of course.  Even with my 729 set, I was 30 clean for the event and I left a handful of single pin spares.  This year, scores as a whole were down a little as the shot was tougher on the fresh than in previous years as it was a little flatter than normal.  But, with todays bowling balls, if enough people play the same shot, you can create yourselves a much better shot and therefore score a little better.  The problem, in my opinion, is that USBC does not have enough variance in the lane conditions from year to year.  That is why you are seeing crankers stand left, throw right, and continue to score.  It is an ongoing discussion in my area in that every year, the shot is inside, but can't send it too far out or the ball won't recover.  What I think they should do, is come out with a shot where the inside either is a massive flood, or hooks up real early to force everyone outside or play extremely deep inside.  I don't think the shot is set up to play extreme inside lines, but bowlers choose to anyway, because they do not take stuff weak enough to play in the middle.  They buy those brand new $250 oil soakers and get deeper than they really have to.  For you, it seems as though you have enough ball speed to get the ball down the lane where if you do what the crankers are doing (using matte finish aggressive bowling balls) you might be more successful.  What kind of balls are you taking to the tournament?  Alot of times, watching those that do score well, will help you to score as well.  Fight fire with fire, I say.
--------------------
Steven Vance
Atlanta (Buford), GA
Pro Shop Operator
Advanced Bowling Solutions

If anyone out there is worried about the scores being too high, try duckpin!!

If you were able to get enough length but lacked hit with the sonic i guess that would be a starting point. I am guessing pin position to be around 4.5" on it as all the rest you discussed were in that area. How about a slightly more dynamic core and cover but with a weaker pin position like 5-6". I do understand what you are stating as i have always had problems with the inside hooking to early for me. Luckily i can play the twig fairly versatile and have still found play out there. I did not go last year due to family issues but practiced on the shot a few times with good looks from med pearls with pin positions of 5.5 and 6.25" inches with varing mb placements. Usually surfaces of about 2000-3000 have been best playing in for me. I have a few more revs but less tilt than you so i have to smooth the surface to compensate for that.

Hi,
 
  Excellents points from everyone. Next yr will be my 9th and in Baton Rouge was an eye opener  for the facts stated...Fresh oil for teams and burnt insides for D/S...Throw in Reno with the worn lanes and its been tough...though i hear Reno will have new lanes when the host 2007....My stratedgy for 06 (being a stroker)is to play outside(not the twig but 5-6-7 boards) with something agressive for the team event...being fresh oil, they have to give you some backends and will adjust the speed accordingly...they will only get out of bounds if enough bowlers play the middle..on my team there's only one true cranker and will adjust the 3rd game if need be.....now in D/S, like stated before following a team event and figuring 85-90% of the bowlers are playing inside...its bone dry with the oil pushed to the outsides creating unplayable conditions....so something shiny and not agressive ball for that shot or work on your game so that your left foot(for righties) lines up with the left gutter for D/S

This past year in Baton Rouge our 2 teams went there with a plan.
The righties(6 of them) start out at 10 with sandpaper and the lefties(4 of them) start out around 5-6 again with sandpaper.
Grooved a nice little area to bounce the ball off of.
My team had very good success doing this(finished in 30th) and our companion team struggled a little bit but it was due more to operator error than lane conditions.
Probably the best thing to do(in my opinion) is to practice at centers I normally never bowl at.
This way I have to find a shot along with using different equipment/ hand positions.
Also work on throwing straighter at your spares.