I went to my 28th national tourney last week.  I watched posts on these boards and listened to horror stories for 3 months prior to bowling. 

On the pattern.  While I think it was ridiculous not to release the patterns, and told officials as much, I think we will find they were not much different in length than prior years.  Team was not near as short as people said.  I would guess about 38 feet.  D&S was about 42 feet.   I made the mistake of believing team I could play outside 5  and stayed their too long as it teased me.  D&S was one of the nicest patterns I have seen. 

I talked to a couple of other top players and they agreed that the pattern was not much different than many prior years.  Why the big secrecy puzzles me.  For those who like golf comparisons, it was like not telling the players how long the par 3s are so as not to give anyone an "unfair advantage"

They're not practicing on the tournament shot
They are practicing on a variation of it in the bowling center...different surface and different amount of reaction
It's really not comparable 

If it's not comparable then why are they making reservations to pay $100 for some practice?? Maybe they just like lighting money on fire ... or maybe it helps them to perform better in the tournament. Almost like it's advantageous.

Hmmm different surface different lane machines different oiling times and different wear factors...what could possibly be different

Practice at home and at the tournament site are two different things, but ask ANYONE who has done that and/or have bowled the Bowler's Journal tournament and they'll all tell you the tournament lanes played different, and this is with the same oil, same machines, same location, and same lanes.  The BJ is supposed to be the D/S shot every year, but every single year it always plays wetter for me than the tournament lanes, and if I base my strategy for the tournament on the BJ, I screw myself every time.  Perceived value and actual value are two different things.  People have been told there's value in it, so they believe it rather than actually judging that for themselves. 

Quote from: JustRico on July 06, 2017, 11:44:40 AM

They're not practicing on the tournament shot
They are practicing on a variation of it in the bowling center...different surface and different amount of reaction
It's really not comparable 

If it's not comparable then why are they making reservations to pay $100 for some practice?? Maybe they just like lighting money on fire ... or maybe it helps them to perform better in the tournament. Almost like it's advantageous.

It's all good, we all knew this was coming.  Now, I will predict the the inevitable double-down.  Wait for it......      

 

The South Point bowling center house shot is one of the highest scoring houses in Vegas with the most friction outside. Makes sense why urethane was playable out for some guys. That built in burn isn't there in the arena. Guys trying to do the same in both centers got a rough lesson in topography.

The South Point bowling center house shot is one of the highest scoring houses in Vegas with the most friction outside. Makes sense why urethane was playable out for some guys. That built in burn isn't there in the arena. Guys trying to do the same in both centers got a rough lesson in topography.

Ask Brad Miller and Mike Remakulas. They both destroyed South Point BJ with urethane outside 5. In the arena? No sir.

Many bowlers that have bowled on house shots all of their life will never compete against the teams that have bowled on everything. As for the people paying the money to bowl on something that resembles the national patterns...forget it. Spend the money at your house practicing on sport patterns provided they have the ability to do that jmho.